Dear Dean Magazine

DEAR DEAN
M A G A Z I N E
S T O R Y S P O T L I G H T S
" G R I E V I N G T H E L O S S O F A B E L O V E D P E T "
B Y J E N N I F E R V A N L A A N E N
" E V E R Y B O D Y B E L O N G S "
B Y K E L L Y B A R N E S
V O L . 7 | J U L Y . 2 2 , 2 0 2 2
" T H E D U M B I N G D O W N O F
A M E R I C A N J O U R N A L I S M "
B Y D O N N A L A N E
P l u s !
TOTM
"Patriarchy's Spoils"
MYRON'S HIT OR MISS
WHAT'S STREAMING
VOICE MEMOS
Republicans
“Ain’t Your
Little Friends”
F E A T U R E D
D E A R D E A N B L O G

HELLO FROM MYRON
Summer is in full swing, and this issue is HOT!
The magazine is growing and with growth we are able to extend invitations to readers
who want to contribute and tell their story using their own words. Dear Dean, the
Magazine provides an opportunity to every day regular readers who want to write but
may not have an outlet or path do reach a wider audience.
Are you looking to write an essay, opinion piece, short story, or picture essay? Do you
want to share your views on the midterm elections, Supreme Court decisions, the
economy, Ukrainian war, or your recent vacation? Do you write poetry or are you a
published author who wish to take a break from your next novel and write something
different?
We accept 2-3 contributors each month. There are openings for Aug – Dec so reach out
at the links and let’s get your words out to the world!
July is hot all over and in this issue we dive into bodies – body positivity, Supreme Court
trying to control women’s bodies, why the republican party ain’t your little friends, and
our Twitter thread: Patriarchy’s Spoils.
We dive into eclectic superhero series and movies, and we share a short essay about
grieving the loss of a beloved pet.
It is hot and the magazine is getting hotter thanks to you!
Happy Summer!
- Myron

CONTENT
DEAR DEAN FEATURED BLOG
R E P U B L I C A N S “ A I N ’ T
Y O U R L I T T L E F R I E N D S ”
page 4
TOTM
PATRIARCHY’S SPOILS
page 9
STORY SPOTLIGHTS
" G R I E V I N G T H E L O S S O F A
B E L O V E D P E T " B Y J E N N I F E R
V A N L A A N E N
" E V E R Y B O D Y B E L O N G S "
B Y K E L L Y B A R N E S
" T H E D U M B I N G D O W N O F
A M E R I C A N J O U R N A L I S M "
B Y D O N N A L A N E
MORE GOODIES
HIT OR MISS LIST, PODCAST, WHAT'S
STREAMING & MORE!
page 13
page 17
page 22
page 20
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.3

DEAR DEAN
featured
B L O G
B Y M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
R E P U B L I C A N S
“ A I N ’ T Y O U R
L I T T L E F R I E N D S ”

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
THE GRAND OLD PARTY DIED.
THE GOP OF YOUR PARENTS
AND GRANDPARENTS PASSED
AWAY SOME TIME AGO, WITH
LITTLE FANFARE AND NO
EULOGIES.
You don’t remember going to the republican funeral
but you were there.
when she had the audacity to raise a strong, confident
daughter. You were there when the GOP attacked
Chelsea’s looks when she was a child.
Well, you were there if you were alive in 1980 when
Ronald Reagan kicked off his presidential campaign in
a racist stronghold of Philadelphia, Mississippi, where
he championed “states rights” in the city where the
infamous mass murder of Civil Rights workers James
Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner
happened. The Black and Jewish champions of Civil
Rights were murdered by the Klan in that very city,
and Reagan and the GOP thought that was the perfect
place to call out to southern racists to support his
candidacy.
And he won, twice.
Or you may have been there when Bush Sr. replaced
Thurgood Marshall, an American champion of civil
rights, with the first (known) Supreme Court sexual
abuse candidate, Clarence Thomas, who was
unqualified but they knew he would serve their
longterm purposes we are seeing play out today. But
at the time, they also were excited to stick it to Black
democratic voters and white Democratic Party
leaders by forcing them to publicly go against a Black
man by forcing him to defend sexual abuse charges
before the senate and nation. The GOP’s plan to
siphon away Black male voters had started.
You were there when the GOP attempted to destroy
Hillary Clinton when she championed healthcare,
when she wouldn’t stand by her cheating husband, and
You were there when the GOP cheated Al Gore in
Florida and at the Supreme Court. You were there
when the GOP swift boated the military record of
John Kerry.
You were there when the GOP said President Obama
wasn’t American, wasn’t Christian, and when they said
all the vile things about Michelle and their two
daughters.
You saw the GOP burn Obama in effigy and start a
racist organization called the “Tea Party” that was the
precursor to today’s insurrectionists, qanon, 3
percenters, and oath-keepers.
You were there when the Republicans decided to go
after Hillary Clinton, again, this time for emails, even
though she won the general vote by over three-million
votes.
You then supported a man who was credibly accused
of rape, who was friends with pedophiles, who hated
you even if you were white and poor, and who has so
many ties to criminals and foreign interests he
probably should have been in prison long before you
decided his racism wasn’t enough to stop you from
voting for him.
You then watched the former president lie, cheat,
break off international relations, damage the
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.5

