The Falling Man: To show or not to show

The Falling Man photograph by Richard Drew

We had a great discussion today in Journalism class about the decision newspaper editors have to make when considering whether or not to publish disturbing or offensive pictures or videos. The example we were talking about was racist and anti-Semetic posters that were put up in Winnipeg and directed towards Sam Katz and other prominent Winnipeggers.

Some argued that the pictures of the posters should not be published because it only helps the creator of them get more publicity while others argued that it serves a print story better to have a picture with it so the reader can have a better frame of reference when reading an article.

Opinions varied widely this morning on the topic and I believe there is no right or wrong answer. Personally I would have published the pictures as I just think the story is stronger with a picture.

As it was recently the eleven year anniversary of 9/11 I immediately thought about something I saw on TV recently. Whenever a September 11 anniversary takes place news networks like CNN and CBC often show documentaries about that day and this year I watched a few. There is one image from that day that turns my stomach like nothing else. It is the image of people falling out of or jumping out of the World Trade Center (WTC) windows.

I still remember the morning of 9/11 and watching it all unfold on the TV in my parents house. The entire scenario was so over-the-top that it didn't seem real to me. I felt like I was watching a blockbuster disaster movie.

Then I remember the first time that day I saw an image of a person falling from the building. My stomach turned and I looked away in horror and absolute disgust. It was the most unimaginable and disturbing thing I had ever seen and for me it was the first time that it felt real. This was really happening and people were jumping to their death. It also struck me that it was so bad on some of those floors that jumping from over 90 stories was the better option.

The Falling Man is a picture taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew. It shows an unidentified man falling from one of the WTC towers. Drew has admitted he has received lots of criticism for the picture but said that his job as a photojournalist was to document what happened. Others have claimed the picture is exploiting this man's death.

Is The Falling Man picture disturbing- Absolutely. But it is also powerful and shows the absolute despair of that day.

Theologian Mark D. Thompson said of The Falling Man that "perhaps the most powerful image of despair at the beginning of the twenty-first century is not found in art, or literature, or even popular music. It is found in a single photograph."

Fort Whyte By-Election: Tracking down the candidates

In journalism class, our first assignment in year two was to cover the Fort Whyte By-Election on September 4 by going to where one of the candidates would be on election night and live tweeting. The only problem for me was that the election was on the very first night that I started another year of teaching at Whyte Ridge Music Centre. Work made it very clear that missing the very first day wasn't going to fly, so I asked CreComm journalism instructor Duncan McMonagle if there was anything I could do as an alternate to being there on Tuesday.

Knowing the CreComm policy that CreComm always comes first, I was very surprised and appreciative when Duncan said I could do an alternate assignment. Thanks again Duncan!

So my assignment was to find out where all the candidates would be on election night and make a fact sheet so my classmates would know where to go. Tracking down the candidates to get this information had its share of challenges.

The number one challenge was having to find out where Darrell Ackman, AKA: Mr. JetzTV, would be. I thought it was very bad luck that the one year I had to do this type of assignment Ackman was a candidate. Well luckily I was able to get his number through Metro Winnipeg but here is where things got completely bizarre.

I would now have to call Ackman to ask him where he would be and to make matters worse I called and his Mom picked up the phone. Sadly, I could hear the level of stress and shame in her voice. She was very pleasant and accommodating to me but I could tell that this is all wearing on her. She told me that Darrell wasn't home but reminded me he would definitely be home by six. I made the mistake of asking if she thought he could email me to which she reminded me that Mr. Ackman definitely wasn't using the internet anymore.

Well Ackman did call me back and I got the information I needed but not before having one of the strangest and most uncomfortable conversations I have ever had. I could go into details but I see no need to. All I can say is that I truly hope this man gets help and I'll leave it at that.

As for the rest of the candidates it did take some persistence to track them down but in the end it was very similar to my experiences trying to find people for stories in the summer for my internship. I find that ninety nine per cent of people I deal with to be accommodating and quick to respond. I'm sure these people are busy leading up to an election so it was a nice surprise to have people respond with info so quickly and make my life a little easier.

Mr. Pallister won on Tuesday night and it was really no surprise as the Fort Whyte constituency has only ever had Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba representation since its inception in 1999. According to Elections Manitoba only about 42 per cent of eligible voters cast votes in this by-election. This was an election that many may soon forget but a few of the experiences I had for my assignment means that I will likely not forget it for a long time.

