We finished gathering the results from our student surveys, which were conducted on campus over the past few weeks. What I found to be most revealing was the amount of students who are under the impression that the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol. There were also a significant amount of students who failed to recognize that the majority of earth scientists agree that we are experiencing a mass extinction. I believe this is a result of misplaced faith in our political leaders. Understandably, some of the students may not have any idea about the details surrounding the Kyoto treaty, especially since our country didn't participate in its signing, but I also believe that many students are under the false impression that our government is doing everything it can to take care of the climate change issue. Another interesting detail from the survey results was the amount of students who feel that the media has exaggerated the threat climate change poses, when in reality, the media cares more about the death of celebrities than the melting polar ice caps. I think that a solution to climate change is not just educating students about the science surrounding it, but making sure that they are aware of the role their country and its leaders play in the fight against it and what effective actions they are taking. Public outrage may be the key to getting our representatives to listen, but if the masses continue to have the wool pulled over their eyes, our future will remain uncertain.
--Michael Verdi
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Columbine Still Haunts...
I came across an article on the Newsweek website about two pastors who are still haunted by the shooting's of Columbine 10 years later. It's always heart breaking, challening and interesting to read and re-live the tragedy which took place in 1999. This article was about two pastors who both presided over funerals of Columbine victims, as well as the murderer's.
Reverend Don Marxhausen performed the funeral of Dylan Klebold, who was one of the two shooters in the Columbine massacre. Despite the communities lack of support for his decision to preside over the funeral, Marxhausen performed the funeral any way and says that he regrets the decision ever since.
The article took a different perspective than we typically hear when looking back at this tragic day in history. We usually hear about that day at Columbine and the two students which took the lives of 12 students and one teacher. I really enjoyed this article, although it was hard to read because of the emotions involved, due to the standpoint it took and the two stories that it told. It helps those whom were not directly affected by the shooting to understand the pain and haunting that the event still has on people.
Reverend Don Marxhausen performed the funeral of Dylan Klebold, who was one of the two shooters in the Columbine massacre. Despite the communities lack of support for his decision to preside over the funeral, Marxhausen performed the funeral any way and says that he regrets the decision ever since.
George Kirsten, who was on his way to Israel the day of the Columbine shooting, came right back to Colorado to be there for the community and perform funerals as well. It tells how he was a former Navy pilot and how this event and massacre at the school triggered a lot of his memories from war.
The article took a different perspective than we typically hear when looking back at this tragic day in history. We usually hear about that day at Columbine and the two students which took the lives of 12 students and one teacher. I really enjoyed this article, although it was hard to read because of the emotions involved, due to the standpoint it took and the two stories that it told. It helps those whom were not directly affected by the shooting to understand the pain and haunting that the event still has on people.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Lightweight Equipment for Troops on Hold
Soldiers in the army are forced to carry so much equipment that it can take a toll on their backs and knees. As a result, the army has agreed to send troops some equipment that is more lightweight. Lightweight bullet proof plates that protect a soldier's chest and back were supposed to be sent out to troops already but there has been a delay. "A team of Army experts went to eastern Afghanistan in early March expecting to begin trial runs of the gear for regular Army soldiers, including a company assigned to the remote Korangal Valley, a harsh and primitive area of eastern Afghanistan where the insurgency has proved especially resilient, and where soldiers regularly set off on multiple-day patrols that require them to hike up and down steep hills and valleys. But the assessment team was ordered back to the United States late last month when its experiment was put off. The delays in the assessment were reported first by Army Times." The analysis of the new equipment will begin again in a month.
Friday, April 17, 2009
There is an article on NYTimes.com tonight putting a more positive spin on the career outlook for college graduates this year. The article mainly concerns business grads, but I believe that for those of us who are interested in journalism, the situation is somewhat relevant.
Steven Greenhouse writes, "The implosion of Wall Street — the vaporization of Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers, the general humbling of investment banks — has not only shaken a generation’s ambitions, but also unleashed them." Top business grads from the most prestigious schools in America are not getting their dream job offers, but Greenhouse notes that some aren't taking it that hard. For them, the denial has become a form of liberation, allowing them to consider new options. A few are even a little relieved.
I admire Greenhouse's creativity in this story. He could have just written a passable "Grads aren't finding Jobs" story and been done. Instead, he found a bit of optimism in a situation which is becoming downright depressing. All of the facts are still reported, but not in the typical, mechanical fashion.
Steven Greenhouse writes, "The implosion of Wall Street — the vaporization of Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers, the general humbling of investment banks — has not only shaken a generation’s ambitions, but also unleashed them." Top business grads from the most prestigious schools in America are not getting their dream job offers, but Greenhouse notes that some aren't taking it that hard. For them, the denial has become a form of liberation, allowing them to consider new options. A few are even a little relieved.
I admire Greenhouse's creativity in this story. He could have just written a passable "Grads aren't finding Jobs" story and been done. Instead, he found a bit of optimism in a situation which is becoming downright depressing. All of the facts are still reported, but not in the typical, mechanical fashion.
One photo to tell a story...
The last day of class we had a guest speaker from the Naples news press and he showed us some videos pertaining to some of the things we had worked on in class with the audio slideshow. And so instead of paying so much focus to the article, I looked at the one photo they used to go with the story. Our guest speaker talked about how it can take several months to get pictures for a story and and long it can take to write a good story. The article was about a woman who used to be a drug addict, but while being pregnant with her third child, she decided to change her ways and try to kick her habit with an outpatient progam. The picture was only from above the bust and up and she was dressed very professional. In the picture it seems she is in mid-sentence as if telling her story and she does not look like she was a crack addict. I thought it was really interesting how that one picture captured the idea of the whole story. But, it also made me think of how hard this decision can be if you can only use one picture. Whether it took the editor or writer a long time to choose which photo or not, it was nice to kind of see past what is in front of me and realize how much work can go into these stories.
Joe Madden Retires
As John Madden retires this morning, I found a very interesting article on him on the Sports Illustrated website, which is networked by CNN. The first point I'd like to make about the article that drew my attention was the anecdote used in the first six or seven paragraphs. At first, I was left wondering where the story was going to connect with the body, which was Madden retiring, but when the anecdote finished and the writer connected it with his retirement, I sat back thinking what a great attention grabber that was. The one thing about this long anecdote, however, that left me a bit confused was whether or not it was too long? The heart of the story was not reached until well into the article, yet the story continued to hold my attention. I found this to be very interesting.
Another differentn point I noticed about this article entitled Madden's legend in NFL unmatched was that because it was online it was much more opinionated that articles which we read in the newspaper. The writer, Peter King, expressed his feelings towards Madden's retirement quite freely and at one point seemed to PR for NBC despite the fact that when he does this, he makes note of it right after in the article. This challenged my mind to think alot as well.
Lastly, Peter King is an NFL writer for NBC, so why was his article posted on the Sports Illustrated website which is run by CNN?
Don't mistake my criticism and questions for negativity; I greatly enjoyed this article and it helped me to truly visualize and internalize the difference between online writing and newspaper writing. We discussed this difference in class and our book also covered a whole chapter on it, but seeing it had much more of an impact than reading about it from someone else.
I encourage everyone to take a look at this article and note the anecdote and how it led into the story as well as the difference between this and an article in a print newspaper.
Another differentn point I noticed about this article entitled Madden's legend in NFL unmatched was that because it was online it was much more opinionated that articles which we read in the newspaper. The writer, Peter King, expressed his feelings towards Madden's retirement quite freely and at one point seemed to PR for NBC despite the fact that when he does this, he makes note of it right after in the article. This challenged my mind to think alot as well.
Lastly, Peter King is an NFL writer for NBC, so why was his article posted on the Sports Illustrated website which is run by CNN?
Don't mistake my criticism and questions for negativity; I greatly enjoyed this article and it helped me to truly visualize and internalize the difference between online writing and newspaper writing. We discussed this difference in class and our book also covered a whole chapter on it, but seeing it had much more of an impact than reading about it from someone else.
I encourage everyone to take a look at this article and note the anecdote and how it led into the story as well as the difference between this and an article in a print newspaper.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Is FGCU's class of 2009 in trouble?
In a recent article posted on the New York Times website, researchers analyzed the job market and what sort of prospects new graduates will face when they enter the work force this year. Is FGCU's class of 2009 in trouble? Researchers say no. Even though the unemployment rate peaked at a 25-year high and employers figure on hiring 22 percent less graduates than last year, research has proven that all hope is not lost for the graduating class of 2009.
The solution? Accept the fact that jobs are limited and your dream job may not fall into your hands just yet. Life-long careers do not have to be the first job you earn, so graduates may end up in a lesser-paid and less-luxurious job than they originally shot for. However, this also doesn't mean do not shoot for your dreams. Just because the country sunk a little, doesn't mean your self-esteem has to follow in its footsteps.
The solution? Accept the fact that jobs are limited and your dream job may not fall into your hands just yet. Life-long careers do not have to be the first job you earn, so graduates may end up in a lesser-paid and less-luxurious job than they originally shot for. However, this also doesn't mean do not shoot for your dreams. Just because the country sunk a little, doesn't mean your self-esteem has to follow in its footsteps.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tea Party Protests
These protests are insane. It's like these people don't remember who was running things a year ago. They are so quick to blame Obama for the Bush administration's screw ups. Do they forget that Bush spent 17 billion a POP for the war? Obama is going to fix what he broke. And how dare they think they can compare themselves to history. The Boston Tea Party was justified. This is not. Obama hasn't raised taxes. And I think that taxing the rich is a good thing. They have enough money anyways. I'm not saying that because I'm not rich. How many of us know the mega billionaires that would be taxed anyways? It won't hurt them. Our nation voted Obama into office. And the ones against him need to let go of their pride and accept that he is running our country now.
Do you have Bedbugs?
I found an article on NPR's website particularly disturbing today. It's focal point was on the resurgence of bedbug infestations across the U.S. My reaction to the wild numbers of bedbugs being found is similar to the feeling I used to get in elementary school after a lice outbreak. Unfortunately it is only 10am and my mind is now playing tricks on me, making me belief that I am itching from bedbugs. This article proves more problematic to my life today than helpful because in their efforts to bring awareness and prevention of a problem, it has created a problem in my mind. You see, bed bugs are not known to transfer disease or cause any other life-altering issue other than being an annoying nuisance. An annoying nuisance is exactly what they have become in my thoughts today. The article tells how virtually impossible in can be to spot a bed bug infestation because they are so small and hide during the day;therefore, one must have night vision to locate the nests. It then explains how they can get into practically anything that would be on or around a bed, such as clothing, sheets, suitcases, etc. Then to put the icing on the cake, the article closes with ideas that are a complete hassle for prevention or extermination. Not only do you have to clean, vacuum and scrub all of your belonging to hopefully rid your home from bedbugs, BUT you basically cannot visibly confirm whether your efforts have been successful!!! Frustrated is not nearly a powerful enough word to express my high-drama emotions for this article as I scratch my back against my computer chair. Flees, lice and other tiny pests I can handle and exterminate, but this bedbug mystery pushed me over the limit. Call me crazy if you'd like but see for yourself at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103091338
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Glenn Beck tearfully advocates secession.
Texans generally aren't the rugged, independent, liberty-conscious folks they once were. Like most Americans, they happily acquiesce to the U.S. government's steady theft of their rights and property via unlawful statutes, programs, and activities.These are the same people who are doing their best to forbid teaching evolution in Texas; the same ones who "[have] accused "liberal New York publishers" of inserting "stealth" homosexual messages into textbooks" and "forced the publisher of another to replace a picture of a woman carrying a briefcase with a picture of a woman baking a cake". I cannot fathom what their ideal educational system would be.
Unfamiliar with historical or legal details, being largely products of public (i.e., government) "education," today's Texans easily adopt the "politically correct" myths that litter the landscape of American popular opinion. Many don't even know what the word secede means, and believe that the United States is a "democracy" (hint: it's not).
Glenn Beck at least puts a face on this madness. I'm still unsure what exactly the 'economic suicide' refers to - is it the establishment of multilateral financial institutions? is it the bailout? TARP? Are we threatening your constitutional right to whine? Are we taking your guns, Glenn? Are we hurting your feelings?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Somali Pirates
Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage on Wednesday by a group of Somali pirates when they took over his ship. On Friday, Phillips tried to escape by jumping into the waters but was promptly recaptured. "Captain Phillips was in the water for a short period before the pirates hauled him back on board, said an American defense official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the matter." Somali officials claim that prior to attacking Phillips' ship the pirates had raided another vessel. Currenty, the United States is working on getting Phillips home to his family safely.
