Category: Class blog

FOIA, e-cycling in Michigan

muckrock

When looking on Muck Rock, I found a request that was submitted and is completed. The request is asking for documents from 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 from electronic manufacturers to see if they are following the obligations of e-cycling, in Michigan. Some manufacturers include Dell, Samsung, LG, Sony, and Microsoft.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) responded and forwarded the request to the Waste Management and Radiological Protection Division of DEQ. A fee of $99.75 needed to be paid to satisfy the request.

After the FOIA request was satisfied, DEQ sent in six separate emails containing the documents that were requested. There were some manufacturers that didn’t have the documents because they weren’t registered.

This non-profit news site makes requesting government documents easy, if needed.

Ethics for the win

Ethics in journalism is the foundation of good reporting. Balancing information on a pendulum against personal biases can be somewhat challenging.

Being an African American woman is a double-loaded burger in what experiences I bring to report that I know I should rein in on,  lest I provide a complete biased account.

After taking a structured class dedicated to research, writing and journalism I’ve become better equipped to fact check rather than take the wealth of information on the internet at face value. For example, using known fact check sites for reliable truths. This is an example of such a site!

Writing for all people whether blogging or journalism is not just ethically important to present both sides, but it is morally needed to avoid poisoning humanity from ill-gotten information.

The liberal bias

All people hold bias in their minds. Confirmation bias. Belief bias. The background of a person will affect how they report the news and there is no way around it.

For myself, part of what I have to deal with comes from my political beliefs. Being liberal means that I am more likely to want to report on things that confirm what I believe.

The same can be said for being atheist, being white, being a man, being raised upper middle class, and being American.

All of these can contribute to what I am willing to believe, what I want to report on, and, unfortunately, how I report it as well.

Being aware of the bias can help. Always making sure that I hear both sides of the story and listen to all arguments surrounding it can at least make my reporting fair. Removing myself from the story helps as well, so that only the facts are reported.

Lastly, being up front about my own beliefs and biases can help any potential readers determine for themselves whether or not what I say is trustworthy.

FOIA

The Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) has been in act since 1967. This act allows the public to request access in to what goes on behind closed doors within the government.

This can also go into play with local institutions. The most recent example is the Larry Nassar case at Michigan State University.

Back in February, MSU was caught withholding information about players and coaches about other potential sex scandal allegations on it’s campus. Thanks to ESPN’s Outside the Lines legal department, that information was finally obtained.

This information would not have been obtainable without FIOA.

Michigan academics: What goes into your tuition?

Have you ever wondered what exactly goes into that tuition that makes you want to pull your hair out and scream? According to a study by the Michigan government, we can actually see why students in Michigan pay the prices that they pay.

The University of Michigan-Dearborn has the lowest overall cost of all four year-public schools in Michigan. The total cost is $15,419.36 for a student taking 13 credit hours per semester.

Kendal College of Ferris State ranks the highest at $26,585 in the overall price. On the other side of the spectrum, they average the most affordable in books.

Our little brother, Michigan State, averages the lowest in transportation. The University of Michigan-Flint averages to be the highest.

The main campus of U-of-M has the highest room and board fees at almost $9.5 thousand. For students looking for the most cost efficient room and board fees, you’ll want to check out U-of-M Dearborn for that route.

So while tuition does continue to rise, these are the factors that each university must look into so their campuses can stay in good standings.