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
economy, mismanage covid resulting in hundreds of
thousands of deaths, and continue to be racist,
homophobic, and antisemitic throughout his
presidency.
And during his time in office, you watched as
republicans decided that Black people and our allies
who were protesting police brutality should be
harassed, attacked, beaten, shot with rubber bullets,
pepper-sprayed, and run over. And you watched
uninterested in how he and republicans left Puerto
Rico to suffer from natural and man-made disasters.
And finally, you watched as trump’s front line soldiers,
furious after being fed the lie from their president that
he was cheated, attacked the Capitol of the United
States, smeared shit on the walls, destroyed desks,
broke windows, and brutalized and killed police
officers.
But despite all of that, you watched as the former
president received more votes during his reelection
campaign because you thought, well, he’s racist, but
that is not a dealbreaker for me.
Allowing all the aforementioned to thrive has led
directly to….
You watching as republicans have made VP Kamala
Harris the most attacked women on social media, and
President Biden receive a continuous stream of vile
and ageist attacks.
You have watched the Republican Party damage the
nation from the highest levels of government for so
long that maybe you’ve forgotten what this nation
stands for, what politics are meant to be, and what
your duty is as an adult charged with maintaining
democratic institutions.
Who are the “You” this piece is referring to?
Every voting demographic in America votes at a
majority for Democrats, except white Americans. That
simple fact is rarely if ever explored on cable or
network news, beyond the trope of interviewing white
people in a diner in Nebraska or Ohio every four years.
What is it about the party that strips away rights,
makes it harder for Black and Indigenous folk to vote,
refuses to acknowledge gender differences, and who
want to force their religion on everyone that appeals
to white people?
Maybe that sentence answers itself.
If you are a white person who consistently votes for
democrats, good and thank you, because you, like
most Black, Asian, and Latino voters decided that
progress matters no matter how incremental it may
be. You decided that healthcare matters, access to
clean drinking water, stable international relations,
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.6

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
funding for pre-k -12 schools, college debt relief, clean
air, electric vehicle charging stations, infrastructure,
and fair taxes are what you prefer your elected
leaders to legislate into law.
Now go tell your friends, family, and neighbors who
are white that they, too, need to vote for democrats
because no matter how kind your friends and
neighbors are to you, they have decided that
insurrections, financial malfeasance, and racism isn’t
enough to prevent them from voting for the grand old
party.
There are better more accomplished friends just down
the street and around the corner who will welcome
you into friendship with open arms.
© by Myron J. Clifton and Dear Dean Publishing. All
Rights Reserved.
This blog was originally posted on Dear Dean on June
28, 2022.
The republicans of your parents and grandparents
died long ago and you witnessed it happening even if
you for some reason failed to realize it at the time.
There are no excuses for any former “normal”
republican to continue to vote with the party that isn’t
what it once was.
The republican party ain’t your little friend, if it ever
was, and now it is time for you to move on and leave
the past in the past.
The America that you think exists doesn’t and hasn’t
for a long time. And the only way to get America back
on track is for you to divorce yourself from the abusive
republican party. If you value your rights, freedom of
speech, freedom from religious tyranny, freedom to
control your body, and the freedom to be private and
to keep the government out of your lives then your
only option is to vote for democrats.
Just think of it like you are leaving the bad friend who
works hard to influence you to do the wrong thing,
make bad decisions, and put yourself in harm’s way.
Leave them.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.7

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Before Jamaal's seventeenth birthday, he’s appointed as his preacher uncle’s
designated driver and unwilling personal confidant. Behind the fine outfits and
hats, behind the delicious cooking, Jamaal is exposed to crazy aunties, sexy church
sisters, corrupt pastors, and predator deacons. A good kid who just wants time to
finish his homework and kiss a girl his own age, Jamaal is dragged through the
strange world of the Black church. You best pray for him.
Order Your Copy Today!
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.8

Follow Myron on Twitter!
TOTM
In my parents’ lifetime interstate travel was
restricted and deadly for Black folk.
Crossing state lines was a threat to their
lives. Unfortunately, the same people who
created and sustained that system are now
extending it beyond Black folk to white
women who *may be pregnant.
Refusing to confront who and what this nation is and
what it has done to Black people is directly related to
what it is now choosing to do to white women.
Refusing to align with Black, Latina, Asian, Jewish, and
Indigenous women - as a majority- is the worst
political and social choice white women continue to
make.
Patriarchy’s
Spoils
You’ve always got “next” whether you know or
acknowledge it. The only thing protecting you is time.
And that clock has always been ticking, loudly, but
while we’ve heard it and warned you, you considered
us the enemy and not the alarm.
Just like there’s a nuclear doomsday clock that inches
ever forward, there’s always been that same clock
ticking the countdown to you losing your “temporary”
rights.. just like for us.
We have fought and voted to reduce harm to us AND
you. But you’ve ridiculed us and voted to harm US.
Now? You’re seeing the damage your decades of
voting as a majority with white men. They’ve never
had your interests. We’ve told you but you only
listened to them.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.9

