Define "secure"

Secure the Building
Robert L. Bateman, CCJ Contributing Writer, September 12, 2007

Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Bateman is currently stationed in Washington, D.C. He was a Military Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and has authored two books: "Digital War, A View from the Front Lines" [1] (Presidio: 1999) and "No Gun Ri, A Military History of the Korean War Incident" [2] (Stackpole, 2002). These opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the U.S. Government or the Armed Forces.

Although it is not easy to tell, there is a significant difference between a translator and an interpreter. In Iraq, those differences are crucial, though I cede that our troops use the words interchangeably. The real difference is that while both types of people speak two languages, one of them is fluent in two cultures as well. Thus, a translator can convert your English words into Iraqi Arabic, but because he may not quite understand either your unstated sub-text, or the historical and cultural context of the listener, your precisely translated words may unintentionally send exactly the wrong message.

An interpreter, on the other hand, is a jewel. He knows you, he knows American culture and history, but he is also intimately familiar with the host country. He understands that when you make a reference to, say, our main heavy artillery piece (which is called the “Paladin”) that he better not use the direct Arabic translation of that word, which might as well be a synonym for “Holy Christian Crusader,” because that would send exactly the wrong message. Instead, he interprets what you mean to say, and puts that in the proper context. He does the same in reverse for you. A good interpreter is worth his weight in gold.

For all intents and purposes, it may be better for journalists to consider themselves “interpreters” rather than reporters. A good journalist does not merely transcribe, he understands the broader context of what he is seeing and hearing and explains that in the context proper for his audience to understand what happened. Local reporters and editors do this all the time, using the AP feed to develop a story for their local audiences. But even then the process is not simple, though the best of you make it look that way. It is even more difficult the more dissimilar the two groups, those being written about and those who will read the story, are from each other. It is nearly an impossible task to accomplish well if the journalist is not even aware that there is a difference in cultures at play.

Now every self-selecting profession has a special language all its own. Physicians and surgeons, lawyers and police, all are specialized and most periodically get frustrated when a journalist gets the details wrong. The normal journalistic response, and I have heard this dozens of times over the years, is generally dismissive. Along the lines of “all specialists complain when you get the slightest little detail wrong, but they’re missing the big picture, the story overall was about X...”

In my profession, of course, bad reporting, even of those details, can have somewhat more serious consequences. When one misreports a story of a new medical procedure for gall-bladder operations, you might annoy the subject of the story and lose some credibility with the handful of physicians who can spot the mistakes. When one misreports a story on the military, the results can be much more traumatic. Moreover, there are an estimated 27 million veterans in the U.S., who will usually find the "Snafu." Which brings us back to cultures, sub-cultures, and the importance of knowing what you are seeing.

The military is not monolithic. Just as there are in Al Anbar province, Iraq, in the U.S. military there are major tribes, sub-tribes, and even sub-sub tribes. Each has a culture which generally adheres to the outlines of the larger culture, but which is still unique. Doing journalism with multiple tribes means understanding those differences. If one does not, they run the risk of misinterpreting what they are seeing and hearing. The simplest way to explain this is in the form of a joke, the idea of which depends upon the idea that each of the services hears the word “secure” to mean different things.

If you tell a Marine officer to “secure the building,” but give him no more instruction, he will plan an assault. His troops will come in from two perpendicular directions, preceded by mortar and artillery fire, with F-18s flying close air support overhead. They will rain destruction on the structure, and then under the concealment of smoke, move into the building with two platoons, clearing each room of the building with grenades and bursts of small arms fire. When every room has been cleared they will go to the roof and raise a flag. Then the Marine officer will return and declare that the building has been secured.

If you tell an Army officer to “secure the building,” he will lead his men to the building, they will enter it and start knocking out the windows. Filling each opening with sandbags, they will surround the structure with barbed wire and claymores (these are directional command detonated mines). He will personally emplace his machineguns in the best locations to cover the “likely avenues of enemy approach,” and after 24 hours the structure will be fit to hold off an attack from a force three times the size of the Army unit inside. He will then report that the building has been secured.

If you tell a Navy officer to “secure the building,” he shuts down the computers, spins the dial on the lock of the file cabinet, turns off the lights and locks the front door.

If you tell an Air Force officer to “secure the building,” he looks it up on Google Maps, gets his contracting agent, and heads down to the local real estate agent where he takes out a 20 year lease with an option to buy.

(Somewhat obviously, this joke is retold mostly by the Army and Marines.)