Pirates Sell Papers
Looking for some decent news to critique, I came across the CNN.com report by Barbara Starr, "Captain Tried to Escape Pirates, U.S. Official Says." Easy. I was reading that story the moment I read "Pirates."
The attacks along the African coast are not news to me and I realize that pirates are still operating heavily in the Indian Ocean, but I still get more excited to read this story than one about Obama's greeting the Saudi King or even the Michigan shooting. Traditional sea-faring pirates just don't dock in America that much anymore, and in our cinema and literature we are still obsessing over them. I think we may actually miss them somehow.
This is why I believe we can find these pirating stories at the top of news sites and on the front of newspapers. Catching American readers' attention with pirates as bait is like shooting fish in a barrel (sorry). Congratulations to Ms. Starr and her golden goose.
The attacks along the African coast are not news to me and I realize that pirates are still operating heavily in the Indian Ocean, but I still get more excited to read this story than one about Obama's greeting the Saudi King or even the Michigan shooting. Traditional sea-faring pirates just don't dock in America that much anymore, and in our cinema and literature we are still obsessing over them. I think we may actually miss them somehow.
This is why I believe we can find these pirating stories at the top of news sites and on the front of newspapers. Catching American readers' attention with pirates as bait is like shooting fish in a barrel (sorry). Congratulations to Ms. Starr and her golden goose.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
SWORD FIGHT!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30136788/
The attached article above summarizes the tragic story of a 77-year-old grandmother who died Thursday morning in Indianapolis. She either died from a heart attack or from sword wounds. As sad as this is, I couldn't help but snicker at the thought of two grown men, 39-year old Chris Rondeau and 69-year-old Adolf Stegbauer, dueling with swords. Both men are in critical condition and under arrest for attempted murder.
The journalist who wrote the article did a great job of reporting facts. If I were assigned to such a story, I wouldn't be able to restrain a sarcastic remark or two. The matter-of-fact tone, which is expected, makes this article all the more hilarious. The headline grabbed my attention, and I'm glad it did. Its well written and made me laugh.
The attached article above summarizes the tragic story of a 77-year-old grandmother who died Thursday morning in Indianapolis. She either died from a heart attack or from sword wounds. As sad as this is, I couldn't help but snicker at the thought of two grown men, 39-year old Chris Rondeau and 69-year-old Adolf Stegbauer, dueling with swords. Both men are in critical condition and under arrest for attempted murder.
The journalist who wrote the article did a great job of reporting facts. If I were assigned to such a story, I wouldn't be able to restrain a sarcastic remark or two. The matter-of-fact tone, which is expected, makes this article all the more hilarious. The headline grabbed my attention, and I'm glad it did. Its well written and made me laugh.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Link Between Economy and Killings
"Americans are struggling" said criminologist James Alan Fox in the article entitled Some link economy with crime wave; as if we didn't already know this. However, what we don't usually connect are the mass killings which continue to take place and the continuous fall of our economy. The question is should we link the two? If so, is there anything we can do to prevent this death rate when we, individually, don't necessarily control the economy?
After reading this article it really left me thinking about all of the murders, homicides, shootings and deaths that have been taking place. The article stated an undeniable fact that in the past month 57 people have died due to these killings. I've read about the killings, even seen them on the news, but I suppose I simply never took the time to connect the deaths to anything in particular. Now that it has been brought to my attention however, it seems quite plausible that Americans are taking their lives due to this economic drought we find ourselves in.
The scariest part is that this many Americans have died in a month time span, what will it look like as we continue to weather this issue?
After reading this article it really left me thinking about all of the murders, homicides, shootings and deaths that have been taking place. The article stated an undeniable fact that in the past month 57 people have died due to these killings. I've read about the killings, even seen them on the news, but I suppose I simply never took the time to connect the deaths to anything in particular. Now that it has been brought to my attention however, it seems quite plausible that Americans are taking their lives due to this economic drought we find ourselves in.
The scariest part is that this many Americans have died in a month time span, what will it look like as we continue to weather this issue?
American Idol Runs Out of Time
On Tuesday April 7, American Idol's episode slid in the one-hour time slot once again with only eight contestants left in the competition. Adam Lambert, an incredible, captivating Idol finalist was naturally scheduled to perform last because of his breath-taking performances that hook many Idol watchers (like myself). Due to complications with the show's running time, the show ran eight minutes over and after Lambert's performance (which granted him a standing ovation from Simon), he could not receive any feedback from the judges, which could have cost him his position on American Idol. Today on AOL.com's homepage, an article covered the outrage from TiVo watchers who recorded the show but did not get to see Lambert's striking rendition of "Mad World" because of the show's inability to grant him enough time to perform on schedule and be judged afterwards.
This caught my eye because 1) I'm a big American Idol fan; 2) I'm a big Adam fan; and 3) It never occurred to me that TV producers and hosts can make major mistakes (like an 8-minute relapse). I agreed with the article and felt Lambert deserved the same amount of time as every other contestant to sing and be judged because he is that good. Some voters plug off of what the judges think of the contestants and Adam's lack of time could have cost him his place. But, two minutes into the results show, Ryan Seacrest apologized for the technical setbacks and the judges told the audience their thoughts on Adam's brilliant performance. And, to ease his nerves, they told him first within the matter of 15 minutes that he was safe and can remain seated. Looks like major shows like American Idol even have their senior moments.
This caught my eye because 1) I'm a big American Idol fan; 2) I'm a big Adam fan; and 3) It never occurred to me that TV producers and hosts can make major mistakes (like an 8-minute relapse). I agreed with the article and felt Lambert deserved the same amount of time as every other contestant to sing and be judged because he is that good. Some voters plug off of what the judges think of the contestants and Adam's lack of time could have cost him his place. But, two minutes into the results show, Ryan Seacrest apologized for the technical setbacks and the judges told the audience their thoughts on Adam's brilliant performance. And, to ease his nerves, they told him first within the matter of 15 minutes that he was safe and can remain seated. Looks like major shows like American Idol even have their senior moments.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Coincidence?
The story of the Earthquake in Italy is tragic, but I saw this article on CNN and I can't help but wonder if anyone else remembers doing an AP exercise in class where we read an excerpt from a news article about a scientist who had "unsupported" data predicting an earthquake...?
Are advertisements clouding our reading?
Today, I visited the USA Today website to read about the upcoming NCAA basketball game tonight between North Carolina and Michigan State. When I clicked on the Sports tab on the top of the homepage, the game was the first headline posted on their sports website. When I clicked the article to read about the game's prospects, I was not directly connected to my desired article. Instead, an ad for the Holiday Inn drowned my laptops screen and distracted my attention away from the basketball game. I was planning to write about the game tonight and what the experts say about their estimated outcomes, but I felt this topic was a little stronger. Are advertisements clouding our initial reasons for reading? Will they someday become so available that they will terminate our desire to educate ourselves through daily literature?
After a few seconds of searching, I finally found a way back to the article by clicking a button towards the top of the page labeled "keep reading." This also made me wonder: Do website creators feel readers are so easily distracted by advertisements that we actually lose our will to "keep reading?" Throughout my search for the escape button, the advertisement for the Holiday Inn became more elaborate and digitally intriguing. Is this an advertisers' initial goal? To distract readers with a product rather than allow them to continue their news education? I'm not really sure this argument is plausible, but it's definitely something I pondered.
After a few seconds of searching, I finally found a way back to the article by clicking a button towards the top of the page labeled "keep reading." This also made me wonder: Do website creators feel readers are so easily distracted by advertisements that we actually lose our will to "keep reading?" Throughout my search for the escape button, the advertisement for the Holiday Inn became more elaborate and digitally intriguing. Is this an advertisers' initial goal? To distract readers with a product rather than allow them to continue their news education? I'm not really sure this argument is plausible, but it's definitely something I pondered.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
13 Dead, 4 Injured
42 year old Jiverly Wong killed 13 people and severely injured 4 on Friday. The shooting occured at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York where immigrants were preparing to take their American citizenship tests. Wong himself was an immigrant from Vietnam who lived in Johnson City, New York.
The article states, "Armed with the two handguns and wearing a green jacket, the gunman came out of the rain through the glass front doors of the center, entering a reception area where he encountered two secretaries. He said nothing and shot both. One slumped dead, but the other, Shirley DeLucca, pretended to be dead, and as the gunman walked on she crawled to a desk and called 911." After shooting his gun at others, Wong shot himself. Police are still trying to find out the reasons for his actions.
The article states, "Armed with the two handguns and wearing a green jacket, the gunman came out of the rain through the glass front doors of the center, entering a reception area where he encountered two secretaries. He said nothing and shot both. One slumped dead, but the other, Shirley DeLucca, pretended to be dead, and as the gunman walked on she crawled to a desk and called 911." After shooting his gun at others, Wong shot himself. Police are still trying to find out the reasons for his actions.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Terry Schiavo Memorial
As I was reading Wednesday's News-Press, I read an article that was sort of a blast from the past. Tuesday, March 31 was the four year anniversary of the death of Terry Schiavo, a Tampa Bay woman who was in a vegetative state for the final years of her life. It was interesting to read because I remember watching the court battle in the news as it happened. But what really struck me about the article was how one-sided and biased it seemed to be in favor of continuing Terry Schiavo's life, even four years after her death. One quote in particular verified this, "Sitting just inches from her bedside at the hospice were flowers, he said, soaking up water Schiavo was not permitted to drink. Children, Pavone said, were arrested for trying to bring bottles of water to a dying Schiavo." The article doesn't mention the counterargument anywhere, which annoyed me, since I was a supporter of ending her painful life, since she was not likely to recover.
NYTimes.com Slideshow
I went looking for a slideshow today, trying to find comparisons to our own projects. The NYTimes.com report, Ghassan Elcheikhali: The Tolerance Teacher, is a presentation similar to our own multimedia projects. Lasting 2:11 min, the audio is from a single individual, and the slides are all stand alone with no next.
The report differs from our own in that the photos and audio are intended to provide seperate information. One is not directly reenforcing the other. While Elcheikhali tells of his experience as a Muslim interacting with other cultures in New York, the photos in the presentation give the audience a glimpse of Elcheikhali's world as the principal of a Muslim school in Queens. I enjoy the way this report uses the visual and auditory to reveal two facets of the same story: the Muslim and the resident of a multicultural community.
The report differs from our own in that the photos and audio are intended to provide seperate information. One is not directly reenforcing the other. While Elcheikhali tells of his experience as a Muslim interacting with other cultures in New York, the photos in the presentation give the audience a glimpse of Elcheikhali's world as the principal of a Muslim school in Queens. I enjoy the way this report uses the visual and auditory to reveal two facets of the same story: the Muslim and the resident of a multicultural community.
Advertising in Banana Suits
On the front page of the Bonita News-Press this morning there is a photo of a young man in a banana suit. Of course, I had to read into it after seeing such a photo. It turns out to be an article on sign wavers. It was interesting to me to see that businesses do benefit from the unique advertising. I always wondered if it actually brought in business. It seems to be a job that takes patience, and a tolerance for heat. I was surprised to see that there was a quote from a man in Cape Coral that actually complained saying that it "distracts drivers." If the advertising is working for the businesses, and it's cheap, then why not?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Newspapers and the Credit Crisis.
Ironically, some newspaper closures may be contributing to the credit crisis that killed them.
Slate.com writer Daniel Gross points out that the bankruptcy of many major newspaper firms were caused by financial, and in one case criminal, mismanagement.
This is hardly an isolated case. Daniel Gross goes on to list several other companies which purchased newspapers for a fraction of their cost with the help of cheap credit only to default when they were unable to meet their financial obligations. Sound familiar?
Gross does not mention whether the $12 billion loan Sam Zell took out to purchase Tribune Co. was packaged as cheap credit ala CDO's. If it was, then these newspaper failures are in some ways macrocosms (or microcosms) of the housing market crash - only far stupider. Whereas homeowners were tricked into adjustable rate mortgages, Sam Zell, Sun-Times Media, and everyone else who bought into the newspaper industry with cheap credit are victims only of their own idiocy.
