Consider the worm. Some species of worm are parasites that live off the human body. But others are essential to our ecosystem. They add nutrients to our soil that enable food to grow and they serve as essential food for all kinds of animals. Some worms have been so decimated by loss of habitat and […]
journalism
Posted inNews
Representation Matters
Johnny Depp is likely not going to read this article. He’s very busy. He owns his own island, after all, and imagine the upkeep on emptying his Roomba of all the sand it’s collected from visiting guests traipsing through his island house without a care in the world. I honestly can’t imagine Johnny Depp even […]
Posted inNews
Hey Reporters! The Environment is Everything
Imagine this: Meteorologists warn that a huge storm is poised to hit Humboldt County. We can expect howling winds to uproot trees and knock out power. The Eel River Valley and Arcata Bottom will surely flood. Driving to get food or other supplies will be foolhardy in such conditions. Without urgent action, hospitals will be […]
Posted inNews
HSU’s El Leñador Wins Multiple Awards
Humboldt State University’s El Leñador newspaper won six first place awards in the 2019 California College Media Association statewide awards competition this year. “I can’t be more proud of our El Leñador staff,” Jose Herrera, current editor-in-chief said in the press release. “The awards are a sign that we are doing incredible work covering the community.” […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
On Murder Mountain
Repeatedly over the last few weeks, I’ve been asked for my impressions of Murder Mountain, the six-part docuseries looking at Humboldt County’s cannabis industry released on Netflix last month. The short answer? It isn’t worth your time. At this point, you’ve probably seen that the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has blasted the series as a […]
Posted inNews
A Hostage For 5 Years, Former HSU Professor Alann Steen Dies
Alann Steen, a former Humboldt State University journalism professor who was catapulted into the international spotlight when he was held hostage in Beirut for nearly five years, has died. He was 79. Steen, who also earned double master’s degrees at HSU after a six-year stint in the U.S. Marines Corps, which included being briefly deployed […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Enough, Mr. President
On Nov. 9, 2016, like many Americans — a majority, in fact — I woke up with a throbbing headache and the realization that Donald Trump had hijacked the Republican party and been elected president. After briefly considering a move to Canada, I was forced to accept the results of our flawed electoral-college system. I […]
Posted inNews
How We News
What is the news and who are we to decide? Those are fair questions and, if you’re reading them, thanks for taking somewhat of a leap of faith in thinking we might deliver the former while trusting us on the latter. But if you still find yourself wondering about the answers, you’re not alone. As […]
Posted inNews
Fake News
Writers at the Internet Research Agency, a Russia-based troll factory, crank out propaganda for fake news blogs.¹ An automated Twitter account or “bot” spreads the word.2 Alex Jones jumps on the story for InfoWars.com.3 A cable news network chimes in. Facebook users share and share. Some of the propaganda contains verifiable facts mixed with fabrication. […]
Posted inNews
Look at All These Ads
See that box to the right? That’s an ad. This right here under the headline and byline is editorial content. Easy, right? Mostly. What’s harder to see on the page is the relationship between the advertisements and the paper they support. This paper is free insofar as you didn’t have to pay to pick it […]
Posted inNews
The Journal Scores Nine California News Awards
The California News Publishers Association handed out its awards yesterday, of which the Journal, finalist for 12 categories, scored nine awards. We are crazy proud of our winning writers and designers, and of every person who makes each issue possible. Hearty thanks go the community of readers who support us. Awards include: First Place Coverage of […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
The Spirit of a Place
“You’re playing hooky today,” Jerry Rohde’s mom informed him one autumn morning when he was 12. They piled into her 1954 Ford sedan and headed into the San Bernardino Mountains to explore a historic Wild West village she visited when she was a girl. Set in a pine forest surrounded by steep cliffs and rocky […]