JRN 400: Our Topics!

We're doing something a bit different this semester. In past semesters, we had one overarching class issue that we all worked to write about, using different angles and mediums. This term, we're letting each of you pick your own trend or issue. I wasn't sure how it was going to go but honestly, I'm really impressed with what you all came up with. Here are the ideas; please take a look at all of them and the details of each to see if it can give you ideas and inspiration for how to best do your topic:

• How we are changing, by Rachel B. "I live around people of all races, religions, political views, financial differences and more. Rent in the city (of New York) is consistently going up, pushing less wealthy individuals to other parts of the city and even New Jersey. Corporations are constantly buying out small businesses, although ... mom and pop shops are still sprinkled throughout the city. The #metoo movement has changed what I am able to do in the workplace as a female intern. New York is a hub, and often safe haven, for people that may not be widely accepted as easily in middle America, but as the political climate shifts, are these spaces changing?
• Technology and us, by Kelly G. "I think it would be interesting to look into how humans rely, or separate themselves, from tech ology in day-to-day life. Technology is everywhere around us, it is inescapable. In this day and age, it seems like there are new advances and products constantly being announced to the market. I want to look at how people are using this, and how things have changed. I feel like it is  atopic that everyone can relate to since everyone uses technology in some capacity, and it is such a large market that there wouldn't be a lack of story ideas."
• Women and women's issues, by Bailey L. "This could include women in government, pregnancy crisis centers vs. abortion clinics, sex trafficking/women's safety in the area, how the definition of womanhood has evolved in the 21st Century, prices of menstrual products and where they are offered for free."\
• Multilingual Americans, by Zachary M. "Growing numbers of Americans speak more than one language ... a few good story ideas under this topic umbrella could be speaking more than one language could prevent Alzheimer's and speaking in a second language may change how you see the world.
• This is America, by Jasmine S. "Within the past few years, the things going on in our country have been remarkable. From race relations, the creation of Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter movements, as well as the legalization of gay marriage as well as marijuana smoking in some states, and the election of arguably one of the most controversial presidents to date ... some story ideas on a larger scale under this umbrella could be how technology affects politics. For example, analyzing the effects that Twitter had on the election of Donald Trump, how it has affected his presidency and decision-making thus far, and the roles that it plays on political events such as the nuclear threats from North Korea."
• A community and its issues, by Camille D. "I feel that this will be a great opportunity to find and focus on multiple issues throughout the NYC community through in-depth reporting and on various mediums. I can envision beginning some of my stories with anecdotal ledes to humanize the problem or creating infographics to show data on how the issue is unfolding. Examples of issues I have in mind that I am interested in exploring during the duration of this class are homelessness, population density, immigration, public safety, energy efficiency and cleanliness in the city."
• The African-American community, by Nadia M. "I'm going to focus on the positives more than the cons. The reason I'm going to attempt to focus on the positives more (is) because I feel like the positives get (over)shadowed by the negatives. The reason I picked this topic (is) because there's always something going on that's worth reporting in the African-American community."
• What is passion, by Caitlyn P. "This can lead to a variety of different things. Maybe someone's passion has led them to a successful business or maybe it is an outstanding athlete that stands out among others ... passion is something that can be explored in many different ways and it is a topic that I find relatively interesting given the vast angles it has. I feel there are many creative avenues to be taken and this subject allows to go into something more than a written story. I can see the possibility of interesting video stories and even photo essays."
• Education, by Christine K. "Some story ideas I have right now are misconceptions of home schooling, misconceptions of public schools, a day in the life of a teacher, Michigan government on education, is the current education system harming children, and the way teachers teach is evolving."
• Health and wellness, by Auriel T. "Skin care during the summer, maintaining hydration, heart health, and things of this nature."  
• Food and America, by Brittany F. "Food is such a huge part of our society and with rapidly changing cultural trends we see more and more interesting topics about food. Some stories I believe I can explore are food blogging and how people are gaining a huge following from it; why it has become so commonplace to post food on our social media; and food delivery services."
• A time of crisis, by Colin D. "Some story ideas that come to mind include concern about school threats/shootings, sexual assault in schools, the effects of bullying, etc. This is a very wide topic, but I think if I stick to schools, it could all fall under one umbrella."
• The opioid crisis, by Nick T. "The way the crisis has negatively impacted people in need of opioids ...I could do legislative stories about the various pieces of law in motion, both for and against opioid use. I could write feature stories on local individuals stuck in the medical system trying to get the treatment they need. I could write more number-based stories by interviewing local police and hospitals to see how the crisis has impacted us/"