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Protests Shut Killer Cop’s Fundraising Page

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ColorofChange.org Says 54,000 Members Raised Objections

. . . Police Accounts Should Not Control the Narrative

. . . Requests for Body Cam Video Met With Mixed Results

NABJ Board Spends $190,000 on Travel

Percy Sledge Was Also Loved in Apartheid South Africa

Visitor Says Abu-Jamal, Imprisoned and Ailing, Lost 80 Lbs.

What Do Satirical Cartoonists Say They Won’t Touch?

Rubio Trails Clinton, Cruz, Paul in Social Media Reaction

Why Do Journalists of Color Have Lower Job Satisfaction?

Short Takes

ColorofChange.org Says 54,000 Members Raised Objections

The fund-raising site Indiegogo has shut down the crowdfunding page created to help white former police Officer Michael T. Slager of North Charleston, S.C., who is charged with murder after firing eight bullets at Walter Scott, an unarmed black man. The activist group ColorofChange.org is taking credit for the shutdown.

The action by Indiegogo comes after the site insisted last week that “Indiegogo allows anyone, anywhere to fund ideas that matter to them and just like other open platforms — such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter — we don’t judge the content of campaigns as long as they are in compliance with our Terms of Use,” according to Sarah Parvini, writing April 9 for the Los Angeles Times.

But a spokesman for Indiegogo messaged Journal-isms on Wednesday, “Our Trust & Safety team regularly conducts verifications and checks and this campaign did not meet their standards.” The spokesman, who did not want to be identified “per company policy,” did not respond when asked what standards the campaign did not meet.

Nevertheless, ColorofChange was pleased. “After 54,000 ColorOfChange members raised their voices, Indiegogo met our demand and took down all Officer Slager pages from their crowdfunding platform,” it wrote to supporters. “In short: we won.

“Quick wins like this are rare, but they happen when a community is able to come together at a moment’s notice and put strategic pressure on a company or politician.

“Collectively, we tweeted @Indiegogo thousands of times and flooded their Facebook wall.

“Everywhere Indiegogo employees and executives looked, they saw our message: that they shouldn’t enable Michael Slager to profit in the aftermath of murdering Walter Scott. And that they shouldn’t perpetuate a toxic culture that roots for and supports illegal police conduct while criminalizing Black victims, and justifying their killings.

“We’re currently in talks with Indiegogo and will be meeting CEO Slava Rubin soon to discuss the company’s policies. We want to ensure that the next time a hurtful and hateful fundraiser like this is started on their platform, that it’s taken down immediately without any hesitation or delay. That’s why we need you to speak up. Tell Indiegogo to officially change its policy. No one should ever be able to use their platform to profit from such horrendous actions.

“We’ll take your signatures and comments into the meeting with the CEO. We’ll bring the voices and power of the ColorOfChange community into the room with us.”

The Slager supporters went to Indiegogo after being shut down by GoFundMe, another crowdfunding site.

“After review by our team, the campaign set up for Officer Slager was removed due to a violation of our Terms & Conditions,” Kelsea Little, the site’s public relations manager, said in an email to the Los Angeles Times, Parvini reported. “Campaigns in defense of formal charges of heinous crimes are prohibited by our terms.”

The site inquisitr.com reported on April 9, “As of this writing, the Slager fundraising page lists a grand total of $1,380 raised by 48 people in two days.

“The Indiegogo page itself for Slager has gone viral, receiving more than 39,000 Facebook likes — and most of those who’ve given money to the fund have remained anonymous.

As Christine Mai-Duc reported in the L.A. Times, “According to a cellphone video of the encounter, Slager fired eight times at Scott as he ran away. Scott was struck in the back by four rounds. A fifth round grazed his ear. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Investigators began interviewing Slager on the morning of April 7,” South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesman Thom Berry said, “and Slager was arrested later that day at the end of the interview. He was charged with murder and fired. . . .”

Meanwhile, Dylan Goforth and Ziva Branstetter reported Thursday for the Tulsa World, “Supervisors at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office were ordered to falsify a reserve deputy’s training records, giving him credit for field training he never took and firearms certifications he should not have received, sources told the Tulsa World.

“At least three of reserve deputy Robert Bates‘ supervisors were transferred after refusing to sign off on his state-required training, multiple sources speaking on condition of anonymity told the World. . . .”

“Bates, 73, is accused of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Eric Harris during an undercover operation on April 2. . . .”

. . . Police Accounts Should Not Control the Narrative

“Story frames and the language of the narrative are two of the most powerful tools available to journalists,” Jean Marie Brown wrote Tuesday for alldigitocracy.org. “They can evoke emotion, cast doubt or explain complex situations. In the current coverage of fatal shootings involving police, media frames and word choices often seem to be cast from a law enforcement point of view.

