Article 1: Humans vs. Zombies Game at UF Draws Worry Over Toy Guns. Written by Lise Fisher of the Gainesville Sun on March 10, 2010.
As the game draws to a close, I was especially interested to see what kind of official news coverage HvZ would get. So far a lot of the coverage has been negative, which has really pissed me off. Then again, without the conflict in the story, I doubt the average non-UF adult would care to read about it, so the Sun has put an argumentative spin on it. This article was all about the safety issues the UFPD has brought up to the moderators of the game, most of them to do with nerf guns. Personally, I thought the whole article sounded silly, and that's not just because of my personal involvement in the game. I mean, who wouldn't laugh when they think of bright, neon-colored nerf guns as a "security threat"? Fisher also attributes the security tension to the recent shooting of that doctoral student a few weeks ago, which has been drawing protests. If I were writing this article, I definitely would not have made it quite so serious and instead focused on the light-hearted side of things.
Article
--------------------------------
Article 2: Latest Monkey Sighting: Eating From St. Petersburg Bird Feeder. Written by Mike Brassfield of the St. Petersburg Times on April 11, 2010.
This title was so absurd, I just had to click on it to see what it was all about. And, according to this story, I have been out of the loop for quite some time because I had no IDEA that there was a wild monkey roaming around the Pinellas-Hillsborough area for the past year. I live in that area, and I have never heard such a story. My favorite part about this article was how it was a good mix between video and text. The text portion of the article was short, but it contained all the important summary points of the story. The video portion was also short, only about a minute, and it gave a better view into the story. Obviously. I mean, some guy took video of the monkey, and I would not have known what a rhesus monkey looked like off the top of my head. It was definitely cool, and I'd like to see the future of online journalism head in this direction.
Article
---------------------------
Article 3: Pregnant Chicks Who Brag Too Much. Written by Cara Litke of Cosmopolitan Magazine in the April 2010 issue.
Okay, this was a little weird and not usually what I read. I was about to navigate away to something more "news-like" and something structured a little more traditionally... but then I thought, "Why not?". Technically, (though I'm not really sure) the accounts that these people send in to be published could be considered a form a journalism, just not a professional one. I mean, honestly, all Cara Litke really did was put together a montage of stories from different women with pregnant friends, then make a quick summarization of some advice from an expert lady. So really, it was all thanks to the ladies. I just really liked this a lot because I can relate with the women who are SO frustrated about hearing about someone's baby going to be born. None of my peers are in that position, but I've had relatives who were just as annoying. For example: my Aunt had an entire blog/website devoted to the development of her fetus!! Weird.
Article 3
----------------------
Article 4: Pope's Ivory Tower Past Adds to His Detachment. Written by Vanessa Gera of the Associated Press on April 11, 2010.
To make my last article of this journal memorable, I specifically searched on the Yahoo! homepage for more updates on the Vatican molestation scandal. I was not disappointed. In this latest edition of the debacle, the Pope's leadership and background are ripped apart and scrutinized by his peers and by everyone Gera talked to. Now, in a time like this where people are outraged at the behaviors of these perverts, most are happy to hear what they want-- and what they want is insults and backup. It probably wasn't in the AP's best interest to have a completely fair article where sources are defending the Pope's decisions. Pretty much everyone in this entire article has something to say about Benedict XVI's leadership issues. I would have liked to hear from someone who could defend the Pope a little because, pun intended, shouldn't people have a little more faith in their leaders??
Article
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
JOU Articles: week 12
Article 1: Hot Tub Time Machine Leaves Audiences Drowning for a Laugh. Written by Daniel Feingold of the Minaret on March 31, 2010.
I was especially happy to review this article because it was written by a friend of mine who is a freshman at University of Tampa. Ironically, even though he is a freshman, his opinion articles are regularly printed in the school paper and he loves showing them off. Therefore, I have decided to listen to him and actually read his articles. First of all, the main problem I had with it is that his editor didn't really read Daniel's story. The title implies that overall, Daniel did NOT like the movie Hot Tub Time Machine, when really he found it quite enjoyable and exactly as the previews advertised. So there's one problem. The only other problem I had with Daniel's writing was how he referenced all the actors in the movie. He wrote with this strange assumption that the average reader had actually HEARD of any of the dudes in this movie other than John Cusack and the Daryll from The Office. When there are unknown actors like that, you either go into greater detail so everyone understands or you just stick with the main stars. That's my opinion.
Article
------------------------
Article 2: Zombie Nation. Printed and posted in Editorials section of The Alligator on April 5, 2010.
Okay, maybe I'm not allowed to be reviewing this because I'm immersed in the subject of the story itself, but there's no rules against conflict of interest for the reader, right? As one of the participants in the ongoing, on-campus zombie apocalypse, I was especially critical of this coward's stupid article. They didn't leave their name for fear of retaliation, I'm sure, and I was outraged at the disdain this person had for a harmless and fun activity. The article was full of cliches about basement-dwelling nerds playing Dungeons and Dragons, dueling with lightsabers, etc. It just made them sound like a hater, because they couldn't give one real reason why they would have a problem with such a fun activity other than discrimination against nerds. And so what? Plenty of nerds play Humans vs Zombies, but there are tons of "normal" kids, too. Also, because I was hyper-critical of this jerk, I noticed he/she used "their" at one point instead of the contraction "they're". Idiot! I know this person isn't really a staff member, but come on, it's clear the people at The Alligator just wanted to make people mad. It worked.
Article
----------------------------
Article 3: Two Bicycle Stops Net Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, Morphine. Written by Karen Voyles of The Gainesville Sun on April 5, 2010.
Ah, back to my favorite arrests-in-local-areas stories. I felt that this was a well-detailed article that showed good dedication to journalism, but it wasn't awesome for other reasons. It was good because it managed to get a lot of information in a story that usually will only have a quick blurb about "so-and-so was apprehended", "no details yet", etc. It was nice to have real police reports included in the article. On the downside, though, there were a couple of errors that weren't spelling per se, but rather a word that is spelled correctly, but no one caught it because it's simply in the wrong tense. Also, if I had written this article, I probably would have added a little more information about the contraband found on the criminals. For example, what exactly is "cannabis", and why is a "Psilocybin" mushroom particularly dangerous? I mean, I'm not stupid, but a little aside between some commas would have been helpful.
Article
-----------------------
Article 4: 11-Year-Old, Mom Stabbed When Son Fights Intruder. Written by Kim Janssen of the Chicago Sun-Times on April 5, 2010.
Okay, so I decided I'd try to get away from what I usually read by navigating to a paper I don't usually check up on. Unfortunately, as soon as I saw the above headline, I couldn't help myself. This story wasn't particularly long or special, but its simplicity made for a great read. I had all the information I needed to paint a picture of the attack as well as the bravery of such a little boy. My eyes actually misted up a bit because the picture included with the story was so tragic-looking yet heartwarming; after all, there were no deaths of innocents. Honestly, more online articles should include pictures because the visual aid is really important to connect the reader to what is happening in the story. At least, I believe it does. Oh, and the simplicity I was talking about? In no way was it Rick Bragg-caliber, but I arrangement of words was fluid and poignant, which is his specialty. Janssen just kin of reminded me of him for a second.
Article
I was especially happy to review this article because it was written by a friend of mine who is a freshman at University of Tampa. Ironically, even though he is a freshman, his opinion articles are regularly printed in the school paper and he loves showing them off. Therefore, I have decided to listen to him and actually read his articles. First of all, the main problem I had with it is that his editor didn't really read Daniel's story. The title implies that overall, Daniel did NOT like the movie Hot Tub Time Machine, when really he found it quite enjoyable and exactly as the previews advertised. So there's one problem. The only other problem I had with Daniel's writing was how he referenced all the actors in the movie. He wrote with this strange assumption that the average reader had actually HEARD of any of the dudes in this movie other than John Cusack and the Daryll from The Office. When there are unknown actors like that, you either go into greater detail so everyone understands or you just stick with the main stars. That's my opinion.
Article
------------------------
Article 2: Zombie Nation. Printed and posted in Editorials section of The Alligator on April 5, 2010.
Okay, maybe I'm not allowed to be reviewing this because I'm immersed in the subject of the story itself, but there's no rules against conflict of interest for the reader, right? As one of the participants in the ongoing, on-campus zombie apocalypse, I was especially critical of this coward's stupid article. They didn't leave their name for fear of retaliation, I'm sure, and I was outraged at the disdain this person had for a harmless and fun activity. The article was full of cliches about basement-dwelling nerds playing Dungeons and Dragons, dueling with lightsabers, etc. It just made them sound like a hater, because they couldn't give one real reason why they would have a problem with such a fun activity other than discrimination against nerds. And so what? Plenty of nerds play Humans vs Zombies, but there are tons of "normal" kids, too. Also, because I was hyper-critical of this jerk, I noticed he/she used "their" at one point instead of the contraction "they're". Idiot! I know this person isn't really a staff member, but come on, it's clear the people at The Alligator just wanted to make people mad. It worked.
Article
----------------------------
Article 3: Two Bicycle Stops Net Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, Morphine. Written by Karen Voyles of The Gainesville Sun on April 5, 2010.
Ah, back to my favorite arrests-in-local-areas stories. I felt that this was a well-detailed article that showed good dedication to journalism, but it wasn't awesome for other reasons. It was good because it managed to get a lot of information in a story that usually will only have a quick blurb about "so-and-so was apprehended", "no details yet", etc. It was nice to have real police reports included in the article. On the downside, though, there were a couple of errors that weren't spelling per se, but rather a word that is spelled correctly, but no one caught it because it's simply in the wrong tense. Also, if I had written this article, I probably would have added a little more information about the contraband found on the criminals. For example, what exactly is "cannabis", and why is a "Psilocybin" mushroom particularly dangerous? I mean, I'm not stupid, but a little aside between some commas would have been helpful.
Article
-----------------------
Article 4: 11-Year-Old, Mom Stabbed When Son Fights Intruder. Written by Kim Janssen of the Chicago Sun-Times on April 5, 2010.
Okay, so I decided I'd try to get away from what I usually read by navigating to a paper I don't usually check up on. Unfortunately, as soon as I saw the above headline, I couldn't help myself. This story wasn't particularly long or special, but its simplicity made for a great read. I had all the information I needed to paint a picture of the attack as well as the bravery of such a little boy. My eyes actually misted up a bit because the picture included with the story was so tragic-looking yet heartwarming; after all, there were no deaths of innocents. Honestly, more online articles should include pictures because the visual aid is really important to connect the reader to what is happening in the story. At least, I believe it does. Oh, and the simplicity I was talking about? In no way was it Rick Bragg-caliber, but I arrangement of words was fluid and poignant, which is his specialty. Janssen just kin of reminded me of him for a second.
