JCCF NEWS SUMMARY
December 14, 2012

Breaking: School Shooting in Newtown, Conn. 

A school shooting has been reported in Newtown, Conn. Twenty-seven people, including 18 children have been killed, according to the Associated Press.
 
   
Jump to:
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Series Spotlight: "Broken Shield"
In Jennifer's Room
"In Jennifer's Room," courtesy of California Watch/CIR
 
"Broken Shield," a hard-hitting investigative series by California Watch and the Center for Investigative Reporting, required a dogged pursuit of data, records and the truth from Public Safety Reporter Ryan Gabrielson.
 
A tip in mid-2011 directed Gabrielson's focus to the Office of Protective Services, the state-run police force charged with protecting California's most vulnerable residents: Patients at board-and-care centers for the developmentally disabled. 
 
He and California Watch/CIR found that residents at developmental centers have accused caretakers of molestation and rape 36 times during the past four years, but police did not even do basic evidence collection or take sufficient action.
 
JCCF caught up with Gabrielson to learn more about the series. Read more.
 
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NewsNEWS OF NOTE

 

Finding A Child Online: How The Web Is Transforming Adoption

NPR, Jennifer Ludden | Dec. 13, 2012

The Internet is opening up the way would-be parents and birth mothers find each other, according to a new study by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. The report is among the first to examine the wide-ranging impact of the Internet on adoption.

 

New Data: Child Abuse Drops for 5th Straight Year

Associated Press, David Crary | Dec. 12, 2012

New federal statistics indicate that reports of child abuse and neglect are at a five-year low. Some child advocates contend that the declining child-abuse rates merely reflect a tendency by budget-strapped child welfare agencies to investigate fewer cases, but others say the decline is real.

 

Pregnant? Scared? Can They Help?

The Texas Observer, Carolyn Jones | Dec. 11, 2012

Crisis pregnancy centers aim to convince women with unplanned pregnancies to choose childbirth over abortion. In Texas, they are a growing industry fueled by taxpayer dollars and lawmaker support. Fifth in an occasional series. 

 

Caregivers Neglect Their Own Health in Order to Look After Others (Video)

NBC Nightly News, Nancy Snyderman and Linda Carroll | Dec. 11, 2012

Millions of Americans are doing double duty and caring for both parents and children. Unfortunately, many caregivers don't dedicate enough time to their own needs.

 

Coming Home Shell-Shocked

Pacific Standard, Kevin Charles Redmon | Dec. 10, 2012

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects 27 percent of soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. A new study suggests those who survived or witnessed family violence are especially at risk of post-combat PTSD.

 

Aaron Fisher, Victim No. 1 in the Jerry Sandusky Case, Goes Public

New York Daily News, Wayne Coffey | Dec. 8, 2012

One of the boys raped by former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky shares the horrible details of what he endured, in his new book "Silent No More."

 

International Surrogacy: Couple Pursues Parenting Dream Overseas

WAMU, Jonathan Wilson | Dec. 7, 2012

Some fertility-challenged Americans are tapping into the growing "market" of surrogate mothers in India.

 

My Future's on Hold (Opinion)

LA Youth, Destiny Jackson | November/December 2012

Destiny struggles to get the community college classes she needs to transfer to a four-year school.

 

Minor Misconduct

The Chicago Reporter, Angela Caputo | November/December 2012

Stakes are high for 17-year-old offenders in Illinois. The state is one of 10 in the nation that automatically send 17-year-olds facing felony charges to adult courts.

 

Teen Moms, Young Moms Endure Alarmingly-High Levels of Childhood Trauma, Crittenton Study Finds

The Huffington Post/Aces Too High, Jane Stevens | Nov. 19, 2012

Compared with the general population, teen and young mothers suffer up to seven times the levels of child abuse and other maltreatment, according to a recent study. First in a two-part series.

 

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Events
EVENTS   
 
Dec. 17, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Brookings Institution
Speakers will explore whether the Obama office is succeeding in meeting the needs of people who are at the margins in today's society and what the prospects are for resolving contentious issues such as religion-based decision-making regarding government-funded jobs.

Dec. 17, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
New American Foundation
Washington, D.C. 
A conversation with leaders from the Hill, the policy world and clinical practice. Discussion will explore how to reduce inefficiency, improve safety and quality and boost productivity in healthcare. 

Dec. 17, 12:15 - 2 p.m.
The Alliance for Health Reform
Washington, D.C.
With Americans living longer, some policymakers are proposing to gradually raise Medicare's eligibility age from age 65 to 67. Changes to the eligibility age raise important questions that the briefing will address.
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OpportunitiesOPPORTUNITIES
 
 
Deadline: Extended to Dec. 19, 2012
USC Annenberg School of Journalism's California Endowment 
The all-expense-paid fellowship is open to print, broadcast and online journalists from California or those based elsewhere who contribute to California media outlets. Field trips, workshops and seminars will hone multimedia reporting skills and explore the role that factors such as race, ethnicity and pollution play in prospects for good health. 

Knight Center Massive Open Online Course
This free course will equip students with the skills to create simple and compelling infographics. The online class will be in session January 12, 2013 - February 23, 2013. 

National Center for Disability and Journalism, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University
A new national awards program to recognize excellence in reporting on disability issues and people with disabilities. Entries will be accepted beginning January 1, 2013.  
 
Deadline: Feb. 8, 2013
Radio Television Digital News Association
Honors outstanding achievement in electronic journalism. The 2013 RTDNA/UNITY Award is presented to news organizations that show commitment to covering their diverse communities. 
 
Deadline: Feb. 8, 2013
Associated Press and Google
Fosters new journalism skills in undergraduate and graduate students developing projects at the intersection of journalism and technology.
 
Deadline: March 1, 2013
Youth Communication
This award to promote a more positive image of New York City foster youth awards 20 young people at a ceremony in May 2013. Any current or former foster youth in the New York City foster care system who were born in 1992 or later are eligible. 
 
 
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ABOUT THE JCCF NEWS SUMMARY

Mina Dixon, Editor 


The Journalism Center on Children & Families, a program of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting media coverage of children, youth and families, particularly the disadvantaged. The JCCF News Summary helps journalists and others keep in touch with the latest news, policy analysis and research reports on critical social issues that impact families and communities. We encourage redistribution of this material with credit given to the Journalism Center on Children & Families.

Journalists are encouraged to submit their stories for consideration for publication in the JCCF News Summary and on our website. Please send story links to: [email protected]. Stories should be archived and free of access charges for at least seven days.
 
JCCF thanks The Annie E. Casey Foundation for its generous support of our work.
 
www.journalismcenter.org

 

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