http://news.yahoo.com/juror-gets-caught-adding-female-defendant-facebook-friends-054205448.html

First of all, I have to wonder why the headline says “female defendant” instead of just “defendant”. Is it because the author thinks readers will assume that the juror is a creepy stalker-ish kind of guy? If the juror had been female and the defendant had been male, would the author have even mentioned the gender of the defendant? Maybe it is just a coincidence, but the headline makes me curious about the author’s ideas on gender perceptions and expectations.

Another issue I have with the story is that the author tells the readers of the name of the defendant. What if people who read the story go on Facebook to find her? I guess I am wondering how appropriate it is to say the name of a Facebook user on a national news site.

I think it is sad that the jurors would be using their smartphones to pass the time. Call me old fashioned or a word nerd, but why couldn’t they bring books to read instead? I think we are too “logged on” as a society.

I think this story is newsworthy.  It raises a lot of questions about the appropriate use of technology, which is very pertinent to mass comm. I think it would be interesting to discuss in class.

Hi. Welcome to my blog! This is my first blog, so I am a little scared about getting used to the new technology, but I’m sure I will come to understand it soon.

I enjoy writing, and I like copy editing-you know, the grammar, mechanics, punctuation, spelling stuff that most people hate to deal with. I was one of the editors for the Kiosk, Morningside’s annual literature and art magazine, last year. I am a grammar geek and I think proofreading is fun.