Article
Sunday, March 28, 2010
JOU Articles: week 11
Article 1: 1 Food That Can Help You Sleep-- and 5 That Might Not. Written by Michelle Edelbaum with EatingWell Magazine on March 11, 2010.
My favorite part about this article was the way that Edelbaum managed to sound like she was really relatable to her readers. Even though she's a healthfood expert, it was like talking to a friend who just wants to help. As for the content I tend to read, I'm still a sucker for all of these Yahoo-advertised articles about fun little ways to improve your life, health, or relationships. Another thing I really liked was that even though she didn't have a ton of outside sources or quotes from other officials, she included links to websites throughout the article that would lead the reader to more information about a certain topic. I like when online journalists do this because it provides a great way for people to learn more about something they don't understand without convoluting the original story with boring facts.
Article
---------------------
Article 2: With No Jobs, Plenty of Time for Tea Party. Written by Kate Zernike of the New York Times on March 27, 2010.
This is one of the few stories I have actually written about before in previous weeks, and so I decided that the New York Times would produce a good enough article to take as being credible since they cover more important global news. I had no illusions before reading this that it would be another pro-tea party article, but for once that didn't really bother me because as I read I discovered that it was more about a few highlighted people in the movement. It read more like a personal piece about people finding hope instead of a simple "pros and cons of a political party" type thing. Zernike had good sources that weren't all necessarily experts, which I like because I feel like I can relate to these people more than just take a doctor's word about something he or she wrote a book on once.
Article
-----------------
Article 3: Man Killed in Stabbing, Suspect is in Custody. Written by Cindy Swirko of the Gainesville Sun on March 28, 2010.
True to form, I simply could not resist reading more depressing news. This, coupled with my tendency to enjoy local news from local newspapers, made this the perfect bait for my fancy. However, my enthusiasm was suppressed somewhat when I discovered how little "real" information there was in this. Call me calloused, but I would prefer journalists wait to publish articles on events like this until there is more to be said about it. Why give worry and make people feel bad about someone getting killed if you can't even give the readers closure over the event? What I did like was Swirko's dedication to making substance herself in the face of a lack of information. She got in touch with not only the victim's son, but people in the community who had known the deceased and could comment on his life. It added a great human angle, which is really important to me.
Article
--------------------
Article 4: Pope Opens Solemn Holy Week Amid Sex Abuse Crisis. Written by Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press on March 28, 2010.
With the exception of the Toyota recall coverage, this is probably the story I have followed the most over the past few weeks. When it first popped up, it immediately caught my interest because of its stereotypical nature, which is often a subject of jokes. The whole "priest touching little boys" thing isn't funny, but it helped grab my attention. Of course, in a situation like this, Winfield does a great job of doing her honorable best by giving some clergy members a chance to start damage control. We're past the denial and almost past the defensive stages, but now it's all about "how to fix this" and "what's being done". Winfield includes quotes from many sources stating the problems and how sorry they are that it got like this. Despite this fairness, however, much like with the Toyota stories, this article is definitely NOT pro-vatican. This is still a scandal that must be addressed as such. Finally, the article was short yet informative, my favorite kind.
Article
My favorite part about this article was the way that Edelbaum managed to sound like she was really relatable to her readers. Even though she's a healthfood expert, it was like talking to a friend who just wants to help. As for the content I tend to read, I'm still a sucker for all of these Yahoo-advertised articles about fun little ways to improve your life, health, or relationships. Another thing I really liked was that even though she didn't have a ton of outside sources or quotes from other officials, she included links to websites throughout the article that would lead the reader to more information about a certain topic. I like when online journalists do this because it provides a great way for people to learn more about something they don't understand without convoluting the original story with boring facts.
Article
---------------------
Article 2: With No Jobs, Plenty of Time for Tea Party. Written by Kate Zernike of the New York Times on March 27, 2010.
This is one of the few stories I have actually written about before in previous weeks, and so I decided that the New York Times would produce a good enough article to take as being credible since they cover more important global news. I had no illusions before reading this that it would be another pro-tea party article, but for once that didn't really bother me because as I read I discovered that it was more about a few highlighted people in the movement. It read more like a personal piece about people finding hope instead of a simple "pros and cons of a political party" type thing. Zernike had good sources that weren't all necessarily experts, which I like because I feel like I can relate to these people more than just take a doctor's word about something he or she wrote a book on once.
Article
-----------------
Article 3: Man Killed in Stabbing, Suspect is in Custody. Written by Cindy Swirko of the Gainesville Sun on March 28, 2010.
True to form, I simply could not resist reading more depressing news. This, coupled with my tendency to enjoy local news from local newspapers, made this the perfect bait for my fancy. However, my enthusiasm was suppressed somewhat when I discovered how little "real" information there was in this. Call me calloused, but I would prefer journalists wait to publish articles on events like this until there is more to be said about it. Why give worry and make people feel bad about someone getting killed if you can't even give the readers closure over the event? What I did like was Swirko's dedication to making substance herself in the face of a lack of information. She got in touch with not only the victim's son, but people in the community who had known the deceased and could comment on his life. It added a great human angle, which is really important to me.
Article
--------------------
Article 4: Pope Opens Solemn Holy Week Amid Sex Abuse Crisis. Written by Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press on March 28, 2010.
With the exception of the Toyota recall coverage, this is probably the story I have followed the most over the past few weeks. When it first popped up, it immediately caught my interest because of its stereotypical nature, which is often a subject of jokes. The whole "priest touching little boys" thing isn't funny, but it helped grab my attention. Of course, in a situation like this, Winfield does a great job of doing her honorable best by giving some clergy members a chance to start damage control. We're past the denial and almost past the defensive stages, but now it's all about "how to fix this" and "what's being done". Winfield includes quotes from many sources stating the problems and how sorry they are that it got like this. Despite this fairness, however, much like with the Toyota stories, this article is definitely NOT pro-vatican. This is still a scandal that must be addressed as such. Finally, the article was short yet informative, my favorite kind.
Article
Thursday, March 18, 2010
JOU Articles: week 10
Article 1: 7 Things Never to Say to Your Boss. Written by Karen Burns from US News on March 17, 2010.
I love all the little "how to make your life awesome" columns where I learn more about how to live correctly from a journalist and other "specialists". Instead of actively looking for this one, I specifically picked it because I started reading it on my own-- I would do this more often, but I didn't want to over-saturate my blog with the same type of article. I felt like the info in the story was helpful but just a little obvious for the average person. I liked how there wasn't really an outside source in this publication because the writer herself is an author of a book all about career advice. She's her own source! Also, since there weren't any specific persons to report on, there weren't any quotes either, which is okay. I really enjoyed writing reflecting on something that's just a little bit different from all the other articles I've been reading over the past few weeks.
Article
------------------
Article 2: Behind 'Runaways' Film, Legal Battle Simmers. Written by Hollywood Reporter from Reuters on March 19, 2010.
I was astonished to find that this article was way more informative than first glance would suggest. I figured it would just be solely about the bickering between some people about how "this chick didn't agree to have herself portrayed in a movie, blah blah blah". Instead, on top of all that, there was even a little bit of educational matter that included some of the inner-working about what is actually allowed in life-rights lawsuits, etc. I got to learn more about something that I didn't know much about before. The coverage was even and fair, getting opinions from both ladies on either side of the argument. The structure of the story was nice and easy to follow because whenever the topic changed, not only did a new paragraph start, but it had a separate smaller title to distinguish it from the rest of the article, which was nice. It even had a picture, which is not uncommon on an internet article, but welcome nevertheless.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: Beware the Ides of March. Written by Steve Otto of The Tampa Tribune on March 19, 2010.
This had to be one of the most confusing and just plain awful pieces of professional journalism I have ever had the displeasure of reading. It hardly made any damn sense! I'm pretty sure the only piece of real information I got from this was that it was about a Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners meeting. Otto has his own opinion column, obviously, so it's not like I'm just disagreeing with his opinion-- his writing in this story is so convoluted and hard to understand! Throughout the entire article he is throwing around quotes from Shakespeare, and then comparing it to how it would be translated into something said by the debating Commissioners, or something like that. When he wasn't quoting someone else, he was using words that were WAY too advanced for the average reader and made himself sound bloated and self-important. This technique got SO old SO quickly, and half the time he would use quotes to start a paragraph, which was awful. They'd be in a sentence all their own, so the search for the explanations on these drifting quotes was tedious and frustrating. Maybe I'm a simpleton for not grasping such a "sophisticated" writing technique, but this evoked no reaction, no emotion whatsoever. It's flat-out crap unfit to line a hamster's cage.
Article
-------------------
Article 4: Pope Does Not Mention Rebuke to Irish Bishops. Written by Frances D'Emilio of the Associated Press on March 21, 2010.
I had been loosely following this story's thread the past few weeks, and I decided to see where the story was heading since the last time I read about it. My main concern was the amount of sources. Don't get me wrong, I love a well-sourced article (it gives me reassurance of the credibility), but this is one situation where it went a little too far beyond what I think is necessary. It looked very cool and official with all of the helpful quotes and stuff, but it pulled me all over the place and made the story a tad hard to follow. Every other sentenced switched between which source was talking, and I got discouraged and my mind began to wander. Because of all this buzzing, I feel like the lead of the story got buried. I can hardly conclude for myself what the final overall opinion (for lack of a better word) is, so I can hardly conclude that this is worth reading.
Final verdict: I didn't strike gold this week, that's for sure.
Article
I love all the little "how to make your life awesome" columns where I learn more about how to live correctly from a journalist and other "specialists". Instead of actively looking for this one, I specifically picked it because I started reading it on my own-- I would do this more often, but I didn't want to over-saturate my blog with the same type of article. I felt like the info in the story was helpful but just a little obvious for the average person. I liked how there wasn't really an outside source in this publication because the writer herself is an author of a book all about career advice. She's her own source! Also, since there weren't any specific persons to report on, there weren't any quotes either, which is okay. I really enjoyed writing reflecting on something that's just a little bit different from all the other articles I've been reading over the past few weeks.
Article
------------------
Article 2: Behind 'Runaways' Film, Legal Battle Simmers. Written by Hollywood Reporter from Reuters on March 19, 2010.
