Thought-provoking video shows a common reaction to reporters

You may find yourself in this situation some day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/us/university-missouri-protesters-block-journalists-press-freedom.html?action=click&contentCollection=Your%20Money&module=MostPopularFB&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

What's coming up

Our schedule for the remaining weeks of the semester (subject to revisions):

NOV 3  TOPIC: Massachusetts Open Meeting Law< moved up, so we can peer edit Thursday In-class work on features and blogs. Get ready to present your blogs to the class for critiques next Monday.

NOV 5 FIRST DRAFT FEATURE DUE (1,000) words. PEER EDIT Firm up issue story ideas. NEXT: Write issue pitch to present next class. Read and complete worksheets for Chap 20 on police, Chap 24 on Government and 25 on Reporters and the Law. Review Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

NOV 10 Issue pitch. PRESENT BLOGS Discuss chapters. WRITE: 500-word Issue PRE-First Draft to peer edit next class.

NOV 12 Peer edit Issue pre-first drafts. 

Final FEATURE (1,000 words, 15 percent of total grade)***********DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL NOV. 17*************************

NOV 17 FIRST DRAFT ISSUE (1,000 words with 4 voices, 2 of whom are "experts") AND FINAL DRAFT FEATURE due. Discuss chapters NEXT: Read and complete worksheets on Chaps. 26 on Taste in Journalism and 27 on Morality.

NOV 19 - TOPIC: Ethical reporting Discuss Chapters 26 & 27; in-class work on issue paper, blogs

NOV 24 In-class work on Issue paper; continue chapters discussion.

NOV 26 - NO CLASS/Thanksgiving

DEC 1 FINAL ISSUE PAPER DUE. (1,000 words 20 percent of total grade) Review for FINAL QUIZ.

DEC 3 END OF SEMESTER QUIZ Discuss summary/analysis writing.

DEC 8 - In-class deadline assignment: Watch film and write SUMMARY/ANALYSIS (10 percent of final grade) on deadline, due at end of class.

DEC 10 - LAST DAY OF CLASS/ recap/ Final blogs presentations

Massachusetts Open Meeting Law

The Massachusetts Open Meeting Law is written to ensure that publicly elected bodies don't meet outside the public view. It requires that notice of a meeting of a quorum of members (the number of members needed to take official action/vote) of a public body, such as Amherst Town Meeting, Amherst Select Board, Northampton City Council or Boston City Council, do not meet without the meeting having been "posted," where the public can see it, 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  

At a public meeting, a  quorum of officials may announce that they are going into a private meeting known as an executive session if one of 10 exceptions to the Open Meeting Law pertain. Roughly speaking these, reasons are:

1) "To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual."

2) "To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel'

3) To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining by union employees

4) To discuss deployment of security devices or personnel

5) To investigate charges of criminal misconduct

6) To discuss real estate transactions

7) To comply with federal grant regulations

8) To discuss applicants for employment

9) To meet with a mediator
10) To discuss trade secrets

Recent determination that the Amherst School Committee violated the Open Meeting Law: http://www.oml.ago.state.ma.us/
MassLive story about decision: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/attorney_generals_office_deter_1.html
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10365079