The differences, subtle and not-so-subtle, take some time to discern. Experience is the only obvious corrective, though CCJ contributor Ed Offley has published a book which goes a long way towards helping the interested journalist navigate the pinnacles and pitfalls of covering the military. His 2001 book Pen and Sword, A Journalist’s Guide to Covering the Military is a de facto “How To” manual which is about the best single source for a journalist just starting on the military beat, or even one assigned to a single military story.

Tips for better writing

My first editor reminded me of some of these great quotes to help guide our students to better writing.


Arthur Quiller-Couch (among others)
“Murder your darlings.”

Samuel Johnson
“Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.”

Elmore Leonard
“If I come across anything in my work that smacks of ‘good writing,’ I immediately strike it out.”

Don't know much about history...

I constantly tell my students that context is everything in a good story. That means -- to me -- a decent knowledge of history and civics. They should also know where to look to see if there is an historic link to a story. (I recommend The History Channel.)

This reporter would so fail my course:
On the scene with Mary Beth

Dan

Constitution Day -- The Holiday Nobody Has Heard of.

The following item is from Al Tompkins at the Poynter Institute.

I was stunned about how few of my 303 and 370 knew even three of the components of the First Amendment. Granted the money for public schools to educate students about the Constitution did not come in until many of these college students had graduated but still....

These are journalism students and should know the First Amendment inside out by their final years in college.

Screed aside, let's get to the reason for posting this.

Those of you who have freshman and sophomores might want to use this week to see just how many of your students know the basics of the Constitution -- especially the First Amendment.

It is too bad that Mason's Birthday (Dec. 5) and the ratification of the Bill of Rights (Dec. 15) are so close to finals. The convergence of those important days are what might be called "a learning opportunity" but by then the learning is supposed to be over for the term. :)

Anyway, look this over and weep.

Today is "Constitution Day."

By federal law, every school that receives federal funds are supposed to teach about Constitution Day and the Constitution. But a new Knight Foundation survey shows most kids are clueless about it. Pity, because the kids are not only clueless about Constitution Day, they are clueless about the Constitution. But then again, as you read the poll results, you will see their teachers and parents do not see the value of a free press or free speech either.

The survey found that one-third of the teachers surveyed strongly or mildly agreed with the statement, "The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees." Even more kids -- 45 percent -- agreed that the First Amendment goes too far.

Thirty percent of teachers and 30 percent of students agreed with the statement that "the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants."

Here are some of the results from high school students:

Based on your own feelings about the First Amendment, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.

2004 2006
Strongly agree 12% 18%
Mildly agree 23% 27%
Mildly disagree 19% 16%
Strongly disagree 25% 21%
Don't Know 21% 19%


Overall, do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right?

2004 2006
Too much freedom 32% 30%
Too little freedom 10% 11%
About right 37% 41%
Don't know 21% 18%

Take a look at these results from the high school faculty survey, which asked teachers to agree or disagree with the following statements:

Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics that others might find offensive.

2004 2006
Strongly agree 28% 35%
Mildly agree 30% 29%
Mildly disagree 19% 19%
Strongly disagree 21% 15%
Don't know 2% 2%

Newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story.

2004 2006
Strongly agree 53% 57%
Mildly agree 27% 22%
Mildly disagree 12% 13%
Strongly disagree 6% 7%
Don't know 2% 1%

High school students should be allowed to report controversial issues in their student newspapers without the approval of school authorities.

2004 2006
Strongly agree 13% 13%
Mildly agree 26% 27%
Mildly disagree 27% 28%
Strongly disagree 33% 31%
Don't know 1% 1%

According to a press release from the Knight Foundation:

Three years after a new federal law took effect requiring schools to educate all students about the Constitution and the First Amendment, a majority -- 55 percent of U.S. students – aren’t even aware that Constitution Day exists.

Constitution Day was recognized for the first time in schools in 2005, shortly after the largest survey ever done of high school students, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Future of the First Amendment, showed that nearly three-fourths of them either did not know how they felt about the First Amendment or took it for granted.

Very few can name the five freedoms of the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Constitution Day became federal law in December 2004 with the passage of an amendment introduced by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.). The act mandates that all schools receiving federal funding teach about the Constitution every year on Sept. 17.

Good and Bad Job Seeking

Here are some tips on job hunting from a colleague in Shanghai.

You might want to consider passing these on to your students.

http://www.spj.org/blog/blogs/ijc/archive/2007/06/19/7712.aspx

The Beloit Mindset list: Well worth a look!