I'm only sharing Daniel Gross's tangible distaste. Blind greed and stupidity are to blame. The sheer metrics of some of these deals are hard to digest. The $12 billion loan that Zell took out to buy Tribune Co., obviously one of the "factors beyond our control", created an impossibly large debt in a time where newspaper revenue is suffering across the country. That Zell only put forth 4% of the purchase price should have raised a red flag, but it didn't.
Gross sums up the motivations and destination of Zell and others:
Slate.com writer Daniel Gross points out that the bankruptcy of many major newspaper firms were caused by financial, and in one case criminal, mismanagement.
The actions of the top executives in other bankrupt newspaper companies were criminal only if you consider gross financial stupidity and recklessness to be jailing offenses. Who loads up newspapers—cyclical companies whose revenues are in secular decline thanks to the disappearance of classified advertisements and the rise of the Internet—with tons of debt at precisely the wrong time?Sam Zell's purchase of Tribune Co., which owns The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, was made with a credit line of more than $12 billion - his Machiavellian financial move received its counter stroke in the form of an $800 million annual interest bill. Unable to meet the expenses, Tribune Co. began to hemorrhage low income investments, i.e. filing the very newspapers that put them into debt for bankruptcy protection.
This is hardly an isolated case. Daniel Gross goes on to list several other companies which purchased newspapers for a fraction of their cost with the help of cheap credit only to default when they were unable to meet their financial obligations. Sound familiar?
Gross does not mention whether the $12 billion loan Sam Zell took out to purchase Tribune Co. was packaged as cheap credit ala CDO's. If it was, then these newspaper failures are in some ways macrocosms (or microcosms) of the housing market crash - only far stupider. Whereas homeowners were tricked into adjustable rate mortgages, Sam Zell, Sun-Times Media, and everyone else who bought into the newspaper industry with cheap credit are victims only of their own idiocy.
I'm only sharing Daniel Gross's tangible distaste. Blind greed and stupidity are to blame. The sheer metrics of some of these deals are hard to digest. The $12 billion loan that Zell took out to buy Tribune Co., obviously one of the "factors beyond our control", created an impossibly large debt in a time where newspaper revenue is suffering across the country. That Zell only put forth 4% of the purchase price should have raised a red flag, but it didn't.
Gross sums up the motivations and destination of Zell and others:
All newspapers—all print media—have been hit hard in this recession. All face an existential crisis and may ultimately face the prospect of bankruptcy. Those whose owners saw papers as assets to be flipped, leveraged, and stripped are already bankrupt.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Common Readers Mentality
As I was reading The New York Times today I came across a section where I found myself falling to the common reader's mentality that the book always talks about and we have also discussed multiple times in class. I was reading an article about the chairman of General Motors entitled, Chairman of G.M. Reportedly Quits In A Deal For Aid. When I got to the end of the writing on that page I became frustrated because the article continued on page B1. This simple thing made me mad because the article did not only continue on another page but in a whole different section of the newspaper. I never before had found myself really frustrated with an article, but for some reason this got to me.
After realizing that I had just acted in this manner, I sat back and thought about what it is like to be the reader of an article instead of the 'brains' behind it. I had to laugh because we have talked many times about how readers like their articles to be short and to the point, how they don't like to be inconvenienced. That is the best word to use in order to express how i felt, it was an inconvenience. I continued to read the article but now had a different mind-set as a writer because of that experience.
After realizing that I had just acted in this manner, I sat back and thought about what it is like to be the reader of an article instead of the 'brains' behind it. I had to laugh because we have talked many times about how readers like their articles to be short and to the point, how they don't like to be inconvenienced. That is the best word to use in order to express how i felt, it was an inconvenience. I continued to read the article but now had a different mind-set as a writer because of that experience.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunshine and shadows
The News-Press editor, Terry Eberle, has an editorial this a.m. about Lee County Schools preventing photographers from attending local proms. Eberle said he wanted to publish photos from the events as a way to "help the students celebrate the moment" and gives the district a good lashing for refusing the paper's request.
Eberle comes as close as he can to saying the newspaper wouldn't turn this into an opportunity to publish scandalous or gotcha photos (though do note that he DOESN'T say the paper would withhold publication of negative images), and there are indeed some interesting problems this offer must have raised for the school district that make me sympathetic to Eberle's argument. But I wonder if Eberle has fully thought through what the NP would do if, in their capacity as co-celebrants of Lee County High School proms, photographers DID stumble across a drunken brawl or students passing a joint around or engaging in other activities that wouldn't ... well, ... help the students celebrate the moment so much as get them in serious trouble and heap scads of bad press on the district.
I'll reserve my own thinking on this question for class discussion, but what are your thoughts? I'd like to see some thoughtful comments on this one, since it gets to precisely to a problem we've been discussing all term: what are the reporter's ethical commitments and obligations? Is the prom photographer from the NP primarily a fellow citizen of the school district helping students celebrate, as Eberle implicitly contends, or an independent journalistic documentarian obligated to depict the fuller scope of the event - warts and all? And what happens if the event goes south and the photog's citizen role is pitted against her role as a journalist?
Eberle comes as close as he can to saying the newspaper wouldn't turn this into an opportunity to publish scandalous or gotcha photos (though do note that he DOESN'T say the paper would withhold publication of negative images), and there are indeed some interesting problems this offer must have raised for the school district that make me sympathetic to Eberle's argument. But I wonder if Eberle has fully thought through what the NP would do if, in their capacity as co-celebrants of Lee County High School proms, photographers DID stumble across a drunken brawl or students passing a joint around or engaging in other activities that wouldn't ... well, ... help the students celebrate the moment so much as get them in serious trouble and heap scads of bad press on the district.
I'll reserve my own thinking on this question for class discussion, but what are your thoughts? I'd like to see some thoughtful comments on this one, since it gets to precisely to a problem we've been discussing all term: what are the reporter's ethical commitments and obligations? Is the prom photographer from the NP primarily a fellow citizen of the school district helping students celebrate, as Eberle implicitly contends, or an independent journalistic documentarian obligated to depict the fuller scope of the event - warts and all? And what happens if the event goes south and the photog's citizen role is pitted against her role as a journalist?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I saw that my friend had ordered this book, and I thought that maybe it was a joke, or some kind of book of essays. I never expected to see it on NPR, and I definately didn't that that it was actually Pride and Prejudice re-written. I think this is amazing. I can see the point of view of people that are/will be upset by it, and I get that. This is a classic book that has been popular for a long, long time. To take it and make a joke out of it by adding zombies into it might seem a bit..disrepectful. I, on the other hand, love zombies and all things horror. I like the story of Pride and Prejudice, but I do find it somewhat boring. I will be picking this book up at some point.
Kindle 2
I found an interesting article on MSN.com today as I was scrolling through affairs and events. It was titled Book End by Jacob Weisberg and written about the Kindle 2 which is the newer addition of the e-book which was created back in 1999. The Kindle 2 is basically a hand held computer than enables us to connect with the world via Internet in yet another way.
There were many interesting points in this article that caused me to sit back and think. The first was how Jacob Weisberg, the author, started off the article in first person, referring to himself alot as well as saying "you" quite often. Also in the opening paragraph Weisberg seems to use an anecdote but what threw me off was the anecdote was at the end of the opening paragraph laying the grounds of a story rather than in the beginning.
Besides these writing choices I found the article to be extremely interesting to help me to truly understand the technological day and age that we find ourselves in today. Weisberg talked alot about how books are soon going to be losing popularity as newspapers and magazines are. That print will soon not have the credibility that it once held. He even used an interesting analogy saying that "You can't curl up with a laptop" which is true, showing a realization that books do have an upper-hand on laptops and 'the kindle 2.'
I just find it extremely interesting that we continue to produce these new ways to surf the Internet and stay 'connected' with the world when in reality these developments and advances are only creating a diversion instead of enhancing our writing world. It's mind blowing to wonder what the new inventions of the century will be as time goes on and technology continues to advance.
There were many interesting points in this article that caused me to sit back and think. The first was how Jacob Weisberg, the author, started off the article in first person, referring to himself alot as well as saying "you" quite often. Also in the opening paragraph Weisberg seems to use an anecdote but what threw me off was the anecdote was at the end of the opening paragraph laying the grounds of a story rather than in the beginning.
Besides these writing choices I found the article to be extremely interesting to help me to truly understand the technological day and age that we find ourselves in today. Weisberg talked alot about how books are soon going to be losing popularity as newspapers and magazines are. That print will soon not have the credibility that it once held. He even used an interesting analogy saying that "You can't curl up with a laptop" which is true, showing a realization that books do have an upper-hand on laptops and 'the kindle 2.'
I just find it extremely interesting that we continue to produce these new ways to surf the Internet and stay 'connected' with the world when in reality these developments and advances are only creating a diversion instead of enhancing our writing world. It's mind blowing to wonder what the new inventions of the century will be as time goes on and technology continues to advance.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Overexposure
In a CNN.com article by Bill Schneider, it is said that critics are wondering if Obama is being over exposed, appearing on Leno, 60 Minutes, ESPN, and the virtual town hall all in one week. In this session, I am not concerned with our new president's frequent appearances as much as how these venues are raving for his time. Obviously, for the media, Obama has become the golden goose, both his graceful and clumsy moves becoming front page news. What will the press do when its free access to the president becomes limited? Will there be an outcry? At some point he's likely to want a closed door meeting, and what then? Will the articles covering secrecy show faith, or bitter suspicion? I honestly hope he keeps up the publicity, and I hope the media can handle the situation with objectivity if he has to cut them off.
Fake IDs
Matthew Kramer was charged on Thursday for making fake IDs in Durham. Kramer was a gradutae student at the University of New Hampshire. According to the article, "Liquor Enforcement officers and police say they confiscated 11 fake N.H. driver's licenses, computer equipment, a laminating machine and bar code encoders." Police became suspicious when a lot of fake IDs were being found in Durham.
Communication and Technology
It is really amazing how far technology has gotten people places. According to the article in the New York Times, it helped put Obama in office. The article has great sources and quotes, but I found it a little drawn out. Obama is planning on taking the interent by storm, and has already started by posting videos on the infamous website, YouTube. I believe that this is a great way to get messages out to young people. It makes it more accessible and more young people will become involved and interested in important issues. The only factor about this that has my concern is the fact that anything that does not involve technology is getting pushed out of the picture, like hard copy newspapers for instance. Although having messages get to the American people through technology is a good idea, I do not believe that all other forms of communication should be ruled out. If they are, there are going to be problems getting messages across to the older generations that lack tech-savvy skills or refuse to conform.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Obama Virtual Town Hall
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29892857/
President Barack Obama held the first ever virtual town hall meeting, addressing internet questions. The article attached covered the night's highlights and told about Obama's responses. It is organized into an inverted pyramid, which works well for news events.
Many are wondering whether or not this direct communication with the public is edging out the media. I feel it does step on the media coverage, not allowing any room for investigation of Obama's plans. But it's a positive thing. We are lucky to have a president that directly speaks to the public. Journalists no longer must pry and dig for a bit of information. This new medium goes right to the people. It cuts out the middleman, but its convenient and revolutionary.
President Barack Obama held the first ever virtual town hall meeting, addressing internet questions. The article attached covered the night's highlights and told about Obama's responses. It is organized into an inverted pyramid, which works well for news events.
Many are wondering whether or not this direct communication with the public is edging out the media. I feel it does step on the media coverage, not allowing any room for investigation of Obama's plans. But it's a positive thing. We are lucky to have a president that directly speaks to the public. Journalists no longer must pry and dig for a bit of information. This new medium goes right to the people. It cuts out the middleman, but its convenient and revolutionary.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Restaurant Chains Take a Hit
Looks like Outback Steakhouse is goin' down unda.
With current economic changes and fluctuating prices, restaurants are trying to stay afloat by lowering their prices so they can sit more customers at their tables. Places like Outback Steakhouse. Chili's, Applebees and T.G.I Friday's are making deals and cutting check amounts so both the consumer and the business can benefit.
I read this article online and was happy to see that major chains are taking charge in this time in need. The country is in recession and sometimes a meal out of the house does the trick. Restaurants not only create a sense of socialization and camaraderie, but serve the servers of today's economy. A restaurant meal is not the most important thing in life, but sometimes it turns a week day into a weekend and a night on the couch into a night on the town. I just took my parents out for their anniversary this evening to Longhorn Steakhouse and it was really a great way to celebrate for a reasonable price. We, as consumers, see eating out as a fun, social event where we can catch up with friends or spend time with family. Now, with the new deals and price cuts, we can have our cake and eat it too. Literally.