Follow Myron on Twitter!
TOTM
Even now with all that’s happened since the Tea party,
Jan 6th insurrection, Supreme Court having 3 religious
extremists who’ve destroyed abortion laws, we’re still
sadly expecting you to vote heavily republican during
the next presidential election and have lackluster
turnout in the next midterms.
We don’t want that to happen but if you survey folk ..
there’s not a lot of confidence voting patterns will
change.
There’s a popular political saying that goes: White
people can fix this country whenever they want. Vote
out Republicans. It’s really simple.
But also, Black and Latino men really don’t care
enough to even try to convert white men, preferring
to sit back and watch Black/Brown women do all the
heavy lifting. It’s not lost that a significant number of
Black/Brown men don’t try to convert white men
because many of us want what they have: absolute
power over women
That part isn’t confronted nearly enough. And it is why
there’s an active plan in the GOP to strip away Black
men from the Democrats and they’ve seen marginal
success over the past few elections. It’s because as
patriarchy’s step-children-Black & Latino men want
our share of patriarchy’s spoils.
Every voting demographic votes majority Democrats
except white men and women. If one of you changed the
nation would leap into the future.
I think Black and Latina women are so hard on white
women because it “seems” more likely white women are
or should be open to changing voting habits because
they, like other women, have so much to gain.
If we went half as hard at white men as
Black/Latina/Indigenous/Asian women go at white
women.. who knows? Maybe we’d peel away a voter or
two or more.
I think it’s a blind spot for the party to not effectively
counterattack GOP by targeting white men in the
That’s why we rarely see the constant push for white
men to do better- the majority seem pretty hopeless
and incapable of changing how they vote. They have
voted majority Republican since the civil rights laws
were put into place in the 1960’s. Once a Democraticled
government decided Black people had rights, white
men and to a slightly lesser degree white women,
decided that they could not vote with or for Democrats.
Read that again.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.10

Follow Myron on Twitter!
TOTM
same way the GOP targets Black men. They know they
won’t get most but they’re content to get a percentage
point or 3. Increments, it seems, can be effective.
But let’s be clear that this isn’t a call to target angry
murderous white men, oathkeepers, insurrectionists.
It is a call to target white men who can still be
reasoned with and who in the past would have been
considered “moderate” Republicans.
That’s not to say the constant pressures on white
women should stop because that demographic
remains the “most likely” due to shared real time
interests.
There should be a two-pronged attack to siphon away
GOP voters seems the best course. And it is not lost
on me that Democrats are forced to spend so much
time shoring up our left flank and our apathetic center
even with our very democracy on the line.
Those unfortunate but unnecessary efforts prevent
other types of much needed outreach and targeting.
There is a lot of energy and money spent on white
voters who want to be courted nonstop. They
complain of “messaging” and want their single-vote
issue worked on exclusively, while Black folk strongly
and consistently vote democratic because messaging
works for folk who understand the assignment.
Vote like us - “US” being Black, Indigenous, Latino,
Asian and watch the nation thrive. Vote like you
always have and continue to see and get what you’re
seeing and getting.
Loving Myron J. Clifton's Content?
S H O W Y O U R S U P P O R T W I T H
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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.11

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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.12

D E A R D E A N
GUEST SPOTLIGHT
Grieving the Loss
of a Beloved Pet
W R I T T E N B Y
Jennifer Vanlaannen
Grief. By definition it means; deep sorrow, especially
that caused by someone’s death. My definition is
bigger, deeper and it is layered between love, loyalty
and trust. That was my dog Mojito(named after my
favorite summertime cocktail). His eyes more cloudy,
his belly larger, his pain a little stronger, and yet, the
tail wag every time we met eyes. When I rescued
Mojito in 2011 when he was 11 weeks old, his name
was Roy. He was tiny, and in fact the woman that
rescued him said that he would be about 35 pounds…
lol. His last vet visit he was 94. Now that weight gain
was part of his Addison’s Disease and his low thyroid,
but still, even before the diseases, he was 70 pounds.
His hair was dark brown, his eyes a beautiful green,
and his ability to be independent was seen at an early
age. That dog NEVER ripped a shoe, peed in the
house, ate my furniture or destroyed my backyard. He
respected his space and mine very early.
in the car, take him to my workout as he waited in
the car, and then took him to a field where he was
allowed to run free off leash…it was amazing to
watch. He ran into bushes, chased jack rabbits, and
thought that he would ACTUALLY catch one…lol.
Even though it never happened, he never gave up. As
he aged, and slowed down just a bit, he ALWAYS got
excited to put on his collar and leash, and start his
day off with an adventure of smells, and our bond.
After 5 years in our house, it was time I purchased
my own house. Right before I found my new home he
was diagnosed with Lymphoma is 2019 and was told
it was slow growing so it could be a couple of years
before it could take him away from me. I looked for
MONTHS and not because there were not great
places, it was because I needed it to be right for
Mojito.
After my divorce I moved into an apartment that did
not allow dogs, so for one year my ex took him back
to Wisconsin while I waited for my lease to be up. I
took time to find the perfect house to rent that
allowed Lab/Pit mixes, and a backyard that allowed
him the freedom and the space to lay in the sun,
throw a ball or chase a squirrel. I found the perfect
spot, and we lived in that home for 5 years. The
neighborhood was old, and the sidewalks narrow, so I
got up EVERY day during the week, and 6 am on the
weekends, rain or shine at 4:20 am to load up Mojito
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.13

