The James Logan Courier

By John Chau, Courier Managing Editor

Recently, Chinese University in Hong Kong provoked city-wide controversy when its Journalism students included a pornographic section in their paper. Not only did the students face heavy condemnation by the general public, their section was declared by the city government as 2nd Class Restricted Media, a classification reserved for explicit and violent material.

All arguments for civil rights and the freedom of expression aside, this incident points to more than a mere tiff between a rebellious student body and a now-beleaguered school administration. Indeed, this is a call for all journalists, particularly those in training and working for educational institutes, to return and reflect upon the morality they employ in their work. True, the freedom of expression and press are now safeguarded in much of the world, but does that mean journalists can now hop on their computers, and at random throw out uninformative and obscene materials for readership? I think not.

By Bethany Stringer, Courier Staff Writer

I was looking through one of my friend's yearbooks, having been too cheap to buy my own, when two pages caught my attention. They were near the front, pages 26 and 27 to be exact, and they covered the rather controversial subject of teen pregnancy. This did not bother me, that is, until I read the three-paragraph blurb that accompanied the various pictures of teenage parents and their children.

The idea of dedicating two pages in the yearbook to this subject is not itself wrong. Rather, it is the way that teen pregnancy is described by the people responsible for these pages (no offence to Jeffery or Alex, I'm sure that you're nice people). When articles like this are written and placed in a book where thousands of young minds will see it, some discretion should be used.

By Fermin Sierra, Courier Staff Writer

I am one of a kind, so unique that I usually don’t use terms like “one of a kind”. I know what people are thinking because I am people. To put it simply, you believe me because I believe myself. I am the only person in the world who wakes up in the morning (3:15 am, to beat the crowds) and brushes his teeth for five minutes only to reveal the biggest sh*t-eating grin you’ve ever seen. I am determined to be convincing. You know, the guy that calls you “Karen” or “Max” until you think and act just like Karen or Max would.

By Ray Dequina, Courier Opinion Editor

The person who said the above quote was responding to an effort by Democratic lawmakers to restrict the sale of Mature‑rated video games to minors. The person who said it sounds like a pretty stand‑up guy. I mean after all, it sounds like some pretty common sense stuff: children are young and aren't equipped to deal with some of the things this world has to offer, so it's the duty of the parents to step in and be the moral compasses for their children. This little piece of wonderful wisdom must have been the product of an equally wonderful individual. Was it the Democratic Messiah Al Gore? Was it blunt‑to‑the‑point‑of‑political‑suicide Barack Obama?

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The following editorial appeared in the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer on Monday, June 4:

Americans being the independent sort, it's rare for them to advertise to their podmates the size of their paychecks. And corporations are notably reluctant to share information about employee pay levels. Yes, such info may be available in some workplaces — government jobs, union shops. But that is the exception, not the rule. So how is a woman, for example, who suspects that she's being underpaid, compared to men doing the same work for the same period of time, to discover that inequity within just 180 days of taking the job?

By Chris Ott
(MCT)
Enjoy today's low gas prices while you still can.

With gas topping $4 a gallon in some parts of the country, it might seem hard to believe that things could get worse. But in the long run, there is really only one direction for the price of gas to go, and that's up.

Sure, the price of gas will probably dip from time to time again. But experts estimate that world oil production is already at or beyond its peak. That almost certainly means higher prices for the fuel that's left.

By Joni Balter
Seattle Times (MCT)

While everyone else is focusing on Bush incompetence and the red-state/blue-state standoff, a more significant and quiet revolution is under way among younger voters. They are identifying more and more with the Democratic Party.

In an effort to classify the newest generation of voters, researchers say obvious things about those now ages 18 to 25. These so-called Gen Nexters rely heavily on technology and the Internet. Knew that. They maintain close contact with parents and family. Figured that. They wear a ton of tattoos. Yes, of course.