I was astonished to find that this article was way more informative than first glance would suggest. I figured it would just be solely about the bickering between some people about how "this chick didn't agree to have herself portrayed in a movie, blah blah blah". Instead, on top of all that, there was even a little bit of educational matter that included some of the inner-working about what is actually allowed in life-rights lawsuits, etc. I got to learn more about something that I didn't know much about before. The coverage was even and fair, getting opinions from both ladies on either side of the argument. The structure of the story was nice and easy to follow because whenever the topic changed, not only did a new paragraph start, but it had a separate smaller title to distinguish it from the rest of the article, which was nice. It even had a picture, which is not uncommon on an internet article, but welcome nevertheless.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: Beware the Ides of March. Written by Steve Otto of The Tampa Tribune on March 19, 2010.
This had to be one of the most confusing and just plain awful pieces of professional journalism I have ever had the displeasure of reading. It hardly made any damn sense! I'm pretty sure the only piece of real information I got from this was that it was about a Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners meeting. Otto has his own opinion column, obviously, so it's not like I'm just disagreeing with his opinion-- his writing in this story is so convoluted and hard to understand! Throughout the entire article he is throwing around quotes from Shakespeare, and then comparing it to how it would be translated into something said by the debating Commissioners, or something like that. When he wasn't quoting someone else, he was using words that were WAY too advanced for the average reader and made himself sound bloated and self-important. This technique got SO old SO quickly, and half the time he would use quotes to start a paragraph, which was awful. They'd be in a sentence all their own, so the search for the explanations on these drifting quotes was tedious and frustrating. Maybe I'm a simpleton for not grasping such a "sophisticated" writing technique, but this evoked no reaction, no emotion whatsoever. It's flat-out crap unfit to line a hamster's cage.
Article
-------------------
Article 4: Pope Does Not Mention Rebuke to Irish Bishops. Written by Frances D'Emilio of the Associated Press on March 21, 2010.
I had been loosely following this story's thread the past few weeks, and I decided to see where the story was heading since the last time I read about it. My main concern was the amount of sources. Don't get me wrong, I love a well-sourced article (it gives me reassurance of the credibility), but this is one situation where it went a little too far beyond what I think is necessary. It looked very cool and official with all of the helpful quotes and stuff, but it pulled me all over the place and made the story a tad hard to follow. Every other sentenced switched between which source was talking, and I got discouraged and my mind began to wander. Because of all this buzzing, I feel like the lead of the story got buried. I can hardly conclude for myself what the final overall opinion (for lack of a better word) is, so I can hardly conclude that this is worth reading.
Final verdict: I didn't strike gold this week, that's for sure.
Article
Sunday, March 14, 2010
JOU Articles: week 9
Article 1: Marathoners Face Greater Risk of Artery Problems. Written by from HealthDay News on March 13, 2010.
I was really impressed with the sourcing on this article. There weren't as many as I'd usually consider as being "well-rounded", but the one that was there seemed extremely reliable and well-documented. It also flowed really well, and despite it's less-than-superexciting content, I was compelled to read the whole thing from start to finish. I also reacted a little more strongly than usual because it had important relevance to my life. My boyfriend is an avid runner and although he doesn't regularly compete in marathons, he does like to do long-distance running competitions. I definitely don't want him to push himself too hard after reading this, but at the same time it is kinda just common sense. Just like being a lazy ass isn't good for your health, pushing yourself past your body's limits isn't smart, either. Again, one of my biggest problems with most news articles is the lack of commitment to finding more sources or quotes from someone who perhaps does run marathons and their reaction to this news.
Article
------------------
Article 2: Vatican Denies Celibacy Rule Led to Sex Scandal. Written by Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press on March 14, 2010.
OHHhohohohoho. Hehehe. Nothing makes me giggle with guilty glee like a heavily ironic piece of religious ridiculousness. My retarded sentence aside, I absolutely could NOT pass up reading this work of magic when I came across the title. As far as fairness goes, I honestly feel that the article favored the priests and the vatican's opinions. The opposing argument was presented, but in no way did it go in depth for those who believe that the celibacy rule is indeed the cause of sexual scandals. The story mostly focused on the pope's handling of the scandals and how plenty of priests disagree with the claims being made. Therefore, I couldn't help but react unfavorably while reading this. It looked like a joke, honestly, because I don't believe half of the crap coming out of the vatican officials' mouths.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: 'Cavalia,' the Cirque du Soleil-type Show With Horses, Prances into Fairgrounds. Written by Susan Thurston of the St Pete Times on March 12, 2010.
This is probably one of the most effective, charming extended advertisements I have ever read. It told me all I could want to know about the show it was advertising without sounding too enthusiastic or understated. There was a video at the top featuring the Cavalia horses, which was another major positive for me. It just gave the article that extra edge. I don't feel that it is unfair to showcase the Cavalia show in the newspaper because I don't think they paid for the article to be written. It's a relevant show that probably deserves to be noted in the local paper anyway. Also, Thurston quickly and efficiently described what exactly the show was as well as gave some fun and quirky statistics like the height of the tent. Also, at the end, there was a detailed paragraph explaining exactly when, where and how much the show is. Altogether I wouldn't change anything about the writing style because it was engaging and genuine.
Article
-------------------
Article 4: UF Hires Outside Firm to Review Shooting of Student by Police. Written by Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun on March 13, 2010.
Although reading about world-shattering events is fun, I am discovering my love for local news. Call me selfish, but finding articles that are even somewhat relevant to what I can relate to is more interesting than the bigger picture. This article called to me specifically because a friend of mine actually was the first way I found out about this story, so I decided to see what the deal was for myself from a journalistic point of view. Craziness of the story aside, I feel this was a well-written article full of credible sources and fair coverage. Crabbe got quotes from both the dean and a representative of the independent law firm, which I felt was thoughtful. At times I felt like the article was just a liiittle bit out of order because the student who was shot only got properly introduced well into the middle of the article. I felt like Crabbe could have slipped that in a little earlier so I wasn't completely in the dark until halfway through. Since this story is just unfolding, there wasn't much by way of conflict resolution, but that is to be expected when the news is so fresh.
Article
I was really impressed with the sourcing on this article. There weren't as many as I'd usually consider as being "well-rounded", but the one that was there seemed extremely reliable and well-documented. It also flowed really well, and despite it's less-than-superexciting content, I was compelled to read the whole thing from start to finish. I also reacted a little more strongly than usual because it had important relevance to my life. My boyfriend is an avid runner and although he doesn't regularly compete in marathons, he does like to do long-distance running competitions. I definitely don't want him to push himself too hard after reading this, but at the same time it is kinda just common sense. Just like being a lazy ass isn't good for your health, pushing yourself past your body's limits isn't smart, either. Again, one of my biggest problems with most news articles is the lack of commitment to finding more sources or quotes from someone who perhaps does run marathons and their reaction to this news.
Article
------------------
Article 2: Vatican Denies Celibacy Rule Led to Sex Scandal. Written by Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press on March 14, 2010.
OHHhohohohoho. Hehehe. Nothing makes me giggle with guilty glee like a heavily ironic piece of religious ridiculousness. My retarded sentence aside, I absolutely could NOT pass up reading this work of magic when I came across the title. As far as fairness goes, I honestly feel that the article favored the priests and the vatican's opinions. The opposing argument was presented, but in no way did it go in depth for those who believe that the celibacy rule is indeed the cause of sexual scandals. The story mostly focused on the pope's handling of the scandals and how plenty of priests disagree with the claims being made. Therefore, I couldn't help but react unfavorably while reading this. It looked like a joke, honestly, because I don't believe half of the crap coming out of the vatican officials' mouths.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: 'Cavalia,' the Cirque du Soleil-type Show With Horses, Prances into Fairgrounds. Written by Susan Thurston of the St Pete Times on March 12, 2010.
This is probably one of the most effective, charming extended advertisements I have ever read. It told me all I could want to know about the show it was advertising without sounding too enthusiastic or understated. There was a video at the top featuring the Cavalia horses, which was another major positive for me. It just gave the article that extra edge. I don't feel that it is unfair to showcase the Cavalia show in the newspaper because I don't think they paid for the article to be written. It's a relevant show that probably deserves to be noted in the local paper anyway. Also, Thurston quickly and efficiently described what exactly the show was as well as gave some fun and quirky statistics like the height of the tent. Also, at the end, there was a detailed paragraph explaining exactly when, where and how much the show is. Altogether I wouldn't change anything about the writing style because it was engaging and genuine.
Article
-------------------
Article 4: UF Hires Outside Firm to Review Shooting of Student by Police. Written by Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun on March 13, 2010.
Although reading about world-shattering events is fun, I am discovering my love for local news. Call me selfish, but finding articles that are even somewhat relevant to what I can relate to is more interesting than the bigger picture. This article called to me specifically because a friend of mine actually was the first way I found out about this story, so I decided to see what the deal was for myself from a journalistic point of view. Craziness of the story aside, I feel this was a well-written article full of credible sources and fair coverage. Crabbe got quotes from both the dean and a representative of the independent law firm, which I felt was thoughtful. At times I felt like the article was just a liiittle bit out of order because the student who was shot only got properly introduced well into the middle of the article. I felt like Crabbe could have slipped that in a little earlier so I wasn't completely in the dark until halfway through. Since this story is just unfolding, there wasn't much by way of conflict resolution, but that is to be expected when the news is so fresh.
Article
Monday, March 8, 2010
JOU Articles: week 8
Article 1: Tax Soda, Pizza to Cut Obesity, Researchers Say. Written by Julie Steenhuysen of Reuters on March 8, 2010.
I picked this article out of the sheer apparent ridiculousness of the title of this article. I mean, really? A soda tax and pizza tax will single-handedly reduce American obesity? I know this isn't an article summary, but that's just my immediate thoughts on it. Upon reading the article, though, I discovered how logical and well-sourced it was. The arguments of the scientists backing this claim were very organized in their presentation, and the article had me believing in this tax increase by the last word. It wasn't very long, but it managed to fit all important points without getting boring, which is always a plus for me. Technically, the article was arranged with extremely short paragraphs (some only one sentence long), so that sometimes made me feel like I was scattered through a bunch of unrelated sentences. That would be the only major negative, though.
Article
-------------------
Article 2: Professor Suspended After Joke About Killing Students on Facebook. Written by Dalia Fahmy on March 3, 2010.