J E N N I F E R V A N L A A N E N
They say that you will know the time to let your
pet go from its pain. I struggled with that
because that type of power makes me
uncomfortable. Whom am I to make that
choice?? Then one day, after Mojito went to the
vet, I laid next to him in bed, and I knew that he
was ready. I looked up in home euthanasia that
night, and spoke with a couple of places before
making the decision to have them come to my
home on May 23rd at 10am.
That morning Mojito and I laid in my office after
our usual morning walk, his breakfast with added
treats, and I just talked to him.
Told him that he did his job with honors by
protecting me not only from the passerby’s, but
also with my heart. He was stoic, proud, and gave
me space when I needed it. I let him know that my
love for him will never go away, and that when he
takes his last breath, a part of me goes with him.
My best friend wrote a book called “Her legend
lives in You” and Mojito was his muse for THE
BEAST. What this means, is that Mojito will always
live on. He will never be forgotten and people will
always be able to read about who he was and what
he represented to me. For that, I am fortunate, and
thankful because he deserves to always be
remembered.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.14

NEW PODCASTS ON FRIDAYS!
CLICK TO MEET
THE HOSTS!
MYRON
JENN
Two longtime friends have informative, yet
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Listen Now
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.15

MYRON J. CLIFTON & JENNIFER VANLAANEN'S PODCAST
VOICE MEMOS REVIEWS
Listen Now!
Stay
Shallow!
Like listening to your BFFs
June 2, 2022
kjlerner

D E A R D E A N
GUEST SPOTLIGHT
Every Body Belongs
W R I T T E N B Y
Kelly Barnes
I would like to start this article by stating I am
addressing Body Autonomy from a place of white,
thin and abled body privilege. I only speak from my
own personal experiences, education, as a Dietitian
for 20 years and learning from others personal
experiences.
In all my vulnerability, I had many years of either
being bullied or feeling like I didn’t fit in. Those
experiences brought me into my own disordered
eating and body image struggles for years, in hopes
that if I changed my body, my other insecurities
would be invisible. Let’s be real, the “thinner” one
gets, the more positive attention they receive. Never
mind what it is really doing to one’s body and mind.
And to add to the fire, originally, I became a Dietitian
so I could continue to be accountable for my food
restriction and exercise regimen, because we all know
that Dietitians “eat perfectly”.
passion to teach others how and why to ditch diet
culture, make peace with food and build to a better
relationship with their bodies.
Sounds easy but we all know it is not. We live in a
society that equates thinness to health and oppresses
those that do not meet diet cultures criteria for
“health”, including but not limited to those in larger
bodies, the disabled, people of color, woman, femmes
and the transgender communities.
Stigma and bias are everywhere, and the research is
out there on how weight stigma is affecting our
health, linking to increase in anxiety and depression,
low self-esteem, poor body image, increased cortisol
levels and other inflammatory markers, elevated
blood pressure, increased Hba1c, and rise in
substance abuse.
After graduating college, I found my career as a Renal
and Clinical Dietitian. Although I had many moments
of connection and felt helpful to my patients, working
with them also allowed me to now make others
accountable by instructing to restrict and shaming
those that did not succeed in their goals with tools
such as report cards and education. Then,
approximately 3 ½ years ago I found Intuitive Eating
and the Health at Every Size approach. My world
changed personally and professionally. It is now my
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.17

