Richard Jewell - From Hero to Villain

On July 27, 1996, spectators of the Atlanta Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. hectically scrambled away from the terrorizing sound of a nearby explosion, screaming.  Dark smoke rose from one of the buildings. 

The explosion, which caused two deaths and 111 injuries, quickly became the focus of media attention.  The press thus found and “mobbed” Richard Jewell, a security guard who has helped minimize the number of fatalities and injuries by clearing the surrounding area of spectators after he noticed the suspicious bag containing the bomb.

Initially praised as a hero, the stories took a turn for the worse as the search for a suspect intensified.  For the next few months, Jewell would be recognized as the bomber by the public, due to suspicion and interrogation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but also because of the lack of skepticism and objectivity practiced by the media, which had an unfortunate lasting impact.  The stigma that was forced upon Jewell would follow him for the rest of his life.

In a public statement by Jewell that we saw in the 20-minute documentary “Judging Jewell,” he declared that the media and the FBI acted irresponsibly “in a rush to fulfill their own personal agendas.”  Other journalists remorsefully agreed with Jewell in the documentary.  For example, Tom Brokaw said he could not say the media was ever skeptical enough in covering the Jewell case.

Because of the faulty conduct of journalists, which was highlighted in the documentary, an innocent man earned the reputation as a terrorist.  The documentary is a reminder of the power that the media has to influence the topics and the lives of the people that they report on, an influence that can leave both positive and negative impacts.  For Jewell, the impact of media coverage was highly negative and could not be erased.

Unfortunately, even after the actual bomber, Eric Rudolph, had been convicted, people still remember Jewell not as a hero, but as a man who was suspected of being the bomber.  His wife said that some people continued to suspect the Jewell was in fact the bomber, but had gotten away with his crime, an opinion which she said emotionally hurt Jewell very much.

Jewell was also unable to find employment in law employment for over a year following the incident.  One of the reporters interviewed in the documentary commented that he “basically lived in the dark” for the time that he was considered the main suspect, because the media “had cameras trained on every window of his apartment.”

What is worse is that the American media were not the only participants.  Because the event was so significant, it received coverage by foreign media as well, such as the BBC, giving him a poor reputation across the globe.

Given how much the coverage of him changed his life, it seems that the headline “Suspicion may stain Jewell’s life for years,” completely came true.  Although the power of the media can be beneficial to our country, acting as a watchdog over selfish politicians and making people aware of problems that need to be changed, Jewell’s case illustrates the idea that many people in the public believe, that the media rushes to get a story to the point that they are careless as to whether their facts are straight.  The media essentially convicted him regardless of his potential innocence.

His case should be viewed as a reminder to follow good journalistic principles.  The media must focus on maintaining objectivity and skepticism, no matter how tempting it may be to want to find an answer right away. 

Furthermore, Jewell’s story illustrated what we learned about covering criminals from Amherst Police Detective Jamie Reardon.  The press shouldn’t report on someone until after they have been arrested or arraigned in court and charges have been filed.  Otherwise they put themselves at risk of damaging the reputations of innocent people and can also face the accusation of writing libel.

In the future, we can only hope that the press will practice good, fair journalism so that innocent people like Jewell don’t become victims of an institution originally designed for the benefit of the people.

By Shelby Ashline

Trail by Media

The Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA in 1996 would have been remembered as a tragedy, had it not been for one man, Richard Jewell. While a concert was going on, he found what he thought might be a bomb, and tried to clear out the area as much as possible, saving more than 100 lives. Instead the pike bomb killed only two and injured more than 100 people. However, Jewell is not remembered as a hero, but instead as a man accused of planting the bomb in the first place.

The police, when a situation like this occurs, must consider all options. They were investigating everyone and had received a tip that Jewell like attention from a former boss. However, because of their inability to keep the name under wraps, journalists knew that something was up with the guy they had been praising as a hero. The Senior Managing Editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution allowed an article to be printed saying that Jewell was in fact the bomber although there was no proof of this and they were unable to attribute this information to anyone conducting the investigation.

From there, other news agencies took it as fact and ran with it. All over the world, Jewell became known as the bomber. Part of this was due to the want of the FBI to find the bomber while the world spotlight was still on the United States, and so they continued on this lead. With the amount of journalist crowding around him constantly, he was forced to stay indoors or face accusatory questions from journalists. This made him look more guilty, and lead to more journalists and more stories about how he was guilty of this terrible crime. He was under surveillance for 88 days. After that time, it was decided, upon looking at the facts, that he was not a suspect in the investigation and was instead the hero of the story. It wasn’t until 2005 when Eric Rudolph plead guilty to the bombing that he was cleared completely. Some people still believe that he is the bomber.