With current economic changes and fluctuating prices, restaurants are trying to stay afloat by lowering their prices so they can sit more customers at their tables. Places like Outback Steakhouse. Chili's, Applebees and T.G.I Friday's are making deals and cutting check amounts so both the consumer and the business can benefit.
I read this article online and was happy to see that major chains are taking charge in this time in need. The country is in recession and sometimes a meal out of the house does the trick. Restaurants not only create a sense of socialization and camaraderie, but serve the servers of today's economy. A restaurant meal is not the most important thing in life, but sometimes it turns a week day into a weekend and a night on the couch into a night on the town. I just took my parents out for their anniversary this evening to Longhorn Steakhouse and it was really a great way to celebrate for a reasonable price. We, as consumers, see eating out as a fun, social event where we can catch up with friends or spend time with family. Now, with the new deals and price cuts, we can have our cake and eat it too. Literally.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wall Street Journal to focus on newswires
Five days after the Seattle Post-Intelligencer moved its etymological in-joke onto the internet, Wall Street Journal journalists are being asked to focus on breaking news over a sister wire service rather than their in print newspaper. That simpler, more concise articles posted over a constantly updated electronic medium have become the economic basis over which WSJ reporters are judged is perhaps a good indicator of journalism’s future.
The Dow Jones Newswire caters to financial professionals who need constant updates on business news in a simple, quickly digestible format. A similar reformatting for broadsheet stories is being pushed by the News Corporation which owns WSJ.
In the memo, Mr. Thomson [managing editor of The Journal] wrote, “Henceforth, all Journal reporters will be judged, in significant part, by whether they break news for the Newswires.”
The Dow Jones Newswire caters to financial professionals who need constant updates on business news in a simple, quickly digestible format. A similar reformatting for broadsheet stories is being pushed by the News Corporation which owns WSJ.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Obama's Special Olympics Remark
Going along with my earlier post about Obama going on Jay Leno's "Late Night Show" last Thursday night, I figured I would follow up with a blog as to how the show went for President Obama.
When Jay Leno asked the President how he was doing in the bowling alley which is in the White House, Obama replied noting that his highest score was 129. President Obama then followed up this statement by making a remark saying how that score was good if one was competing in the Special Olympics. After this remark was made, Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics before the show had even aired to apologize for his rude remark.
What I came to think about, however, after this whole incident was how big of a deal the situation would have been made into had it been a celebrity or athlete rather than the President. It is understood that the President is held to much higher standards for obvious reasons than say a celebrity, however they are still held to a higher standard. What baffles me is that I don't see the comment as being made a big deal had it not been the President.
I am also left wondering if this comment is going to take a toll on his role as President or if people will be able to look at the context in which it was said in as well as the atmosphere and be able to let the comment go. It is hard to mix politics with comedy and entertainment, so one is not going to be professional the entire time; right?
When Jay Leno asked the President how he was doing in the bowling alley which is in the White House, Obama replied noting that his highest score was 129. President Obama then followed up this statement by making a remark saying how that score was good if one was competing in the Special Olympics. After this remark was made, Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics before the show had even aired to apologize for his rude remark.
What I came to think about, however, after this whole incident was how big of a deal the situation would have been made into had it been a celebrity or athlete rather than the President. It is understood that the President is held to much higher standards for obvious reasons than say a celebrity, however they are still held to a higher standard. What baffles me is that I don't see the comment as being made a big deal had it not been the President.
I am also left wondering if this comment is going to take a toll on his role as President or if people will be able to look at the context in which it was said in as well as the atmosphere and be able to let the comment go. It is hard to mix politics with comedy and entertainment, so one is not going to be professional the entire time; right?
Polotics and Late-night Programming
Last Thursday night, March 19, President Obama went on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." This move by Obama has come to be the common conversation holder over the past few days; both leading up to the event as well as after it happened. What made it such a big step or big deal was that no President had ever gone on a late-night program before.
Obama went on Leno to discuss the future of our economy where he would hopefully reach out to a more conservative older crowd while also bringing in millions of viewers for himself as well as NBC.
I found it very interesting that in an economy that seems so structured and consumed by stereotypes and boundaries that politics and entertainment were being mixed. When you bring politics to entertainment the topic seems to lose some of it's serious tone because of the contextual difference between the two subjects. Not only this but entertainment attracts a different variety of people in comparison to politics. However, this bold step by Obama went to show that he is a man who is for the people and he is willing to do what he needs in order to reach out to us as a society.
I really enjoyed this article found on cnbc.com entitled "Obama on Leno: Politics Meets Hollywood." The author Julian Boorstin did a great job of intertwining politic lingo with comedian/entertainment lingo. The article was very serious yet had a laid-back tone to it because it was relating to Jay Leno and late-night television. One of my favorite lines she wrote read "Leno's couch usually hosts celebs pitching upcoming movies; now Obama, a unique type of celebrity, is pitching the economic future of the nation. " I loved how she gave the vision of Obama as a celebrity yet still made it presentable for the President of the United States.
Obama went on Leno to discuss the future of our economy where he would hopefully reach out to a more conservative older crowd while also bringing in millions of viewers for himself as well as NBC.
I found it very interesting that in an economy that seems so structured and consumed by stereotypes and boundaries that politics and entertainment were being mixed. When you bring politics to entertainment the topic seems to lose some of it's serious tone because of the contextual difference between the two subjects. Not only this but entertainment attracts a different variety of people in comparison to politics. However, this bold step by Obama went to show that he is a man who is for the people and he is willing to do what he needs in order to reach out to us as a society.
I really enjoyed this article found on cnbc.com entitled "Obama on Leno: Politics Meets Hollywood." The author Julian Boorstin did a great job of intertwining politic lingo with comedian/entertainment lingo. The article was very serious yet had a laid-back tone to it because it was relating to Jay Leno and late-night television. One of my favorite lines she wrote read "Leno's couch usually hosts celebs pitching upcoming movies; now Obama, a unique type of celebrity, is pitching the economic future of the nation. " I loved how she gave the vision of Obama as a celebrity yet still made it presentable for the President of the United States.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Media as the Nation's Guru
Yesterday I checked NPR, and found out all about the world's shampooing history, and a little more about hair care. The story is called "When it Comes to Shampoo, Less is More," and mainly focuses around the damaging affects of daily shampooing (yawn).
What I found interesting was the way the story attributes a change in America's shower habits to a story published by the New York Times in 1908. Americans were shampooing once a month before that, the story suggested once every 2 weeks, and now, Americans on average shampoo 4.59 times a week.
The change was gradual, but it was the media who initiated it. In fashion, politics, and personal hygiene, I would not underestimate the nation's openness to suggestion or the power of a trusted media. Also, as journalists, we should all take this into account, knowing the effect our words can actually have.
What I found interesting was the way the story attributes a change in America's shower habits to a story published by the New York Times in 1908. Americans were shampooing once a month before that, the story suggested once every 2 weeks, and now, Americans on average shampoo 4.59 times a week.
The change was gradual, but it was the media who initiated it. In fashion, politics, and personal hygiene, I would not underestimate the nation's openness to suggestion or the power of a trusted media. Also, as journalists, we should all take this into account, knowing the effect our words can actually have.
Student Loans
Many companies that issue student loans don't require payment until after graduation. That is now changing. Sallie Mae, "the nation's largest private student lender", is now changing its policy so that students have to make payments on their loan while they are still in school. The article states, "The upside is that the cost of a private student loan will be cut by about 40 percent, said Jack Hewes, chief lending officer for Sallie Mae, which is based Reston, Va." Also, students will pay back their loans in a shorter amount of time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
One last trip
Actress Natasha Richardson, 45, passed away yesterday due to serious head injuries after falling on a ski slope while vacationing with her family. She was well-known for both her theater and film roles, and was also a Tony Award-winning actress. To get the full story, I opened the USA Today in hopes of finding greater details. After typing in her name in the search engine, I came across an article called Remembering Natasha Richardson, 1963-2009. I was interested in the 5 w's of the story but was skeptical when I read the article's lede:
"The freak accident that killed Natasha Richardson at 45 would have been shocking had it happened to any healthy young woman. But the vitality, dexterity and discipline that distinguished Richardson's acting make her death — the result of brain injuries sustained during a skiing lesson on a beginner's trail outside Montreal earlier this week — all the more cruelly ironic."
Instead of being sympathetic and a tribute to this loss of life, I felt the writer dampened the event of her death with words that did not grant justice to her existence. The lede did get to the nut graf of the article, but it took more than a sentence-and-a-half for the reader to get the answer behind Richardson's death.
The second paragraph in the USA Today article then states:
"For Richardson, those assets were in part inherited traits. She was a member of one of British acting's most prestigious families: daughter of director Tony Richardson and actress Vanessa Redgrave, sister of Joely Richardson, granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and niece of Lynn and Corin Redgrave. Richardson also was married to an esteemed actor, Liam Neeson, with whom she had two sons, Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12."
Instead of praising her personality, contributions and accomplishments, the writer almost immediately flows right into a list of family members that were also famous and respected. I found this transition a little puzzling: Does the world only care about who we know instead of who we are? Richardson's last trip was with her family and my thoughts and prayers go out to them, I just wish this USA Today article focused more on the people she effected and her zest for entertaining audiences everywhere.
"The freak accident that killed Natasha Richardson at 45 would have been shocking had it happened to any healthy young woman. But the vitality, dexterity and discipline that distinguished Richardson's acting make her death — the result of brain injuries sustained during a skiing lesson on a beginner's trail outside Montreal earlier this week — all the more cruelly ironic."
Instead of being sympathetic and a tribute to this loss of life, I felt the writer dampened the event of her death with words that did not grant justice to her existence. The lede did get to the nut graf of the article, but it took more than a sentence-and-a-half for the reader to get the answer behind Richardson's death.
The second paragraph in the USA Today article then states:
"For Richardson, those assets were in part inherited traits. She was a member of one of British acting's most prestigious families: daughter of director Tony Richardson and actress Vanessa Redgrave, sister of Joely Richardson, granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and niece of Lynn and Corin Redgrave. Richardson also was married to an esteemed actor, Liam Neeson, with whom she had two sons, Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12."
Instead of praising her personality, contributions and accomplishments, the writer almost immediately flows right into a list of family members that were also famous and respected. I found this transition a little puzzling: Does the world only care about who we know instead of who we are? Richardson's last trip was with her family and my thoughts and prayers go out to them, I just wish this USA Today article focused more on the people she effected and her zest for entertaining audiences everywhere.
Twittermania
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29772038#29756189
This video from the Today Show can be considered fluff news. But I found it informative and interesting. Recently, everybody seems to be discussing Twitter, a social network that is a hybrid of text messaging and blogging. It sounds like a useless way to communicate faster.
What I noticed about this report was how well organized it was. It begins with an introduction to the website, then follows with several bits of information ranging from the type of language used on the site to which celebrities use it. This spot is organized in the inverted pyramid style, laying out the information about what it is and following with smaller facts.
This video from the Today Show can be considered fluff news. But I found it informative and interesting. Recently, everybody seems to be discussing Twitter, a social network that is a hybrid of text messaging and blogging. It sounds like a useless way to communicate faster.
What I noticed about this report was how well organized it was. It begins with an introduction to the website, then follows with several bits of information ranging from the type of language used on the site to which celebrities use it. This spot is organized in the inverted pyramid style, laying out the information about what it is and following with smaller facts.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Why teach journalism?
A good question. Cary Tennis hazzards an answer:
I'm not even sure that stable employment is good for young journalists. Journalists exercise power. Ideally, they exercise that power on behalf of the powerless. If they know nothing about what it is like to be powerless themselves, they may come to exercise their considerable power on behalf of the already powerful.
As to the conventions of story form and lingo that are often taught in journalism school, and as to the many artifacts and customs that make up our lore, we are tradespeople and we are proud of what we know how to do. We like our tools and our lingo. But we must be smart and nimble, and if we remain sentimentally attached to the artifacts of our trade in the face of massive technological change, then we are no better than GM.
So I do not think it is such a terrible thing that your journalism students are entering an uncertain world. It's the kind of world that is ripe for enterprising journalists. It is the kind of world that needs to be reported on and explained.
