Final Journal-brief summary

I'm sad to say that this is my last journal entry for Muti-Ethnic reporting. I can't believe how fast these seven weeks have gone by. Each class meeting was an interesting experience that I am glad I was able to have. I feel more open-minded and prepared to talk about and cover the topics we spoke about in class, such as: race, gender, sex, religion, etc. 

I think Professor Reisner did a great job teaching this class and I understand now why it's his favorite class to teach. I don't think anyone else could have done a better job at getting through to us and getting us to speak, as openly as we did. 

I must admit that I was nervous to voice my opinion at first but Professor Reisner's teaching manner helped me along the way to open up more in class, my journals and in my listening post. I don't think the class would have been as interesting or engaging had people not shared their opinions and thoughts openly in class discussions. I think it gave us all an opportunity to learn from each other and learn to ask questions. 

One of the most important things I learned from this class is to be prepared by doing your homework and research before going to do a story or interview on something or someone you know nothing about. You want the person who you are interviewing to believe you have a genuine interest in what they are saying; you don't want them to think that you have no idea what you're taking about. 

Yes, it is pretty much common sense to do research before you do an interview but this crucial advise from professor Reisner really stood out to me when I completed my interview with the owner of the barber shop I visited for my listening post. He was impressed with my interview, commented on how well prepared I was and mentioned that I really did my homework.

The class really gave me the hands on experience and confidence, through the listening posts, to go out there and report. Report on everything and anything, not just on topics I am comfortable with. It's not about being comfortable; it's about getting out there and learning from people's stories and life experiences. 

We are journalists; we're supposed to ask questions, lot's of questions. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION!

 

Journal #3

Professor Reisner shared an article from a Columbia magazine, which talked about race and how people are so afraid of coming off racist. This led to a class discussion about how words have different meanings in different cultures. 

For example: Nigger/Nigga/Negra, this is the same word but has three completely different meanings. The first is very offensive and shouldn't be used ever. The second is more of a slang word used mostly among younger teens with their groups of friends, meaning "bro." The third is an affectionate word used to describe a dark women (not in a cruel way at all) in the Spanish language. “Negra” is what my family calls my mom. Growing up I didn’t really understand it until my mom explained that it’s used in a cute and loving way.

Professor Reisner pointed out that being politically correct is a matter of NOT saying something. "As a white man, you just shut up," he said.

 

The next topic up for discussion was, "When words are codes." Some of the words we talked about were: Urban/Inner=hood, poor; City/Suburban=white, rich; Ghetto=slur, fashion statement, a poor place; Crime=a ridden neighborhood, ghetto. Also, Jew vs. Jewish: Jew is thought of as meaning, cheap, rich and having a big nose. Jewish is the religion. 

It was interesting to realize that even though we might not want to admit that those words do have a connection, the truth is that we do think that way. Many people in class agreed that what the exercise pointed out was true. Although i'm not proud to admit it, I also completely agree with the "When words have codes" exercise. I think society in general has taught us to think this way. 

I was a little taken back by how the professor described, "Urban redevelopment" (moving the poor people out). Thinking about it, I realized that he is absolutely right; it's just that I never heard it said that way. 

Another "Food for thought" exercise we did was, "Ways to avoid saying, White." The examples were: soccer moms, blue collar, Americans, main street, wall street, middle America, New Englanders, all-American, southerners and ordinary people. I must say that these ARE all ways of describing someone as "White" without actually saying it. I've heard most of these words used all my life, sometimes in a joking manner but other times in a mean way. 

The exercises and class discussions continue to open my eyes even more on how touchy these topics are and what the best way is to go about reporting on them. 

 

LP # 2-Pacinos Barbershop

I was

 

greeted by Erich as soon as I arrived at the barbershop around 4p.m. He was sitting outside in front of the shop returning phone calls and responding to text messages. We spoke briefly about how his day was going. He could tell I was a little nervous about walking into the shop, since it was very busy and I was definitely the only girl their. He couldn't help but laugh. Erich asked me if was ready and I hesitantly smiled and said yes. It was now or never...

 

As we walked in, all eyes were on us and I got the feeling that all the guys were wondering what I was doing there. Erich asked if I wanted to sit in his barber chair since he wasn't planning on cutting anyone else that day. I sat down and he made sure that I was comfortable before he went to the back of the shop to eat his lunch. 

 

I sat there looking around and observing everyone. I was still a little nervous. There were about eight barbers and clients in every chair, getting haircuts and edge ups and several others waiting to be next. There was hip-hop music playing loudly and some of the guys were singing along. This led to a conversation between the guys about singing the girl's verse of the song. They were discussing how uncool it is for guys to sing the girl's lyrics and how only girls should sing the girls verses. 

 

As I watched the clients going in and out, I paid close attention to how they interacted with their barber. The barber and client would exchange "the guy handshake" which is a handshake and a semi-hug that is more like a pat on the back. This handshake would happen when the client first arrived as a way of saying hi and again when they were getting ready to leave, it was followed by "thanks bro."

 

Incase I failed to mention; there were absolutely all guys in the barbershop!!! I completely stood out but all of the barbers and clients were very welcoming. The shop had a very "homey" feel to it. It was small, clean and very "guyish." There was a small chess table by the waiting area and the walls were adorned with pictures of Erich with the many celebrities he has met and cut hair for. It was like a wall of Fame. Towards the back of the wall was DJ booth for the DJ that occasionally comes in and spins on Saturdays. He was one of Erich's close friends. There was also a flat screen TV on the back wall with a play station so the clients could play video games while they wait.

 

The first chair on the right belongs to Erich but it's used very often because he doesn't cut hair as much as he used to. The chair across from him belongs to Elvis, the barber who has worked for Erich the longest.

 

The next topic of conversation amongst the barbers was high school reunions and if they should go. The majority stated that they didn't see a point in going. The conversation didn't last long. I noticed that the barbers are really loud when they are talking to each other and they all jump into each other's conversations. Maybe it's because of the electric razors and music or maybe they are just loud because they are guys...

 

 

Of course they talked about girls and checked out the ones who would pass by the shop outside. I think they tired to keep their comments respectful because I was there...

 

I also noticed that all the barbers took turns answering the phone and sweeping. There was no receptionist or assistant. It was up to the barbers to help out around the shop.

 

My visit to the shop went well. The barbers treated me very nice and they didn't seem to mind that I was there. It was a unique experience getting insight on things guys talk about when there are no girls in the room.