Sam Donaldson — The new media wields a double-edged sword

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EL PASO, Texas — Innovations in technology —more specifically the Internet— have changed every aspect of media, transforming journalism into a swift double-edged digital sword, according to veteran ABC News reporter Sam Donaldson. Donaldson told students at his Alma Mater, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Tuesday that, “Everyone today thinks they are a journalist. Everyone shoots off their mouths on the Internet. To some extent this is a problem. I would prefer to listen to someone who is presenting stuff that is factual.”

The borderland native attended Texas Western College, now UTEP, and began his TV career in 1977 as a correspondent for ABC News.

Bullying words in cyberspace hurt worse than sticks and stones

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EL PASO, Texas — Advances in communication on the Internet lifted what once was school-yard bullying to a new mean-spirited high-tech level. The negative consequences of bullying have become a growing problem in schools around the world in the last 10 years, rising to a tragic level. Many victims feeling alone and without relief resort to acts of violence against those who hurt them or commit suicide. “Cyberbullying occurs when the victim is probably totally alone and thus, possibly more prone to reacting negatively, even to the point of suicide, as no one is there for him/her to talk to in person,” according to Dr. Don Combs, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso. “Physical bullying, of course, creates the great possibility of physical harm, even death.

They Call Him … Machete

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EL PASO, Texas — Hot chicks, big guns, blood flowing, a few laughs and a big guy they call Machete, oh my! Can you expect any less from a Robert Rodriguez flick? Rodriguez, a native Texan has been releasing his signature gritty, home-edited films since he began his film-directing career in 1991. The Mariachi brought notoriety and led to some of the most notable films today such as Desperado, From Dusk Til Dawn, and Sin City. In 2007, Rodriguez teamed up with Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth, and Rob Zombie to release a double feature Grindhouse type film, Planet Terror, and Death Proof.

Pat Mora’s love for words spreads a river of literacy

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EL PASO, Texas — Award-winning writer Pat Mora is a jack-of-all-trades. She writes poetry, books for adult readers, inspirational books for children and young adults and is a dedicated advocate for reading and literacy. Open any of her works and you are taken on a journey that flows like water, bringing freshness to a reader’s mind. Her works are important to the border community. They paint a picture of the region’s Hispanic culture for those who are not familiar with the border.