Penn State Scandal

Joe Paterno looked like my grandpa.

He always did. The big glasses and stern expression that melted into a smile so often. That’s how I knew him for years. After my mom lost her father when I was in eighth grade, we would watch the Nittany Lions and say, “hey grandpa” whenever JoePa was on TV. I was a closeted Penn State fan because Paterno looked like my grandpa, and like Grandpa Vic, he was a good man.

That was the hardest part for me when the Sandusky news broke. I did not know who Jerry Sandusky was, and I found his actions absolutely disgusting. Just another pervert terrorizing young men and ruining their lives, I thought. It was heartbreaking, but unfortunately on par with other scandals I had heard about growing up.

But, as more victims came forward and the magnitude of this issue became apparent, questions began to surface about the involvement of university officials and other coaches, namely Paterno, in covering up Sandusky’s crimes. I could not believe it and I still don’t accept the notion that he knew. It may seem irrational, but my mom and I had created a strange attachment to this man, and were devastated to think he could have taken part in hiding something so awful. We always say he died from heartbreak.

In terms of Sara Ganim’s work, I was shocked and grateful for her honesty. Explicitly stating the ways in which Sandusky abused his victims makes some of these stories difficult to read, but it was important for her to do so. As she stated, Sandusky was revered as a god in the eyes of Penn State fans and vague accusations of “abuse” would have likely been brushed off. I think this is a delicate balance with any controversial story. Also, what’s with the DA disappearing and being declared dead? I’d like to hear more of that story.

TPP Vox Card Stack

I chose to check out the Vox card stack on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I spent a lot of time studying and discussing this deal last semester in my International Law class, but I still found this stack to be informative and interesting.

Something I found especially interesting was the card on copyright provisions in the TPP, which I had not heard about. I had no idea that the passing of the TPP would mean the adoption of the same copyright laws we currently have in the U.S. in all ratifying countries. I can see how this may be a difficult aspect to accept for states with less comprehensive copyright and intellectual property laws, as well as why the TPP would make it much harder to change our laws in the future.

All in all, I really enjoyed the presentation style of the card stack. Increasingly, I feel that the attention span of the average reader is shrinking, so breaking down information into digestible sections is a smart move for the writer. It also allows the reader to choose relevant cards to view instead of throwing all of the information at them at once. The interactivity and mobile aspects also lend themselves to better readership.

Journalist I Admire: Dana O’Neil

Dana O’Neil is an ESPN college basketball writer and Penn State graduate. I have always really enjoyed her feature stories, because I think she does a great job finding the human element in sports and writing a story that appeals to a broader audience. There are some incredible stories in college basketball, and I feel that O’Neil has a knack for seeking them out and giving each project its due diligence during her reporting.

My favorite Dana O’Neil story, and one of my favorite features of all time, is this piece on Michigan’s Austin Hatch. (Seriously, this story is unbelievable.) Hatch survived TWO plane crashes during his childhood and lost almost every member of his immediate family in these accidents. Prior to the second crash, Hatch committed to play basketball for the University of Michigan. Despite severe injuries and cognitive delays, the Wolverines honored their commitment to Hatch and he overcame incredible obstacles to play.

This feature is long, and at times it is difficult to read. But, I think that’s how it should be. O’Neil clearly spent weeks with Hatch and his loved ones, listening and learning about the family he lost. This story is about basketball on the surface, but it is much more than that and shows me Dana O’Neil is a beautiful writer and dedicated journalist.

I also loved this piece on NBA prospect Thon Maker. I like O’Neil opens this feature and explains Maker’s unconventional and controversial path to the NBA Draft. With a coach/guardian moving him across borders and to various schools and academies, Maker is largely unknown to NBA scouts because he is skipping collegiate and developmental basketball before declaring for the draft, thanks to a loophole in the age rules.

Once again, I think this story shows the reader how much time O’Neil spends researching and talking to every source she can find before writing. She contacted someone who was ‘formerly involved with an obscure Australian youth basketball academy.’ I admire the tenacity she has to go out and find these people to get the opinions of every relevant party. I also think O’Neil does a nice job of protecting her sources’ privacy without sacrificing the credibility of their word. Although one coach requested to remain unnamed, his quote combined with the words of other coaches and O’Neil’s description of a person create a very complete image of an important character. This is a balance I’m hoping to one day find in my writing, as well.