I honestly didn't like the organization of this article at all. To start, the title already read funny to me because of the ordering of the words. The title, upon first reading it, may give the impression that humans can actually be killed ON facebook. The words "on Facebook" should be placed after "Joke" in the title to make more sense. It just reeked of unprofessionalism and it already gave me a negative attitude towards the story before I even read it. The itself was okay, considering Fahmy got a quote from the actual teacher and everything, but the other thing that didn't fly with me was the video attached right in the forefront of the webpage. It's a video about a professor, all right, but it's completely unrelated to the story it's placed in. It's just about some other professor who actually DID kill some people. Luckily I had heard the story from the video prior to reading this article, but it could be extremely misleading if you hadn't-- the lady who got suspended didn't actually kill anyone, and that's a crucial mixup.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: After Daughter Misses Half the School Year, 'Lonely' Mom Jailed in Tampa. Written by Kim Wilmath of the St. Pete Times on March 8, 2010.
This was an extremely strange and unheard of story that was definitely newsworthy because it fit squarely under the "Odd" category. Very rarely do you see kids missing multiple school days staying home because they're so attached to their parent, and vice versa. Like the other story I read earlier in this journal entry, some of the paragraphs were so small that each individual sentence was split into a new "topic". It was really boring to follow in that aspect because once again I was pulled in a ton of different directions. Hasn't anyone ever heard of a transition? Anyway, it was interesting enough and there was even a picture (a visual aid I suppose) of the woman currently in jail, which was nice.
Article
-----------------------
Article 4: Oscars' Big Mysteries Explained. Written by Mike Ryan on the Yahoo!Movies webpage on March 8, 2010.
Even though this article wasn't a traditional informational news piece from a respectable newspaper, it very quickly captured my interest. I'm trying to include all the different forms of journalism in my blog (because even a blogger can be considered a journalist!) so that I get a good, diversified set of articles. Since I harbor a small, secret sweet spot for celebrity gossip (don't get the wrong idea, it certainly doesn't consume me), I wanted to see what kinds of 'mysteries' went unsolved from the year's biggest award ceremony. To put it bluntly, this was a very enjoyable article. I laughed, learned, and was generally incredulous as I read each issue Mr. Ryan addressed in his Yahoo post. There was a slight lack of what could be considered a reliable source or quotes, but it doesn't really bother me since it's just speculative gossip. I honestly won't be upset if every iota of this article isn't 100% true. Unethical? Maybe. But since I'm the reader I don't have to be ethical.
Article
I picked this article out of the sheer apparent ridiculousness of the title of this article. I mean, really? A soda tax and pizza tax will single-handedly reduce American obesity? I know this isn't an article summary, but that's just my immediate thoughts on it. Upon reading the article, though, I discovered how logical and well-sourced it was. The arguments of the scientists backing this claim were very organized in their presentation, and the article had me believing in this tax increase by the last word. It wasn't very long, but it managed to fit all important points without getting boring, which is always a plus for me. Technically, the article was arranged with extremely short paragraphs (some only one sentence long), so that sometimes made me feel like I was scattered through a bunch of unrelated sentences. That would be the only major negative, though.
Article
-------------------
Article 2: Professor Suspended After Joke About Killing Students on Facebook. Written by Dalia Fahmy on March 3, 2010.
I honestly didn't like the organization of this article at all. To start, the title already read funny to me because of the ordering of the words. The title, upon first reading it, may give the impression that humans can actually be killed ON facebook. The words "on Facebook" should be placed after "Joke" in the title to make more sense. It just reeked of unprofessionalism and it already gave me a negative attitude towards the story before I even read it. The itself was okay, considering Fahmy got a quote from the actual teacher and everything, but the other thing that didn't fly with me was the video attached right in the forefront of the webpage. It's a video about a professor, all right, but it's completely unrelated to the story it's placed in. It's just about some other professor who actually DID kill some people. Luckily I had heard the story from the video prior to reading this article, but it could be extremely misleading if you hadn't-- the lady who got suspended didn't actually kill anyone, and that's a crucial mixup.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: After Daughter Misses Half the School Year, 'Lonely' Mom Jailed in Tampa. Written by Kim Wilmath of the St. Pete Times on March 8, 2010.
This was an extremely strange and unheard of story that was definitely newsworthy because it fit squarely under the "Odd" category. Very rarely do you see kids missing multiple school days staying home because they're so attached to their parent, and vice versa. Like the other story I read earlier in this journal entry, some of the paragraphs were so small that each individual sentence was split into a new "topic". It was really boring to follow in that aspect because once again I was pulled in a ton of different directions. Hasn't anyone ever heard of a transition? Anyway, it was interesting enough and there was even a picture (a visual aid I suppose) of the woman currently in jail, which was nice.
Article
-----------------------
Article 4: Oscars' Big Mysteries Explained. Written by Mike Ryan on the Yahoo!Movies webpage on March 8, 2010.
Even though this article wasn't a traditional informational news piece from a respectable newspaper, it very quickly captured my interest. I'm trying to include all the different forms of journalism in my blog (because even a blogger can be considered a journalist!) so that I get a good, diversified set of articles. Since I harbor a small, secret sweet spot for celebrity gossip (don't get the wrong idea, it certainly doesn't consume me), I wanted to see what kinds of 'mysteries' went unsolved from the year's biggest award ceremony. To put it bluntly, this was a very enjoyable article. I laughed, learned, and was generally incredulous as I read each issue Mr. Ryan addressed in his Yahoo post. There was a slight lack of what could be considered a reliable source or quotes, but it doesn't really bother me since it's just speculative gossip. I honestly won't be upset if every iota of this article isn't 100% true. Unethical? Maybe. But since I'm the reader I don't have to be ethical.
Article
Sunday, February 28, 2010
JOU Articles: week 7
Article 1: Marie Osmond's Son Died Near Downtown L.A. Fashion Institute He Attended. Written by Rong-Gong Lin II of the LA Times on February 28, 2010.
After seeing more nutri-system commercials than is healthy for one person, seeing Marie Osmond's name in the news for something other than diet food immediately caught my interest. There were quite a lot of links to choose from that are covering this story, and after browsing a few, they all looked to be pretty small and basic at this point. Obviously there's not a lot of coverage on the subject yet, but whoever is working at newspapers on a sunday is definitely on top of the ball. I chose this article because I was able to find something I didn't like about it right away. Since I'm not an experienced editor or journalist in any way, I don't think I'm very good at identifying "mistakes". This isn't a mistake, really, but I thought the title for this story was really awful. I had to read it twice to understand it for sure because the phrasing is so awkward. Also, it's really not necessary to have so much in the title when only the first four words are good enough to grab someone's attention. Also, I didn't like how at the end the writer just stuck in a little blerb to remind everyone who the heck Marie Osmond is. I feel it detracts a little from the story, even if it's sorta necessary. I just think they could've included it more seamlessly into the article instead of just a big old eye-sore at the end. Also, I don't know if it's necessarily a requirement, but there was no contact information for the author in case you wanted to get in touch with them.
Article
-----------------------
Article 2: Unlikely Activist Who Got to the Tea Party Early. Written by Kate Zernike of the NY Times on February 27, 2010.
I was surprised to find that even though this article is from the NY Times, which I've generally come to know as being pretty reliable and newsworthy, it was disappointing to say the least. Since the article was about what is essentially a political party and its leader, I was surprised that there were no opinions from anyone who wasn't a supporter of the group or from the group themselves. It wasn't fair that the entire article painted a picture about this lovely conservative yet unconventional party leader-- it was extremely biased in my opinion. Heck, the article makes this girl look like some kind of hero, which is ridiculous. I was definitely pretty peeved by the time I finished reading, and that's not how I feel when reading good journalism. But then again, how the heck can I be a judge of what is a good article?
I'm trying to be more critical because I have a tendency to just accept all news at face value and accept them as being automatically true.
Article
-------------------
Article 3: Cheating Rarely Draws Stiffest Punishments. Written by Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun on February 28, 2010.
Wow, and article from the gainesville sun that's actually longer than one page! I know length isn't everything, but I rarely see news online from this particular news outlet that is so in-depth. This was a very interesting and enlightening article, and I thought it was very fair. The title may suggest that the story you're about to read will be full of "cheating is bad" and "we need to crack down on those dangnabbit cheaters" messages, but Crabbe makes sure that alternate views are expressed, such as those of people who acknowledge that the punishment system is flawed and that it is virtually impossible to correct all rule-breakers. The sources were also very credible to the story. Instead of just using a sketchy anonymous source or talking to someone who doesn't really know what they're talking about, Crabbe specifically talks to the director of the student conduct office. If anyone knows anything about student cheating and disciplinary issues, it'd be that guy, right?
Article
---------------------
Article 4: 'Game On!' for Vancouver Games Crown. Written by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!Sports on February 27, 2010.
Sports news doesn't usually attract my attention at all, but hockey, especially Olympic hockey, sure is interesting. Wetzel has a great writing style that I really admire. He managed to inject a special kind of levity into a story that could have been boring and full of testosterone-boosted, posturing alpha males. He addressed the issue of whether amount of medals overall or "golds" overall is more winning, which I found extremely funny because I've discussed the same thing with my family. He was also really even-handed for both teams, which was nice. I mean, I'm all for America kicking Canada's butt, but each team got to have their say in this article. Wetzel is just celebrating the spirit of competition and representing one's country, and isn't that what the Olympics is all about?
On a side note, there was a point in the article that came across as a little vague. Wetzel throws out a random little statement claiming that "[the game] is predicted to be the most-watched hockey game ever on both sides of the border". Is this true? Who knows. Maybe. Wasn't the Miracle on Ice the most-watched game? What source is he basing this info on? Nothing. Therefore, he just should've left that out.
Article
After seeing more nutri-system commercials than is healthy for one person, seeing Marie Osmond's name in the news for something other than diet food immediately caught my interest. There were quite a lot of links to choose from that are covering this story, and after browsing a few, they all looked to be pretty small and basic at this point. Obviously there's not a lot of coverage on the subject yet, but whoever is working at newspapers on a sunday is definitely on top of the ball. I chose this article because I was able to find something I didn't like about it right away. Since I'm not an experienced editor or journalist in any way, I don't think I'm very good at identifying "mistakes". This isn't a mistake, really, but I thought the title for this story was really awful. I had to read it twice to understand it for sure because the phrasing is so awkward. Also, it's really not necessary to have so much in the title when only the first four words are good enough to grab someone's attention. Also, I didn't like how at the end the writer just stuck in a little blerb to remind everyone who the heck Marie Osmond is. I feel it detracts a little from the story, even if it's sorta necessary. I just think they could've included it more seamlessly into the article instead of just a big old eye-sore at the end. Also, I don't know if it's necessarily a requirement, but there was no contact information for the author in case you wanted to get in touch with them.
