Shoe-thrower seeks swiss safety?

Debate arises over Iraqi shoe thrower's future

This story is one of the many follow-ups on 28-year-old Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi correspondent who threw two shoes at the now-former President Bush. The story covers what will happen to him in the coming months. There is a conflict between a Swiss lawyer, Mauro Poggia, and al-Zaidi’s brother and legal team. The Swiss lawyer claims al-Zaidi is seeking asylum in Switzerland while the Iraqi legal team reports that al-Zaidi has not expressed a wish to leave the country. Al-Zaidi was scheduled to go to trial in December on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader. This date was postponed as his legal team seeks to reduce the charge from a 15 year felony to the charge of insulting Bush.

I think this article exhibits bad news judgment. It has some novelty as the original shoe-throwing was pretty funny. This story, however, is more about al-Zaidi’s current situation which isn’t very novel at all. Conflict also comes up as there is a dispute between the Swiss lawyer and the defendant’s family, with al-Zaidi’s brother saying he will sue the lawyer. The story also reports on shoe-throwing protests outside the White House led by American groups who support al-Zaidi.

Although there is some novelty and conflict in the story, it lacks other news values. The story has a large degree of impact in Iraq but little in America, where a select few protesters seem to be the only ones worried about it. The story doesn’t have much timeliness either as the actual event occurred December 14, over a month ago. This ties in to the lack of currency. Al-Zaidi was big news in pop culture when he threw the shoes, but has since faded out of the limelight.

Overall I’d say this story did not display good news judgment. It seems to be milking a humorous event that happened a month ago for what amounts to a weak story. The abundance of other stories also giving minor updates detracts from my desire to actually read it. Had there been a ruling or some other action in al-Zaidi’s case, there may have been a better story to report.

Similar stories are focusing more on al-Zaidi's treatment in jail and his status as a national hero. Some speculation about his future does occur but it isn't the primary focus.

Brian D.

Bankruptcy does not always mean hasta la vista

The Star Tribune recently filed for bankruptcy and for those who do not know, this triggers the end of newspapers as we know it.  Wrong.  Before the major panic, first ask, "what type of bankruptcy did they file for?" Star Tribune filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  What does this mean?

With the economy in the poor condition that it is, many businesses and individuals are being forced into financial positions that require them to file for bankruptcy.  However, there are five different types of bankruptcy and it is important for a journalist to be familiar with these in order to understand the current condition of their industry, as well as the condition of the rest of the nation.  

Primarily large corporations that are insolvent and choose to pay off their debts through a repayment plan file for Chapter 11 bankruptcies.  This can more sensibly be called a bankruptcy protection plan because it allows companies to keep their business alive while they pay their creditors over a period of time.  This could be a 4-6 month reorganization plan or a 3-5 year plan depending on the financial damage said company is in.  Luckily for Star Tribune, an article posted by www.minnpost.com said that experts have agreed that the Stribe has a good chance of surviving bankruptcy.

Other companies that have filed for Chapter 11 in the last year are Sharper Image (Feb. 2008), Circuit City (Nov. 2008), Flying J (Dec. 2008) and many more.  One way that companies are surviving involve shutting down stores that have low traffic, laying off employees, and some stores no longer sell or receive gift cards and/or coupons.

Chapter 7 bankruptcies are the type that should start a panic.  They are usually used by individuals and do not involve filing a plan of repayment.  When an individual files for Chapter 7, the bankruptcy trustee arranges to sell all of the debtor's assets.   Usually, larger corporations that cannot overcome their repayment plan when under Chapter 11 may result in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which usually means that they are going out of business.

Chapter 13 is another type of bankruptcy for individuals thats sets up a 3 to 5 year plan and requires them to pay off taxes, mortgages and car loans in full, but unsecured creditors are usually only paid back a small percentage.  This bankruptcy may allow debtors to keep their car or home even if they are in extreme debt.

Chapter 12 is for family farmers and functions much like Chapter 13.  

Chapter 9 is a type of bankruptcy available for municipalities and is a form of reorganization, not liquidation.

Bankruptcy is filed for a variety of reasons.  The most obvious reason is because people have too much debt and/or not enough money to pay their bills.  Due to the poor economy, many businesses have to downsize by laying people off and those that are laid off suffer.

This poor economy is fueling the circle of debt and that is why it is important for journalists to pay attention to what the government, businesses, and individuals are doing to try and get people out of this bankruptcy rut.