Assertive v Aggressive

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While aggressive behavior injures in order to win, assertive behavior focuses, not on winning as such, but on negotiating reasonable changes in the way both parties behave so as to equalize the balance of social power. The purpose of assertive speaking-up is usually to solve an interpersonal problem.

But assertiveness is not just expressing feelings, laying down the law to someone, and then walking away. In general, to solve problems you must do more than talk back or express feelings; you must be very clear about what you want to accomplish by asserting yourself. You must attend to your feelings, decide what you want, and then use some specific verbal skills to negotiate for the changes you want.

Assertive problem-solving involves the ability to plan, “sell,” and implement an agreeable contract between yourself and the other person without sounding like a nag, a dictator, or a preacher.

In other words, an assertive person can express feelings in a manner that is both personally satisfying and socially effective.

Sharon and Gordon Bower, Asserting Yourself

7 Articles about AI & Coding

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A Dozen Articles about AI Coming for Your Job

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Teaching Life Skills

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The data emerging about the mental health of our kids only confirms the harm done by asking so little of them when it comes to life skills yet so much of them when it comes to adhering to the academic plans we’ve made for them.

Karen Able is a staff psychologist at a large public university in the Midwest. (Her name has been changed here because of the sensitive nature of her work.) Based on her clinical experience, Able says, “Overinvolved parenting is taking a serious toll on the psychological well-being of college students who can’t negotiate a balance between consulting with parents and independent decision-making.”

When parents have tended to do the stuff of life for kids—the waking up, the transporting, the reminding about deadlines and obligations, the bill-paying, the question-asking, the decision-making, the responsibility-taking, the talking to strangers, and the confronting of authorities, kids may be in for quite a shock when parents turn them loose in the world of college or work. They will experience setbacks, which will feel to them like failure. Lurking beneath the problem of whatever thing needs to be handled is the student’s inability to differentiate the self from the parent.

Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise an Adult

8 Media Webinars this week: Writing, AI, Teaching, Journalism, & More

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Mon, Sept 18 – Introducing the Media Dictionary

What: Join us to learn about this important national initiative and consider the opportunities and challenges faced by the Media Dictionary team. Discussion Questions include: Why is media literacy important in modern society? What kind of challenges does it address?   What do you think are some effective strategies to increase media literacy in our societies?

Who: Dr. Jatin Srivastavais is Professor and Director at E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University; Dr. Vijayta Tanejais an Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, DIHE-JIMS Noida; Bhavna Pathak is National Secretary, International Association of Women Media Teachers.

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Media Education Lab

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Mon, Sept 18 - Transforming Education with AI: What Educators Need to Know

What: Educators will get a closer look at how AI’s rapid advancement is prompting a wave of change across the education landscape.  

Who: Alex Kotran, Co-Founder and CEO, The AI Education Project; and Jennifer Ehehalt, Sr. Regional Manager, Midwest, Common Sense Education

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Common Sense Education

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Tue, Sept 19 – Beyond the Headlines: Women Journalists in Africa

Who: Moderator Amaka Okoye, Freelance Journalist Gabrielle Nina Mitch, Ruth Nesoba with the BBC News; Independent Journalist Dicta Asiimwe

When: 12 noon

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Women In Journalism

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Tue, Sept 19 - AI for Collaborative Journalism

What: A discussion of the methodology and development of a collaborative journalism platform, from concept to journalistic content creation.

Who: Sebastián Neter of Wingu, a non-profit organization focused on leveraging technology for social impact. María Paula Murcia, the creator of the Comments Library, a digital tool for analyzing social conversations on Mutante’s channels.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Code For All

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Tue, Sept 19 – AI in the JMC Classroom

Who: Tiffany Gallicano, UNC Charlotte; Tait, Ball State University; Raluca Cozma, Kansas State University.

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free for members

Sponsor: AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communcation)

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Tue, Sept 19 - L.A. Times Ask A Reporter: Our Climate Change Challenge

What: This discussion, based on a Times special report investigating the state of climate change in California.

Who: LA Times reporters Rosanna Xia and Sammy Roth. City Editor Maria La Ganga will moderate.

When: 6 pm, Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: LA Times

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Thu, Sept 21 - How To Write Stories That People Actually Want to Read

What: An introduction to interviewing, structuring and writing for impactful storytelling

Who: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist and a senior writer at the Des Moines Register.

When: 2 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: $35

Sponsor: Online Media Campus

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Thu, Sept 21 - The Education Beat Is the Democracy Beat

What: The panel will talk about hot-button educational issues; learn story ideas and insider tips; and find inspiration in the experiences of both journalists and educators.

Who: Amy Zimmer is Chalkbeat's New York bureau chief. John Hildebrand is the senior education writer for Newsday. Adam Fine has been superintendent of the East Hampton Union Free School District since September 2021.

