wild Card Relationship

 For this wild card I will be giving dating advice 101:
Often times people ask me how does my bf and I have a long-distance relationship and this is how. A little more background about myself, I am in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend Cortez Roberts. Cortez attends college at Murray State University (Murray Kentucky)  while he is a member of the Racers Football team. Cortez and I are approximately 5 hours and 30 mins apart. So the real question is how did we meet? of course, social media played a huge factor in the communication stage. I first received a twitter Dm from Cortez saying "Hey, how are you doing?" My first reaction was "oh here we go again... another failed relationship, a guy saying he wants you and makes no effort whats so ever!!" I was done with it. I did not want to enter another "talking stage." I had already said "God, look I do not want to be in another relationship, I don't want to meet anyone else BUT if I do make sure that he wants me for me. Cortez was very persistent by far the most persistent guy I've met. After days of ignoring his Dms, I finally responded! and here we are. I know I'm not the only one ladies, we've all been with someone who meant no good for us but we stuck with the person anyways. WHY? just why do we settle for someone who doesn't really see our value, truly wants us and etc? and PLEASE do not have anyone that will say "What's understood doesn't need to be explained, or you know you mine." Like, no sir if you don't verbally ask me to be your girlfriend the traditional way I DONT WANT YOU. 
DO NOT let anyone make you feel bad for wanting to be posted or show off to the world. DO NOT fall for the old "Oh, I don't post females on my page, I don't want everyone in my business" RUN AWAY FROM HIM!! Because sis, 9/10 it's another female and he doesn't want to get caught up.  Trust me. Don't you wish you had previews of a person and the relationship before you decided to be with them? That would save all of us from many nights of heartache. Cortez and I have had many ups and downs in our relationship and honestly, trusting him was by far the hardest thing for me. I have been in a relationship with a liar, cheater and someone who didn't appreciate who I was and what I had to offer. I will always remember this quote from a man I met in Walmart saying "Only You know when enough is enough."  By then I had enough, I knew what I had to offer, I knew my worth and added tax, I knew that I was different and had my stuff together and that NOT ANY FEMALE had anything on me. (not in a cocky way but more in a secure confident way). My mom would always say "If You don't believe you are beautiful no one else will. 
                    My opinion on the 5 most important things in a relationship
1. Self-Love. You must first love who you are with every inch before you try and love someone else. Damaged people can not love properly, so accept you for you and everything else will fall into place. 
2. Respect. Always respect each other's point of view. Never make that person feel bad for feeling how they do. 
3. TRUST. A relationship without trust is impossible. No way either of you could be in a relationship without having the basic fundamentals. 
4. Slowly but surely. DO NOT rush into a relationship have you ever heard the saying "good things take time." Be sure to take it slow first. Do not put all of your eggs into a basket without knowing the other person's intentions! Do not rush the other person if its mutual the feeling will come but never seem desperate. 
5. Communication. COMMUNICATION IS KEY!! to any relationship, be open and honest with your partner and do not think they can read minds. Tell them exactly how you feel and why you feel that way. Do this with a calm voice. Anything else can start an argument. Although, arguments are healthy in a relationship but fussing all the time isn't and can cause you to lose the one you care the most about. 

                              So, How can you make the relationship stronger?

• Take things slowly!
• give 50/50 but just know that you will have days when you need to be the 40 while she is the 10% a relationship is about building each other up on the good and bad days. 
• You are responsible for your own happiness! You know what makes you happy and if it's not in a relationship with that particular person then GET OUT!   
• Sometimes love is where you'd least expect it! I had no idea Cortez would come and my life would do a full turn. So be open to change be willing to give love another try! do not blame another man for what the old guy did to you. 
• Remember, don't just say how you will change.. show it
• Fight in a productive way. Every couple fights, but fighting in a way that moves a conversation forward and not backward can make a huge difference. 
• Never let people know your business! because 10/10 they don't care and some people aren't happy for you.

    After dating for the first few months I knew then he was different from any other guy I've even communicated with. Cortez always showed me what he wanted from me because I am a show-me type of person and he definitely took that into consideration. I remember one time we were OTP (On the Phone) he told me I am going to marry you and make you my girlfriend one day. Of course, I didn't believe a thing he said until he started taking me on dates, opening my car door, buying me flowers, spending all of his time with and on me and just showing me he was serious. Around November Cortez mailed me this beautiful Promise ring! the funny part about this story is I had JUST left his house and he didn't tell me anything. The only thing he said was I should get a package at home soon. I didn't think anything of it so I called my mom and she said I did receive a package and you guys it was a BEAUTIFUL PROMISE RING!!  I cried, it was the most beautiful thing in the world. I couldn't believe that I actually found someone who wanted me for me and I have him.