The whole thing is worth a read.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bush Administration Used Torture
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101943735
Everyone knew this was true, but now it's offical. So, I wonder if action will be taken and they will be found guilty of war crimes. They clearly are, and something should be done about it. I think it is typical that you won't find this kind of news on CNN. There are certain things that CNN just doesn't want to post. And it's not that theyre not political. Of course they are. They just don't want to say something bad about good ole' Bush. When it becomes more public they will post it. I hope they are found guilty and have to spend some jail time. Just because you are the president or work for him does not mean you can get away with torturing people.
Everyone knew this was true, but now it's offical. So, I wonder if action will be taken and they will be found guilty of war crimes. They clearly are, and something should be done about it. I think it is typical that you won't find this kind of news on CNN. There are certain things that CNN just doesn't want to post. And it's not that theyre not political. Of course they are. They just don't want to say something bad about good ole' Bush. When it becomes more public they will post it. I hope they are found guilty and have to spend some jail time. Just because you are the president or work for him does not mean you can get away with torturing people.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Phoenix is Crazy
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29663159/
The attached article is a poorly written examination of Joaquin Phoenix's shenanigans. It begins with a direct command to its readers. Then it transitions to a nutgraf describing a recent altercation between the actor and an audience member. Following the event, it adds some quotes from a close source regarding his wackiness.
After that article wraps up, it addresses Matt Damon's critique of the Academy, then a look at Twitter and the recent box office. Overall, the entire piece is sloppy and random. It tells the audience what to think. There are too many biases.
The attached article is a poorly written examination of Joaquin Phoenix's shenanigans. It begins with a direct command to its readers. Then it transitions to a nutgraf describing a recent altercation between the actor and an audience member. Following the event, it adds some quotes from a close source regarding his wackiness.
After that article wraps up, it addresses Matt Damon's critique of the Academy, then a look at Twitter and the recent box office. Overall, the entire piece is sloppy and random. It tells the audience what to think. There are too many biases.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Shooting in Germany
Yesterday a teenager in Germany killed himself and fifteen people. He had told others about his plan to kill on an internet chat site.
"Heribert Rech, the state interior minister of Baden-Württemberg, told a news conference that an unidentified person wrote on the German-language chat room that he had access to weapons 'and I will go tomorrow morning to my old school and do a really nice barbecue. You will hear from me tomorrow.'"
The gunman's name is 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer. According to the article, before the shooting took place Kretschmer posted on a web site and said, "I am sick of this messy life. Always the same. Everyone makes fun of me. No one recognizes my potential. I am serious."
Kretschmer was seeing a therapist for his depression but had decided to stop going. He took one of his father's guns to do the shooting and ended up killing himself in a "Volkswagen dealership".
"Heribert Rech, the state interior minister of Baden-Württemberg, told a news conference that an unidentified person wrote on the German-language chat room that he had access to weapons 'and I will go tomorrow morning to my old school and do a really nice barbecue. You will hear from me tomorrow.'"
The gunman's name is 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer. According to the article, before the shooting took place Kretschmer posted on a web site and said, "I am sick of this messy life. Always the same. Everyone makes fun of me. No one recognizes my potential. I am serious."
Kretschmer was seeing a therapist for his depression but had decided to stop going. He took one of his father's guns to do the shooting and ended up killing himself in a "Volkswagen dealership".
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
RNC Chairman Michael Steele rumored to face a no confidence vote, segregationist to be elected in his place.
Michael Steele, the first African-American RNC chairman, is rumored to be facing a no confidence vote instigated by Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
This follows several media 'fiascos' on Steele's part; the largest being when Steele attacked radio show host Rush Limbaugh's hope that Obama fails. This catfight ends as suddenly as it begins. Limbaugh's response succinctly summarizes the RNC's concerns - by showing even the slightest support towards Obama, Pelosi, et al., he jeopardizes the GOP's chances in the 2012 election. Should Obama's economic plan fail, some feel his defeat is certain, though not in the way Limbaugh expects.
But the art of political gaffes is hardly limited to talk show disputes.
Ironic words given Steele's current position: facing down Katon Dawson, loser in the RNC Chairman election and a man who entered politics in order to fight desegregation.
The RNC's first elected African-American chairman is under the threat of replacement by a man who lived in a whites-only community for the last dozen years. Whether or not Steele understands the main motivation for his sudden political climb (hint) and whether or not someone who bends like a limp noodle in the face of conflict is at all fit to run a major political party, this is not the greatest way to shed accusations of racial insensitivity.
Certain fringe elements of the Republican party, perhaps the ones whom Limbaugh jokingly calls "informed, involved, engaged and caring", have drawn fire for their own ugly, inflammatory remarks during the 2008 presidential election. Michael Steele's election marks a supposed change wherein the GOP transforms into an equal opportunity racial utopia but instead the rumor mill is pushing for Katon Dawson, loser by eight votes, to oust him because they don't think he can handle the job.
For the record, Katon Dawson is hardly more qualified.
Dawson fails to mention that Atwater, apprentice and former RNC chairman himself, capped his infamous career by touting racism as a major political goal of the GOP's southern strategy.
This follows several media 'fiascos' on Steele's part; the largest being when Steele attacked radio show host Rush Limbaugh's hope that Obama fails. This catfight ends as suddenly as it begins. Limbaugh's response succinctly summarizes the RNC's concerns - by showing even the slightest support towards Obama, Pelosi, et al., he jeopardizes the GOP's chances in the 2012 election. Should Obama's economic plan fail, some feel his defeat is certain, though not in the way Limbaugh expects.
But the art of political gaffes is hardly limited to talk show disputes.
Steele's victory "marks a step away from the balkanized Southern white ethos of the party," Marc Ambinder [CBS News chief political consultant] said.
[...]
"We have been mis-defined [sic] as a party that doesn't care, a party that's insensitive, a party that is unconcerned about minorities, a party that is unconcerned about the lives and the expectations and dreams of average Americans," Steele said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
Ironic words given Steele's current position: facing down Katon Dawson, loser in the RNC Chairman election and a man who entered politics in order to fight desegregation.
I’ve always been involved in politics. And I guess it goes all the way back to my school career and education. I, in the 1960s was a product of school segregation, where we took our schools and completely disbanded them, and made racial equality. Fifty-Fifty. And the kids had no choices. They closed Booker T. Washington, Blease [sic], down here. A pretty good school.
Government reached into my life and grabbed me and shook me at the age of fifteen. I remember how blatant it was that government just thought that they knew better, that government just thought they knew better what to do in my school.
The RNC's first elected African-American chairman is under the threat of replacement by a man who lived in a whites-only community for the last dozen years. Whether or not Steele understands the main motivation for his sudden political climb (hint) and whether or not someone who bends like a limp noodle in the face of conflict is at all fit to run a major political party, this is not the greatest way to shed accusations of racial insensitivity.
Certain fringe elements of the Republican party, perhaps the ones whom Limbaugh jokingly calls "informed, involved, engaged and caring", have drawn fire for their own ugly, inflammatory remarks during the 2008 presidential election. Michael Steele's election marks a supposed change wherein the GOP transforms into an equal opportunity racial utopia but instead the rumor mill is pushing for Katon Dawson, loser by eight votes, to oust him because they don't think he can handle the job.
For the record, Katon Dawson is hardly more qualified.
They made America a better – different – place. But you go look at the people... A protégé of mine, Lee Atwater. Lee Atwater was in his early thirties and one of the most powerful people in the country, with an office in the White House.
Dawson fails to mention that Atwater, apprentice and former RNC chairman himself, capped his infamous career by touting racism as a major political goal of the GOP's southern strategy.
Luckily, this no confidence vote is just a rumor so far. One that Dawson has denied. It seems the RNC might continue its own image reconstruction. Whether or not Dawson can convince a single African-American to vote for him may in fact be a moot point either way.Atwater : ''You start out in 1954 by saying, 'Nigger, nigger, nigger.' By 1968 you can't say 'nigger' -- that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites.
''And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me -- because obviously sitting around saying, 'We want to cut this,' is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than 'Nigger, nigger.'''
Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the world
Eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director). Four Golden Globes. Five Critic's Choice Awards. Eight BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards. And the list goes on for Slumdog Millionaire since the beginning of this year and also throughout 2008. Did the critics get it right this time? Does Slumdog live up to its' awards list? After experiencing the film four times in theatres, I feel no award amount can fully grant justice to the brilliance of this movie and I fully agree with motives behind the academies. It's always satisfying when a masterpiece is recognized.
The USA Today reported that Slumdog has already grossed over 217 million dollars in the box office and is still selling tickets across the globe. For the first time in a long time, my favorite movie of all time is extremely praised in the media, including newspapers, television broadcasts, radio broadcasts and online reviews.
"Slumdog Millionaire is one in a million."
"Four out of four stars."
"With dazzling, magical realism and vigorous storytelling, the film has an enchanting power, fusing a fairy tale quality with gritty realism. Yet even with interwoven surrealistic images, the story portrays cultural accuracy. In a highly charged, intensely Technicolor world, there is poverty and privation but also laughter and hope, accentuated by the tribute to Bollywood musicals during the final credits."
All of these quotes come from an article posted on the USA Today's website by journalist Claudia Puig. They are truly sincere comments and completely sum up the movie like an ordinary watcher like myself would say. If you haven't seen it already, Slumdog Millionaire targets every emotion you could ever experience. It's a film that will truly change your life and I'm glad the critics gave it the recognition it deserves.
The USA Today reported that Slumdog has already grossed over 217 million dollars in the box office and is still selling tickets across the globe. For the first time in a long time, my favorite movie of all time is extremely praised in the media, including newspapers, television broadcasts, radio broadcasts and online reviews.
"Slumdog Millionaire is one in a million."
"Four out of four stars."
"With dazzling, magical realism and vigorous storytelling, the film has an enchanting power, fusing a fairy tale quality with gritty realism. Yet even with interwoven surrealistic images, the story portrays cultural accuracy. In a highly charged, intensely Technicolor world, there is poverty and privation but also laughter and hope, accentuated by the tribute to Bollywood musicals during the final credits."
All of these quotes come from an article posted on the USA Today's website by journalist Claudia Puig. They are truly sincere comments and completely sum up the movie like an ordinary watcher like myself would say. If you haven't seen it already, Slumdog Millionaire targets every emotion you could ever experience. It's a film that will truly change your life and I'm glad the critics gave it the recognition it deserves.
Monday, March 9, 2009
People see God as just another person
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101617951
This can be taken in many ways. Personally, I do not believe in God. I see it as people creating God, and therefore seeing Him as the same as them. I think it is ironic that this study was posted on the same day that Obama singned the bill to make stem cell research easier, and not as resticted. This is a start to keeping religion separate from science. The side that does believe in God, however, sees it as God being equal to them. He is supposed to be a companion, and we are created in "His" image.
This can be taken in many ways. Personally, I do not believe in God. I see it as people creating God, and therefore seeing Him as the same as them. I think it is ironic that this study was posted on the same day that Obama singned the bill to make stem cell research easier, and not as resticted. This is a start to keeping religion separate from science. The side that does believe in God, however, sees it as God being equal to them. He is supposed to be a companion, and we are created in "His" image.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The newsless front page, or not
A blogger asks, whither the five Ws on a recent Wash Post front page. And the WP editor responds.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Cowboys Release Owens
This past Christmas, my brother and I swapped our presents underneath our Christmas tree and to our surprise, we both opened up a Cowboy-blue Terrell Owens jersey in our size. A little more than two months later, Owens is now reported to be released from the Cowboys and is now a free agent. Needless to say, today was a depressing day in the Mundy house.
My dad called me out of my room first thing in the morning to listen to the developing story of T.O. 's release and after watching ESPN for a few hours, not one reporter/sports anaylst believed this was a bad move. I know T.O. causes a lot of drama and I know he doesn't have the cleanest track record, but as a Cowboy fan he was fun to watch and my favorite player.
The country definitely didn't agree. ESPN asked the nation if they would want T.O. on their team and every state rejected him. This made me wonder: Does personality outshine talent in every case?
Jerry Jones, owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, said his personality had nothing to do with his decision to let Owens go. However, ESPN reporters had different opinions to why Jones made the move. At the age of 35, T.O. doesn't have too many career runs left and will probably play in September with another team, but reporters felt his behavior was too unruly and that is why Jones cut the strings. I thought this could be true, but T.O. is #2 in all-time receiving touchdowns just behind Jerry Rice. That's a heavy statistic to swallow...and one to pass-up.