K E L L Y B A R N E S
How is weight stigma showing up all around us? Let's
start with doctors offices. Most of us can’t see a
doctor without having them ask you to get on the
scale.
And if you are in a larger body, many experience fat
shaming instead of medical staff focusing on
behaviors to improve health. Also, it’s easier for
someone in a thinner body to deny a weight, but for
those in larger bodies, it can be a criteria for medical
treatment. Some of the other ways weight stigma
shows up in the world include societal pressures to
lose weight, bullying or teasing as a child, not being
able to find clothes in your size, denied jobs or equal
pay, receiving negative comments about your weight,
automatic thoughts of laziness when someone lives in
a larger body and not being able to fit in a seat in
public places such as airplanes and restaurants.
about your body, and feeding our body in a way that is
accessible and feels good to you.
Also, remembers our bodies are always forever
changing for a variety of reasons, such as pregnancy,
puberty, aging, loss of muscle mass, menopause,
decrease in testosterone, medications, slowed
metabolism, different disease states, etc.
All our bodies are worthy, deserve to be fed, deserve
to be comfortable, deserve to be touched
affectionately with consent, and treated with dignity.
You Are Enough,
Kelly Barnes, RDN
Journey 4 Health Dietitian
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
So again, how can we begin to have a better
relationship with our bodies and food? First by
recognizing your privileges, if they exist, because for
some individuals it is easier to work toward body
acceptance when they are not experiencing the same
stigma as others.
The next step may be to find someone that
specializes in body image and has similar lived
experiences as you to help maneuver and work
through the challenges you may be facing. Other
general ideas to move toward body respect include
writing affirmations daily, setting boundaries to those
around you that bring up body talk that you are not
comfortable with, buying comfortable clothes,
touching and talking to your body, stop body
checking, having enjoyable movement that makes you
feel good, deciding and writing out what your values
are and if they align with thoughts you are having
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.18

H E R L E G E N D L I V E S I N Y O U
"A beautifully written story that opens
your eyes to other possibilities to how the
world was created. There is so much to
take in, you can’t just read it once to
reveal all the hidden messages."
Her Legend Lives In You:
The Untold Creation Story Honoring The
Goddess And Our Daughters.
Available on

MYRON'S
HIT OR MISS
list
HIT
January 6th Insurrection Hearing. Led by Rep. Bennie Thompson, the hearings are must-see TV as the bipartisan
panel is methodically breaking down all facets of the insurrection. They have covered the planning, the lack of
response from law enforcement, the encouragement by the former president, and the destructive violence of
thousands of traitors and seditionists who sought to prevent the peaceful transition to President Bident and Vice
President Kamala Harris. The must-see summer show will have more episodes that lead to midterm elections and,
hopefully, indictments of Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Ivanka Trump, Ginni Thomas, Mike Flynn,
Roger Stone, and a host of proud boys, klansman, three-percenters, oathkeepers, and other republicans.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.20

MISS
WNBA player Brittney Griner remains jailed in
Russia on marijuana charges, though she had a tiny,
prescribed amount of CBC oil. The State
Department had arranged a phone call for her wife
to speak with Griner, who has been jailed for 80
days, MISSED her scheduled call from her wife
because the State Department personnel was off
work on the Saturday of the previously scheduled
call. Griner faces 10 years in prison if convicted and
her trail results are expected in six months or so.
MISS
Video of Uvalde, Texas police and law
enforcement standing by and doing absolutely
nothing while children were slaughtered was
released to the public. The video had to have the
children’s screams edited out because it is
horrific. Seeing dozens of cops standing around
– some smiling and laughing – while children
were being slaughter is another example of why
gun culture is a losing culture dangerous to
every person.
HIT
Webb Telescope deep space photographs. The
telescope, which is a million miles from earth and
more powerful that Hubble, produced the first
images recently and they did not disappoint.
Looking back in time 13.1 billions years, the
telescope provided incredibly detailed
photographs of new galaxies, stars, and galaxy
clusters. Scientists the world over are giddy with
the results and look forward to understanding
the universe’s origin in ways that just a
generation ago seemed impossible. The first five
photographs are available everywhere online so
go take a look – you will not be disappointed.
MISS
California Governor Gavin Newsom vacationed
in Montana to visit his in-laws, so naturally
republicans criticized him for visiting the red
state since he frequently and accurately
comments on the restrictive policies red states
implement. Newsom could have retorted about
how California tourism gets a healthy amount of
tourist money from visitors from red states, how
red state wealthy republicans’ own property in
California, or how California tax money prop up
broke red states, but he didn’t do that.
HIT
California Governor Gavin Newsom letting the
nation know that California is open for business,
is safe for women and girls who want or need an
abortion, and for teachers who want higher pay,
are allowed to actually teach real history, and
who want better working conditions. Newsom
has taken his message directly to republicans by
launching advertisements in Florida and posting
videos on conservative social media sites.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.21

