Newsy on: Zimbabwe in Crisis

It’s only gotten weirder in the last 24 hours. The Zimbabwean government has blamed the cholera outbreak in their country on the British, claiming the U.K. dropped some sort of “biological chemical weapon” on the African country. [Cholera, I should note, is caused by consuming food or water that’s been contaminated with feces.] The country is building mass graves for the bodies of those killed by the nation’s army. The country also introduced a 500 million Zimbabwean dollar today, even though a 100m and 200m note were introduced in the last week (but hyperinflation made those bills irrelevant within hours of distribution).

On Tuesday, Newsy.com took a closer look at the initial chaos brewing in Robert Mugabe’s country:

The Job Market, or Lack Thereof

I say this with several friends — set to graduate next week with degrees in journalism — in mind:

This week, this happened. Then this. And then this. And the number of print jobs cut this week alone increased by over a thousand nationwide.

To steal a line from the old country: oy.

Though I suppose it could be worse: you could be graduating next semester, like me. Who knows what the industry will look like in five months.

Newsy Examines the Cluster Bomb Treaty

More than 100 countries — including 18 of our NATO allies — signed a new ban on cluster bombs today. The United States was not among those agreeing to the treaty. But in a last-minute move, Afghanistan decided to sign the ban. I produced a story for Newsy.com today about the controversy:

Where Have All the Classifieds Gone?

The decline in newspaper advertising has been well documented, but here’s an equally large reason for shrinking print profits: the decline in classified ads sold. Craigslist has all but eliminated the need for paid personal advertisements.

But as I read about yet another Craigslist scam today, I wonder: why can’t newspapers convince readers that they’re a trustworthy place to sell their stuff? Wouldn’t you pay a little more to advertise in a place that keeps out con artists?

Just a thought.

An MTV Reality Show Idea

A quasi-serious MTV reality show idea:

Girlfriend dumps boyfriend, saying he’s immature, irresponsible, etc. Boyfriend is given one month with coaching staff to change his ways and become a more rounded person. Boyfriend learns to cook, clean, be polite, maybe even enrolls in pilates classes. After one month, boyfriend gets the chance to take the ex out on a date, prove that he’s a new/improved man and win her back.

We’ll call it “Second Chance” — or maybe, “I Probably Don’t Deserve You” — and, if the guy is successful, we give the couple a free trip to Vegas to celebrate. (The trip is, of course, videotaped for an MTV webisode.)

Execs at MTV: I’ll be awaiting your call. I want my creator’s credit.