All day I kept squinting at the television, hoping the news was just misread or misreported. My wish didn't come true. Reporters in Dallas and across the country elaborated on this new information and even interviewed Cowboy teammate Terrence Newman. But after listening to every side of every reporter, I began to believe that Jones did release T.O. because of his personality. However, I didn't get the real story until I heard the words from Jones himself. Why do reporters report information they know will stir up the audience, even if they know the information is stretched? Jones' interview posted on the Dallas Cowboy website plainly stated his reasoning behind Owens' release and should have been the key source for all ESPN reports. Jones let T.O. go not because of who he was off the field, but his lack of performance on the field this last season. As a Cowboy fan, I wish they went to the mouth of the source rather than the minds of the analysts. True fans deserve the truth, right?
My dad called me out of my room first thing in the morning to listen to the developing story of T.O. 's release and after watching ESPN for a few hours, not one reporter/sports anaylst believed this was a bad move. I know T.O. causes a lot of drama and I know he doesn't have the cleanest track record, but as a Cowboy fan he was fun to watch and my favorite player.
The country definitely didn't agree. ESPN asked the nation if they would want T.O. on their team and every state rejected him. This made me wonder: Does personality outshine talent in every case?
Jerry Jones, owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, said his personality had nothing to do with his decision to let Owens go. However, ESPN reporters had different opinions to why Jones made the move. At the age of 35, T.O. doesn't have too many career runs left and will probably play in September with another team, but reporters felt his behavior was too unruly and that is why Jones cut the strings. I thought this could be true, but T.O. is #2 in all-time receiving touchdowns just behind Jerry Rice. That's a heavy statistic to swallow...and one to pass-up.
All day I kept squinting at the television, hoping the news was just misread or misreported. My wish didn't come true. Reporters in Dallas and across the country elaborated on this new information and even interviewed Cowboy teammate Terrence Newman. But after listening to every side of every reporter, I began to believe that Jones did release T.O. because of his personality. However, I didn't get the real story until I heard the words from Jones himself. Why do reporters report information they know will stir up the audience, even if they know the information is stretched? Jones' interview posted on the Dallas Cowboy website plainly stated his reasoning behind Owens' release and should have been the key source for all ESPN reports. Jones let T.O. go not because of who he was off the field, but his lack of performance on the field this last season. As a Cowboy fan, I wish they went to the mouth of the source rather than the minds of the analysts. True fans deserve the truth, right?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
USA Today spends two years, finds nothing conclusive. EPA to spend $2.5mil in factchecking.
USA Today's science fair project, whose lead is the best foreshadowing, begins with a cliche, slides into a noncommittal half truth and finishes with a self congratulatory pat on the back.
The EPA has promised to investigate air quality outside of 50 to 100 schools where pollution might pose significant health risks. Whether or not they will use charcoal badges, the main process used by USA Today in their testing, was not mentioned. Considering how one unrelated consultant asks that charcoal badge air testing be 'avoided like the plague' and a second a bit more clearly explains that they actually underestimate environmental pollutants, I doubt it.
But thats evidence for you. Or rather the journalistic appearance of evidence. USA Today's real kicker is their computer simulation which shows 435 schools where the air outside appeared more toxic than the air outside a closed Ohio school - a simulation so accurate that three states have already tested and found nothing. Nothing.
What were they supposed to find? 'Elevated levels of chemicals' such as those found via charcoal badges and pumps in a joint effort between USA Today and John Hopkins University. Should parents be afraid? The answer is a very definite maybe. After all, "no one knows for certain what's in the air". Not even the USA Today, whose champion of the hour was a sample of chromium. The paper thoughtfully failed to follow through on its investigation and tell us whether this chromium was the 'relatively harmless' variety or the hexavalent airborne AIDs version. Scientifically valid testing, though, is the job of the EPA. The EPA, according to USA Today, is at fault here - its regulators are not required to check for 'hundreds of the most dangerous chemicals' (Note: Yes they are.)
This little oversight on the EPA's part may be why they are checking 50 to 100 schools for 'elevated levels of chemicals'. That's around 1/7th of the 1st percentile of toxic schools. I can only imagine why the EPA would be so lazy. Maybe its because it's being prodded into action on account of a bunch of 'maybes'. USA Today's little 2-year-old science fair project has done nothing but been proven wrong by independent testing - something the paper admits in its story and then protests with all the puerile vindictiveness it can muster.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's bewildered clay face speaks volumes. The EPA's hand is forced. $2.5 million will be sacrificed in the name of half-assed journalistic research. This $2.5 million dollar fact checking operation will cover only 1/7th of the most at risk schools.
If you want to check up on the old alma mater to see if you have cancer, feel free; I've already checked most of the area high schools. If you're frightened by loud noises, quick movements and your own shadow then you South Fort Myers and FMCS alumni may want to contact a doctor.
The EPA has promised to investigate air quality outside of 50 to 100 schools where pollution might pose significant health risks. Whether or not they will use charcoal badges, the main process used by USA Today in their testing, was not mentioned. Considering how one unrelated consultant asks that charcoal badge air testing be 'avoided like the plague' and a second a bit more clearly explains that they actually underestimate environmental pollutants, I doubt it.
But thats evidence for you. Or rather the journalistic appearance of evidence. USA Today's real kicker is their computer simulation which shows 435 schools where the air outside appeared more toxic than the air outside a closed Ohio school - a simulation so accurate that three states have already tested and found nothing. Nothing.
What were they supposed to find? 'Elevated levels of chemicals' such as those found via charcoal badges and pumps in a joint effort between USA Today and John Hopkins University. Should parents be afraid? The answer is a very definite maybe. After all, "no one knows for certain what's in the air". Not even the USA Today, whose champion of the hour was a sample of chromium. The paper thoughtfully failed to follow through on its investigation and tell us whether this chromium was the 'relatively harmless' variety or the hexavalent airborne AIDs version. Scientifically valid testing, though, is the job of the EPA. The EPA, according to USA Today, is at fault here - its regulators are not required to check for 'hundreds of the most dangerous chemicals' (Note: Yes they are.)
This little oversight on the EPA's part may be why they are checking 50 to 100 schools for 'elevated levels of chemicals'. That's around 1/7th of the 1st percentile of toxic schools. I can only imagine why the EPA would be so lazy. Maybe its because it's being prodded into action on account of a bunch of 'maybes'. USA Today's little 2-year-old science fair project has done nothing but been proven wrong by independent testing - something the paper admits in its story and then protests with all the puerile vindictiveness it can muster.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's bewildered clay face speaks volumes. The EPA's hand is forced. $2.5 million will be sacrificed in the name of half-assed journalistic research. This $2.5 million dollar fact checking operation will cover only 1/7th of the most at risk schools.
If you want to check up on the old alma mater to see if you have cancer, feel free; I've already checked most of the area high schools. If you're frightened by loud noises, quick movements and your own shadow then you South Fort Myers and FMCS alumni may want to contact a doctor.
Friday, February 27, 2009
New York Times talks education
On the New York Times website, an article titled "To Keep Students, Colleges Cut Anything but Aid" discusses the importance of steady college enrollments in today's society and how colleges are not downsizing financial aid offers this year, even with the economy's recession. Instead, colleges and institutions live and breathe on high enrollment counts, so if the number of prospective students drops, so does the school's economic stability. This article caught my attention because even with this troubled economy, students can still go to school and not live credit-to-credit. Instead, students win and get the education they need to succeed, whereas the university also benefits from their active population.
This article elaborated on the hand-in-hand relationships between universities and students that I never uncovered before. I assumed that the current economic hardships were hurting various student aid packages, but I'm relieved to witness the opposite effect. The New York Times did a great job targeting an audience both concerned about money and schooling opportunities, and I'm glad to hear the facts favor both sides of the tuition bill.
This article elaborated on the hand-in-hand relationships between universities and students that I never uncovered before. I assumed that the current economic hardships were hurting various student aid packages, but I'm relieved to witness the opposite effect. The New York Times did a great job targeting an audience both concerned about money and schooling opportunities, and I'm glad to hear the facts favor both sides of the tuition bill.
Afghan Air Force
There is an article in the New York Times called Facing Language Gaps and ‘Flying Trucks,’ U.S. Trains Afghan Pilots by Elisabeth Bumiller. It is about how American soldiers are trying to establsh an Air Force in Afghanistan. This is estimated to take until 2016 and cost $5 billion. A set back is that the American pilots are having trouble teaching the Afghan pilots because some of them do not speak English.
Bumiller writes an excellent lede: "Col. James A. Brandon flew Black Hawks when Moscow was considered a mortal foe of the United States and spent years in the Army studying enemy aircraft. So he now finds it a little bizarre to be piloting an old MI-17 Russian helicopter, a legacy of the Soviet invaders here, in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan." She not only tells who and what but she also hooks the reader into finding out why Brandon is flying an MI-17.
Bumiller writes an excellent lede: "Col. James A. Brandon flew Black Hawks when Moscow was considered a mortal foe of the United States and spent years in the Army studying enemy aircraft. So he now finds it a little bizarre to be piloting an old MI-17 Russian helicopter, a legacy of the Soviet invaders here, in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan." She not only tells who and what but she also hooks the reader into finding out why Brandon is flying an MI-17.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Since Obama's inauguration, I have not really kept an eye on FOX News. I went to the station's website today just to see if there was any news presenting of Obama's economic plans with a hopeful tone. Sadly, I got just what I expected. The first three links available were as follows: Budget Plan Has Little Room for Error, Obama Spending Creates a Dept Nation, and Former Bush Aide Blasts Budget Criticism.
These reports, while based on Republican criticism, fail to communicate any sense of Obama having support. He has a group, but as far as the author will allow his audience know, they do not consist of experts or informed people. The fact that these stories come up first on the station's homepage shows that the bias does not end with writers, but can be found within the editing staff as well.
I realize that it's popular and easy to criticize FOX News, and there probably was no point in checking in. But right now, if there ever was an example of what not to do (unless it pays), this is it. I've now had my turn. I suppose we all get one.
These reports, while based on Republican criticism, fail to communicate any sense of Obama having support. He has a group, but as far as the author will allow his audience know, they do not consist of experts or informed people. The fact that these stories come up first on the station's homepage shows that the bias does not end with writers, but can be found within the editing staff as well.
I realize that it's popular and easy to criticize FOX News, and there probably was no point in checking in. But right now, if there ever was an example of what not to do (unless it pays), this is it. I've now had my turn. I suppose we all get one.
Meta-media roundup
Some interesting stuff related to media and journalism:
- More research continues to reshape conventional wisdom about liberal media bias.
- False equivalency can happen to the best of them.
- The News-Press hosted a forum on the economy and then made its coverage of that event the lead story on Wednesday. Any thoughts on newspapers creating their own news?
Pentagon Lifts Ban
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101196080
This NPR article addresses the recent lift of the ban on media pictures of soldier coffins. Pentagon now allows the family to decide whether or not media photography should be allowed at the Dover. This article is well written and organized into an inverted pyramid.
But the really interesting thing here is the media's influence. The right to free press has always had limits. President Bush Sr. started the ban in 1991. The image of dead soldiers returning home in hundreds doesn't represent the president in command very well. It seems that when war goes on, the government tries to cover the negative press coverage. This sugar-coating of war seems dishonest.
This NPR article addresses the recent lift of the ban on media pictures of soldier coffins. Pentagon now allows the family to decide whether or not media photography should be allowed at the Dover. This article is well written and organized into an inverted pyramid.
But the really interesting thing here is the media's influence. The right to free press has always had limits. President Bush Sr. started the ban in 1991. The image of dead soldiers returning home in hundreds doesn't represent the president in command very well. It seems that when war goes on, the government tries to cover the negative press coverage. This sugar-coating of war seems dishonest.
Jobless Woman on Horseback
I listened to a very interesting story on NPR yesterday: “Jobless Woman Headed For Texas On Horseback.”
This story is about a 44-year-old woman named Donna Byrne, who lost her job as a ranch hand in Arcadia, Florida. So she took her horses and all of her belongings and headed out west on horseback in search of a job as a cowgirl.
I loved the way that this story is written and the way it flows: it flows almost like a fictional story and captures details in a very personal way, all while still managing to sound like a news story at the same time. I think that this kind of style and format is a good example for certain feature stories and profiles. The only criticism I have for this story is that I sometimes had trouble hearing Byrne when she was talking; her voice was very low at times and a little muffled. However, this also could have been a result of listening to the story online.
