Mommy The Journalist: May 2012

Social media - love it or hate it, it's not going anywhere, and it's posing quite the dilemma for journalists regardless of the media with which they work.

As a society, we've gotten used to having instant access to information. So much so that we've come to expect it. We carry our smart phones, tablets and/or laptops everywhere with us to stay linked to the world. Our emails come to our phones and we're constantly updating our statuses or sending out a new tweet. The same has come to be expected of the media.

As our dependence on social media and the internet increases, and it will, the handprint of journalists all across the globe will evolve. We're already adapting to the never-idle world of social media, and as such the premise of being 'first' is changing.

But I can't help but wonder if our dedication to being first isn't overshadowing our ethical duties to getting it right.

I've talked before about my attachment to being ethical when it comes to my job. I like to have the facts and have them double-checked before I run a story. I don't believe in running retractions simply because we weren't patient enough to get all of the information we needed before reporting something.

My station competes against two other local stations and four or so area stations, as well as several newspapers and a seldomly-right online news source. We constantly work to keep our website up-to-date with all the latest details of every story. Then there's the Facebook page to consider, the Twitter site and the pressing decision of whether to send a text alert. And of course, we're expected to be first.

As journalists we have a duty to keep the public informed in an unbiased way. The information we present to our audiences should be right the first time and not just as an afterthought.

Just because we hear reports of a shooting over the scanner doesn't mean we should immediately send out a text alert without confirming that it's actually happened. All too often though that's exactly what we do, following it up with a 'false alarm' retraction text.

Jumping the gun is dangerous (no pun intended). As members of the media, we should be observers and reporters. We shouldn't be getting involved in the stories we cover unless it's for a damn good reason like uncovering corruption or pushing for reform.

When we fail to report just the facts, we can predetermine the outcome of an investigation or trial and even sway a political election. It's tough to keep your emotions out of your stories, but it's what you have to do. Just because you feel like someone is guilty doesn't mean it's your duty to convince everyone else of it. Nor should we always report everything we know.

It's a fine line we journalists tread. Our toes are always just inches from the finish line, and we can always hear the pounding feet of our competitors. But in the end we must remember that being first isn't commendable when what we're reporting isn't accurate. Will your audience understand that or even appreciate your efforts? Probably not, but if you're not pissing people off then you're probably not doing your job right.

So we had our Media vs. Elected Officials softball game benefiting the food bank last weekend.

It was a close call, with the media squeaking out a 29-20 win after being down by 14 at the top of the fifth inning. It was a fun experience, if you don't count the two innings where everything was almost lost, and we accomplished our goal. Enough food was donated to fill up the back of the food bank's truck.

I didn't do too badly, especially considering it's been three years since I played. I dug in at second base just like in the good ol' days - saved a play the pitcher missed and almost made a double play. We won't talk about how sore I've been the past few weeks...

Are you crying?! There's no crying in baseball!

After the game, I watched one of my favorite movies of all time - 'A League of their Own'. This movie is a classic - from its star-studded cast of Tom Hanks, Gina Davis, Rosie O'Donnel and Madonna ... to the fact that it was inspired by our nation's history.

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was created in 1943. At the time America was waist-deep in World War II, and most of baseball's best players, along with many of the nation's factory workers, had joined the war effort. That meant the women emerged from their kitchens and gave back to their country.

The AAGPBL was the brainchild of Chicago Cubs owner and bubblegum mogul Phillip Wrigley.

For the first few years, the girls played fast-pitch softball. The overhanded pitching and use of actual baseballs didn't actually start until 1950.

Just like in the movie, the league used scouts to bring in the talent. The first year, there were only four teams: Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; and South Bend, Indiana. Each team had 15 players, a manager/coach, business manager and female chaperone. The teams were selected at Spring Training, which was held on May 17, 1943, at Wrigley Field.

The girls who were selected had to sign a contract. Under that contract they weren't allowed to have any other type of employment. Their salaries ranged from $45 to $85 a week or more. The players had to be highly-skilled and comply with high moral standards and rules of conduct.

These girls may have been sliding in the dirt, but they weren't allowed to forget their femininity. After every practice, they attended Rubenstein's evening charm school classes where they learned the proper etiquette for every situation imaginable. Every player also had a personalized beauty kit and instructions on how it should be used.

The league operated up until 1954. In the end, only two of the original teams remained - Rockford and South Bend. But there was never any doubt as to the significance of the league. It offered more than 600 girls, some as young as 15, the opportunity to play professional baseball.

If my life could be a movie, I'd want it to be this one. How cool would it be to be able to play softball/baseball professionally? Just watching the movie, I feel the itch to be out on the field with them. Just another sign I was born in the wrong time period.

P.S. To learn more about the AAGPBL, click here.