bad things i did
no one is perfect, but I'm trying really hard to adhere by my own personal standards of what it means to be "good." that means coming to terms with the less-than-perfect things that I've done, acknowledging them, and growing from them. for the sake of transparency, I thought I'd point out bad things i did that i assume will come up in the future, and detail how i've grown from them in a public place.
rapping
-in college, some of my friends and i made comedy rap videos about the buildings on campus. i've since figured out that being a white rapper is already a culturally appropriative act, and these "comedy rap" videos ultimately rely on black stereotypes and misogyny for a joke. my appearing in these raps alone likely created an unwelcoming atmosphere for my peers. worse, some of my lyrics were offensive, like mouthing the n-word or a line that began with "get a bitch drunk." i don't expect a reprieve, but have since worked to learn about why this behavior was problematic, and amplify the voices of the people that i could have offended with my words, and spend more time thinking about the potential impact of jokes before telling them in public.
articles not up to personal standards
-generally, after i devise a video script, it goes to a fact checker. i then write a post to accompany, based on the fact-checked script. in one case, the expert i relied upon for the video was incorrect in his statements, and I went forward with the post without asking for a second expert's opinion. both the video and post were incorrect. after reflecting on my mistake, i've re-committed to spending more times with stories and getting outside sources to minimize this happening, even in fact-checked or video stories.
-in a second video, I said that i had giardia." the text of the video states that rather, i had symptoms consistent with giardiasis after a river trip, but did not receive a doctor's diagnosis—and this is what i would have said if i had written the same story about someone else. i had been told to get myself checked out by a doctor at the time, but did not for reasons i don't remember, convinced myself it was giardiasis, and have told people "i had giardia" since then. between writing the video and writing the article, i realized that my statement wasn't properly caveated. as a science journalist, i should place the same skeptical eye on my own experiences as i do on others, and will work to be better in the future.
rapping
-in college, some of my friends and i made comedy rap videos about the buildings on campus. i've since figured out that being a white rapper is already a culturally appropriative act, and these "comedy rap" videos ultimately rely on black stereotypes and misogyny for a joke. my appearing in these raps alone likely created an unwelcoming atmosphere for my peers. worse, some of my lyrics were offensive, like mouthing the n-word or a line that began with "get a bitch drunk." i don't expect a reprieve, but have since worked to learn about why this behavior was problematic, and amplify the voices of the people that i could have offended with my words, and spend more time thinking about the potential impact of jokes before telling them in public.
articles not up to personal standards
-generally, after i devise a video script, it goes to a fact checker. i then write a post to accompany, based on the fact-checked script. in one case, the expert i relied upon for the video was incorrect in his statements, and I went forward with the post without asking for a second expert's opinion. both the video and post were incorrect. after reflecting on my mistake, i've re-committed to spending more times with stories and getting outside sources to minimize this happening, even in fact-checked or video stories.
-in a second video, I said that i had giardia." the text of the video states that rather, i had symptoms consistent with giardiasis after a river trip, but did not receive a doctor's diagnosis—and this is what i would have said if i had written the same story about someone else. i had been told to get myself checked out by a doctor at the time, but did not for reasons i don't remember, convinced myself it was giardiasis, and have told people "i had giardia" since then. between writing the video and writing the article, i realized that my statement wasn't properly caveated. as a science journalist, i should place the same skeptical eye on my own experiences as i do on others, and will work to be better in the future.
why the f?
short answer: search engine optimization.
long answer: search engine optimization. And F. is a really silly letter.
longer answer: the F. stands for whatever you want it to stand for. I usually go with "freaking." legally, it stands for "franklyn."
long answer: search engine optimization. And F. is a really silly letter.
longer answer: the F. stands for whatever you want it to stand for. I usually go with "freaking." legally, it stands for "franklyn."