This story is about a 44-year-old woman named Donna Byrne, who lost her job as a ranch hand in Arcadia, Florida. So she took her horses and all of her belongings and headed out west on horseback in search of a job as a cowgirl.
I loved the way that this story is written and the way it flows: it flows almost like a fictional story and captures details in a very personal way, all while still managing to sound like a news story at the same time. I think that this kind of style and format is a good example for certain feature stories and profiles. The only criticism I have for this story is that I sometimes had trouble hearing Byrne when she was talking; her voice was very low at times and a little muffled. However, this also could have been a result of listening to the story online.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Stand-Up Desks in Schools
On the front page of today’s New York Times is an article called “They Stand When Called Upon, and When Not.” The article describes something I’ve never even heard of: adjustable desks that allow you to sit or stand as you please. These desks are now being made for children and used in a few elementary and middle schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin as an experiment. The kids can stand, sit on a stool, swing their feet on a swinging foot rest, and wiggle all they want during class. The responses from teachers are very positive so far and there is hope that this idea may help kids with obesity and concentration in classrooms.
I really enjoyed reading this article and thought it was very interesting. I’ve personally never even thought to question the idea of sitting in classrooms; it always seemed to simply be “the way things are.” Reading this article reminded me that it’s never good to accept life as we know it and that we should think critically and outside of the box as often as possible.
I also really liked the beginning of the story, which began with a rather lengthy anecdote that I think worked for this feature-like article. The lede begins with a paragraph describing the sixth-grade classroom that the story revolves around and then describes the experiment with the new desks. Right after the lede, the story eases into the quite fascinating subject by detailing the specific sitting/standing preferences of a few different students. I liked how this article was written in a way that brought me back into these classrooms.
I really enjoyed reading this article and thought it was very interesting. I’ve personally never even thought to question the idea of sitting in classrooms; it always seemed to simply be “the way things are.” Reading this article reminded me that it’s never good to accept life as we know it and that we should think critically and outside of the box as often as possible.
I also really liked the beginning of the story, which began with a rather lengthy anecdote that I think worked for this feature-like article. The lede begins with a paragraph describing the sixth-grade classroom that the story revolves around and then describes the experiment with the new desks. Right after the lede, the story eases into the quite fascinating subject by detailing the specific sitting/standing preferences of a few different students. I liked how this article was written in a way that brought me back into these classrooms.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
CNN Newsroom and Facebook
This morning as I was watching CNN Newsroom, they were discussing Obama's Presidential Address which is taking place tonight. The interesting part to this discussion was that they were intertwining citizens opinions into the discussion through Facebook. Rick Sanchez, one of the anchors, had set up a page so individuals could send their opinion in to the show on what they believe should be addressed by Obama tonight.
I know that on television productions and such there is always a way to contact and send in your opinion on the show, however what seemed so interesting to me was that CNN did this through Facebook; at least today. Every couple of minutes Rick would show the comments that people were making on the address and then would follow up with a few comments himself.
Not only did I find this to be an appealing way to interact with the audience (viewers) but it seemed to be extremely affective as the anchors continued to share feedback on comments.
I know that on television productions and such there is always a way to contact and send in your opinion on the show, however what seemed so interesting to me was that CNN did this through Facebook; at least today. Every couple of minutes Rick would show the comments that people were making on the address and then would follow up with a few comments himself.
Not only did I find this to be an appealing way to interact with the audience (viewers) but it seemed to be extremely affective as the anchors continued to share feedback on comments.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Loud Music causes boys death.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99165934
I've never been a fan of loud music. I have senstive ears, so I don't like my music too loud. I especially do not like to be unaware of what is going on around me. I dont know how a kid can walk along train tracks and not realize that a train is coming. Could he not feel the vibrations? And how loud can music possibly be to not hear a train horn blasting behind you? I think they should regulate how loud MP3 players can be set to. Then kids won't have hearing problems, and will be more aware of their surroundings. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when my generation starts getting old. I know that hearing aid sales will be higher than ever. And I'm not looking forward to having to shout all the time because my friends cant hear me.
I've never been a fan of loud music. I have senstive ears, so I don't like my music too loud. I especially do not like to be unaware of what is going on around me. I dont know how a kid can walk along train tracks and not realize that a train is coming. Could he not feel the vibrations? And how loud can music possibly be to not hear a train horn blasting behind you? I think they should regulate how loud MP3 players can be set to. Then kids won't have hearing problems, and will be more aware of their surroundings. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when my generation starts getting old. I know that hearing aid sales will be higher than ever. And I'm not looking forward to having to shout all the time because my friends cant hear me.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Win or Bust?
A major recent story in the sports world concerns Alex Rodriguez and his steroid charges. An article in the New York Times introduced Rodriguez's story through an anecdote that grabbed my attention immediately. The first paragraph caught my eye because it not only involved Rodriguez, but his reaction to a fan waiting for his turn for an autograph.
I felt this opening was more than effective. The writer sets the scene with A Rod making his way down the left-field fence, signing baseball after patient baseball. The silent player continued to autograph until one person spoke their mind and ultimately stopped Rodriguez in his tracks.
The man said if A Rod won a World Series anytime soon, the steroid drama would go away. A Rod heard his comment and asked him to repeat himself, and the man said again if the Yankees won the World Series, no one will care about his steroid use anymore. After listening to the comment for the second time, A Rod nodded and continued to make his way down the line of waiting fans.
The man who grabbed Rodriguez's attention remained anonymous in this article and I thought this sense of mystery added to the article's purpose. Millions of people have opinions about A Rod's confession, but that one man could have spoke some truth for the millions of unheard baseball fans. One man took the initiative to speak his mind and was not exposed in this NYT article. I thought the writer did a great job of capturing an opinion of a random by-stander and not exposing his identity for a greater purpose. Sometimes the truest quotes come from the ones you least expect them from.
I felt this opening was more than effective. The writer sets the scene with A Rod making his way down the left-field fence, signing baseball after patient baseball. The silent player continued to autograph until one person spoke their mind and ultimately stopped Rodriguez in his tracks.
The man said if A Rod won a World Series anytime soon, the steroid drama would go away. A Rod heard his comment and asked him to repeat himself, and the man said again if the Yankees won the World Series, no one will care about his steroid use anymore. After listening to the comment for the second time, A Rod nodded and continued to make his way down the line of waiting fans.
The man who grabbed Rodriguez's attention remained anonymous in this article and I thought this sense of mystery added to the article's purpose. Millions of people have opinions about A Rod's confession, but that one man could have spoke some truth for the millions of unheard baseball fans. One man took the initiative to speak his mind and was not exposed in this NYT article. I thought the writer did a great job of capturing an opinion of a random by-stander and not exposing his identity for a greater purpose. Sometimes the truest quotes come from the ones you least expect them from.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Profiling the Dead
Tonight, CNN.com posted a profile as an obituary salute to a former Clinton White House resident, who lost his battle with oral cancer early this morning. This was the top news, explaining the fellow's descent into an unending catnap. Working on profiles of our own, I thought we should all take a look at this piece in particular.
The author (anonymous), having a subject unable to tell his tail, uses a mixture of photo-records, released statements, and public knowledge to report how someone down and out could be catapulted into the political spotlight. There is a lack of direct quotes, but the article remains effective.
While we, in our profiles, cannot or should at least try not to cheer lead, I think it becomes acceptable in the case of covering the dead. Everyone tracks in their own fair share of dirt, and I think it is reasonable that even the most hard-hitting journalists would avoid presenting the dead as anything completely inhuman. In this case, without ignoring the deceased's shortcomings as a human being, the reporter celebrates the good, citing his charity work and national support.
The author (anonymous), having a subject unable to tell his tail, uses a mixture of photo-records, released statements, and public knowledge to report how someone down and out could be catapulted into the political spotlight. There is a lack of direct quotes, but the article remains effective.
While we, in our profiles, cannot or should at least try not to cheer lead, I think it becomes acceptable in the case of covering the dead. Everyone tracks in their own fair share of dirt, and I think it is reasonable that even the most hard-hitting journalists would avoid presenting the dead as anything completely inhuman. In this case, without ignoring the deceased's shortcomings as a human being, the reporter celebrates the good, citing his charity work and national support.
Viral titles in online reporting.
In the hard hitting world of online journalism, titles are everything.
Feb. 16th - 14-year old Chinese boy dies due to a chair malfunction.
Feb. 18th, 10am EST- Itai News, apparently a newsblog affiliated with 2-ch, reports the story.
Feb. 20th, 4am EST - Sankaku Complex [NSFW] posts the story with its new title - Chair Kills Boy by Anal Penetration.
Feb. 20th, 8pm EST - Story explodes.
Online stories have to be memetic to get attention. A humorous title, often all that is visible in a packed RSS feed, almost replaces the lede for drawing viewers in. The assigned Slate article approaches this a little; the devaluation of information means it has to be interesting to compete. Stories are targeted not so much as "direct-to-consumer PR packages" but as would-be viral phenomenons. For niche news websites, this means limitless leeway in titles, for major news sites like CNN, this means running the racy.
Feb. 16th - 14-year old Chinese boy dies due to a chair malfunction.
Feb. 18th, 10am EST- Itai News, apparently a newsblog affiliated with 2-ch, reports the story.
Feb. 20th, 4am EST - Sankaku Complex [NSFW] posts the story with its new title - Chair Kills Boy by Anal Penetration.
Feb. 20th, 8pm EST - Story explodes.
Online stories have to be memetic to get attention. A humorous title, often all that is visible in a packed RSS feed, almost replaces the lede for drawing viewers in. The assigned Slate article approaches this a little; the devaluation of information means it has to be interesting to compete. Stories are targeted not so much as "direct-to-consumer PR packages" but as would-be viral phenomenons. For niche news websites, this means limitless leeway in titles, for major news sites like CNN, this means running the racy.
Outside Perspective
After looking at the NPR profile story yesterday, I decided to check out another one. This paticular story was about a man named Willie Rivera. Rivera is 91 and owns his own shoe shop called Willie's Shoe Service.
The lede started out with an anecdote mentioning that Rivera made shoes for the role of Moses in the movie The Ten Commandments. The writer then says that is how Rivera began his lifelong reputation of creating incredible shoes.
One thing that this article lacked compared to the one read in class yesterday about the set designer is outside perspectives and opinions. There's quotes from a man who apprenticed for Rivera, but he does not really comment on Rivera, just the fact that he worked for him and more so promoted his own work within Rivera's shop.
I feel like the profile on Rivera went from him to more so on Rivera's shop itself.
The lede started out with an anecdote mentioning that Rivera made shoes for the role of Moses in the movie The Ten Commandments. The writer then says that is how Rivera began his lifelong reputation of creating incredible shoes.
One thing that this article lacked compared to the one read in class yesterday about the set designer is outside perspectives and opinions. There's quotes from a man who apprenticed for Rivera, but he does not really comment on Rivera, just the fact that he worked for him and more so promoted his own work within Rivera's shop.
I feel like the profile on Rivera went from him to more so on Rivera's shop itself.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Question Lede: To Use or Not to Use?
As I was browsing over USA Today, I spotted a textbook no-no: the controversial question lede.
The article, “With cities’ programs for the poor, it pays to save,” is on the front page of today’s USA Today and also available online.
The story begins with a question lede, a lede that our textbook and many editors call weak, lazy, and irritating. However, while our textbook clearly emphasizes that we should usually reconsider question ledes, it also makes it clear that it is “possible to craft clever, engaging questions that hook us into reading further.” (I believe that we also had a similar short discussion on this in class a week or two ago.)
I personally believe that question ledes should be avoided; I have tried to stay away from them myself when writing for this class. However, I think that the question lede in this USA Today story actually works. Here is the beginning of the article:
LEDE: “Should people be paid to behave responsibly? Some cities believe so.”
NUT GRAF: “New York wants poor people to save money, so it is offering a big incentive to encourage them to do so: a 50% match of up to $250 if they put money from their federal earned-income tax credit into a savings account and keep it there for a year.”
I like this lede. I think that the question sums everything up and gets right to the juice of the story, but also really catches the reader’s attention and engages them. I think this article goes to show that sometimes question ledes can work…but only sometimes!
The article, “With cities’ programs for the poor, it pays to save,” is on the front page of today’s USA Today and also available online.