“Police accounts are almost always taken as fact, while the person who was shot is reduced to ‘suspect’ status and often described using aggressive verbs and adjectives. News coverage of the death of Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina is just the latest example of this.

“Coverage of the Scott case by the Charleston Post and Courier since the release of the video has been lauded as exemplary journalism. This cannot be said, however, about the first three days of the paper’s Scott coverage. Those stories reflected a troubling trend in police reporting in which the police account is taken at face value.

“This kind of approach to police reporting violates journalistic standards and codes of ethics, which call for journalists to minimize harm, treating subjects as human [beings] deserving of respect. Ethical guidelines also state that journalists should give voice to the voiceless and serve as watchdogs over those in authority.

“The narrative of the Post and Courier’s first report told of the death of a man who ‘fought’ Officer Michael Slager. The story limits Scott’s humanity — the reader learns the make of the car Scott was driving before being told his name — and minimizes the violence that has occurred. . . .”

Brown also wrote, “Had the cellphone video shot by Feidin Santana not been given to the family, not only is it unlikely that Michael T. Slager would have been arrested, it is also unlikely that the media framing of . . . Scott’s shooting would have changed.”

. . . Requests for Body Cam Video Met With Mixed Results

“As calls have grown for law enforcement agencies to equip officers with body cameras, bills to prevent their content from becoming public are popping up on legislatures across the country,” the Radio Television Digital News Association said on Tuesday.

“At least 18 states are considering measures to regulate how video from police body cameras can be used, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, [Michigan], Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington. A recent article [by the Associated Press] outlines bills in several states, and a detailed article from freedominfo.org examines many key issues in the debate.

“If passed, many of the measures would exempt recordings made by police body cameras from freedom of information requests, keeping the video out of the hands of the public and the media, while still allowing prosecutors to use such evidence at trial.

“Several of the bills were introduced at the urging of the law enforcement community and have gained support from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which is advocating that only video of significant interest be made available for release. Laws are already in place in New York State and North Carolina that effectively keep body cam videos away from the public.

“In practice, media requests for body cam video have met with mixed results, with agencies relying on current freedom of information laws for guidance, or refusing to release the video pending legislative action or court orders. . . .”

The article asked for feedback on success or failure in obtaining police body cam video.

NABJ Board Spends $190,000 on Travel 

“Right now, journalists hoping to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) at its annual convention in Minnesota this summer are shopping for low airfare — and in some cases hotel accommodations — to Minneapolis on discount travel websites,” Denise Clay wrote Wednesday for alldigitocracy.org.

“But it might be a good idea for NABJ executives to start surfing those websites as well, especially if they plan on continuing to rack up skyrocketing travel expenses. At a time when journalism diversity is stagnant at best, a set of expense reports released to NABJ’s membership last month shows that its executive board spent more than $190,000 solely on travel in just two years.”

“According to the reports, the largest expenditures ($13,116.60 in 2013 and $28,391.24 [the next year]) can be attributed to NABJ President Bob Butler alone.”

Butler told Journal-isms by telephone on Thursday that the travel expenses took place over three years, not two, that “expenses have been going down,” and that “the story is taken greatly out of context. It sounds alarming but when you look at the recent numbers, it’s pretty much on par with what we’ve done before.”

The story continued, “Since the board’s expenses had grown so much, AllDigitocracy reached out to Butler and NABJ Executive Director Darryl Matthews to find out why. We also reached out to NABJ treasurer Keith Reed via email, but got no response to multiple messages. . . .”

Clay also wrote, “Butler, who was vice president of broadcast in 2013 and became the current president in August of that same year, blames a drop in financial support from corporations for skyrocketing travel expenses. Media companies used to underwrite costs for meetings, which typically took place four times a year.

” ‘Board members used to get help from their corporate employers for travel,’ he said. ‘But these companies have stopped giving us support for that. Because of this, NABJ has to pick up much of the cost.’ . . .”

The Advocate in Baton Rouge asked an array of visitors to the Mall of Louisiana to sing “When a Man Loves a Woman” (video)

Percy Sledge Was Also Loved in Apartheid South Africa

Percy Sledge, whose 1966 ballad “When a Man Loves a Woman” became a classic, was shown love on network newscasts and in media outlets around the world when he died Tuesday morning at 74 in Baton Rouge, La.

But none paid tribute quite like the Advocate in his hometown.

The newspaper devoted much of Wednesday’s front page to the singer and produced an online video in which an array of visitors to the Mall of Louisiana sang lines from the song.