Article
-----------------------
Article 2: Unlikely Activist Who Got to the Tea Party Early. Written by Kate Zernike of the NY Times on February 27, 2010.
I was surprised to find that even though this article is from the NY Times, which I've generally come to know as being pretty reliable and newsworthy, it was disappointing to say the least. Since the article was about what is essentially a political party and its leader, I was surprised that there were no opinions from anyone who wasn't a supporter of the group or from the group themselves. It wasn't fair that the entire article painted a picture about this lovely conservative yet unconventional party leader-- it was extremely biased in my opinion. Heck, the article makes this girl look like some kind of hero, which is ridiculous. I was definitely pretty peeved by the time I finished reading, and that's not how I feel when reading good journalism. But then again, how the heck can I be a judge of what is a good article?
I'm trying to be more critical because I have a tendency to just accept all news at face value and accept them as being automatically true.
Article
-------------------
Article 3: Cheating Rarely Draws Stiffest Punishments. Written by Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun on February 28, 2010.
Wow, and article from the gainesville sun that's actually longer than one page! I know length isn't everything, but I rarely see news online from this particular news outlet that is so in-depth. This was a very interesting and enlightening article, and I thought it was very fair. The title may suggest that the story you're about to read will be full of "cheating is bad" and "we need to crack down on those dangnabbit cheaters" messages, but Crabbe makes sure that alternate views are expressed, such as those of people who acknowledge that the punishment system is flawed and that it is virtually impossible to correct all rule-breakers. The sources were also very credible to the story. Instead of just using a sketchy anonymous source or talking to someone who doesn't really know what they're talking about, Crabbe specifically talks to the director of the student conduct office. If anyone knows anything about student cheating and disciplinary issues, it'd be that guy, right?
Article
---------------------
Article 4: 'Game On!' for Vancouver Games Crown. Written by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!Sports on February 27, 2010.
Sports news doesn't usually attract my attention at all, but hockey, especially Olympic hockey, sure is interesting. Wetzel has a great writing style that I really admire. He managed to inject a special kind of levity into a story that could have been boring and full of testosterone-boosted, posturing alpha males. He addressed the issue of whether amount of medals overall or "golds" overall is more winning, which I found extremely funny because I've discussed the same thing with my family. He was also really even-handed for both teams, which was nice. I mean, I'm all for America kicking Canada's butt, but each team got to have their say in this article. Wetzel is just celebrating the spirit of competition and representing one's country, and isn't that what the Olympics is all about?
On a side note, there was a point in the article that came across as a little vague. Wetzel throws out a random little statement claiming that "[the game] is predicted to be the most-watched hockey game ever on both sides of the border". Is this true? Who knows. Maybe. Wasn't the Miracle on Ice the most-watched game? What source is he basing this info on? Nothing. Therefore, he just should've left that out.
Article
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
JOU Articles: week 6
Article 1: Toyota Recalls Won't 'Totally' Fix Sudden Surges. Written by Tom Raum and Stephen Manning of the Associated Press on February 23, 2010.
With all the coverage on the Toyota recalls, it's really gotten my attention over the past couple of weeks. This one was especially important to me because it was well-written and extremely informative. I wasn't surprised to find that Toyota had been figuratively full of hot air with all their promises of instant fixes. Obviously, that never works, and hearing more promises from more CEO's doesn't give me much confidence for the average Toyota owner's safety. There was also a great emotional element to this article, which is usually lacking. Raum and Manning reported on a court event where a woman shared her personal experience with the defective cars. That is pretty important to me, because I really love being able to relate to the story on a more human perspective.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Burton and Depp on Same Page in New 'Wonderland'. Written by Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun Times on February 23, 2010.
This article was short, but it was a very pleasant read. Like I've mentioned in earlier posts, I have a tendency to focus on the more dramatic or tragic headlines, so I'm making a conscious effort to choose more light-hearted stories. Therefore, I chose to venture into the "entertainment" section of the newspaper. This was also a little different because it was actually just an interview-style session with Burton and Depp, which is different from straight news-reporting articles. Zwecker captured their conversation in a way that showed them in a very endearing fashion-- maybe that's wrong, but who cares? It's a fluff piece that generates hype about the new movie. Altogether, the article was charming and was even able to tie in a theme at the end of the story that was present in the beginning (their "gestures").
Article
--------------------
Article 3: Guilty Plea Made in Plot to Bomb New York Subway. Written by A.G. Sulzberger and William K. Rashbaum of the NY Times on February 22, 2010.
Wow. Just... wow. I don't know if I've ever been as focused while reading as I was just now. What a great story. It made me really angry, and it's rare for me to feel such clear emotions while reading news stories. I just feel detached from them somehow, especially if the writing is sub-par, but that was definitely not the case here. It was so beautifully and carefully crafted, with such great resources and flow; not once did I have to go back and re-read a sentence in order to absorb it properly. I won't say it's the greatest article I've ever read, but it's pretty damn close because the content itself is so enthralling. I haven't seen this story in other media outlets, but maybe that's because it's so new and since it originates in NY, obviously the NYTimes has first dibs. This will probably be all over the news on national levels very soon.
Article
----------------------------
Article 4: Five Years After Jessica Lunsford's Killing, Legislators Rethink Sex Offender Laws. Written by John Frank of the St Pete Times on February 24, 2010.
Let me just start by saying that I cried a lot while reading this article. It wasn't just a heart-wrenching memorial story, though. It presented the somewhat controversial idea that emotional, "knee-jerk" lawmaking isn't actually improving much in the long run. This article documents the different opinions well, from those who blindly trust all forms of sex-offender restrictions to those who are trying to get a more realistic grasp on the problem. The sources seemed very reliable and the statements from officials were very thorough and gave more than just a "one-liner" from some random congressman. It seems that Frank really pressed hard for more lengthy responses. I also really appreciated how short the paragraphs were, it really broke down the story into coherent parts that were easy to follow.
Article
With all the coverage on the Toyota recalls, it's really gotten my attention over the past couple of weeks. This one was especially important to me because it was well-written and extremely informative. I wasn't surprised to find that Toyota had been figuratively full of hot air with all their promises of instant fixes. Obviously, that never works, and hearing more promises from more CEO's doesn't give me much confidence for the average Toyota owner's safety. There was also a great emotional element to this article, which is usually lacking. Raum and Manning reported on a court event where a woman shared her personal experience with the defective cars. That is pretty important to me, because I really love being able to relate to the story on a more human perspective.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Burton and Depp on Same Page in New 'Wonderland'. Written by Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun Times on February 23, 2010.
This article was short, but it was a very pleasant read. Like I've mentioned in earlier posts, I have a tendency to focus on the more dramatic or tragic headlines, so I'm making a conscious effort to choose more light-hearted stories. Therefore, I chose to venture into the "entertainment" section of the newspaper. This was also a little different because it was actually just an interview-style session with Burton and Depp, which is different from straight news-reporting articles. Zwecker captured their conversation in a way that showed them in a very endearing fashion-- maybe that's wrong, but who cares? It's a fluff piece that generates hype about the new movie. Altogether, the article was charming and was even able to tie in a theme at the end of the story that was present in the beginning (their "gestures").
Article
--------------------
Article 3: Guilty Plea Made in Plot to Bomb New York Subway. Written by A.G. Sulzberger and William K. Rashbaum of the NY Times on February 22, 2010.
Wow. Just... wow. I don't know if I've ever been as focused while reading as I was just now. What a great story. It made me really angry, and it's rare for me to feel such clear emotions while reading news stories. I just feel detached from them somehow, especially if the writing is sub-par, but that was definitely not the case here. It was so beautifully and carefully crafted, with such great resources and flow; not once did I have to go back and re-read a sentence in order to absorb it properly. I won't say it's the greatest article I've ever read, but it's pretty damn close because the content itself is so enthralling. I haven't seen this story in other media outlets, but maybe that's because it's so new and since it originates in NY, obviously the NYTimes has first dibs. This will probably be all over the news on national levels very soon.
Article
----------------------------
Article 4: Five Years After Jessica Lunsford's Killing, Legislators Rethink Sex Offender Laws. Written by John Frank of the St Pete Times on February 24, 2010.
Let me just start by saying that I cried a lot while reading this article. It wasn't just a heart-wrenching memorial story, though. It presented the somewhat controversial idea that emotional, "knee-jerk" lawmaking isn't actually improving much in the long run. This article documents the different opinions well, from those who blindly trust all forms of sex-offender restrictions to those who are trying to get a more realistic grasp on the problem. The sources seemed very reliable and the statements from officials were very thorough and gave more than just a "one-liner" from some random congressman. It seems that Frank really pressed hard for more lengthy responses. I also really appreciated how short the paragraphs were, it really broke down the story into coherent parts that were easy to follow.
Article
Sunday, February 14, 2010
JOU Articles: week 5
Article 1: Olympic Officials' Icy Response to Death of Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili is Way Off Track. Written by Filip Bondy of the Daily News on February 14th, 2010.
This story is one I'm sure almost everyone in the whole world knows about, which is why I chose to read it. I'm a big fan of all things Olympian, so this story has been buzzing around my television for the past few days. All of the coverage on this tragic accident have similar tones of mourning and remembrance, but this article takes a more controversial view. It quotes a few officials who claim that Nodar was inexperienced and wasn't an athlete of a high enough caliber to successfully run the treacherous course instead of taking fault for having a course with extremely unsafe elements. One of the interesting parts of the article was the part with quotes from other lugers. It really gave me some perspective on what the others were feeling, and it was smart for Mr. Bondy to have included their opinions. It was a nice article, but with all the heavy, more interesting coverage surrounding this tragedy, it will most likely fade into obscurity.
Article
----------------------
Article 2: Kevin Smith Oversized? Ejected From Flight. Written by Matt Sayles of the Associated Press on February 15, 2010.