When: 6 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The Press Club of Long Island

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Self-Control as a Child

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Behaving yourself as a child brings big rewards in adulthood. Researchers tracked more than 1,000 people from toddlerhood into their early 30s and found that the more self-control they showed as kids, the healthier, wealthier, and happier they were as grown-ups. By contrast, children who struggled to complete tasks and handle frustration without lashing out at their peers were more likely to be overweight, drug dependent, and ridden with debt as adults. The study’s authors say that self-control can be taught and nurtured with practice, and that no matter what a child’s circumstances, “good parenting can improve self-control and improve life success.”

The Week Magazine

Free yourself from negative people

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Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and like-minded. Relationships should help you, not hurt you. Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.

Renee Jones, read more here

10 Amazing Things AI is being used to do

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Rich and Poor Cheat for Different Reasons

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In certain circumstances, it's the poor who are more likely to cheat. The difference is that the rich do wrong to help themselves, while the poor do wrong to help others. In several experiments reported in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology… the studies suggest a straightforward sequence: Money leads to the perception that one is higher in the social hierarchy, which in turn leads to a sense of power, which in turn leads to a greater willingness to cheat for selfish reasons.

People with less money (and therefore less power), however, are more communal. They need to rely on each other to get by, and as a result, research shows, they’re more compassionate and empathically accurate. Breaking rules is always risky, but social cohesion is paramount — so you do what it takes to help those around you.

The researchers think their findings could lead to some easy practical applications. If you’re speaking to higher-class individuals, you might want to appeal to their selfishness and warn that cheating will ultimately backfire. But when talking to those with fewer resources, you might be better off noting that their actions could harm those around them.

Matthew Hutson, New York Magazine

10 Articles about AI use in Academic Papers

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Driven to Obligation

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When we are locked into imperative thinking, we hold our absolute conviction so tightly that we have little or no recognition of our choice to say no! Obligation becomes our driving force. Relationships with other people and our responsibilities to them then become matters of dread, resentment, guilt.

Our need for a structured, orderly life can be so powerful that we refuse to make allowances for choices. To us, circumstances are either black or white. Once we settle upon a conviction or preference, we feel rigidly obligated to abide by it, with little variation.

Imperative people are almost afraid to allow for the luxury of choices. We feel the need to minimize our risks by sticking to the rules that we have made for ourselves.

Les Carter, Imperative People: Those Who Must Be in Control

12 Free Webinars This Week: journalism, reporting, trauma, storytelling, the First Amendment, photography & More

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Mon, Sept 11 – Media Law Office Hours

What: The open group session allows journalists with legal questions to help find answers on issues related to the First Amendment, Freedom of Information, copyright, defamation, or other media law matters.

Who: Attorney Matthew Leish

When: 5 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free for members

Sponsor: New York Deadline Club

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Tue, Sept 12 - Reporting on the Future of COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage and Reimbursement

What: Between back-to-school appointments and the impending cold and flu season, now is the time to get up to speed on COVID-19 vaccine coverage. This webinar will help journalists answer key questions and clear up confusion for the public about COVID-19 vaccine costs, availability, efficacy and timing.

Who: Dr. Mario Ramirez, emergency physician and Acting Director, HHS Office of Global Affairs Office of Pandemic and Emerging Threats; Patricia M. D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for The Gerontological Society of America; Alexander Tin of CBS News. Other speakers will be listed here as they are confirmed.

When: 10 am, Central

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, National Press Foundation

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Tue, Sept 12 - “What’s the Story" – Photography Storytelling Tips 

What: Learn the art of storytelling and how you can use it as a way develop personal style, attract customers, and much, much more.

Who: Jamie House, lifelong photographer and representative of the Lumix brand  

When: 12 noon, Central

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Lumix

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Tue, Sept 12 - Lessons from Pro-Democracy Newsrooms

What: Training on best practices for incorporating solutions reporting into elections and democracy coverage.

Who: Ashley Hopkinson and Jaisal Noor from the Solutions Journalism Network

When: 1 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Solutions Journalism Network

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Wed, Sept 13 - How to Work with (Almost) Anyone

What: In this practical session, you'll learn how to reverse that trend and build the best possible working relationship with anyone. Well, almost anyone. You will learn the three attributes of a resilient and long-lasting relationship, understand how you can aspire to “the best possible relationship” with every one of your key working relationships, investigate the one awkward but essential conversation that will set up success, and take a deep dive into one of the essential questions, and prepare your best answers to them

Who: Michael Bungay Stanier Author, Founder, MBS.works and author of “The Coaching Habit.”

When: 3 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Training Magizine Network

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Wed, Sept 13 - Psychological Training: Stress, Burnout and Trauma

What: This training session online will discuss coping with stress, burnout and trauma on the job. The session will cover the basics of self-care and collegial support, including the impact of covering trauma and tragedy on journalists, and offer concrete guidance and techniques for enriching one’s coping skills and wellness, and building resilient news teams. The training will include a slide presentation and briefing, as well as a Q&A. The training is limited to 50 participants.