D E A R D E A N
GUEST SPOTLIGHT
The Dumbing Down of
American Journalism
W R I T T E N B Y
Donna Lane
"How we broke the news in the
race to get the scoop"
You can’t go anywhere these days without being
subjected to BREAKING NEWS. It’s on our TVs, in our
pockets via phone screens, saturating social media
sites, and everywhere we look. Oddly, it’s rarely
breaking and rarely news, but at any given moment,
familiar faces bring us up to date on world
happenings. You’d think that a society that thrives on
24/7 access to information would be highly educated,
but for many, it’s had the opposite effect. Here’s why
I think it’s making us dumber, not smarter, to have
unlimited access to what we call news these days.
In those days, SFSU’s esteemed journalism
department was chaired by Betty Medsger, with John
Burks at the helm of the magazine program. They
both mentored me in different ways. Betty Medsger
was an investigative reporter for the Washington
Post in the ‘70s. You’re probably more familiar with
her coworkers, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
and their Watergate exposé. (White men always
seem to get the glory, but that’s an article for another
day and another voice.) After anonymously receiving
stolen FBI files, Betty broke a story about J. Edgar
Hoover’s FBI, focused on COINTELPRO and other
activities. She later wrote a book about it called The
Burglary. John Burks was the first managing editor at
Rolling Stone. He recruited Annie Leibovitz and
suggested the magazine cover more than music,
expanding to politics and youth culture. Both were
keys to the publication’s long success.
Once upon a time, journalism was a prestigious career
that came with respect and responsibility, but only if
you’d earned both. At the risk of dating myself, I
graduated with my magazine journalism degree from
San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 1990.
Besides teaching how to conduct interviews, write
headlines, lay out publications, and craft ledes, that
program emphasized ethics. Three core journalism
principles I learned are terms that might be familiar to
you, too:
1. Be Objective
2. Consider the Source
3. Follow the Money
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.22

D O N N A L A N E
Betty and John shaped the old school writer and
editor I would become. They taught me to be firm
but fair and instilled the importance of cutting
stories for length while preserving the writer’s
meaning and intent. But above all, they taught me to
hone my craft, to listen before asking questions, and
to get the story right.
Back then, we looked forward to getting a magazine
in the mail or browsing a daily paper, absorbing
carefully researched pieces—maybe even rereading
for better comprehension—and extracting the main
points to discuss with others.
Sadly, the once noble Fourth Estate isn’t so noble
anymore. That kind of reporting and analysis has
been eclipsed by the quick and the dirty we all love
to consume. It’s hard to separate the thoughtful
from the awful, and the awful hurts us all.
MSNBC, of all sources, recently reported that 54
percent of Americans between ages 16-74 read
below a sixth-grade level. This is like the counter
man at your donut shop telling you sugar is bad for
you as he packs your box of apple fritters. “Oh, is it?
Thanks. More, please,” we say, tapping our card to
complete our transaction. As reporters, we’re taught
to ‘dumb it down.’ But when I earned my journalism
degree, that meant assuming your reader had only
completed high school. Have we somehow become
six years’ dumber? Or is it just our attention span?
Like it or not, the 24-hour news cycle is a thing of
the past. We get BREAKING NEWS ALERTS every
few minutes and frequently flip channels or refresh
websites for new developments. But it’s the same
old song. We are fed a steady diet of information—
not necessarily facts— nibbling at first, then taking a
second helping, and finally gorging on it until we are
achingly beyond satiation. We’re gluttons for it, and
the industry knows this and can’t wait to cram it
down our throats. But like shameless suckers, we
cannot stop.
With more research, tools, and data available to us
than ever, we’ve dumbed down ‘news’ to fit a certain
metric, attract viewers, please advertisers, and
garner more clicks. How often have you seen a
headline online and scrolled away upon realizing the
article would take too long to read? Those “5-minute
read” tags on sites like Medium and LinkedIn say a
lot about our attention spans: They’re shot.
How did we get like this? Can you remember the
first big news story you followed with bated breath?
Was it Baby Jessica stuck in the well? The Space
Shuttle explosion? For many, it was 9/11. So, let’s
start there. Because I’ve always felt that was a
turning point in how we report, and consume, news.
Be Objective
On September 11, 2001, cable news was
established, but few reporters were household
names. In journalism school, you’re taught that it’s
not enough to be first. You have to be accurate. And
although a reporter should never be part of the
story, your byline is everything. Corroborate the
facts of your piece with at least two sources or don’t
publish. Even if you have to protect a source, you
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.23