Curiously, nearly all of the obituaries omitted Sledge’s performances in apartheid South Africa in defiance of calls to boycott the country.

Britain’s Telegraph reported Tuesday, “For a fertile period through the 1960s and early 1970s he recorded a series of highly emotional soul songs — many produced in Muscle Shoals, Alabama — among them Warm and Tender Love (covered by Elkie Brooks in 1981), It Tears Me Up, Love Me Tender and Cover Me. His second big chart hit was Take Time to Know Her (1968).

“This was his moment in the sun, and the high point was his sell-out tour of South Africa in 1969. ‘We played to whites, blacks, Indians: they said nobody but Percy Sledge could do that kind of a show.’ “

Jet magazine reported it differently in its July 29, 1971, issue. “Singer Percy Sledge was roundly castigated by the [American Committee on Africa] for his tour of South Africa in 1970, when he played to nonwhites only, but after whites, disguised in wigs with faces darkened with cork, swarmed into his concerts, the government set up dates in which Sledge played also to all-white audiences.

“Criticism flared over his playing to segregated white audiences.”

Jet reported in the same article that Aretha Franklin also played to segregated black audiences, but not to whites. “We are going to entertain Blacks only,” Ruth Bowen, Franklin’s agent, said. ” . . . We are not going to deny our Black brothers the opportunity to see our acts.”

Visitor Says Abu-Jamal, Imprisoned and Ailing, Lost 80 Lbs.

A supporter who visited prison journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who had suffered a diabetic shock, reported that “he looked better than he did in those widely disseminated photos taken a week ago” but that Abu-Jamal, in a wheelchair, said he had lost more than 80 pounds.

Suzanne Ross of the Free Mumia Coalition wrote on the “Free Mumia” website, “To clarify some differences in reports. Mumia repeated that he had lost over 80 pounds.

“This enormous weight loss in such a short period of time causes him pain when he sits, apparently especially in the wheel chair. I suggested a pillow, which obviously should have been provided with the wheel chair, and he said he would get one. His skin continued to look motley, multi-colored, and very flakey. It felt dry, He said it did not hurt but itched badly, and he has to cover his body with the anti-itching cream he uses repeatedly, as he did before coming out for his visit. He is still shaking. . . .”

Ross also wrote, “Very notable to me was the trauma all this has imposed on Mumia, major, major, major physical and emotional trauma. He feels the steroids given him for his initial skin problem brought on the diabetes, and now the life threatening diabetic picture, not to mention the pain, the itching, the shaking, and the memory issues he described. ALL DONE TO HIM, IMPOSED ON HIM.

“Important to note, in terms of Mumia getting the outside medical help he needs, is that he submitted a grievance . . . regarding the lack of appropriate medical care he is receiving. . .”

Supporters of Abu-Jamal, 60, who was convicted in the 1982 killing of a white Philadelphia police officer, are demanding that he receive proper medical care and have charged that Pennsylvania prison officials are attempting to kill him through medical neglect.

Meanwhile, a teacher in New Jersey who assigned her third-grade class to write “get well” letters to Abu-Jamal was suspended Friday, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

Marylin Zuniga of Orange Public Schools in New Jersey has received both support and criticism from parents and activists, Rebecca Klein reported Tuesday for HuffPost BlackVoices.

Rubio Trails Clinton, Cruz, Paul in Social Media Reaction

“Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign kickoff on Monday didn’t make quite the splash on Facebook as earlier presidential campaign announcements,” David McCabe reported Tuesday for the Hill.

“His campaign launch generated 1.3 million interactions — which include likes, comments, shares and posts — from 695,000 people in the 24 hours surrounding his Monday evening announcement.

“That puts him behind Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who got bigger reactions on the social network when they announced. Cruz elicited 5.5 million interactions and Paul garnered 1.9 million.

“It’s also a small number compared to the 4.7 million people who generated 10.1 million interactions about Hillary Clinton’s announcement. . . .”

Why Do Journalists of Color Have Lower Job Satisfaction?

Female journalists are experiencing more job burnout, and more intend to leave the field or are uncertain about their futures than their male counterparts, new research from a University of Kansas professor shows, the university announced on April 9.

Scott Reinardy, professor of journalism, messaged Journal-isms on Tuesday that he also looked at minority groups in his survey of more than 1,600 journalists, including more than 500 women.

“In this study, the only significant difference found on the variables (burnout, job satisfaction, work overload, organizational support, and perception of work quality) between Caucasians and minority groups is job satisfaction. The minority group had significantly less job satisfaction. Because I have not parsed the open-ended responses, I cannot say why that would be the case. Perhaps you can provide some insights. . . .”

The study included 156 people who listed themselves as African American, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American or other.

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