August 2008 Archives

Perhaps documentarian is a better title here.  I do not consider myself a journalist just because I am writing this blog. Put another way, the act of writing this blog doesn't make me journalist. I am, however, documenting my perceptions of the world around me.

A journalistic institution has to approach a story, in this case Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, from an angle while still maintaining objectivity. But for a lot of media outlets, objectivity is the polar opposite of what they are trying to achieve. Nothing obligates a blogger or citizen journalist to be objective, accordingly, no one can stop a citizen journalist from hammering out their reactions, thoughts and feelings on a keyboard. Citizen journalists could sound off on Obama's "thank yous" at the beginning of the speech, or on the type of people the cameras on each channel cut to. They could criticize Obama's mannerisms or his wife's expressions, Biden's enthusiasm or any other miniscule detail and probably get away with it. Their only real obligation is to themselves and occasionally, depending on the blog, their readers. But the former usually trumps the latter.  It is  important to keep in mind one of Clay Shirky's points: people who create or share user-generated content don't necessarily intend it to be for general or even mass consumption.

Venice is not the polished tourist destination people associate with glitz California beaches and Southern California affluence. Instead, the eclectic community boasts decades of arts influences, the Venice Family Clinic, multiple activism organizations, gangs and poverty but, overall, is a community that rejects corporate gentrification. The prospective grand opening of a Whole Foods store, which is replacing low-price Big! Lots, is causing a buzz within the community that generally rejects any chain stores within its parameters. In the spirit of Venice, a coalition has formed to get Whole Foods to provide employment for low income residents. So, what exactly is the spirit of Venice today?

The community is supposed to be gentrifying, according to local developer Frank Murphy. Murphy is currently turning two former one-bedroom units with a commercial space worth about $1 million into two two-bedroom condominiums worth about $5 million near the boardwalk. Current Venice residents may not be the ones who purchase his units, but the appeal of a brand new home on the boardwalk is undeniable by prospective affluent residents on the outside. While Murphy occasionally works in tandem with the Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC), he willingly admits that he's in the business for the money, "I'll build those [low income] homes to get what I need from the city later on." 

The juxtaposition of development and rising real estate costs in this motley community underscores the community's resistance to gentrification when other communities have welcomed the change. Venice is struggling to preserve its identity as a haven for artists and activists. Lynn Warshafsky, co-founder of non-profit Venice Arts, adamantly described the art community as "gone." Her organization, which teaches media arts to children ages 6-18, welcomes Venice and other Westside residents to embrace the community's arts tradition with modern innovation. Like the Venice Family Clinic, Venice Arts began extending its reach throughout Los Angeles despite the limitations the two organizations' names may suggest. Warshafsky, a Venice resident since the early 80s, witnessed the migration of low income families out of Venice. The displacement of artists over the years has even pushed her to teach her students about gentrification in Venice Arts' classrooms.

Along with the artists, street performers, craft vendors and others prominent on the famous boardwalk, Venice is home to a large impoverished population. The Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the country, is a crossroads for wealth and poverty on the Westside. Its $20 million annual operating budget made possible by the Venice Art Walk, grants, community and corporate donors, provides basic healthcare for low-income people lacking private insurance. While some argue that the clinic attracts a homeless population causing decreases in nearby real estate value, CEO and executive director, Liz Forer attributes this conundrum to a "chicken and egg thing." She believes that the clinic should no longer expand within Venice and focus more on outreach programs for those who do not have easy access to healthcare on the Westside. Also, the issue of Venice vs. Santa Monica is worth looking into. According to Tim Smith, director of communications for the Venice Family Clinic, Venice is more transient-friendly than neighboring Santa Monica, a rivalry that is well-known among residents of the two cities.

The clinic seems to be a microcosm for the gentrification of Venice. Clearly, the clinic is renowned and attracts donations in the millions; however, the wealth is set out to serve a population that is low income, which seems to create an unending cycle. Money is brought in to serve and rehabilitate an impoverished population; in turn, the clinic attracts more poverty because it a well-known niche for those in need. So, does the philanthropy of the clinic outweigh the desire to cover up, if not wipe out, the poverty in Venice with new multi-million dollar developments?

Mostly everyone we spoke with had a strong opinion about the happenings in the community. However, I realize that much of the information we received lacks hard numbers and data that are crucial to understanding the story of Venice in more concrete terms.

Photos: Venice Boardwalk; Steve Clare, executive director for VCHC at Frank Murphy's current development;. Lynn Warshafsky at Venice Arts

Journalism may not need another wannabe writer after the Pulitzer Prize but it's getting one. After what I'm sure will be many years as a reporter, I want to become an editor (then possibly a managing editor) at a large or mid-sized special interest magazine. I found that delegating is one of my fortes (the fact that delegating simultaneously minimizes the actual work I have do myself is beside the point) and have learned that that type of position is suitable for me. I suspect that I may be overreaching the attainable goals at the moment, but I know that I have to pay my dues as an everyday reporter and writer before I can become an editor.

As far as writing goes, my interests range from Middle Eastern happenings to both international and hyper-local art, culture and fashion scenes. While many may attribute some of those topics to "soft journalism," that doesn't really matter to me. Those are the subjects I love to read and write about; I'm certain that I'm not alone. I hope to change these topics' negative perception  in the world of "hard journalism." Arts and culture are always indicative of political and social climates at any given time--their existence, or lack thereof, says volumes about the societies we live in. 

I love travel writing, especially humorous, first person, culture shock pieces mostly because I tend to become a protagonist who gets caught in those situations. I want to show my colleagues that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Said "stupid questions" should be used as a means for clarification--travel writing commonly relies on the asking of seemingly stupid questions. However, the most complex stories benefit from the simplest inquiries. One of our most important jobs as journalists is to simplify the complicated. I want to be the person who asks the simple questions making a name for myself among readers as their go-to writer when an issue is beyond their understanding (granted that I understand the issue myself). Oh, and I plan to do all this while overcoming my fear of talking to strangers and the anxiety I feel when inconveniencing people with journalistic probing. Yes, I still hate picking up the phone to ask someone for an interview. That's what I'm hoping an M.A. degree will eradicate. So, get to work, Annenberg.