Marc Rotenberg

IMAGE: KELSEY HIGHTOWER. Marc Rotenberg's Body Scan slide.
 He combines Total Recall (left), TSA's campaign (top), and
the political response (bottom).

Films are informing society about many things, particularly the way surveillance is used in the US. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC Executive Director and professor at Georgetown University Law Center, spoke with students about how the content that people see in movies tends to shape political debates about the future of surveillance and how movies help to shape what people experience in the real world.

Rotenberg’s comparative examples between the film clips and the actual security technology used are shockingly similar. Total Recall (Paul Verhoeven, 1990) uncovers a new creation, the body scanner, in his movie. This is shown to look through clothes, and reveal weapons that a person might be carrying. After 9-11 Transportation Security Agency suggested airports bring the body scanner to reality for airport passengers. “You see Hollywood telling us 20 years ago about a new surveillance technique, you see post 9-11, the deployment of the technique in airports in the United States, and you see a political response,” Rotenberg said.

Rotenberg spoke how post 9-11, the concern was whether America’s surveillance was useful and how effective was it. The project, “Observing Surveillance” was launched by EPIC in response to 9-11. This project documents the presents of video cameras in Washington D.C. and researches how beneficial they are. “Surveillance merely enhances people's sense of security rather than their actual physical security,” EPIC says. Through their research, they found that the amount of crime did not decrease with the increased camera surveillance like law enforcement officials claimed.

Professor Hunter Heyck invited Rotenberg to speak to students. Heyck felt Rotenberg’s discussion was one of the best speakers he’s invited this year. “I think this is an indirect connection,” said Heyck. “These are issues of importance in society and a successful and perceptive filmmaker tries to tap into current concerns.”

Right now, Rotenberg is working on his latest campaign, Know What They Know, which pertains to Facebook. The security of Facebook is concerning to Rotenberg. “What you see on your Facebook wall is only a very a small piece of the complete profile of what Facebook retains,” said Rotenberg. “Take ‘de-friending’ someone for example. Facebook actually keeps that transaction event associated with you, as well as everything that you’ve done online.” Rotenberg will continue working in Washington and testifying to congress about these issues.

(VIDEO: KELSEY HIGHTOWER AND MATT SHAFFER :32)

Investigative Journalism

Cherokee Ballard and Britten Follett spoke to future reporters about the significance of investigative reporting. Through sharing their story, they emphasized the importance of investigative reporting in the newsroom and the impacting change it has on the state and keeping people accountable.

“You’re getting the word out, you are getting the story out there to the point where perhaps it could help save another child’s life,” said Ballard. Both Ballard and Follett said that the impact of telling people’s stories and uncovering the truth could contribute to changing the way businesses are organized and matters are handled. The Project for Excellence in Journalism states that journalist’s role is to be a monitor of power. “Founders recognized this to be a rampart against despotism when they ensured an independent press; courts have affirmed it; citizens rely on it,” said PEJ.

Ballard and Follett presenting their package over Kelsey Briggs

Ballard and Follett both held jobs as reporters. Ballard worked for KOCO and KFOR totaling 25 years of broadcasting and Follett worked in Oklahoma broadcasting for five years. Through reporting, they both became involved in Kelsey Briggs’s story. She was a child living in an abusive home that was seldomly looked over by DHS. Although DHS was responsible for making visits to the home to check up on Briggs’s safety, Ballard and Britten say Briggs was not looked after closely enough. The in-depth coverage and outcome of the case, Kelsey Briggs has a law named after her. Kelsey’s Law changed how DHS and the courts handle and report these types of cases.

Follett said that when a reporter covers someone’s life like this, a reporters going to feel some connection to the person. Ballard and Follett both felt so deeply for this little two-year-old that they continue to write a book honoring her life even after they left the journalism field. Follett said that the Kelsey Briggs case completely changed her life and career. Ballard said that as a journalist, when you get awful but at the same time, ‘wow stories’ to cover, you become very attached to them.

Ballard and Follett have moved on from the journalism field and begun pursuing different careers outside of broadcasting. Ballard now works for Oklahoma Natural Gas Company and Follett works as a Marketing Manager for Follett International. “You have an opportunity to hold people accountable, and I do miss that element of it, but I am concerned because TV stations are cutting investigative units,” Follett said. PEJ said that because of more journalists having to cover many stories through different platforms, investigative journalism is diminishing. Will newsrooms have to be redefined for the future journalist?

(SOT: Kelsey Hightower)

Cherokee Ballard and Britten Follett express how investigative journalism plays a part in society.

Rocky Horror

This Halloween marks the decade event that the Ferris family brought a unique twist to ‘watching’ the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This movie showing requires the audience to become a cast member during certain scenes.

Picking out costumes was carefully thought out this year for those attending Rocky Horror, with most people dressing up as different characters from the movie. During the show, the audience voted on their peers’ costumes, and the best-dressed person was selected to act out the specific scene. Those who had not seen the film were given a “V” that was marked with red lipstick. This symbolized the people who were ‘virgins’ to the film.

The Ferris family has continued the Rocky Horror Picture Show tradition in Norman. This tradition is based on the uniqueness of audience participation. According to the Rocky Horror Picture Show website, this idea began at Waverly Theater in 1977 when Alan and Ed Bordenka shouted out lines to go along with the show’s dialogue. However, they didn’t stop there. They proceeded to go to various theaters all over New York City to continue this tradition that continues to be relived today. Amy Lazarus and her friends are responsible for bring confetti into the theater and throwing in during certain parts of the show. This tradition began the use of props that people bring or are provided when viewing the show.

“It’s a lot of work,” Tom Ferris said. “[But] it’s always been a fun event.” Every year Ferris and his family run the entire event themselves. They are responsible for renting the Sooner Theater, buying the copyrights to the movie, publicizing the event, selling tickets and even buying props for the audience to use during the show. His mother, Elizabeth Ferris, said Tom came up with this project and does most of the work preparing and implementing it, although the entire family helps out.

The Ferris family plans on hosting the event for many more years. “We’re just going to keep doing it until people stop coming,” Ferris said.

(VIDEO: KELSEY HIGHTOWER 1:40)

(SOT: Tom Ferris and Bryant)

Rocky Horror

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