                  Love Is In the air                                                                  

  We spent our very first valentines day together and we took a mini-vacation to Nashville TN. From his apartment in Murray is roughly about 2 hours! the night before I made it he sent me a message. You guys this man created a WHOLE VIBES PLAYLIST of songs that reminded him of our relationship. I am a very simple person and that is my love language! he told me he couldn't sleep and decided to make songs for on the road. The two-hour ride was filled with laughter, singing Jagged Edge, playing 21 question games, and having deep conversations. I feel having deep conversations with your partner is very important and healthy. Therefore, you can learn what triggers him/her and how to avoid those situations. Let's go back I arrived in Murray on the 13th so on the 14th morning at 7am I was woken up by Cortez with the biggest smile on his face with gifts! I AM NOT A morning person and he knows this. I wasn't that upset because of Valentine's day! Cortez had a bag FULL of my favorite store ever Victoria Secret, a card with money that said To my Wife: He told me this would be a card I will look back on when we get married and remember this was our first valentine spent together. I AM A CRY BABY!! the words in this card was so touching I instantly started the waterworks LOL!! He also handed me flowers, beautiful roses, and candy.  Once we arrive in Nashville we wanted something good to eat so we went to Outback steak house. What a way to start our first V-Day weekend! The next morning we ate brunch at the SKY BLUE cafe https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55229-d2548070-Reviews-Sky_Blue_Cafe-Nashville_Davidson_County_Tennessee.html AMAZING FOOD with an amazing guy. The weather was so cold and the lines were so long we sat outside for 30 Mins, not that bad considering it was V-Day weekend. If anytime you have the chance to stop In Nashville TN let me know and be sure to eat at the SKY BLUE cafe you won't be disappointed. Later that night we went to our favorite place Olive Garden for night dinner.                                   

    Conclusion: GIVE love a try! do not be afraid of the what-ifs! Allow someone to love you and Allow you to be loved. Cortez has been everything a girl could ask for. I think that's all for now! Be sure to leave me a comment! feel free to follow us on social media instagram: @Misslexflan, @solidtez7k, Twitter @shakeis_alexus, @teZ_sOsA.

Brief 10. Freedom of information ACT

10.
                                               Freedom of information act

 What is the Freedom of information act? "The freedom of information act 5, U.S.C.is federal freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the united states government upon request." 

 According to CNN, "Coronavirus model projects 134,000 deaths in the US, nearly double its last estimate." According to the article, the Trump administration projects a rise in cases and deaths weeks ahead, up to 3,000 daily deaths in the US by June, 1. Over the past week, 2,00 people died daily in the US. I find this information to be somewhat true, In Arkansas, there are 3,372 confirmed cases with 1,987 recovered from the virus and 72 deaths in total. Back to the article social distancing and increased mobility in the U.S. which include Flordia, Colorado, Indiana, Nebraska, and South Carolina.  The reason why the numbers are increasing is that many states are opening back up restaurants, nail shops, hair salons, and beaches with that many people in small spaces and when you aren't practicing social distancing can increase the number of people affected by COVID-9. According to the article the coronavirus exposure ranges from 2-14 days, the virus can spread amongst people with no symptoms at all. So it is important that we take this virus seriously and follow the stay at home rules. As the restrictions are being let up and people are anxious to go back outside just know the first wave people are prone to get the infection so please stay home and practice social distancing from those in the household as well. "Coronavirus has killed 68,380 people in the US and has infected more than 1,176,000 others according to John Hopkins University." President Donald Trump said he expects 65,000 Americans to die, but on Sunday he revised that estimate with a shocking and very rapid growth of 80-90,000 people. While according to the article Colorado, offices can reopen at 50% capacity with other guidelines, including 6 feet between employees' desks and increased the amount of cleaning does as well. On a good note, New York cases are declining but other states are seeing a major increase with COVID-19. New York Government, Andrew Cuomo reported that the number of intubations in the state hit hardest by coronavirus is down, and the total number of hospitalizations is below 10,000 for the first time since March. In conclusion, we must be selfless during this time and think of those who are over 60 and can get the infection easily e must take them into consideration. stay home, practice social distancing, and stay safe. 

Brief 9: Global Media Law and Ethics

9.
                                         Global Media Law or Ethics

 For starters, I want to start with the definition of Global Media Law and Ethics and throughout this blog, I will be giving evidence and the components of Global Media Ethics. 

  So what is Global Media Law and Ethics? According to www.ethics.journalism.wisc.edu Global Media Law and Ethics aim to develop a comprehensive set of principles and standards for the practice of journalism in an age of global news media. New forms of communication are reshaping the practicing craft serving a local, regional, or national public. In society today, media outlets, news stations, gather information using videos, images, and text to collectively spread information worldwide. These Media Law and Ethics defend values as a rule of law and legality and the ethical side uses texts and pictures on how the media should use them. There are many types of ethics.