The story begins with a question lede, a lede that our textbook and many editors call weak, lazy, and irritating. However, while our textbook clearly emphasizes that we should usually reconsider question ledes, it also makes it clear that it is “possible to craft clever, engaging questions that hook us into reading further.” (I believe that we also had a similar short discussion on this in class a week or two ago.)
I personally believe that question ledes should be avoided; I have tried to stay away from them myself when writing for this class. However, I think that the question lede in this USA Today story actually works. Here is the beginning of the article:
LEDE: “Should people be paid to behave responsibly? Some cities believe so.”
NUT GRAF: “New York wants poor people to save money, so it is offering a big incentive to encourage them to do so: a 50% match of up to $250 if they put money from their federal earned-income tax credit into a savings account and keep it there for a year.”
I like this lede. I think that the question sums everything up and gets right to the juice of the story, but also really catches the reader’s attention and engages them. I think this article goes to show that sometimes question ledes can work…but only sometimes!
Swiss Banks
The largest bank in Switzerland (USB) annouced on Wednesday that they would release the names of Americans who are believed to be keeping money in their bank in order to avoid paying American taxes. According to the article, "The bank admitted conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and agreed to pay $780 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation into its activities." A few hundred customers names are expected to be released out of the 19,000 accounts that have been investigated.
The bank has said they will be closing their American client's accounts but advised them to get rid of their records and hide valuables that were bought with the money in their USB accounts.
"Prosecutors suspect that from late 2002 to 2007, UBS helped American clients illegally hide $20 billion, letting them evade $300 million a year in taxes."
The bank has said they will be closing their American client's accounts but advised them to get rid of their records and hide valuables that were bought with the money in their USB accounts.
"Prosecutors suspect that from late 2002 to 2007, UBS helped American clients illegally hide $20 billion, letting them evade $300 million a year in taxes."
On Profiles
I never get a chance to check out the news in the papers until the afternoon, so when Dr. Harrison said that there was a pretty good profile on the front page of the today’s News Press in class earlier, I had to check it out.
The article is titled “His personal battle over, Kanzius’ cancer fight goes on” and seems to be sort of a profile. (The article is also available online. Here’s a link.)
The story is about the life and death of a Sanibel man who invented “what may be a groundbreaking treatment for cancer” and how his fight continues after his death. I must say that I really enjoyed reading this article and I think that the story is written pretty well with some interesting and engaging anecdotes.
However, there were a couple things that bothered me a little in this article. The article begins sounding almost like an obituary. In all honesty, I was not truly interested in the article until after the page break. I thought that the story was about another celebrated, heroic doctor who died recently, but when I read that Kanzius was a broadcaster, not a doctor, with zero medical experience, suddenly I was sucked into the story. However, this shocking tidbit is not revealed until after the page break. Kanzius’ invention has been previously covered in the News Press and perhaps this “grabber” is not necessary early in the article, but I still think that this sort of information should have been placed in the first few paragraphs and definitely before the page break. Once I read this detail about Kanzius, I was much more interested in the article and his life stories because I felt that I could relate a little more.
After reading this article, I also noticed something that we discussed in class today: the idea of making a profile subject look like the perfect, heroic humanitarian. I personally feel that the article made Kanzius look a little too perfect and heroic; I really didn’t see a human side of him. Perhaps the “human” side of him may be that he had no medical experience and still managed to create this impressive invention, but I think that would fall into the overdone “ordinary person overcomes all obstacles and rises to success” type of story.
The article is titled “His personal battle over, Kanzius’ cancer fight goes on” and seems to be sort of a profile. (The article is also available online. Here’s a link.)
The story is about the life and death of a Sanibel man who invented “what may be a groundbreaking treatment for cancer” and how his fight continues after his death. I must say that I really enjoyed reading this article and I think that the story is written pretty well with some interesting and engaging anecdotes.
However, there were a couple things that bothered me a little in this article. The article begins sounding almost like an obituary. In all honesty, I was not truly interested in the article until after the page break. I thought that the story was about another celebrated, heroic doctor who died recently, but when I read that Kanzius was a broadcaster, not a doctor, with zero medical experience, suddenly I was sucked into the story. However, this shocking tidbit is not revealed until after the page break. Kanzius’ invention has been previously covered in the News Press and perhaps this “grabber” is not necessary early in the article, but I still think that this sort of information should have been placed in the first few paragraphs and definitely before the page break. Once I read this detail about Kanzius, I was much more interested in the article and his life stories because I felt that I could relate a little more.
After reading this article, I also noticed something that we discussed in class today: the idea of making a profile subject look like the perfect, heroic humanitarian. I personally feel that the article made Kanzius look a little too perfect and heroic; I really didn’t see a human side of him. Perhaps the “human” side of him may be that he had no medical experience and still managed to create this impressive invention, but I think that would fall into the overdone “ordinary person overcomes all obstacles and rises to success” type of story.
Rourke's Dog Dies
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29262382/
The article above is a short, bittersweet story about actor Mickey Rourke. His pet chihuahua Loki died in his arms Monday night. She was 17 years old.
The lead reveals everything; the who, what, and why. The nutgraf reveals the when followed by a direct quote from Rourke. The next paragraph tells about Rourke's career comeback along with his obsession with dogs. The final paragraph ends with a kicker partial quote from his Golden Globes acceptance speech.
This small article is efficient and well structured. The death of a pet is always sad, but Rourke's quote is uplifting.
"Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I feel very blessed that she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."
For pet owners, this is sad and sweet. This is a great example of how five short paragraphs can tell so much and pack an emotional punch.
The article above is a short, bittersweet story about actor Mickey Rourke. His pet chihuahua Loki died in his arms Monday night. She was 17 years old.
The lead reveals everything; the who, what, and why. The nutgraf reveals the when followed by a direct quote from Rourke. The next paragraph tells about Rourke's career comeback along with his obsession with dogs. The final paragraph ends with a kicker partial quote from his Golden Globes acceptance speech.
This small article is efficient and well structured. The death of a pet is always sad, but Rourke's quote is uplifting.
"Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I feel very blessed that she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."
For pet owners, this is sad and sweet. This is a great example of how five short paragraphs can tell so much and pack an emotional punch.
al-Zaidi the Shoesinnator
Most of you might recall the incident in which our former president George W. Bush, had a shoe thrown at him while giving a farewell speech at the Baghdad news conference. al-Zaidi's charges of assualting a foreign head of state could leave him sitting in jail for up to 15 years. If convicted this could lower the rate of unnecesarry shoe throwing.
Anyway, in class we worked a great deal on learning how to create a lede and deciding what kind of a lede to go with. The first part of the lede is as follows: When Iraqi journalist Muntathar al-Zaidi took the stand Thursday, he said that he hadn't planned to hurl his shoes at President George W. Bush, but the sight of the smirking leader at a Baghdad news conference got the best of him.
In the beginning of the lede it tells who the article is about, what, where and why. I think it is a good lede that has setup the structure to now go into an anecdote or more detail about the incident in which it does. In this one sentence, it is short and general, but to the point where you want to read more to find what is going on. I know not all leads need to answer so many of the five W's but in this case it worked. I think the lede is not easy to create, but it can get easier with more time put into it.
The next part of the lede uses colorful quotes to really depict a picture and reason for Zaidi to have thrown the shoes as he did. Colorful quotes such as, ''He had an icy smile with no blood or spirit,'' and "I was feeling the blood of innocent people moving under his feet." Not every source is going to give such great quotes but these were definitely statements that helped give this story an edge.
Anyway, in class we worked a great deal on learning how to create a lede and deciding what kind of a lede to go with. The first part of the lede is as follows: When Iraqi journalist Muntathar al-Zaidi took the stand Thursday, he said that he hadn't planned to hurl his shoes at President George W. Bush, but the sight of the smirking leader at a Baghdad news conference got the best of him.
In the beginning of the lede it tells who the article is about, what, where and why. I think it is a good lede that has setup the structure to now go into an anecdote or more detail about the incident in which it does. In this one sentence, it is short and general, but to the point where you want to read more to find what is going on. I know not all leads need to answer so many of the five W's but in this case it worked. I think the lede is not easy to create, but it can get easier with more time put into it.
The next part of the lede uses colorful quotes to really depict a picture and reason for Zaidi to have thrown the shoes as he did. Colorful quotes such as, ''He had an icy smile with no blood or spirit,'' and "I was feeling the blood of innocent people moving under his feet." Not every source is going to give such great quotes but these were definitely statements that helped give this story an edge.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A Little More Snazz
I have been hearing a lot of talk and controversy about the recent technology bill proposing to give students inexpensive access to Microsoft software. So I was not at all shocked to see the controversy over the failed bill and plans to reintroduce it slapped on the front page of this week’s Eagle News this afternoon. The article, titled “Upgrade? When pricey tech bill fails, Senate looks to students for support,” was very informative and quite balanced in my opinion, but after reading about two-thirds of the article, I found it a little difficult to continue reading.
Now perhaps this is simply because I have been raised in a generation with perhaps the shortest attention span in history when it comes to reading the news, but I felt like the story was a little too long and not as attention-grabbing.
However, like I said, the article was very informative and I feel, fairly balanced. The bill, which sounds like a great idea when first hearing about it, has a lot of advantages but also a lot of disadvantages and risks to it. I think that the writer did a great job of presenting all sides of the story, explaining the facts, and leaving the decisions up to the reader. I was only aware of some of the details of this bill, but after reading this article, I feel that I have a good understanding of the issues behind the bill.
At the end of the article, one student is quoted making a great point in saying that Student Government should try to get students more involved and engaged in these sort of issues on the campus. Many students are not even aware that our school Senate is voting over an issue that could greatly benefit many students, but at the same time affect where our tuition money goes. This article, however, is one way of informing the students and I think, does a great job at it. However, perhaps if this article were little shorter, a little snappier and snazzier, and more engaging, many more students would be inclined to finish reading it and be more informed and engaged in issues and politics on the campus.
Now perhaps this is simply because I have been raised in a generation with perhaps the shortest attention span in history when it comes to reading the news, but I felt like the story was a little too long and not as attention-grabbing.
However, like I said, the article was very informative and I feel, fairly balanced. The bill, which sounds like a great idea when first hearing about it, has a lot of advantages but also a lot of disadvantages and risks to it. I think that the writer did a great job of presenting all sides of the story, explaining the facts, and leaving the decisions up to the reader. I was only aware of some of the details of this bill, but after reading this article, I feel that I have a good understanding of the issues behind the bill.
At the end of the article, one student is quoted making a great point in saying that Student Government should try to get students more involved and engaged in these sort of issues on the campus. Many students are not even aware that our school Senate is voting over an issue that could greatly benefit many students, but at the same time affect where our tuition money goes. This article, however, is one way of informing the students and I think, does a great job at it. However, perhaps if this article were little shorter, a little snappier and snazzier, and more engaging, many more students would be inclined to finish reading it and be more informed and engaged in issues and politics on the campus.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Quotations...
Since last weeks class discussion on quoting sources as well as the placement of quotes within a story, I have found myself looking very closely for the use of quotations within articles. A reoccurring pattern I am beginning to see is that in articles discussing politics or the Stimulus package, quotations are rare if present at all. When these quotes are in fact used, direct quotes seem to be placed later in the article while in-direct quotes pave the way as the article starts rolling.
I specifically noticed this in the New York Times article I found entitled States and Cities in Scramble for Stimulus Cash by Monica Davey. The article used an in-direct quote in the second paragraph while holding off to use a direct quote until later in the article. After paying attention to these articles and the placement of their quotations, I am understanding the concept more and more. I however am still finding myself with questions concerning this topic.
For example, as I stated earlier it seems that in most political articles, quotations are rarely used. Is that typical or is that simply because of the story? I would assume that the power lies solely within the writer, which it truly does, yet it is hard to figure out when quotes are necessary and when they seem to be merely adding more clutter to your facts.
I specifically noticed this in the New York Times article I found entitled States and Cities in Scramble for Stimulus Cash by Monica Davey. The article used an in-direct quote in the second paragraph while holding off to use a direct quote until later in the article. After paying attention to these articles and the placement of their quotations, I am understanding the concept more and more. I however am still finding myself with questions concerning this topic.
For example, as I stated earlier it seems that in most political articles, quotations are rarely used. Is that typical or is that simply because of the story? I would assume that the power lies solely within the writer, which it truly does, yet it is hard to figure out when quotes are necessary and when they seem to be merely adding more clutter to your facts.
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