Since my news-reading tendencies usually lean towards the tragic and dramatic, I specifically wanted to find something a little less depressing. So, when looking at the St. Pete Times website, I found a tagline from the AP. The keywords were "overweight" and "plane", so I just had to read it. What stood out the most in this story was how Southwest airlines practically tripped over themselves to make it up to Smith. Any regular joe who couldn't fit properly in the seat would probably be ignored and treated as insignificant. Maybe, just maybe, after some sort of legal action, would the overweight passenger find restitution. But no, since Smith is a famous director he got multiple apologies and almost as many gifts.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: 4 Mega-Awkward Things You Need To Say. Written by Lauren Otis from Cosmopolitan magazine on February 14, 2010.
Okay, so girly advice columns actually interest me. I read them a lot, but they're not always the easiest to review when putting together my journal of articles. But, I'm going to try from now on to include these types of journalism because they're fun and generally enjoyable. The sources were very well-established early on in the article, and the author used these sources a few more times throughout the story. I really liked that because you can take two doctors who have a strong knowledge base on the psychology of relationships and use their expertise to back up points in your argument. A little more variety in sources would have been nice, though, because two people's opinions aren't the only ones worth hearing. Also, since this is an advice column and less about reporting news, I don't really know what their stance is on getting quotes from people who have experienced these problems before. I would have liked to see an example sent in by a reader showcasing how they've dealt with the same situation.
Article
------------------
Article 4: Gators Suspend Gary Brown. Written by Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun on February 15, 2010.
News about the Florida Gators is always news to me! Therefore, I reacted strongly to this article. I am so sick of hearing about players who can't stop breaking the goddamn LAW. STOP DOING THAT. It seems to happen all over the country, but UF is supposed to be better than that. How are we supposed to continue our image of being this exceptional state university when the football players can't stop getting in trouble with the police? Also, the type of infractions are particularly damaging. You don't hear about players getting in trouble for accumulated parking tickets, you hear about them allegedly physically hurting women and drunk driving. As far as the quality of the article, I noticed something sketchy that we had gone over in class that deals with the issue of "good journalism". Andreu sources that "According to the police report...", then continues his perspective. I felt that he was being lazy by using some random "Anonymous source" that wasn't even a real person at all. He could've tried to get a statement from an arresting officer.
Article
This story is one I'm sure almost everyone in the whole world knows about, which is why I chose to read it. I'm a big fan of all things Olympian, so this story has been buzzing around my television for the past few days. All of the coverage on this tragic accident have similar tones of mourning and remembrance, but this article takes a more controversial view. It quotes a few officials who claim that Nodar was inexperienced and wasn't an athlete of a high enough caliber to successfully run the treacherous course instead of taking fault for having a course with extremely unsafe elements. One of the interesting parts of the article was the part with quotes from other lugers. It really gave me some perspective on what the others were feeling, and it was smart for Mr. Bondy to have included their opinions. It was a nice article, but with all the heavy, more interesting coverage surrounding this tragedy, it will most likely fade into obscurity.
Article
----------------------
Article 2: Kevin Smith Oversized? Ejected From Flight. Written by Matt Sayles of the Associated Press on February 15, 2010.
Since my news-reading tendencies usually lean towards the tragic and dramatic, I specifically wanted to find something a little less depressing. So, when looking at the St. Pete Times website, I found a tagline from the AP. The keywords were "overweight" and "plane", so I just had to read it. What stood out the most in this story was how Southwest airlines practically tripped over themselves to make it up to Smith. Any regular joe who couldn't fit properly in the seat would probably be ignored and treated as insignificant. Maybe, just maybe, after some sort of legal action, would the overweight passenger find restitution. But no, since Smith is a famous director he got multiple apologies and almost as many gifts.
Article
--------------------
Article 3: 4 Mega-Awkward Things You Need To Say. Written by Lauren Otis from Cosmopolitan magazine on February 14, 2010.
Okay, so girly advice columns actually interest me. I read them a lot, but they're not always the easiest to review when putting together my journal of articles. But, I'm going to try from now on to include these types of journalism because they're fun and generally enjoyable. The sources were very well-established early on in the article, and the author used these sources a few more times throughout the story. I really liked that because you can take two doctors who have a strong knowledge base on the psychology of relationships and use their expertise to back up points in your argument. A little more variety in sources would have been nice, though, because two people's opinions aren't the only ones worth hearing. Also, since this is an advice column and less about reporting news, I don't really know what their stance is on getting quotes from people who have experienced these problems before. I would have liked to see an example sent in by a reader showcasing how they've dealt with the same situation.
Article
------------------
Article 4: Gators Suspend Gary Brown. Written by Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun on February 15, 2010.
News about the Florida Gators is always news to me! Therefore, I reacted strongly to this article. I am so sick of hearing about players who can't stop breaking the goddamn LAW. STOP DOING THAT. It seems to happen all over the country, but UF is supposed to be better than that. How are we supposed to continue our image of being this exceptional state university when the football players can't stop getting in trouble with the police? Also, the type of infractions are particularly damaging. You don't hear about players getting in trouble for accumulated parking tickets, you hear about them allegedly physically hurting women and drunk driving. As far as the quality of the article, I noticed something sketchy that we had gone over in class that deals with the issue of "good journalism". Andreu sources that "According to the police report...", then continues his perspective. I felt that he was being lazy by using some random "Anonymous source" that wasn't even a real person at all. He could've tried to get a statement from an arresting officer.
Article
Sunday, February 7, 2010
JOU Articles: week 4
Article 1: Facebook's Doppelganger Week is Viral Groupthink. Written by Dan Fletcher from Time Magazine on February 6, 2010.
This article is a little different from what I usually read because it is more light-hearted. It definitely caught my attention, though, because it's about something that I can directly relate to, which I liked. I mean, I have seen plenty of my friends change their profile pictures to a celebrity "look-alike" and I assumed there were others doing it, too. I really like the way this article was written because it was more like an opinion column than a source-based informational article. It was funny, too, and had a great ending sentence. All in all it was just a fun story about something that has become very popular on a social website.
Article
---------------------
Article 2: Toyota Has Pattern of Slow Response on Safety Issues. Written by James Kanter, Micheline Maynard and Hiroko Tabuchi in the NY Times on February 6, 2010.
I chose this story because it's one of the few stories I have seen repeated often in the past week or so. The Toyota safety recalls have been all over both local and national news channels, so I thought I'd read more about the problem's continuation and see how similar their stance was. This story addressed all the problems Toyota had addressed (or not addressed) and it was really good because of how fair the coverage was. The writers got quotes from both sides of the issue, which is of course very important. I read the statements of Toyota executives, as well as the transportation secretary who was less than pleased with Toyota overall. The article itself was a little long, but I guess I can't complain since it was full of good information. It just got a little redundant in some parts and maybe it could have been edited down.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: UF Will No Longer Sanction Student Trips to Haiti. Written by Nathan Crabbe, published in the Gainesville Sun on February 5th, 2010.
Amidst all the Haiti news we have been bombarded with over the past month, this article caught my eye because it was slightly different. The Haiti issue itself isn't new, but it was interesting to see it from a more selfish point of view because it directly affects something in the area that I live. This story was short, but it managed to have a good source as well as a quote from a graduate student who wants to go back to Haiti. I'm actually glad it was short, because unlike the article I read previously, it kept my attention and told me what I needed to know without evolving into this huge commitment. I know that's extremely lazy of me, but unless the article is AWESOME, I don't want to read it for very long.
Article
----------------------
Article 4: Toyota to Announce Action Soon for Prius Hybrids. Written by Kelly Olsen of the Associated Press on February 7, 2010.
Another Toyota article, no WAY! Now I can write a little bit of comparison between the last Toyota article I posted and this one. This one, unlike the previous, focuses more on Toyota's specific announcement made to deal with the Prius hybrid's breaking problems instead of Toyota's general history of blunders. Also, instead of considering a full recall, however, the executives ask for Prius owners to simply bring in their cars for repairs. Of course, both Toyota articles have a negative twist, but how could it not? They're both about manufacturing problems, so you can't really have a happy-go-lucky story about brake pedal failure. As a journalist, I don't know what I would have done differently to spice up a beaten-to-death story like this, but that's what should've been done.
Article
This article is a little different from what I usually read because it is more light-hearted. It definitely caught my attention, though, because it's about something that I can directly relate to, which I liked. I mean, I have seen plenty of my friends change their profile pictures to a celebrity "look-alike" and I assumed there were others doing it, too. I really like the way this article was written because it was more like an opinion column than a source-based informational article. It was funny, too, and had a great ending sentence. All in all it was just a fun story about something that has become very popular on a social website.
Article
---------------------
Article 2: Toyota Has Pattern of Slow Response on Safety Issues. Written by James Kanter, Micheline Maynard and Hiroko Tabuchi in the NY Times on February 6, 2010.
I chose this story because it's one of the few stories I have seen repeated often in the past week or so. The Toyota safety recalls have been all over both local and national news channels, so I thought I'd read more about the problem's continuation and see how similar their stance was. This story addressed all the problems Toyota had addressed (or not addressed) and it was really good because of how fair the coverage was. The writers got quotes from both sides of the issue, which is of course very important. I read the statements of Toyota executives, as well as the transportation secretary who was less than pleased with Toyota overall. The article itself was a little long, but I guess I can't complain since it was full of good information. It just got a little redundant in some parts and maybe it could have been edited down.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: UF Will No Longer Sanction Student Trips to Haiti. Written by Nathan Crabbe, published in the Gainesville Sun on February 5th, 2010.
Amidst all the Haiti news we have been bombarded with over the past month, this article caught my eye because it was slightly different. The Haiti issue itself isn't new, but it was interesting to see it from a more selfish point of view because it directly affects something in the area that I live. This story was short, but it managed to have a good source as well as a quote from a graduate student who wants to go back to Haiti. I'm actually glad it was short, because unlike the article I read previously, it kept my attention and told me what I needed to know without evolving into this huge commitment. I know that's extremely lazy of me, but unless the article is AWESOME, I don't want to read it for very long.
Article
----------------------
Article 4: Toyota to Announce Action Soon for Prius Hybrids. Written by Kelly Olsen of the Associated Press on February 7, 2010.
Another Toyota article, no WAY! Now I can write a little bit of comparison between the last Toyota article I posted and this one. This one, unlike the previous, focuses more on Toyota's specific announcement made to deal with the Prius hybrid's breaking problems instead of Toyota's general history of blunders. Also, instead of considering a full recall, however, the executives ask for Prius owners to simply bring in their cars for repairs. Of course, both Toyota articles have a negative twist, but how could it not? They're both about manufacturing problems, so you can't really have a happy-go-lucky story about brake pedal failure. As a journalist, I don't know what I would have done differently to spice up a beaten-to-death story like this, but that's what should've been done.
