Bloggers Reporting

By now the USF community knows most of the details about the tragic accident on Turk and Chabot last Thursday. Word spread among students before anything was found in print or heard on the news. I heard about it in my 5:30 communications law a policy class where one of my classmates said that a woman died and she was the wife of the school of education. I thought most of what I was hearing was gossip and I’d get the real story the next day in the paper.

Interestingly enough, what I heard in class was accurate. I have grown so accustomed to dismissing word of mouth information as gossip until I can check the facts that I did not even think that maybe someone in the USF student body had been out there at the site of the accident recording these facts. In fact, Huner Patterson of the Foghorn broke the story in his blog, "The Bicycle Diaries," two hours before the SF Chronicle. The picture below was taken by Patterson and gives me a very vivid idea of what the scene must have looked like.

It's important to realize that the technologies we have at our disposal are important and necessary tools, not only in journalism, but in recording important events. A USF student was able to hop over to the scene of the accident with a camera and tape recorder to chronicle the facts before any professionals. The importance of this act is so critical in today’s journalism. I learned of the details of the accident through our blog, USFBlogtastic, on Thursday night from the postings of Sam and Professor Silver. I then went to the news online to verify what had happened. The fact that we can not only gather information the instant it happens but post it to blogs so it can be shared is a whole new way of expanding the use of our technologies.

Crowd sourcing, once again, is receiving information from the crowd, and is actually a much smarter way to handle spreading the news. Patterson's story had two hours on the Chronicle's story, just think how much more information we can receive over time if each person involved in an event or tradgedy catalogued thier experiences through a blog or pictures and posted them in real time. We can begin to live through these experiences as they're happening.

Word of mouth can lose the reputation of being mindless gossip because everyone is now an essential part in spreading the news.

The Dangers of Driving: Statistically Speaking

The devastating car accident at the intersection of Turk and Chabot Terrace on March 1st has effected the entire University of San Francisco community. From the site of the accident (middle of USF campus) to 75% of the people involved (faculty member’s wife and two students), every aspect of the accident seems to only hit the USF community harder. As a student driver at USF, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the two drivers involved were both students.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that 1.2 million (3242 every day) people are killed worldwide each year as a result of car accidents, and another 50 million are injured. Years and days may be easy to look past, but imagine this: every 13 minutes one person dies as the result of a car accident in the United States. To bring those statistics closer to home California also has the highest rate of traffic fatalities in the country as of 2004. Pedestrians, as in the case of the USF accident are also in danger and should be very aware of what is going on around them. Some 4,207 pedestrians were killed and 65,000 were injured by motor vehicles.

If you look further into auto accidents, WHO’s statistical reports explain the ‘estimated mortality rate’ people from the ages of 15-29 (Us!) ranks above most other age groups (Males in that age group ranked first; however, females have a much lower rank: fourth out of six). Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 16-24.

Those are astonishing numbers, and it seems that people who drive everyday, get in their cars in some kind of ‘auto-mode’—forgetting all of the risks that come along with driving. Multi-tasking only makes the situation worse. From personal experience, I can admit that at any given time during my ‘ride’ I am: changing the music, talking on my cell phone, drinking my Starbucks, and or putting on make-up. With statistics of auto accidents in the millions, I imagine I am not alone.

The car accident at USF was a huge reality check for me. Driving is Dangerous! The point of this blog was not to bore or frighten you with big numbers and statistics; moreover, to try and shed some light on the enormous number of people injured/killed and the even larger number of people who are affected by car accidents.

Other Pedestrian Identified in Tragic USF Accident

Yansen Setiawan, was the other pedestrian who was hit by an SUV on Thursday, March 1st at the University of San Francisco (to my knowledge news stories have not yet identified Setiawan). Setiawan works as a private contractor for The Warehouse Sale and was passing out fliers around campus on the day of the accident. In an email exchange, Kenneth Atman, a colleague of Setiawan, said, "he is a very hard worker and we are lucky to have him on our team." "He has a very positive attitude towards this whole situation, he was even joking and smiling when I visited him a couple of days ago," said Atman. Currently, Setiawan is at SF General Hospital and should be released within a week. "He had some surgery done on Friday for a dislocated hip and some broken bones," said Atman. "The doctor said he should be able to walk again in about a month."

bloggers aren't reporters...

Read what Lia has to say about bloggers. Frankly I'm a little hurt (this is my blog for journalism ethics with Prof. Robertson), because she's talking about what we are trying to do, somewhat saying that bloggers aren't reporters...

Blogger Pride people!

Tremors

San Francisco seems to be on trial for tragedy left and right these days. Recent landslides in North beach have displaced over 120 residents and caused four buildings to crumble, entirely destroyed. And now, a heart breaking calamity in our own U.S.F. community, the death of Paula Gmelch is a fresh wound. However, as a hectic day winds down to a somber evening, San Francisco is once again, quite literally, shaken up.
At approximately 8:40 this evening the bay area experienced a tremor, the epicenter was located a mile northeast of Lafayette. It was measured to be a 4.2 quake and the majority of descriptions made it out to be two halting jolts. A minute amount of damage was rendered on the bay area community but it was enough to remind us of past earthquakes and those predicted for the future.
In the past week there have been around 200 small earthquakes in the California Nevada area, which scientists have begun to speculate, COULD signify a larger quake to come. San Francisco is one of those rare cities perched directly atop a massive fault line that has a massive eruption every 100 years.
We have already surpassed that anniversary and can expect a quake measuring anywhere from a 7.5-10.5 in the near future. Can you picture a 10.5 earthquake? To put it into perspective, the devastating quake in 1906 (which destroyed the city) was placed to be around 7.7 based on seismic waves. An earthquake of 10.5 magnitude could potentially decimate our city and its surrounding area. Another addition to the collection of catastrophes we have unwillingly born witness to.

news of the accident via usf connect

this is a mighty blow to the whole community. let's make sure we support one another.

i am posting two messages that arrived via usf connect.

Subject: Message to the USF Community
Dear Member of the University Community:

This afternoon, Paula Gmelch, the wife of Dean Walt Gmelch of the School of Education, was tragically hit and killed in an automobile accident on Turk Blvd. At this moment of profound loss, our hearts go out to Walt and his children. For those of us who knew Paula, she was fresh, energetic and very much a part of campus life -- from athletic events to University functions. I know that you will join with me in keeping Walt and his family in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Stephen A. Privett, SJ

***

Subject: Accident at Turk and Chabot on March 1

Dear USF Community,

On Thursday, March 1, 2007, there was an automobile accident at the corner of Chabot Terrace and Turk Boulevard. Members of the USF community may have witnessed or heard about the incident.

If you are a residential student and you would like to speak with someone, please contact your Resident Adviser (RA). He or she can get you in touch with an on-call staff member.

If you are a non-residential student and you would like to speak with someone, please contact Public Safety Dispatch at (415) 422-4201. They can get you in touch with an on-call staff member.

If you have any information about the accident, please contact the Department of Public Safety at (415) 422-4201.

Accident on Turk and Chabot (?)

Does anybody know about the accident on Turk and Chabot? I heard that a car hit two people and one of them died. If anyone has information, let me know. Thanks. And be careful crossing the street!