The media has yet to learn that even under tense situations that claiming someone is a bomber without having proof is damaging to someone’s reputation. When people look up the people who were accused of  this crime, these are the stories that are going to pop up. It might be harder for them now to get a job, to have a life that isn’t in the shadow of being accused of something that they are innocent of. Richard Jewell had trouble finding a security job even after he was cleared of being the bomber. It took him over a year and he was paid only eight dollars an hour.

The sad thing about this story is that it still happens. In April 2013, while the investigation for the Boston Bombers was happening, a number of people were accused of the being the bombers. One was a Saudi national who was actually wounded by the blast.  He fit the image that American had of a Middle Eastern terrorist but it was proved that he was not the bomber. His picture was found online and put in many new stories. The next victim blamed was a 17 year old high school track star and his coach, who happened to be wearing baseball caps and have backpacks. Due to Reddit, an online website that created a forum, a theory went viral and the media picked it up. But the boy was innocent and not even under investigation.

I think what journalists need to learn from this story and from the accusations made during the investigation of the Boston Bombing is that people are innocent until proven guilty. If the courts of the United States holds that to be true, why is it that the media of the country cannot also do so? How can the media hold its head high and claim to report the truth, when they make accusations about innocent people  that damage them in the moment and for years to come. The media also has to understand the sway it has on people, especially in tense and uncertain times. In times like this, people want to know what is going on, if there is a suspect, and what is being done to catch the person. By throwing names out to the public, the media is creating a dangerous environment for the person and is slowing down the investigation. It is also not holding by their motto of reporting the truth. These people are not collateral damage on the road to catching a bomber or killer. They are innocent people with lives. The real criminal will be put on trial, we do not need the innocent suspects to have a trial by media.

by Lauren McArdle

FAKE Obituary of Jerry Lee Lewis

            Jerry Lee Lewis, one of rock and roll’s greatest stars of the 1950s who was renowned for his piano playing, LIVED Saturday morning at his ranch in Nesbit, Miss. at the age of 78.  He is remembered for the energy and enthusiasm he demonstrated during his performances.

            Born on Sept. 29, 1935 in Ferriday, La., Lewis was the son of Elmo and Mamie Lewis, according to Wikipedia.org.

            Though Lewis’ mother enrolled him in the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, Lewis gave up school at around the age of 14 to focus on his music.  By that time, his father had bought him his first piano and he had given his first public performance, according to Lewis’ website jerryleelewis.com.

            Lewis traveled to Memphis, Tenn. when he was 20-years-old and found work as a musician for Sun Studios, which has worked with artists such as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. 

He recorded his first single, a cover a Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms,” in 1956, but his first big hit, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” wasn’t recorded until the following year.  His other early, well-known songs include “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Breathless,” which made it into the Top 10 on the pop charts according to jerryleelewis.com.

Lewis gained a nickname, “The Killer,” because of his shocking performances that left his audiences stunned.  He would frequently play the piano standing up and sometimes lit his piano on fire.

In the 1960s, Lewis found a new career as a country artist, with hits such as his 1968 song, “Another Place, Another Time.”  However, he never lost touch with his rock music, revisiting some of his older songs in the 1970s.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first class in 1986, according to jerryleelewis.com.

Lewis’ LOVED ONES include two sons, Jerry Lee Lewis III and Ronnie Guy Lewis, and two daughters Phoebe Allen Lewis and Lori Lee Lewis, as well as his wife Judith (Brown) Lewis.  He was predeceased by two sons, Steve Allen Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr.

By Shelby Ashline

(Deadline Assignment)

Obituary for Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert, 70, of Chicago, Illinois, died April 4, 2013, after a long battle with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands.

Born in Urbana, Illinois on June 18, 1942, he was the only child of the late Walter and Annabel Ebert.

Ebert’s interest in journalism began when he was a student at Urbana High School, where he was a sports writer for the school newspaper. Ebert started talking classes at the University of Illinois as an early entrance student, completing his high school courses while also starting to take university courses. While at the university, he wrote as a reporter for the school paper, “Daily Illni”. One of the first movie reviews he did was for the university paper about “La Dolce Vita”, published in 1961. By senior year, he served as the newspaper’s editor. Through out his time at school, starting at the age of 15, he was continuously working for “The News-Gazette” in Champaign, Illinois. 

