Opinions
4
www.Daily49er.com
Monday, August 26, 2013
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Long Beach Register’s arrival spurs healthy competition For the first time in decades, Long Beach has become a twonewspaper town. After being the main source of the city’s news for more than a century, the well-established Long Beach Press-Telegram is now forced to share the limelight. The Long Beach Register has started ur iew printing its first issues, and now a non-violent war has erupted between the rival newspapers. The impending competition for subscribers and profits has already led to a boost in the quality of written content and more coverage of everything Long Beach. It turns out that when faced with competition, both papers are stepping up their game. Although some may see the Long Beach Register as a direct threat to the Press-Telegram as well as the Daily 49er, we welcome the challenge that another newspaper will bring. If we include the Daily 49er, Long Beach is actually a threenewspaper town with each of us fighting for readership and attention from Long Beach residents. Although it will be difficult to compete with the Long Beach Register and Press-Telegram, we will ensure that our content’s quality does not waver in the changing times. We’re looking to step up our game, too. One of the benefits that the Long Beach Register brings is its commitment to print journalism. In a world where journalism is increasingly shifting to the online realm, it is refreshing to see the birth of another newspaper — especially one that does not come with its own website yet. We think the addition of the Long Beach Register is healthy for a town that had become reliant on only one newspaper, the
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Press-Telegram. We hope the additional competition will spur creativity and innovative business models that may strengthen the industry as a whole. After all, the Long Beach Register has not offered its content online yet. It’s a stark contrast to the Press-Telegram and Daily 49er. The Orange County Register has gained much attention in past years for its push toward print news instead of online news. The Long Beach Register will push for the same and be the ultimate test of this model. The OC Register has been well-established for years, even
before its push-for-print plan. So if a newspaper can survive under this plan from its start, then there must be some merit in the OC Register’s model. Because of this, Long Beach’s newspaper war is being watched on a national stage. The success or demise of the Long Beach Register could show whether the industry should push for print or online journalism. It could lead to additional newspapers in other large cities across the nation. Either way, the Daily 49er is taking part in what could be a turning point for the industry, and we’re excited to see what happens.
Chelsea Manning should receive hormone therapy under law Days after receiving a 35-year prison sentence for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, former Army private Bradley Manning is back in the headlines. In a letter to NBC morning show, “Today,” Manning wrote that she is a woman and should be referred to as Chelsea Manning. “Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition,” Manning wrote. Although Chelsea Manning’s revelation came as shock to many, it was not completely unexpected. According to NBC, Manning struggled with gender identity during her trial and much of her life. Although a request of such nature is rare — especially from someone in prison — it is
Daily 49er Kristine McGowan Editor in Chief eicd49er@gmail.com (562) 985-7998 Courtney Tompkins Managing Editor Rabiya Hussain News Editor Daniel Serrano City Editor Donn Gruta Asst. City Editor Andrew Spencer Asst. City Editor Shane Newell Opinions Editor Asst. Opinions Editor Jovanna Madrigal Asst. Opinions Editor Nicolas Rodriguez
clear the government should respect Manning’s wishes. The problem lies, however, on whether taxpayers should shoulder the burden of hormone therapy. Following Manning’s letter, the Army released a statement explaining its position on Manning’s newest revelations. “The Army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reashane signment surgery for gender identity disorder,” it wrote in a statement. “The [United States Disciplinary Barracks] has implemented risk assessment protocols and safety procedures to address high risk factors identified with the Prison Rape Elimination Act.” As evidenced by the former quote, it’s clear the Army has expressed no desire to fulfill Man-
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ning’s wishes. Although the Army’s position is both logical and understandable, a question will likely arise about the policy’s fairness. Perhaps the Army should re-evaluate its position on Manning. If prisoners are entitled to other medical operations or treatments, should Manning be entitled too? A CNN article recently ewell addressed questions on the feasibility of obtaining treatments like hormone therapy in prison. Recently, some federal courts have allowed prisoners to obtain hormone therapy by citing the Eighth Amendment. The amendment states that no “cruel and unusual” punishment should be given to any American citizen. Under this statute, many have argued that
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hormone therapy is necessary and the deprivation of such treatment constitutes punishment. If Manning wants hormone therapy, she will likely have to transfer to a civilian prison. If indeed Manning does suffer from gender identity disorder, then she is entitled, by law, to some form of treatment. Depriving Manning of hormone therapy on the basis of her crimes or the nature of her request would be illegal and illogical. Some Americans will likely oppose Manning’s request on the basis that it is not the taxpayers’ obligation to fund such a treatment. However unnatural Manning’s request may appear, it is clear that her desire to receive treatment is both a legal and human decision. Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.
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