Article
Monday, February 1, 2010
JOU Articles: week 3
Article 1: Rip Torn Heading to Rehab After Arrest. Written by Stephanie Reitz of the Associated Press on February 1, 2010.
I picked this article to read because Rip Torn plays one of my favorite characters in the movie "Dodgeball". I didn't really have previous knowledge of him clashing with the law, so this really caught my eye. After reading it, the first thing I noticed was that it seemed a bit biased in favor of Mr. Torn. How does that make sense when the entire article is centered around his drunken, illegal shenanigans? Well, aside from the main factual points of the article itself, there really wasn't even coverage in terms of attributions to his character. In one quote, from Torn's own attorney no less, Torn is described as "a very nice person" and "a very friendly individual". With the type of offense that Torn is responsible for, I think it would have been better to have someone talk about how serious his mistakes were. The man's blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit, for chrissakes! I would've liked to see a quote from an arresting officer who knew how dangerous being plastered and carrying an illegal firearm is.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Doc Who Tied Vaccine to Autism Ruled Unethical. Written by Eben Harrell from Time Magazine on February 1, 2010.
The first thing that stood out about this article was the impressive amount of sources and helpful material. There were pictures, links to related videos, and a whole bunch of statistical evidence. Mr. Harrell could have been a lot more vague and generalized while writing his article, but he lit a fire of real interest in it by having so much information. It was also fair. Instead of having a story that simply attacked this doctor for all of his alleged faults, there was at least a whole paragraph listing the doctor-in-question's achievements and history working with autistic children. Once again I see I am attracted to more serious, controversial articles, but most of the time that's all there is to read. Also, I definitely tend to avoid sports articles. They simply do not interest me... like, EVER.
Article
----------------
Article 3: Nail Salon Tantrum Lands Birthday Girl in Jail. Written by Karen Voyles of the Gainesville Sun on February 1, 2010.
Okay, these first few sentences are being written PRIOR to reading the article. I just needed to mention that I ABSOLUTELY chose this story based on the totally awesome title. I laughed and immediately knew that this would be worth reading, no matter what. How could it not?
This article was concise, but it worked well being as short as it was. Strictly informational and without quotes, the entire story was covered in 5 short paragraphs. It included a picture of the woman arrested, which was really neat considering the story was only just written and she was only just taken into custody. Although, I'm actually not sure if the mugshot included is recent or perhaps from a previous arrest. Fun read, I was shaking my head in incredulity the whole time.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: Dream Deferred, a poem by Langston Hughes. LeAndra Valentine's chosen piece of writing.
One of the girls I swapped with gave me this short poem by Langston Hughes. Since it isn't very long, I will re-type it here:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but that's why I chose to read this. I wanted to expand my horizons a little bit, but I'm afraid the meaning of the poem itself kinda has me stumped. I mean, I get it, but I'm not sure what I'm interpreting is correct. Anyway, this poem was interesting because it wasn't full of grandiose metaphors and styles. Hughes keeps his comparisons simple, keeps them something almost every person can visualize and relate to. I couldn't tell what type of rhyming scheme he used, if any, and that was interesting, too. I liked the kinda mis-matched vibe, it kept the poem from becoming stagnant and repetitive.
I picked this article to read because Rip Torn plays one of my favorite characters in the movie "Dodgeball". I didn't really have previous knowledge of him clashing with the law, so this really caught my eye. After reading it, the first thing I noticed was that it seemed a bit biased in favor of Mr. Torn. How does that make sense when the entire article is centered around his drunken, illegal shenanigans? Well, aside from the main factual points of the article itself, there really wasn't even coverage in terms of attributions to his character. In one quote, from Torn's own attorney no less, Torn is described as "a very nice person" and "a very friendly individual". With the type of offense that Torn is responsible for, I think it would have been better to have someone talk about how serious his mistakes were. The man's blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit, for chrissakes! I would've liked to see a quote from an arresting officer who knew how dangerous being plastered and carrying an illegal firearm is.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Doc Who Tied Vaccine to Autism Ruled Unethical. Written by Eben Harrell from Time Magazine on February 1, 2010.
The first thing that stood out about this article was the impressive amount of sources and helpful material. There were pictures, links to related videos, and a whole bunch of statistical evidence. Mr. Harrell could have been a lot more vague and generalized while writing his article, but he lit a fire of real interest in it by having so much information. It was also fair. Instead of having a story that simply attacked this doctor for all of his alleged faults, there was at least a whole paragraph listing the doctor-in-question's achievements and history working with autistic children. Once again I see I am attracted to more serious, controversial articles, but most of the time that's all there is to read. Also, I definitely tend to avoid sports articles. They simply do not interest me... like, EVER.
Article
----------------
Article 3: Nail Salon Tantrum Lands Birthday Girl in Jail. Written by Karen Voyles of the Gainesville Sun on February 1, 2010.
Okay, these first few sentences are being written PRIOR to reading the article. I just needed to mention that I ABSOLUTELY chose this story based on the totally awesome title. I laughed and immediately knew that this would be worth reading, no matter what. How could it not?
This article was concise, but it worked well being as short as it was. Strictly informational and without quotes, the entire story was covered in 5 short paragraphs. It included a picture of the woman arrested, which was really neat considering the story was only just written and she was only just taken into custody. Although, I'm actually not sure if the mugshot included is recent or perhaps from a previous arrest. Fun read, I was shaking my head in incredulity the whole time.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: Dream Deferred, a poem by Langston Hughes. LeAndra Valentine's chosen piece of writing.
One of the girls I swapped with gave me this short poem by Langston Hughes. Since it isn't very long, I will re-type it here:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but that's why I chose to read this. I wanted to expand my horizons a little bit, but I'm afraid the meaning of the poem itself kinda has me stumped. I mean, I get it, but I'm not sure what I'm interpreting is correct. Anyway, this poem was interesting because it wasn't full of grandiose metaphors and styles. Hughes keeps his comparisons simple, keeps them something almost every person can visualize and relate to. I couldn't tell what type of rhyming scheme he used, if any, and that was interesting, too. I liked the kinda mis-matched vibe, it kept the poem from becoming stagnant and repetitive.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
JOU Articles: week 2
Article 1: High Springs Lieutenant Fired. Written by Cindy Swirko of the Gainesville Sun on January 22, 2010.
This article was about a local police officer who was fired for certain misconduct, like mistreating other employees and untruthfulness. The writing seemed sloppy and thrown-together. After all, I'm pretty sure that in the very first sentence, instead of the word "policies", somehow "polices" wound up being printed and it doesn't make much sense. I don't know if that was on purpose and it's just a term I'm unfamiliar with, but it didn't make me excited to read the rest of the article. Regardless whether the reporter or the editor is at fault, it didn't look very professional. The story was extremely fair because not only did it list the grievances this lieutenant's employer had with his supposed conduct, there was also a testimony from someone who believes the lieutenant was fired unfairly and for illegal reasons. I didn't see any other coverage of this story in other papers because it was very locally-based here in Florida. This article, although it started as unimpressive, and the ending seemed altogether too abrupt, actually made me want to know more about this man's fate. If I had written this article, I would have tried to pay more attention to the basic construction of my piece so that I would have something more coherent.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Foot on Bomb, Marine Defies a Taliban Trap. Written by C.J. Chivers of the New York Times on January 23, 2010.
This article immediately caught my eye while looking at the Sunday paper online. As I read it, I was not disappointed for choosing it. It was compelling, interesting, intelligent and complete. I'm trying not to exaggerate, but it felt like I was reading more than just a simple news article that puts you to sleep. The introduction was smart and captured my attention, and the progression of the story was linear and easy to follow. I especially liked the attention to detail the journalist used; he even went as far as to explain the detonation process and inner workings of the featured Taliban explosive. It gave me a better understanding of what was going on and I felt more connected to the story. Also, the personal coverage (collected quotes from soldiers) made me believe the story was more than just something the newspaper collected out of duty and more like they thought it was truly important. I wouldn't have written this article any other way because Mr. Chivers did a great job and he would be a great example to follow.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: Car Slams into Tampa House and Injures 9-year-old Boy. Written by Justin George of the St. Petersburg Times on January 24, 2010.
Immediately after reading the title of this article, I thought the worst. Maybe that's why I chose it. Instead, I was pleased to discover it had a happy ending, which seems to be rare in a world where only morbid articles get recognition. The writing conveyed all the information in an orderly manner, but it managed to keep a lighter tone throughout, which I appreciated. There was almost a little bit of humor in it, like when the lady whose house was destroyed compares her newly-opened living room to a "drive-thru". I would have liked to know more about what will happen to the destroyed house, and especially the driver himself. Not much was released about the driver, so that is what I would've done differently if I had written this. Also, I would've liked to see a statement from one of the children that were sleeping over in the house at the time of the crash- either the boy who was minimally injured or one of the others. All in all, I was happy reading this article and it made me feel glad that no one was seriously hurt.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: A Child No Longer, Her Choice is Life- or Death. Written by Michelle Bearden of the Tampa Tribune on January 15, 2010.
I chose yet another depressing-looking article, and this time it was full-on heartbreaking. I happened to be feeling sorry for myself when I started reading this article, and by the end I was ashamed and bawling like a baby. The writing was simple, and by simple I mean not peppered with showy vocabulary and flashy metaphors, and it was perfect. It kept me focused on the core information of the article instead of making me try and decipher what the heck the writer is talking about. The only reason I could consider this story "not fair" was because it didn't have a disclaimer saying "WARNING: you're gonna need tissues". Everything else was great. I especially liked, as I am beginning to discover on a frequent basis, the chronological set-up of the storyline. It began in the present, then had an entire section about the suffering girl's personality and life up until her battle with illness. The conclusion finished back in the hospital room, and the last few sentences were a great yet terrible ending that made me cry some more. As a journalist, I definitely would not have done anything differently because the care and attention to detail put in this story do not need revision.
