A video surfaced on the Internet purporting to show journalist Steven Sotloff, 31, being beheaded by a militant of the Islamic State group in Syria, just two weeks after the beheading of journalist James Foley. What protections do freelancers have while covering war-torn countries? Also, three flights in nine days have been diverted after altercations between passengers over legroom and reclining seats. What are the sociological and economic factors behind the emergence of the anti-vaccination movement?
Freelance journalists filling a void in risky war zone reporting
Yesterday, a video surfaced on the Internet purporting to show journalist Steven Sotloff, 31, being beheaded by a militant of the Islamic State group in Syria. This comes two weeks after the group posted a video of the murder by beheading of journalist James Foley, 40.
Both men were freelancers who worked at times for established news outfits, but without the backing afforded to staff correspondents. As Hannah Storm of the International News Safety Institute explains: "With a dearth of jobs in newsrooms and overseas bureaux being cut by major news organisations, many freelancers have turned to conflicts to cut their teeth. In some instances, they are filling the roles that staff journalists previously had, but often with less of the structure and support of their employed colleagues."
From bodyguards to equipment, ransom insurance and employing locals, the costs add up of keeping foreign correspondents on staff. If freelancers are filling the void, what protections do they have? If they do not have an editor as a supervisor reigning them in during dangerous times, who can play that role?
Guest:
Judith Matloff, teaches conflict reporting at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism; Matloff has covered international affairs for 30 years, as a correspondent for Reuters and Christian Science Monitor
Mike Shuster, Former foreign correspondent for NPR; Senior Fellow, UCLA’s Burkle Center
Flights diverted over legroom disputes raise concerns about space on airplanes
Three flights in nine days have been diverted after altercations between passengers over legroom and reclining seats.
For tall passengers, the ever-shrinking amount of space in economy class seats is a pain, literally. But inventions like the Knee Defender, which stops the seat in front of the user from reclining, are banned on many airlines and encroach on another passenger’s right to recline their own seat.
On many flights, coach tickets allow for only 32-33 inches of legroom, with more space available at a higher price. Many people feel their tempers flare when the person in front of them leans back, and recent disputes have been problematic enough that flight crews felt physically threatened, forcing pilots to land planes and remove the dueling passengers.
How hard are you willing to fight for your personal space on a plane, and how much are you willing to pay? Is it the fault of a few passengers that these flights have been diverted, or is there a larger problem with space squeezing across the industry? Are cramped seats worth it for lower prices? Should everyone be allowed to recline freely?
Guest:
Seth Kaplan, Managing Partner, Airline Weekly
Teen clothing companies are debranding; is teen self-expression changing?
Abercrombie & Fitch announced last week that it will remove all logos from its clothing starting with its spring line. While Abercrombie has struggled with particular branding issues recently, the move to dissociate from a logo is not unique.
As teens move away from the “three As” (Abercrombie, American Eagle, Aeropostale) and spend their money at cheaper stores with no logos (Forever 21, H&M), formerly popular retailers have fought to keep their place in teen wardrobes, often by debranding for a more neutral look. Some of the changes have been attributed to competition from lower-priced stores and foreign clothing companies, like Uniqlo and Zara. But much of the shift into cheaper fashion and less brand focus may be that teens and young adults put a higher priority on keeping up with technology trends. Last season’s iPhone is more embarrassing to teens these days than last season’s jeans, and as the younger market turns to technology and social media as a primary form of self expression, labels may be less important.
Guests:
Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association
Steph Wissink, managing director, senior research analyst and co-director of investment research at Piper Jaffray focusing on teen/youth specialty retail, youth spending, fashion brands, and retail markets
California kindergarteners are receiving fewer vaccines — why?
Fewer California parents are vaccinating their children: kindergarten-age children who are not immunized have more than doubled than seven years ago, according to a Los Times analysis of data released by the California Department of Public Health.
Health experts attribute the resurgence of measles outbreaks in the state to the immunization drop, and warn that we could see the reappearance of other serious diseases for the same reason.
What are the sociological and economic factors behind the emergence of the anti-vaccination movement?
Guests:
Michael Shermer, founding publisher, Skeptic magazine and a columnist for Scientific American
Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief of pediatrics at Watts Healthcare Corporation and Vice Chair of the California Immunization Coalition
CEO caught kicking puppy in elevator resigns from post
The man who was caught on surveillance video kicking a puppy in an elevator has resigned from his post as the CEO of a catering company.
The board of directors at the Connecticut-based Centerplate released a statement today saying that Desmond Hague has been forced to leave the company. “The decision comes as a result of Hague’s personal misconduct involving the mistreatment of an animal in his care,” the press statement reads.
The video in which Hague was seen kicking a puppy went viral last week. Hague apologized to his employees and clients, saying what he did was “out of character.” He also agreed to donate $100,000 to an animal charity and serve 1,000 hours of community service.
But his mea culpa wasn’t enough. The video sparked a change.org petition calling for his removal from the company and outrage across the web. Is Hague’s resignation inevitable? Is there anything else the company can do to appease consumers and shareholders without dismissing Hague? His action was caught on video, how does that complicate crisis management efforts?
Video: CEO caught on camera abusing dog
Video: CEO caught on camera abusing dog
Guest:
Susan Tellem, senior partner with Tellem Grody PR, Inc. based in Los Angeles