After graduating college in 1964, studied English as a master’s student. During this time, he attended the University of Cape Town on a Rotary Fellowship. He then was accepted as a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Chicago. While working on this doctorate, he applied to newspapers in the Chicago area. He was hired by Jim Hoge of the “Chicago Sun-Times” as a reporter and feature writer in 1966. It was not until the current movie critic left the paper that he received the beat. After working under the load of student and newspaper writer, he left the University of Chicago and focused his energies on movie reviews.

By 1970, he had written a book and co-wrote a number of screen plays, including the Sex Pistols movie “Who Killed Bambi”. He worked for the University of Chicago as a guest lecturer and taught about films.

In 1975, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Ebert also began hosting a weekly film review television show called “Sneak Previews” that same year, which was produced by the Chicago public broadcasting station WTTW. Three years later, PBS picked up the show for national distribution.  This show, though changing names throughout the years, lasted 34 years.

In early 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, which was successfully removed. He had surgery in 2003 for cancer in his salivary gland, which was followed by radiation treatment. In 2006, he underwent surgery to remove cancerous tissue in his jaw, but due to complications, lost the ability to speak.  

He became an honorary member life member of the Directors Guild of America. His final review for the “Chicago Sun-Times” was for the film “To the Wonder”, which he gave 3.5 out of 4 stars. It was published in April of 2013. However, throughout the year of 2013, previously unpublished reviews came out posthumously as the movies he has written about came out. 

Ebert leaves his wife, Charlie “Chaz” Hamelsmith, of 21 years. There was a private memorial vigil on April 7, 2013 with an open casket at the chapel of Graceland Cemetery. The funeral was held on April 8, 2013 at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral. A bronze statue was erected in his honor in Champaign, Illinois  at the Virginia Theatre in 2014.

Memorial contribution can be made to the non-profit group headed by Ebert’s wife, the Robert Ebert Foundation.

By Lauren McArdle

Slips, Falls, and Ice: the Downside to Winter

College students have experienced slips, falls and the dangers of black ice as they make their way to class.

 Due to the large amount of snow that has fallen over Amherst in the past week, University of Massachusetts students have had two snow days and a delay.

            “I’d rather get snowed on than rained on,” said Dean Ludgate, a sophomore Communications major at the University of Massachusetts in light of the recent flash blizzard. Ludgate and his friends, Paul Sobchenko and Gila Goldstein shared their sentiments on the recent onslaught of snow while sitting around a table at the library.

When asked whether they liked the snow, Sobchenko, a junior environmental science major, said, “Yea, I love it!” to which Goldstein replied “As long as it doesn’t turn to ice in the day time.”

            Goldstein, a sophomore natural resource conservation and public heath double major at UMass, described trying to get to her dorm in Orchard Hill, which is often a struggle for students in slippery weather.

            Goldstein, who was with a friend during the  flash blizzard , said “Initially we were just going to walk up the hill but we decided we didn’t want to risk falling.”  As an alternative, Goldstein and her friend waited extensively

            “UMass needs to put down more salt.  I mean, I’ve almost fallen like four times,” said Kassie Madore, a sophomore communications disorders  major.  Madore expressed concern about walking to her job at the Recreational Center early in the morning because she’s worried about slipping on black ice.  “I know I’ll fall eventually,” she said.

“I haven’t fallen yet, but I will,” Madore’s friend Rachel Keane, a sophomore English major, said, sharing Madore’s concerns.  In addition to more salt, Keane wants the university staff to do a better job shoveling.  “They don’t shovel the stairs to by my building,” she said. 

“I was walking and it started snowing,” said Keane.  “I got snow in my eye, and my contact was sticking to my eyelid.” Her sentiments  matched those of some of the other students when they walked out of class at one o’clock today to find a surprise flash blizzard.  

Snow came down hard and fast as students rushed between buildings. The campus sits, covered in snow, waiting to see how UMass will handle the new load of fresh powder.

Whether students love or hate the snow, they share the sentiment that spring needs to come soon. Sobchenko said “ Kind of sick of winter for a little bit,” and remarked about how he is looking forward to spring break.

Rachel Keane in her winter gear

By Lauren McArdle, Shelby Ashline, and Molly Gately