Article
This article was about a local police officer who was fired for certain misconduct, like mistreating other employees and untruthfulness. The writing seemed sloppy and thrown-together. After all, I'm pretty sure that in the very first sentence, instead of the word "policies", somehow "polices" wound up being printed and it doesn't make much sense. I don't know if that was on purpose and it's just a term I'm unfamiliar with, but it didn't make me excited to read the rest of the article. Regardless whether the reporter or the editor is at fault, it didn't look very professional. The story was extremely fair because not only did it list the grievances this lieutenant's employer had with his supposed conduct, there was also a testimony from someone who believes the lieutenant was fired unfairly and for illegal reasons. I didn't see any other coverage of this story in other papers because it was very locally-based here in Florida. This article, although it started as unimpressive, and the ending seemed altogether too abrupt, actually made me want to know more about this man's fate. If I had written this article, I would have tried to pay more attention to the basic construction of my piece so that I would have something more coherent.
Article
-------------------------
Article 2: Foot on Bomb, Marine Defies a Taliban Trap. Written by C.J. Chivers of the New York Times on January 23, 2010.
This article immediately caught my eye while looking at the Sunday paper online. As I read it, I was not disappointed for choosing it. It was compelling, interesting, intelligent and complete. I'm trying not to exaggerate, but it felt like I was reading more than just a simple news article that puts you to sleep. The introduction was smart and captured my attention, and the progression of the story was linear and easy to follow. I especially liked the attention to detail the journalist used; he even went as far as to explain the detonation process and inner workings of the featured Taliban explosive. It gave me a better understanding of what was going on and I felt more connected to the story. Also, the personal coverage (collected quotes from soldiers) made me believe the story was more than just something the newspaper collected out of duty and more like they thought it was truly important. I wouldn't have written this article any other way because Mr. Chivers did a great job and he would be a great example to follow.
Article
---------------------
Article 3: Car Slams into Tampa House and Injures 9-year-old Boy. Written by Justin George of the St. Petersburg Times on January 24, 2010.
Immediately after reading the title of this article, I thought the worst. Maybe that's why I chose it. Instead, I was pleased to discover it had a happy ending, which seems to be rare in a world where only morbid articles get recognition. The writing conveyed all the information in an orderly manner, but it managed to keep a lighter tone throughout, which I appreciated. There was almost a little bit of humor in it, like when the lady whose house was destroyed compares her newly-opened living room to a "drive-thru". I would have liked to know more about what will happen to the destroyed house, and especially the driver himself. Not much was released about the driver, so that is what I would've done differently if I had written this. Also, I would've liked to see a statement from one of the children that were sleeping over in the house at the time of the crash- either the boy who was minimally injured or one of the others. All in all, I was happy reading this article and it made me feel glad that no one was seriously hurt.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: A Child No Longer, Her Choice is Life- or Death. Written by Michelle Bearden of the Tampa Tribune on January 15, 2010.
I chose yet another depressing-looking article, and this time it was full-on heartbreaking. I happened to be feeling sorry for myself when I started reading this article, and by the end I was ashamed and bawling like a baby. The writing was simple, and by simple I mean not peppered with showy vocabulary and flashy metaphors, and it was perfect. It kept me focused on the core information of the article instead of making me try and decipher what the heck the writer is talking about. The only reason I could consider this story "not fair" was because it didn't have a disclaimer saying "WARNING: you're gonna need tissues". Everything else was great. I especially liked, as I am beginning to discover on a frequent basis, the chronological set-up of the storyline. It began in the present, then had an entire section about the suffering girl's personality and life up until her battle with illness. The conclusion finished back in the hospital room, and the last few sentences were a great yet terrible ending that made me cry some more. As a journalist, I definitely would not have done anything differently because the care and attention to detail put in this story do not need revision.
Article
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
JOU Articles: week 1
Article 1: 11 Foods Your Dentist Wouldn't Touch. Written by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding of Men's Health Magazine on Jan 15, 2010.
When I first started reading this article about the supposed surprisingly vast amounts of sugar in certain foods, I was a bit confused. The lead-in to the story was supposed to grab my attention and get me interested in the article. It did that, but only because I wanted to see what the heck was going on. It was definitely strange reading at first. The rest of the article was very factual, and the presentation was neat and orderly. There was no reason for me to think the sources weren't reliable, and I actually learned a few things by reading this. Technically the story isn't really "fair" because it is clearly telling you to avoid certain products based on their sugar content. The author is clearly stating alternatives to mainstream products like coke and oscar meyer. That doesn't bother me, though, because in this case it comes across as purely factual and unbiased. If I were a journalist, I might have chosen instead to present the items with more testimonies from actual people. I want to hear about cases where someone choosing these sugar-loaded foods experienced negative consequences. That would really help convince me that these things should be avoided.
Article
-------------------
Article 2: Inventor Killed in Ohio Plane Crash Described as "Brilliant". Written by Lise Fisher of The Gainesville Sun on January 19, 2010.
This story was about a man named Donald Brown who, along with 3 others, including his wife, was killed in a plane crash. The writing in this story was particularly boring, and I felt no connection to the people involved, not even to the son who lost his parents. The main source was a friend of Brown's, who also happened to be the current Mayor of Avon. I was disappointed that again, the son was somewhat neglected. Although, he may not have been willing to give an interview, I feel that if I were writing this story I would've tried harder to get a family member to speak about the deceased. Also, why this story decided to simply focus on the achievements and quirks of only one of the passengers who died is strange to me. The other people, including Brown's wife, could be considered just as important.
Article- OK. I couldn't find the article after I had some formatting troubles on this blog. Now that it's fixed, I went to find it again and POOF. I couldn't. Sorry!
--------------------
Article 3: Reliving Horror in a Test for the Death Penalty. Written by William Glaberson of The New York Times on Jan 18, 2010.
This article was about the pending trials for the murderers who killed 3 people in Connecticut a few years ago. In a story where the sensitive issue of capital punishment is discussed, particularly the issue of the death penalty. The writing by Mr. Glaberson in this article is SO much improved from the first two I read. He was eloquent and unbiased, and yet I still felt a deep emotional connection to the persons involved. I felt immense sadness for the father who lost his wife and two daughters in one night, and at the same time I wondered what brought those two men to commit those acts and why. The story, even though it was all about whether or not these men could get the death penalty, was even-handed in the presentation of facts about some states which do not support this form of punishment. There were testimonies from those who whole-heartedly support the death of these killers, as well as comments from defense attorneys pleading their side of the issue. All in all it was a great article that flowed well and I don't think I could have written it better myself.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: At least 600,000 Cribs Recalled After Child Death. Written by Natasha Metzler of the Associated Press on Jan 19, 2010.
This was a short article about a recall of cribs after a 6-month-old boy strangled to death. The writing was very informative and got right to the source of the issue, which I appreciated in this case. A lot of the times writers will use superfluous language to get a point across and sometimes I feel it's not needed. This simply came across as a quick "HEY" message to all parents out there who own this defective crib, and it lets people know of the dangers in owning one. The story is a little one-sided but maybe that's to be expected considering the issue. There was a ton of info on how dangerous the cribs are, and although an official statement of apology/assurance from the crib company was included, it seemed like an afterthought. If I were reporting on this story I would have tried to dig deeper into defective crib company to try and make sure this problem was being taken care of. I wouldn't have been satisfied with a simple cookie-cutter PR response. It seemed disingenuous.
Article
When I first started reading this article about the supposed surprisingly vast amounts of sugar in certain foods, I was a bit confused. The lead-in to the story was supposed to grab my attention and get me interested in the article. It did that, but only because I wanted to see what the heck was going on. It was definitely strange reading at first. The rest of the article was very factual, and the presentation was neat and orderly. There was no reason for me to think the sources weren't reliable, and I actually learned a few things by reading this. Technically the story isn't really "fair" because it is clearly telling you to avoid certain products based on their sugar content. The author is clearly stating alternatives to mainstream products like coke and oscar meyer. That doesn't bother me, though, because in this case it comes across as purely factual and unbiased. If I were a journalist, I might have chosen instead to present the items with more testimonies from actual people. I want to hear about cases where someone choosing these sugar-loaded foods experienced negative consequences. That would really help convince me that these things should be avoided.
Article
-------------------
Article 2: Inventor Killed in Ohio Plane Crash Described as "Brilliant". Written by Lise Fisher of The Gainesville Sun on January 19, 2010.
This story was about a man named Donald Brown who, along with 3 others, including his wife, was killed in a plane crash. The writing in this story was particularly boring, and I felt no connection to the people involved, not even to the son who lost his parents. The main source was a friend of Brown's, who also happened to be the current Mayor of Avon. I was disappointed that again, the son was somewhat neglected. Although, he may not have been willing to give an interview, I feel that if I were writing this story I would've tried harder to get a family member to speak about the deceased. Also, why this story decided to simply focus on the achievements and quirks of only one of the passengers who died is strange to me. The other people, including Brown's wife, could be considered just as important.
Article- OK. I couldn't find the article after I had some formatting troubles on this blog. Now that it's fixed, I went to find it again and POOF. I couldn't. Sorry!
--------------------
Article 3: Reliving Horror in a Test for the Death Penalty. Written by William Glaberson of The New York Times on Jan 18, 2010.
This article was about the pending trials for the murderers who killed 3 people in Connecticut a few years ago. In a story where the sensitive issue of capital punishment is discussed, particularly the issue of the death penalty. The writing by Mr. Glaberson in this article is SO much improved from the first two I read. He was eloquent and unbiased, and yet I still felt a deep emotional connection to the persons involved. I felt immense sadness for the father who lost his wife and two daughters in one night, and at the same time I wondered what brought those two men to commit those acts and why. The story, even though it was all about whether or not these men could get the death penalty, was even-handed in the presentation of facts about some states which do not support this form of punishment. There were testimonies from those who whole-heartedly support the death of these killers, as well as comments from defense attorneys pleading their side of the issue. All in all it was a great article that flowed well and I don't think I could have written it better myself.
Article
---------------------
Article 4: At least 600,000 Cribs Recalled After Child Death. Written by Natasha Metzler of the Associated Press on Jan 19, 2010.
This was a short article about a recall of cribs after a 6-month-old boy strangled to death. The writing was very informative and got right to the source of the issue, which I appreciated in this case. A lot of the times writers will use superfluous language to get a point across and sometimes I feel it's not needed. This simply came across as a quick "HEY" message to all parents out there who own this defective crib, and it lets people know of the dangers in owning one. The story is a little one-sided but maybe that's to be expected considering the issue. There was a ton of info on how dangerous the cribs are, and although an official statement of apology/assurance from the crib company was included, it seemed like an afterthought. If I were reporting on this story I would have tried to dig deeper into defective crib company to try and make sure this problem was being taken care of. I wouldn't have been satisfied with a simple cookie-cutter PR response. It seemed disingenuous.
Article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
