How your Attitude about Age affects your health

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Recent findings suggest that age beliefs may play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Tracking 4,765 participants over four years, the researchers found that positive expectations of ageing halved the risk of developing the disease, compared to those who saw old age as an inevitable period of decline. Astonishingly, this was even true of people who carried a harmful variant of the APOE gene, which is known to render people more susceptible to the disease. The positive mindset can counteract an inherited misfortune, protecting against the build-up of the toxic plaques and neuronal loss that characterise the disease. 

David Robson, The Expectation Effect: How your Mindset Can Transform Your Life

 

Four kinds of self-stories

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Ontology is the study of being. Therefore, an ontology of the self is a person's account of how he or she came to be. Hankiss finds that young adults 10 to use four different kinds of “strategies” in constructing their ontologies of self: the dynastic (a good past gives birth to a good present), the antithetical (a bad past gives birth to a good present),the compensatory ( a good past gives birth to a bad present), and the self-absolutory (a bad past gives birth to a bad present).

Dan McAdams, The Stories We Live By

Earned success

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Earned success gives you a sense of accomplishment. Employers who give clear guidance and feedback, reward merit, and encourage their employees to develop new skills are the most likely to give you those feelings. Look for a boss who acts that way—and if you have the opportunity, be that kind of boss. 

Arthur C. Brooks writing in The Atlantic

Setting realistic goals to change habits and create new ones

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I became a more frequent flosser by taking the package of floss out of my medicine cabinet and sitting it next to my toothbrush, where I could always see it. I used to procrastinate on washing dishes, but now I do them every day like clockwork, thanks to a Bluetooth speaker that I use to listen to podcasts while I stand at the sink. Having a clean kitchen, in turn, means I cook more—an activity I really enjoy—and resort to expensive takeout orders less frequently. I figured out what was stopping me from doing some of the things I knew I could do, and I tried to eliminate the obstacles I could control, to reasonable success. Figuring out how to do something a little less or a little more is likely to yield the best results for most people, even if it’s not going to turn you into a different human.  

Amanda Mull writing in The Atlantic

10 virtual & free media/journalism/writing panels in the next month

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Wed., Jan 12 - Producer Academy  

What: This webinar is for students interested in pursuing careers in newscast and digital news producing. Topics include:

  • How producers can contribute creatively to the content gathering process

  • The Investigative approach to producing

  • How to create unique stories on digital platforms

  • What a producer’s first year in the newsroom may be like

  • Tips on applying for newsroom jobs

Who: TV News Directors and Producers from Sinclair news operations

Cost: Free

When: 11am - 1pm Central, 9-11am Pacific

Sponsor: Sinclair Broadcast Group

More info: eepiereman@sbgtv.com

Thu., Jan 13 - Op-Ed Crash Course

What: Everything you need to know, with insider tips, on how to craft and place a compelling op-ed. Upon request, participants will be matched with a professional journalist to support you as you craft your own op-ed related to student press freedom for a professional daily (or national) newspaper. 

Who: Author & Veteran CNN & New York Times Journalist Steven Holmes

Cost: Free (limited space)

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Sponsor: Student Press Law Center

Register

Fri., Jan 14 – Pitch Tips from Journalists

What: Want to learn how to send fewer story pitches but land more media coverage? This panel of journalists will provide insights on what they are looking for and feedback on your current story ideas. 

Who: Associated Press reporter Julie Watson who covers U.S.-Mexico border and military affairs;  San Diego Union-Tribune biotech reporter Jonathan Wosen; The Filipino Press publisher Susan Delos Santos; KPBS news editor Gina Diamante.  

When: 3-4pm Central, 5-6pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: $5

Sponsor: Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

More info

Tues., Jan 18- Google Tools for Journalists 101

What: In this hour-long virtual training, you will learn the fundamentals of the (free) Google Tools you can use to find and vet sources, verify user-generated content and even get beat-related content delivered straight to your inbox. The session will focus on making Google Search, Trends, YouTube, Maps and Alerts work for you. Plus, a quick overview of what data you can find and use as free, embeddable graphs.

Who: The session will be taught by founding Google News Initiative trainer Vix Reitano, founder + CEO of Agency 6B, a Forbes #Next1000 2021 Honoree,

When: 7pm Central, 5pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists, NYC Deadline Club

More info

Wed., Jan 19 – Understanding News Media Bias

What: This session will help you think more clearly about what causes bias in reporting, what it looks like in coverage and what you can do when you encounter it in your news diet.

When: 1-2 pm Central, 11-noon Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: News Literacy Project

Registration

Sat., Oct 23 - How newsrooms are shifting strategies to better serve communities

What: This panel will discuss how local news ecosystems can evolve to be more relevant, responsive and relied upon by the communities they serve.

Who: Charlie Sennott, CEO of GroundTruth Project and co-founder of Report for America; Anne Galloway - founder and editor, VTDigger;  Crystal Good - publisher, Black By God;  Candice Fortman - executive director, Outlier Media;  Tasneem Raja - editor in chief, The Oaklandside; Moderator Victor Hernandez, WBUR chief content officer

When: 5:30 pm Central, 3:30 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: WBUR, Boston's NPR News Station

More info

Tues, Jan 25 - Careers in Science Writing

What: Thinking about a career in science writing? Hear from professionals in journalism and communications about various career paths during a virtual panel.