Top 10 Moments from season one of Jets 2.0

After 15 long season in pro hockey abyss the Jets soared back into Winnipeg and made this small prairie burg a big league town once again. The first season of the new Jets era has given hockey fans some great moments, so in honour of the Jets first season back in the Peg, here are the top 5 moments from season one of Jets 2.0


1 The announcement

When Marc Chipman stood at the podium at MTS Centre and announced his “purchase of the

Atlanta Thrashers” it set off an all day party at The Forks and Portage and Main. People danced

in the rain, total strangers embraced and euphoria ruled the streets of Winnipeg.

 2 First Game

It was arguably the most anticipated sporting event in the city's history. On October 9. 2011 the new Jets hit the ice for their first ever regular season home game. The crowd noise was deafening even during the pre-game warm up. The Jets lost but it didn't matter. They were back and Winnipeg was whole once again.

3 Draft Party/ Name Reveal

With the Jets set to pick 7^th overall, the True North group held a draft watching party at the MTS Centre and gave hockey fans the news they wanted to hear. Mark Chipman stood at the podium in Minneapolis and then passed the podium to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff “on behalf of the Winnipeg Jets.” People screamed and grown men wept. It was real- the Jets were back.

4 First Goal

When Nic Antropov scored at 2:27 of the third period of the very first Jets game of the new era, it was the first time that the Winnipeg Jets put a goal on the board since Norm MacIver scored way back in April of 1996, at the old barn. There will be thousands of pretty plays and beautiful goals in the years to come but this was always be remembered as the first ever goal for the new Jets.

5 Teemu Returns

It was the game that many hockey fans had marked on their calendar. Winnipeg's favourite son was returning home one last time and we were going to let him know that we had not forgot him. Teemu received deafening applause all night and chocked on his emotions at many points during the evening. He did one final lap at the end of the game for the fans that had always been so good to him.

6 Every Home Game

Well this is not a specific moment but the fact is-every home game at MTS Centre has been an event. From the “True North” chant during the national anthem to the Go Jets Go chants reigning down on the players, the atmosphere at every game has been electric. Teams from all over the league have marvelled at the Winnipeg crowds and Jets fans have made it loud and clear why Winnipeg belongs in the NHL.

7 First Pre-Season game

It may have only been a preseason game but it had a Stanley Cup Final atmosphere. September 20, 2011 was the first ever time that the new Jets played at home and the team finally got a taste of the MTS Centre crowd and what they were in for all season long.

8 The Queen emerges

The massive painting of the Queen was a staple of the old Winnipeg Arena but she would not be descending on the MTS Centre, so when a random fan in the upper deck began dressing up like Her Majesty, it immediately got attention, not only from the home crowd but all over the nation on CBC and TSN.

9 Jersey Reveal

When the Jets revealed their new jerseys with much pomp and circumstance at the air force base in Winnipeg it ended months of speculation and revealed a simple, classy and timeless jersey. After the reveal jerseys flew off the shelves. The new look was a hit.

10 Rick Rypien Tribute

After the tragic suicide of newly signed Rick Rypien, the Jets organization showed their class by honouring his life at the first regular season game. A classy and moving tribute played on the score board as Rypien's mom watched with Mark Chipman from the corner of the rink. True North showed the nation that this is an organization that will be run with class.

A Night at the Theatre

It was a night at the theatre for yours truly last week when I attended Dionysus in Stony Mountain at the Rachel Browne Theatre. Usually my idea of going out and being entertained would consist of a cold beer and a hockey or football game, but I must admit I have seen some theatre in my day, including plays at Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Rainbow Stage.


This was a different kind of theatre than I am used to. Any show I have seen have had music, dancing and flashy sets and lights, so when I walked into the theatre I knew this would be something completely different.

I knew that the show was going to have to have good acting to be entertaining and luckily for me and the rest of the audience it did. 

Ross McMillan gave a powerful performance in two seperate roles. It was his show in the first act as the show felt like a McMillan monolougue. The female character in act one could have been played by a pilon with similar effect.

What amazes me most about the acting profession is that there are definitely actors who are not as talented as McMillan who are making millions acting in Hollywood.

The actress Sarah Constible had a much larger role in act two and her acting is also very good. I appreciate that the lack of effects and color made the actors have to be that much better and they pulled it off. 

I also noticed how much music can add emotion to a situation. There was no music in act one until the very end and it immediately made the dialogue seem more important and impactful.

The best part of the whole experience for me was having to step out of my comfort zone. There is a whole segment of people out there who are entertained in ways other than sports and reality T.V and going to see people entertained in a way that I am not used to was the biggest eye opener for me.