        The main three Types of Ethics are the following:

• Institutional Ethics
• Professional Ethics
• Personal Ethics 

 I am referring to all of these within the business aspect. Institutional ethics: is seen as a moral agent, it can be the object of evaluation. Since morally relevant properties and relationships pertain to institutions, but not to individuals. in business ethics the policies and practices control corporate governance and inside the training. Professional ethics is defined as the behavior within the context of a particular profession. As I kept doing my research because I was honestly confused about the topic and one website stuck out with me on www.southuniversity.edu. There are different pillars stating what people value.

• Trustworthiness
• respect
• responsibility
• fairness
• caring
• citizenship

Brief 8 (Misinformation and fact checking)

Brief 8.
                  Misinformation and Fact-Checking (about coronavirus)

  There's a lot of information out there being spread about COVID-19, but not all of the information you see is right.
 
 The false and misleading information coming from many different places: Viral posts via social media, comments made by friends or family or printed statements, or broadcast by journalists. 

 It's crucial that everyone receives factual information regarding COVID-19. Spreading false information can and will ruin lives. With this pandemic, it is easy to cause unnecessary fear and most importantly it may lead those to ignore the signs or symptoms about the virus. It is important that you fact check and correct any misleading information you see regarding COVID-19.

So how can you protect yourself from misleading information?

Step 1: You want to be cautious about anonymous sources
Lots of misleading information comes from anonymous sources. Types of unknown sources "a friend's brother, or someone named "Dr. Bill." Sometimes people have good intentions of sharing this information with you anonymously. But when you are uncertain about the sources, it is hard to identify if its true or not. so think twice about repeating information.

Step 2: Trusted News source 
If you are getting information from a trusted news source, try going back and finding the article or re-watching the LIVE show to check and see if they actually said it. For any medical information regarding COVID-19, try the following website: www.mayoclinic.org.

Step 3: If it seems fishy be careful
 Fake News can be hidden on websites made to look like they come from the very trusted news sources. check for any grammatical errors, strange articles after, incorrect URLs, on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook anything can be shared with one click so before you share the post as well make sure you go to the page if you see a blue verification sticker (Blue tick) this is accurate information.

Step 4: Get the full story! Read the full article
This goes hand and hand with making sure you receive accurate information, oftentimes people just read the headlines and run with the information and didn't fully read over the article. *It is IMPORTANT* that you read the whole story, watch out for any quotes that may have been taken out of context.
 COVID-19 is a new disease so there is a lot that people (including myself) doesn't know yet, make sure you read everything and google will be your best friend. Think before you click share.

Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms about the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). These symptoms may appear 14 days after exposure. These signs may include the following:

• High Fever over 100
• Coughing 
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
• Tiredness
• Aches
• Chills 
• Sore throats
• loss of Smell
• Loss of taste
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Severe Vomiting

These symptoms can range from mild to severe. Many people haven't had symptoms at all while others have had all of the one above. People that have Diabetes, severe obesity, kidney, or liver disease may be a high risk of the illness. If you have an emergency please contact your local ER.

Prevention
   Practice this every day to slow the spread
 When you touch people, surfaces, or objects throughout your day, you accumulate germs on your hands, you can easily spread these germs to your eyes, nose, and mouth.

To protect yourself, wash your hands frequently with mild soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If water is unavailable to you at that time try using alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. I usually like singing Twinkle Twink Little Star as I wash my hands or my ABC'S and after I finish then I rinse my hands off and add hand sanitizer right after to make sure that 1% of germ is gone. Avoid large crowds or gather, STAY HOME as much as possible, and keep distance with yourself and others. Keep in mind many people have been tested positive for COVID-19 with no symptoms. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue whenever you cough or sneeze. Any other problems check with the CDC about it, be safe during this pandemic we will all get through this and stay INSIDE!!!

Brief 7 - Exploiting A News Story - Alexus Flannigan

  Brief 7.
                                             Exploiting A News Story

  The definition of exploitation is defined as "The act of using resources of the act of treating people unfairly in order to benefit from their efforts or labor. Making use of natural resources to build a city is an example of the exploitation of these resources. www.YourDictionary.com" In this brief, I will tell you how to keep yourself protected through this pandemic with people trying to take from you. 

