September 5, 2019,  Uncategorized  No comments

Assignment #3

By Michael Morgan

In doing assignment #2, I had to edit grammatical errors and mistakes involving AP style, which I have done before. When reading the article about Michael Brown’s death, I had to do something that I have never done before, and that is searching for lack of sensitivity in articles.

            John Eligon clearly lacked sensitivity when writing the profile on Brown, due to the poor choices in words such as, “no angel,” and publishing the article on the day of the man’s funeral. When editing or reviewing any future articles or essays, I will know to not only search for AP style and grammatical errors, but I will search for sensitivity issues from reporters or those involved in the story.

            In receiving comments on my assignment...

September 3, 2019,  Uncategorized  No comments

“No Angel” of a Reporter

         The phrase “no angel” used in an article describing an 18-year-old on the day of his funeral was a poor choice of words, by any moral standards.

         Michael Brown was an 18-year-old that was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. After Brown’s death, reporter John Eligon of the New York Times wrote a front-page profile of Brown in which he described the deceased in a poor light using phrases such as “no angel,” and “handful,” among others.

         In Margaret Sullivan, a New York Times Reporter’s critique of Eligon’s article, she stated that Eligon simply wanted to write the article to give insight to Brown’s life, the “deeper story” Eligon said.

         Insulting a p...

November 7, 2018,  Uncategorized  No comments

Herd Opens the Season against Eastern Kentucky

By Michael Morgan

The Marshall Thundering Herd open up the 2018-2019 season Wednesday on the road against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

“We’re going to play hard. They’ll put on a show,” head coach Dan D’Antoni said about his team.

The Colonels finished last season with a record of 11-20 (5-13 Ohio Valley Conference), and return their leading scorer senior Nick Mayo, the 6-foot-9 power forward. Mayo averaged 18 points and just under seven rebounds per game last season.

Marshall finished last season 27-11 (13-5 Conference USA) overall and won the Conference USA tournament, resulting in the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 31 years.

The Herd defeated Eastern Kentucky last season at home, 91-71, led by Jon Elmore and C.J...

October 11, 2018,  Uncategorized  No comments

The World in 1968

By Michael Morgan

A culmination of professors met in the Shawkey Room at Marshall University on Wednesday to talk about movies, reporters, women, and the emergence of new journalism in the year 1968.

Professor Burnis Morris, co-director of the symposium, began by providing an overview to the year and some of the most prolific events in chronological order before introducing the first speaker. Included in these events, was the raising of the fists by Olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos in the Olympics to stand up for black rights.

Morris was followed by professor Jennifer Sias, who had done extensive research on the reporter, Studs Terkel and his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr...

August 22, 2018,  Uncategorized  No comments

Michael Morgan

JMC303-101

Covering a College Beat

To begin, I did not realize how much a student could truly be involved within the field, while they are still in school. I believe that in covering a college beat while still attending school, a journalist will learn more by experience than anything that can be taught. Perhaps there will be some faults, but in failing, a writer will learn not to make those same mistakes.

I think that it is interesting as to how many steps you must take to simply talk to someone else likely the same age, simply because they play a sport. I realize that sports information directors have a job to do and that does not always make our job easier as writers...

February 9, 2017,  Baseball, Uncategorized  No comments

Performance Enhancing Drugs are becoming more of an issue in today’s sports, which have led to more suspensions and fines than ever.

According to an article written in 2011 titled History of Steroid Use on intheknowzone.com, types of PED’s have been used since the times of the ancient Greeks in competitions. Things such as the pituri plant or hallucinogenic mushrooms were used to improve performance. In the 1860’s, swimmers in Amsterdam were charged with taking illegal drugs to speed up their races which has led to many athletes attempting to cheat to gain an edge over opponents throughout history.

There are many different types of PED’s. There may be too many to mention but listed in a 2016 article on treatment4addiction.com titled Performance Enhancing Drugs it is stated that ana...