D O N N A L A N E
never publish anything that can’t be confirmed. That
will destroy reputations in an instant and send readers
or viewers to your more credible competitor.
On 9/11, many facts were unknown. Who did this?
Why did they do it? Will there be more attacks? Why
didn’t we stop it? What now? The early reports were
mercurial, updating swiftly, with rumors and
unverified information freely flowing. While we
eagerly awaited the next update, our sorrow and rage
deepened. Facts—even unpleasant ones—had a
calming effect. We can’t move forward without the
truth. Suddenly, Wolf Blitzer was the soothing balm
to our weary psyches.
whether or not they were relevant to the topic. I call
this the Motown Effect. Berry Gordy treated Hitsville
U.S.A. like a factory. Everybody did their shift. You’re
singing lead on Monday? Be ready to sing backup for
another group on Tuesday. That’s how these panels of
‘experts’ operate, too.
Consider the Source
During this catastrophic event with worldwide Follow the Money
repercussions, we had 24/7 coverage on every Most American broadcast “journalism” panels are just
station. There were three impact sites—the World moveable parts, and that’s why we see the same
Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, (mostly white, by the way) faces on their respective
Pennsylvania. Additionally, there was great interest in networks. We tune in to our favorite analysts to hear
the American response. And in the coming days, war their hot takes, many of which are out of touch with
would be declared. With an overload of newsworthy reality and influenced by sponsors or corporate
events happening simultaneously, anchors and holdings.
reporters couldn’t keep up. To bring more news to
more people more rapidly, we saw the rise of the Ask yourself what kind of agenda they might be
‘iReporters.’ These were regular folks with no pushing and to whom they might be beholden before
journalism training or degree who happened to be on you accept their ‘news’ as objective.
the scene, shooting photos or videos with their
phones or calling in to networks to relay what they’d Let’s take Fox News, for kicks. Inexplicably, while our
seen and heard. Accurate, ethical, or not.
previous president loved to moan about “fake news,”
he loved even more sucking up to the “Faux News”
And that’s when it all changed. Now everyone’s an hosts. None of whom are credible journalists. But that
expert. “Did you see that report on CNN? Some guy goes for many of the perfectly coiffed, style-setting
(aka Joe Schmoe) said …” Soon, we started seeing cable news personalities, not just those at Fox. The
more panels of the exact same people on every story, next time one of them is trending on social media, do
a 30-second search to see what kind of degree they
hold. Spoiler alert: It’s rarely in journalism or
communications. But they sure look swell on camera.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.24

D O N N A L A N E
Rather than focusing on the facts and cultivating
sources, today’s news has devolved into a game of
quick draw. We tune in to see who can land the
gotcha question—and the newsworthy, soundbiteable
reaction that will be made into a ubiquitous
supercut destined to be repeated until the next
scandal breaks. Predictably, it’ll be at the top of the
hour, “right after this word from our sponsors.”
Tragically, it’s self-inflicted. With every convenience
available to us, we have failed to do our due
diligence. We don’t hold others, and ourselves,
accountable for misleading propaganda. Instead, we
spread rumors and speculation like frosting on a
cake, greedily licking our fingers when we’ve made a
mess. With more talking heads than credible
journalists filling our airwaves and screens, we take
it all in and rarely question accuracy, sources, or
motivation.
My fellow Americans, I hate to break it to you. But
we have passed the point of salvation in journalism.
The news as we once knew it is broken. We’re more
likely to believe what we’re told than what we think.
Because we don’t want to be informed. We want to
be entertained. And as a result, our collective IQ,
and the reputation of journalism, is damaged.
---
Donna Lane is an author, editor, and ghostwriter
with more than 30 years of professional experience.
Mom, baseball fan, shirt designer, and serial comma
enthusiast trying to use her powers for good. Visit
www.donnawrites.com to learn more. See her
designs at www.designedwithlovebydl.com.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.25

MY FAVORITE THINGS
STREAMING RIGHT NOW...
Disney + Ms Marvel
Ms. Marvel, played by the wonderful Iman Vellani, has many thoughtful moments reflecting family and culture, and
what we willingly and unwillingly inherit from each. A teen questioning everything also begins questioning the “whys”
of who she is and where she comes from. There’s familial conflict that’s handled with care and respect. The process
of accepting our parents as they are and deeply learning “why they are” is important to Kamala Khan’s hero journey
and her family-journey. While it is presented as a hero origin story-and it is!- I think it’s more a family and community
origin story.
The show teaches the viewer as well about Islam in a “normal and respectful” matter of fact way, and from multiple
perspectives and angles. We see the familiar Aunties and uncles, religious leaders, wonderful holy days and festivals
filled with people we recognize if we care to look.
And Ms. Marvel makes us care to look because the cast are stellar and wonderful. The music perfect, and the
exaggerated colors help guide our emotions and feelings. By the end I felt as if I’d joined the New Jersey Muslim
community. The approach is that effective.
The series is 6 episodes, and they go by very quickly with each packed with enough story and excitement to fill your
hero needs. Ms. Marvel will next be seen with her idol Captain Marvel in her next movie due out in 2023.
Prime – The Boys, Season 3
The heroes and villains are pretty much interchangeable on this Prime Series. Season 3 is just as outrageous as prior
seasons but this one has the Captain America knock-off, Soldier Boy on a murderous spree and teaming up with Butcher
to stop the increasingly deranged Homelander who has really leaned into his fascism, violence, and organizational issues.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.26