Who: Elana Newman, Ph.D., the McFarlin Professor of Psychology at the University of Tulsa, and has conducted research on a wide range of topics regarding the psychological and physical response to traumatic life events, assessment of PTSD in children and adults, journalism and trauma, and understanding the impact of participating in trauma-related research from the trauma survivor’s perspective.

When: 10 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

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Wed, Sept 13 - Pen America at the National Constitution Center’s National First Amendment Summit

What: This summit will address the increasing threats to freedom of expression and the challenges ahead posed by new technologies.

Who: Author Salman Rushdie will engage in a virtual keynote conversation about the importance of free speech in a democratic society and the forces of censorship that imperil its existence.

When: 5:30 pm, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: PEN America

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Thu, Sept 14 - Reporting in a Polarized Society

What: How can journalists detect signs of polarization in the communities they cover and in the newsrooms where they work? Dividing forces are nothing new in American society, although recent years have seen an intensifying inflammatory narrative. Assumptions about both working-class populations and communities of color can be damaging.

Who: Phillip Martin, Senior Investigative Reporter, GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting

When: 12 noon

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The New England Equity Reporting Community of Practice

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Thu, Sept 14 - How Transparency Can Elevate Readers’ Trust

What: Learn how you can be the trusted source that readers turn to when they’re looking for news.

Who: Mark Stencel, executive director for JournalList, Ralph Brown, journalist

When: 11 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Virginia Press Association

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Thu, Sept 14 - The Power of Storytelling in Digital Marketing

What: Discover the transformative power of storytelling and its potential to drive your business forward. Learn how storytelling can shape your brand, engage your audience, and inspire your team. Unlock the secrets of the world's most influential brands and carve your unique narrative.

When: 12 noon, Pacific  

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: East LA BusinessSource Center

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Thu, Sept 14 - Developing Data Stories: Using Global Forest Watch for Journalism

What: Are you new to environmental journalism or looking to expand your data toolbox? Learn how maps and data can take your reporting to the next level and bring stories to life during an upcoming webinar about forest data and equips journalists with tools to research and communicate the state of forest change around the world.  

When: 9 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Global Forest Watch

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Fri, Sept 15 - Public records you can find online

What: Need to verify the rank of a dead veteran? Wondering about access to New York criminal records? Trying to find the maiden name of a twice-married woman? For journalists, knowing where to look – without waiting on a public information request response – is key. Participants will gain: A working knowledge of public records that exist online and where to find them, strategies for efficient independent public record searches and guidance on practical searches for more common fact-checks

Who: Award-winning investigator Caryn Baird will present a practical working model of public records research based on her years of experience at the Tampa Bay Times.

When: 11:30 am, Eastern

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: National Press Club

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Cunningham’s Law

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Cunningham’s Law is the observation that the best way to get a good or right answer is not to ask a question; it’s to post a wrong answer. So, if you want to know the leading causes of World War I, go to a history forum and post, “World War One was entirely caused by the British.” Sit back, grab some popcorn, and wait for the angry — yet probably informed — corrections to come flying in. 

Socrates, did a lot of it. Socrates would sit on some public bench and talk to whoever happened to sit next to him. He’d often open his dialogues by presenting a false or deeply flawed argument and go from there. He would ironically agree with whatever his partner would say, but then raise a seemingly innocuous question to challenge that position.

“Socratic irony” is where you pretend to be ignorant of something so you can get greater clarity about it. In short, it’s a lot like Cunningham’s Law.

Here are two ways you can use Cunningham’s Law:

The Bad Option: Have you ever been in a group where no one can decide what decision to make, and so you hover about in an awkward, polite limbo? “What restaurant shall we go to?” gets met with total silence. Instead try saying, “Let’s go to McDonald’s” and see how others object and go on to offer other ideas. 

The Coin Toss: If you’re unsure about any life decision — like “should I read this book or that book next?” or “Should I leave my job or not?” — do a coin toss. Heads you do X, tails you do Y. You are not actually going to live by the coin’s decision, but you need to make a note of your reaction to whatever outcome came of it. Were you upset at what it landed on? Are you secretly relieved? It’s a good way to elicit your true thoughts on a topic.

Jonny Thomson writing in BigThink

13 Articles about AI & the Bigger Questions

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How To Make Someone Truly Feel Heard

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Be intentional about learning what the other person wants to communicate and respond to their feelings.

Listen to what they’re telling you and suppress the urge to fix the issue, problem solve, or change the way they are feeling about the situation.

Put your own feelings aside to create a space where another person can speak his or her mind—which requires staying calm.  

Suspending judgment and simply taking in what is being said can go a long way towards helping someone feel heard or diffusing an argument.

Show that you are actively listening and are truly understanding what the other person is saying by mirroring back what someone has said. Include phrases like ‘it sounds like’ or ‘it seems like.’

Take the time for silence in a discussion, showing that you’re processing what is being talked about and giving it the space that it needs to sink in properly. 

Edited from Jeremy Brown writing in Fatherly