The number one thing that is having a huge effect on the nation as we speak is COVID-19. According to the www.FBI.com, the FBI warns you of becoming a money mule as the schemes of exploitation skyrockets. This particular article talks about how people are trying to scam you during this rough patch, throughout my reading criminals will try to steal your money, access your personal information and financial information and use you as a money "Mule". These criminals are high-tech, they can move and transfer illicit funds while having other mules to move more money without either of the victim's knowledge. BEWARE* If you act as a money mule you're allowing others to access your personal accounts and this not only jeopardizes your financial security. This is a crime, there is help if you feel you have been a victim of this crisis please feel free to Contact The Washington D.C. FBI National Press Office at (202)324-3691. Work from home schemes is bigger than ever with everyone wanting to find ways to work from home as a blogger, limelight seller, amazon worker, lifestyle and fitness worker. Be aware of these impressive money schemes they may ask you to only communicate through Gmail, outlook, and yahoo ONLY! Do Not believe this is a trusted email and or name these scammers are using because these are not. They will use "American Names such as Kevin, Johnathan, Michael, James, John, Robert, Daniel, Paul, Mark, Kenneth, Eric, Raymond and etc. Sketchy right? Red Flag number 2 you will be asked to receive funds in your personal bank account and then process or transfer funds via wire transfer them monthly through Western Union or Moneygram. This allows these criminals to get away with the wires because there are no paper trails to protect themselves against these cyber criminals. These individuals are claiming to be U.S. citizens quarantined abroad asking you to send or receive money on behalf of themselves or you have a loved one battling COVID-19. Individuals affiliated with charitable organizations asking you to send or receive money on their behalf. 

Ways to protect yourself and stop those from spreading false information pertaining to COVID-19. Have accurate and up to date information surrounding the COVID-19, the CDC has posted extensive guidance and information that is accurate and updated frequently. You can find accurate information on the COVID-19 www.cdc.gov and www.coronavirus.gov

  For Accurate and Up to Date information about COVID-19, Visit: 

  www.coronavirus.gov

  cdc.gov/coronavirus

  usa.gov/coronavirus

  fbi.gov/cornovirus

  justice.gov/coronavirus 

Brief 6 Copyright and Fair use

Brief 6.
                   MM 4003 Copyright and Fair use Alexus Flannigan

  In this particular brief, I will be giving a detailed about Copyright and Fair usage and the differences between the two along with Measuring Fair use in 4 factors, and lastly How to avoid copyright issues. "Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyright material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder." According to a graphic Fair use in a day in the Life of a college student is one Checking Emails, Attending classes, Finishing a paper, being online such as social media or just searching the web. Relaxing over lunch and watching shows on Netflix. With Fair usage the difference between the two which gives us college students the right to use information or entertainment purposes with giving the author the credit.
                         
  Here are the 4 tips to making sure You follow
  1.  Only use a small amount of the work
  2. Add new meaning to the work to make it your own Spice it up!

  3. Rework it and use it in a totally different way
  4. Finally, use it for nonprofit purposes making sure You do NOT make money off someone's work
 **Make sure you always give credit to the author**
    
   Copyright in the film industry 
 Have you ever seen a movie when you feel you've seen the outcome before? This is when copyrights in the movie come to play. "A motion picture copyright protects the artistic expression in movies, short films, and videos, including camera work, dialogue, and sounds. It does not cover the idea behind a movie or the characters portrayed in it. It must be fixed in a physical object such as film, videotape or digital cinema. According to www.digitalspy.com, One movie was the Matrix and eXistenZ both came out in (1999) The Film(s): A young hero discovers that the reality he is experiencing is actually nothing but an artificial stimulation and the winner was the Matrix.

Brief 5 Reporter's Privilege - Alexus Flannigan

                 Brief 5 Research Reporter's Privilege - Alexus F

  First, let's start with the definition of "Reporter's Privilege is protecting the right of a free and independent press to gather and report the news." According to www.studentpresslawcenter.com As I continued to expand my research on Reporter's Privilege I came across www.rcfp.org. On this website, you're able to pick a state and find the "Reporter's Privilege Compendium." I of course living and attending classes in Arkansas wanted to know the important information. In Section I they give you the general rundown of the "1937 shielding reporters and others involved in newsgathering from being required to reveal the identities of their confidential sources. - It then goes on to say in 1949 they brought radio and broadcasters within that particular law of protection and in 2011 to provide protection to television stations and Internet news sources." 

  Next, so why does the reporter's privilege exist?
For one journalists are limited in the First Amendment. The First Amendment for journalist say the "Right not to be forced to reveal information or confidential news sources in court." www.mtsu.edu 
As journalists, we rely on sources that we know that we can trust and we strive to be accurate with our information as much as possible. 

Shield Law in Legislation
This is when we enter the reporters can refuse to testify information/sources. in about 30 States this law has been moved and properly passed, In Arkansas, we are in fact under the shield law, BUT privilege for sources is qualified or contains exceptions. 

 Lastly, the million-dollar question Can you be jailed for refusing a judge's order to reveal your sources? Although some states such as Alabama have the shield law which means that Alabama is under the absolute privilege for sources that protect against reporters disclosing any information. However, the court also states that who fails to comply with a subpoena can / will be held in contempt of court / fined or have a significant amount of time behind bars. www.legalzoom.com Although, not every time will a reporter be sent to jail for not giving information on the video a reporter refused to give any sources and her trail was delayed by the judge.