M Y F A V O R I T E T H I N G S
S T R E A M I N G R I G H T N O W . . .
The plot weaves through continuing trust issues with Annie January and Hughie and Homelander and Black Noir,
A-Train and Ashley (who is in charge of the organization), and Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, and Frenchie as they try to
find their way between Butcher’s betrayal and Homelander and Solider Boy’s sides in a dispute that eventually
brings everyone together in familiar and unfamiliar ways.
This series isn’t for fans who want their heroes to be perfect, honorable, and who always do the right thing. This
group of heroes are not looking out for what is best for the public or, often, not even themselves. They mostly act
in the moment and the actions are often the exact opposite of what they should do. The results are not always
awful – sometimes they are down right unbelievably horrible. The violence is graphic and enhanced by sound and
reactions. Through all the satire, ugliness, and steady stream of defeats for each of the heroes, the show inexorably
grinds to a satisfying end of season for most of the cast. They leave open many possibilities for season 4 and if it is
anything like season 3 the break is needed so that fans can recover from the well-written and acted season 3.
Thor: Love and Thunder (at theaters)
One of the mightiest Marvel heroes meets his match
when he faces off against Gorr the God Butcher. Thor
is feeling the weight of losing his family and the love of
his life, Jane Foster, when he learns that gods are
being slaughtered by someone using a mythical sword
capable of killing gods. With the help of former love
interest Jane Foster – Natalie Portman – who now
wields Mjolnir, Korg, and the wonderful Tessa
Thompson as Valkyrie, Thor put their lives on the line
to save worlds and gods. The latest Thor is fun, silly,
and very entertaining with plenty of surprises, plots,
and cast of characters. Perhaps the best surprise is
that Thor’s powers are broader than previously seen in
the MCU and that makes Thor and Thor more
powerful but also more vulnerable – something that
ultimately is a main theme of the movie. Heroes can be
at the strongest when they accept their vulnerability as
much as they count on their invulnerability.
What are you streaming right now?
Let me know!
The Umbrella Academy – Season 3
The siblings find themselves in an alternate universe
trying to find their way home, while they try to
understand their counterparts, the Sparrow Academy.
They also fight their inner demons, try to understand
this new version of their “father” and as in past
seasons, try to save the world and universe. There are
new revelations about their origins, many more abuses
of their powers – even against each other – and new
villains that present unique challenges that the siblings
do not always win.
Exploring more of what it means to be family and how
our past choices can inform current decisions, the
show is more than your standard hero show. Like The
Boys, these heroes are flawed humans who use their
powers for selfish reasons and occasionally for the
general good. They will kill on a whim and justify it by
calculating how many lives they’ve saved overall. But
then they will wallow in regret. Before next getting in a
dance-off with rivals. The absurd works because the
cast is strong and dedicated to developing their
characters, no matter how awful their character
becomes. There are redeeming quiet moments of love
and pain, and the seasons-long struggle with identify,
trust, and family ties, binds the family in familiar and
surprising ways. The season ended but the story
continues.

M Y F A V O R I T E T H I N G S
S T R E A M I N G R I G H T N O W . . .
The plot weaves through continuing trust issues with
Annie January and Hughie and Homelander and Black
Noir, A-Train and Ashley (who is in charge of the
organization), and Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, and Frenchie
as they try to find their way between Butcher’s
betrayal and Homelander and Solider Boy’s sides in a
dispute that eventually brings everyone together in
familiar and unfamiliar ways.
This series isn’t for fans who want their heroes to be
perfect, honorable, and who always do the right thing.
This group of heroes are not looking out for what is
best for the public or, often, not even themselves.
They mostly act in the moment and the actions are
often the exact opposite of what they should do. The
results are not always awful – sometimes they are
down right unbelievably horrible. The violence is
graphic and enhanced by sound and reactions.
Through all the satire, ugliness, and steady stream of
defeats for each of the heroes, the show inexorably
grinds to a satisfying end of season for most of the
cast. They leave open many possibilities for season 4
and if it is anything like season 3 the break is needed
so that fans can recover from the well-written and
acted season 3.
What are you streaming right now?
Let me know!

“BLM-PD IS A PAGE TURNER! GREAT CHARACTERS, VIVID
VISUALS & WRITING THAT BRINGS EMOTIONS.
LOVE THE BOOK AND THE FACT THAT IT ALSO PROVIDES
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR
WORLD TODAY. LOVE THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE
THROUGH LEADERSHIP, INTELLIGENCE, RESILIENCE,
FRIENDSHIP & POWER."
R E V I E W , B L M - P D

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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.30

M y r o n J . C l i f t o n i s s l i g h t l y o l d e r t h a n f i f t y , l i v e s i n S a c r a m e n t o ,
C a l i f o r n i a , a n d i s a n a v i d B a y A r e a s p o r t s f a n . H e l i k e s c o m i c
b o o k s , t e l l i n g s t o r i e s a b o u t h i s l a t e m o m t o h i s b e l o v e d d a u g h t e r
L e a h , a n d t a l k i n g t o h i s f r i e n d s .
W E B S I T E | B O O K S H O P | T W I T T E R
NEW!
I N T E R E S T E D I N A D V E R T I S I N G ?
Send an email to
words@deardeanpublishing.com
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S H O W Y O U R S U P P O R T W I T H A C O N T R I B U T I O N T O D E A R D E A N !
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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.31

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