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
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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
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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
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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
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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