For those of you who have not yet seen this…

This is one of the best ways to wrap your mind around what our students DON’T know without pasing any value judgments.

Be sure to look at years past as well to see what your juniors and seniors know or don't know.

http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/

BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2011

Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989. For them, Alvin Ailey, Andrei Sakharov, Huey Newton, Emperor Hirohito, Ted Bundy, Abbie Hoffman, and Don the Beachcomber have always been dead.

1. 
   What Berlin wall?
2. Humvees, minus the artillery, have always been available to the public.
3. Rush Limbaugh and the “Dittoheads” have always been lambasting liberals.
4. They never “rolled down” a car window.
5. Michael Moore has always been angry and funny.
6. They may confuse the Keating Five with a rock group.
7. They have grown up with bottled water.
8. General Motors has always been working on an electric car.
9. Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa.
10. Pete Rose has never played baseball.
11. Rap music has always been mainstream.
12. Religious leaders have always been telling politicians what to do, or else!
13. “Off the hook” has never had anything to do with a telephone.
14. Music has always been “unplugged.”
15. Russia has always had a multi-party political system.
16. Women have always been police chiefs in major cities.
17. They were born the year Harvard Law Review Editor Barack Obama announced he might run for office some day.
18. The NBA season has always gone on and on and on and on.
19. Classmates could include Michelle Wie, Jordin Sparks, and Bart Simpson.
20. Half of them may have been members of the Baby-sitters Club.
21. Eastern Airlines has never “earned their wings” in their lifetime.
22. No one has ever been able to sit down comfortably to a meal of “liver with some fava beans and nice Chianti.”
23. Wal-Mart has always been a larger retailer than Sears and has always employed more workers than GM.
24. Being “lame” has to do with being dumb or inarticulate, not disabled.
25. Wolf Blitzer has always been serving up the news on CNN.
26. Katie Couric has always had screen cred.
27. Al Gore has always been running for president or thinking about it.
28. They never found a prize in a Coca-Cola “MagiCan.”
29. They were too young to understand Judas Priest’s subliminal messages.
30. When all else fails, the Prozac defense has always been a possibility.
31. Multigrain chips have always provided healthful junk food.
32. They grew up in Wayne’s World.
33. U2 has always been more than a spy plane.
34. They were introduced to Jack Nicholson as “The Joker.”
35. Stadiums, rock tours and sporting events have always had corporate names.
36. American rock groups have always appeared in Moscow.
37. Commercial product placements have been the norm in films and on TV.
38. On Parents’ Day on campus, their folks could be mixing it up with Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz with daughter Zöe, or Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford with son Cody.
39. Fox has always been a major network.
40. They drove their parents crazy with the Beavis and Butt-Head laugh.
41. The “Blue Man Group” has always been everywhere.
42. Women’s studies majors have always been offered on campus.
43. Being a latchkey kid has never been a big deal.
44. Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, autobiography can happen in real time.
45. They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcolm X from Spike Lee.
46. Most phone calls have never been private.
47. High definition television has always been available.
48. Microbreweries have always been ubiquitous.
49. Virtual reality has always been available when the real thing failed.
50. Smoking has never been allowed in public spaces in France.
51. China has always been more interested in making money than in reeducation.
52. Time has always worked with Warner.
53. Tiananmen Square is a 2008 Olympics venue, not the scene of a massacre.
54. The purchase of ivory has always been banned.
55. MTV has never featured music videos.
56. The space program has never really caught their attention except in disasters.
57. Jerry Springer has always been lowering the level of discourse on TV.
58. They get much more information from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert than from the newspaper.
59. They’re always texting 1 n other.
60. They will encounter roughly equal numbers of female and male professors in the classroom.
61. They never saw Johnny Carson live on television.
62. They have no idea who Rusty Jones was or why he said “goodbye to rusty cars.”
63. Avatars have nothing to do with Hindu deities.
64. Chavez has nothing to do with iceberg lettuce and everything to do with oil.
65. Illinois has been trying to ban smoking since the year they were born.
66. The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
67. Chronic fatigue syndrome has always been debilitating and controversial.
68. Burma has always been Myanmar.
69. Dilbert has always been ridiculing cubicle culture.
70. Food packaging has always included nutritional labeling.
    

Story ideas on sports and signals

As usual Al Tompkins at the Poynter Institute has some great ideas for stories. Today he looks at sports and signal stealing.

This story can work any time of the year but works best for football and baseball.

I bet there are a few students who would like to know more about how signals are used and (possbily) stolen. Feature story for the Broadside or GMU Cable?

Here is Al's column: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=129632