Queen's University Cuts Student Media Coverage

((HT: Queens University Journal/Peter Mueller))

Being a former member of the student media, the HQ remembers what it's like to be buzzing all over campus covering every revenue and non-revenue sport for whatever form of media was available at the time when we were in school.

Softball and women's basketball were just as important as volleyball, football and baseball and we covered the crap out of it. Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada now can't do that to the tune of 87.5-percent of its past effectiveness because of a past aticle written by students.

Like rowing at Queen's for example- one of the star athletics programs on campus...


Eight credentials have now been cut to one because of an article that wasn't wrong, it just made the administration look bad.

Here's the crux of the argument from student Editor-in-Chief Nick Faris:

We were told that this decision stems from a story we published on March 28, detailing how the result of Queen’s varsity team of the year vote changed after Athletics retroactively struck a new voting panel.

On March 29, I received a letter from Jeff Downie, associate director at Athletics, in which he wrote, “We will be reevaluating our relationship, and the privileged access we provide the Journal moving forward.”

It's kind of the same thing that happened when FIU pitched a hissy-fit and tried to deny the Miami Herald's beat reporter from doing the newspaper's work last week.

The Herald had decided not to cover the program after said hissy-fit but, two days ago, recanted their decision and is allowing David Neal to do his job.

From Michelle Kaufman at the Herald:

Neal’s access to FIU coaches and athletes had been reduced for months. He was not allowed to attend football practice or conduct interviews.

FIU issued a statement last week explaining its decision to deny Neal’s credential: “We did not issue a media credential to the Herald’s beat reporter because of concerns we have brought up to the Herald’s reporter and editors over the past few years about the reporter’s interactions with our student athletes, coaches and staff, and the nature of the resulting coverage."

The Herald examined Neal’s coverage and found it to be fair and professional.

But what does this move by Queen's say about universities and their want to control information...???

About what it says these days... those who have the power want to control the information...
And, sadly college student, that won't change any time soon...

Darren Sharper Denied Bail Again

((HT: KABC-TV))

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Renee Korn rejected the defense idea that former NFL'er Darren Sharper should be granted bail and be held under house arrest until trial as he appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday. Judge Korn is waiting to see if the state of Arizona will pursue extradition proceedings...

Prosecutors say the Arizona governor's office is preparing to extradite Sharper even as Sharper's defense team is saying the opposite is true.

Basically, Sharper is still in trouble in more than one state and it will all start in Los Angeles at some point...

Jovana Lara is outside the courtroom

DEVELOPING: Hernandez Denied Bail By Fall River Superior Court

The judge seeing the arguments in the ideas of Aaron Hernandez's bail has denied the paperwork.

Hernandez returns to jail to wait for his next hearing in a month's time...

But the contradiction of the gag order goes against the idea of all the evidence presented by prosecutors...

Examples:

Police recovered evidence from Hernandez's phone, which included texts to the victim and two friends on the night of the murder. He requested Odin Lloyd come over to his house and pick something up while seemingly agitatingly texted his friends wondering where they were and how far away from the house to allegedly carry out their actions against Lloyd...

The prosecution said they have Hernandez on surveillance tape holding a weapon, while allegedly saying "you can't trust anyone anymore." Witnesses and surveillance tape in Boston also showed Hernandez and Lloyd in a car together the day of the murder. Texts showed Hernandez allegedly was mad because Lloyd talked to people that Hernandez "had troubles with."

Six to eight hours of footage was missing from Hernandez's home security video system- presumably when he destroyed it.

The prosecution said the video that was recovered shows someone leaving a car with a gun in hand on the night of the murder and that same someone was walking through Hernandez's house before video footage went out.

A shell casing was found in a car Hernandez rented matching shell casings found at the murder scene.

The prosecution alleges Hernandez shot Lloyd three times right after Lloyd got out of the car, then Hernandez allegedly stood over Lloyd and shot him two more times.

The prosecution also referenced the undated TMZ photo of Hernandez holding a Glock in a selfie- tying it to his predisposition to guns and suggesting that a Glock was the murder weapon.

The defense came back with the idea that as a father with a fiancee, being one of the best football players in the "United States of America," needing rehab for injuries (which was news), and being as recognizable as he is that he would not be a flight risk.

Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis said that Hernandez is a person who "does not apply to society's rules." She also thought that the circumstantial was very strong and ordered Hernandez be returned to the Bristol County House of Correction and Jail.

Some who stayed outside the courthouse chanted "Innocent!"

For whatever that's worth...

Prosecutors did not stay to answer questions for the assembled media, however Hernandez's attorneys did with the shouting throng around him.

More when we know more...