A good class to take on your journey to your capstone is MASC 202: Navigating the News. Also, just good to take if you want to know more about how media is made and who makes good media.
Navigating the News. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture and 2 laboratory hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Can be taken at same time as MASC 101. Examines the essential role of media in a democracy and equips students with critical media literacy skills. Students learn to analyze credible sources, identify misinformation and evaluate how contemporary media ecosystems influence communities and public discourse across print, digital, broadcast and social platforms. Introduction to foundational reporting methods and news production techniques.
Today was the Capstone Portfolio Review, always the best day of the semester for many reasons: students get great feedback, the room is full of journalists and the instructors gain a fresh perspective on how talented our students are — all of that hard work shows up!
A big thank you to all of our reviewers for taking time this morning to join us!
New from Julianna Brown at Capital News Service–
The Virginia House passed a bill that would allow work completed while incarcerated to count toward court fines and fees.
Introduced by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, HB 16 received bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate. Supporters say the measure would reduce uncollectable debt and support reentry. The stateDepartment of Corrections estimates initial administrative costs of about $151,000.
Reporting & Photo by Julianna Brown
( Pictured: John Marshall Courts Building )
New from Elle Cota at Capital News Service–
A proposed House bill would create a voluntary, nonreverting grant fund to support wildlife corridor and crossing projects across Virginia — a state that ranks among the top 10 for wildlife-vehicle collisions.
Del. Shelly Simonds’ measure would allow donations through the DMV and state income tax checkoffs to help fund projects aimed at improving road safety for both drivers and animals. The bill cleared the House.
Reporting & Photo by Ella Cota
( Pictured: Connor Ransom, conservation associate for Environment Virginia)
New from Sara Matthews at Capital News Service–
Virginia lawmakers are considering a bill to extend state minimum wage protections to farm workers, an effort that has been vetoed twice by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
House Bill 20, introduced by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, would remove the longstanding exemption for farm laborers. The measure passed the House with an amendment that delaysthe bill start until 2027. Read more at the Virginia Pilot.
Reporting & Photo by Sara Mathews
( Picture: Gospel Spreading Farm )
Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott on what Americans can expect to hear from President Donald Trump at the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Feb.24 at 9 p.m. and what we can expect to hear from Gov. Abigail Spanberger — who will deliver the response to Trump’s speech. #studentjournalism #stateoftheunion
Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott on what Americans can expect to hear from President Donald Trump at the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Feb.24 at 9 p.m. and what we can expect to hear from Gov. Abigail Spanberger — who will deliver the response to Trump’s speech. This is an edited clip, there is also a longer reel.
#studentjournalism #stateoftheunion
“It’s deeply problematic that we have come to a place where we accept that we should be in fear of a president who says things that are anything from outright lies or twisting of the truth,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger says when asked about a state GOP lawmaker’s concern that an aggressive response to the State of the Union could hurt Virginia’s relationship with the federal government.
The SOTU is expected to begin at 9 p.m. ET., and it could be a long wait for Spanberger’s response. Last year, President Trump addressed Congress for over 90 minutes, which broke records as the longest joint address in at least 60 years, according to @npr (it wasn’t technically a SOTU speech last year). #studentjournalism #sotu #stateoftheunion
Virginia lawmakers want to remove toxic chemicals from cosmetics to better protect public health, something advocates say is also better for the environment.
Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, D-Fairfax, introduced the Humane and Toxin-Free Cosmetics Act, or House Bill 122. The proposal updates the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to ban use of certain chemicals such as formaldehyde and methylene glycol, among others.
These chemicals can cause skin issues, and at high levels are reported carcinogens. Shampoos and creams used in hair treatments can be common carriers, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“I know perms, lipsticks … we don’t even know what’s in there and there’s no real way to know unless you do a lot of research and that’s not what you’re doing when you go to CVS,” Keys-Gamarra said.
Reporting & Photo by Stef Anderson
(Pictured: Hair dye products at a grocery store.)
A bill that would regulate high-powered firearms is moving the General Assembly for its third year, with renewed debate over what it could mean for gun owners and public safety across the state. The bill was vetoed twice.
House Bill 217 proposes changes to Virginia’s firearm laws that supporters say would help reduce gun violence and improve public safety. Opponents argue the measure could place new restrictions on lawful gun owners without addressing the root causes of violent crime.
The bill is one of several firearm-related proposals, including change of purchase age to 21, under consideration this session as lawmakers revisit an issue that has long divided the General Assembly along party lines.
If passed, the proposal would prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, purchase and transfer of many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns that meet its newly expanded definition of “assault firearms.” This definition is based on features such as pistol grips, threaded barrels, adjustable stocks and detachable magazines.
Reporting by Nathan Edwards
Photo by Erin Edgerton
(Pictured: Scoped assault rifles stand on display at the 2018 Showmasters Gun Show in Richmond, Virginia. Accessories, including scopes and bump stocks, for assault rifles were on sale at the gun show.)