Who: ·Heather Buschman, director of scientific communications and media relations at the Salk Institute; Katy Stegall, investigative assistant at KPBS; Jared Whitlock, freelance journalist, MIT Knight Science Journalism fellow; Jonathan Wosen, biotech reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune

When: 10-11am Central, 12-1pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsors: Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Science Writers Association, San Diego State University,

Register

  

Wed., Jan 26 - Responding to Press Freedom Threats Through Advocacy

What: Whether through censorship, regressive legislation or bad policies, student voice is under attack. Learn how student journalists have changed the press freedom landscape in their states, and concrete strategies you can take to work with legislators and other decision makers to restore and protect the freedom of the student press.

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free (limited space)

Sponsor: Student Press Law Center

Register

Thu., Feb 3 - How to Tell Your Story and Be a Spokesperson for Student Press Freedom

What: Effectively advocating for student press freedom means connecting with others and offering an authentic account of what motivates you to be a journalist. This fun, interactive workshop will turn you into a pro in telling your "story of self" and provide you with skills that will be valuable in many different areas of your life. 

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free (limited space)

Sponsor: Student Press Law Center

Register

Thu., Feb 10 - Using Social Media as a Journalist & Advocate

What: Social media is a powerful tool that enables almost anyone to have a platform. In this session, we'll explore how journalists can be advocates for student press freedom online and break down the 2021 Mahanoy Area School District v. BL Supreme Court decision.

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free (limited space)

Sponsor: Student Press Law Center

Register

And the prison door will swing open

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In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu wrote, “Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.” He no doubt intended it as a dire warning. But as the years have passed, I have come to interpret it as more of a promise and an opportunity. 

I have learned that the prison of others’ approval is actually one built by me, maintained by me, and guarded by me. This has led me to my own complementary verse to Lao Tzu’s original: “Disregard what others think and the prison door will swing open.” If you are stuck in the prison of shame and judgment, remember that you hold the key to your own freedom.

Arthur C. Brooks writing in The Atlantic

The algorithmic feedback loop

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Users keep encountering similar content because the algorithms keep recommending it to us. As this feedback loop continues, no new information is added; the algorithm is designed to recommend content that affirms what it construes as your taste.

Reduced to component parts, culture can now be recombined and optimized to drive user engagement. This threatens to starve culture of the resources to generate new ideas, new possibilities. 

If you want to freeze culture, the first step is to reduce it to data. And if you want to maintain the frozen status quo, algorithms trained on people’s past behaviors and tastes would be the best tools.

The goal of a recommendation algorithm isn’t to surprise or shock but to affirm. The process looks a lot like prediction, but it’s merely repetition. The result is more of the same: a present that looks like the past and a future that isn’t one. 

Grafton Tanner, writing in Real Life Magazine

Hockey equipment manager finds woman who saved his life with message about cancerous mole

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A woman knocked on the glass at a hockey game and urged the Vancouver Canuck’s assistant equipment manager to get a mole checked out. It turned out to be cancerous. He didn’t know who the woman was, so he tracker her down with the team’s help.

NBC News has a video report below or read the story from ESPN here.

New Adobe tool for Content Creators

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Adobe express logo

Adobe has released a single template-focused app called Creative Cloud Express (replacing Adobe Spark) that combines some of the best features from the Creative Cloud Suite for mobile and web. Quickly create everything from social media posts to promotional posters and videos with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. Drag all sorts of elements into your composition from text, icons, shapes, free photos and fonts, music and other design elements. Assets from Photoshop and Illustrator can be utilized as well. Convert videos to GIFs and documents to PDFs. Great for non-professionals with little video editing experience. However, if you’re a pro, this is not a full-featured video editor.  

Creative Cloud Express includes premium features from: 

  • Adobe Premiere Rush — Shoot, edit, and share videos on mobile and desktop. 
  • Adobe Photoshop Express — Edit and retouch images, create collages, and combine photos. 
  • Adobe Spark Video — Quickly create stunning video slideshows. 
  • Adobe Spark Page — Turn words and images into beautiful web pages.

More on the features here.

Teaching resources from Adobe for Educators here.

While Express is already included in many Creative Cloud subscriptions, there is a free version available or get more templates, photos and fonts with a paid subscription for $9.99 a month (or $99.99 a year) here. Better yet, there is a three-month free trial here. More info on the plans here.

More Tech Tools

Wear Sunscreen

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A Chicago Tribune columnist wrote a piece in the late 1990s that has become known as Wear Sunscreen. She imagined what advice she might give to students at a commencement. It starts like this: “Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97: Wear sunscreen.”

The commonsense advice that followed included tidbits like, “Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts” and “Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.” The message was intensified when it was set to music, renamed Everybody’s Free (To WearSunscreen) and released on an album by an Australian film director. One of Brazil’s biggest advertising agencies added video.