Can we make a difference? If we come out and vote for our next president, will the one we want get the job? The "we" I am referring are those included in the 18-26 age group who are also eligible to vote. The article that I read for this blog post discussed the role of the youth in Obama's election to the Democratic candidate for the presidential election. The other potential article that could have been the focus of my post was the one written on Obama's use of a Bill Clinton quote to take a jab at Hillary. That seemed trivial and fed into the "soap drama esqe" concept of the lection that I discussed in last week's post. The article's headline said that Obama figured that he needed to depend on the vote of the youth to get him into the white house, and I agree. I really think that he appeals strongly to the youth, but I am not sure if his appeal is strong enough to get all those youth to come out of their cubby holes and register to vote. The most interesting part if the article (this is also the reason why I like online newswebsites) is the reader's comment part where they actively discussed the youth of this nation. Do we just vote for a "pretty face"? Or do we dig deep and closely follow the candidate's campaign? Do we just go with what seems popular? Or do we read the news, listen to the candidates and then form our opinions? I think that the youth have their on special spectrum when it comes to political activism. There are extremes, and there those who don't give a darn about the politics. The question for this election is which side will make the difference?
The link to my article:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/385582.aspx
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Covering the talk and writing talking-worthy stuff...
I really believe that these two chapters were probably the two most important chapters in the book that I have read so far. I say this because the writers of the book continually emphasized on the fact that as beginners in the field, our assignements will mostly include covering events and other such things. I never realy considered news release to be such a big deal, but apparently, after reading ch 11 it definitely seems like it. I liked how the authors discussed the different kinds of news releases, ad demonstrated ways for us to tackle each of them. I also enjoyed how they insisted that we are free to rewrite the news releases, and should infact take the ob a step further and investigate thepiece. There is not much to say about this chapter except that news releases do have an impact on the newsroom as illustrated by the "Diamonds in the Rough" article. We need to constanty look beyond what we have, and train our minds to constantly ask questions even if the answers are obvius. I do need to mention that I quite liked he part at the end where they provided tips to write news releases.
Ch 12 was an extreemly informative chapter because I felt that the authors were sensitive to the needs of a beginner. I have been asked to cover events before, but I always approach the story with much worry because I am always at a loss of how to handle the situation. There is always SO much to cover. For instance the meeting at the city hall was so extensive, and it carried on for 90 minutes and probably more. But the question is how do I exactly pick and choose what I need to while at same time not getting bored and getting distracted? I once again liked how they demonstrated ways to tackle each type of "event". For me personally, covering speeches seems the hardest. This is because it is aone sided interaction. So it is hard to communicate. But I did appreciate their tips on how to save time, because while I cover events, I always find myself haphazardly taking notes when my handwriting is horrible to begin with!! Anyway, these chapters were small and useful, and I am pretty sure that I will reder back to them again.
Ch 12 was an extreemly informative chapter because I felt that the authors were sensitive to the needs of a beginner. I have been asked to cover events before, but I always approach the story with much worry because I am always at a loss of how to handle the situation. There is always SO much to cover. For instance the meeting at the city hall was so extensive, and it carried on for 90 minutes and probably more. But the question is how do I exactly pick and choose what I need to while at same time not getting bored and getting distracted? I once again liked how they demonstrated ways to tackle each type of "event". For me personally, covering speeches seems the hardest. This is because it is aone sided interaction. So it is hard to communicate. But I did appreciate their tips on how to save time, because while I cover events, I always find myself haphazardly taking notes when my handwriting is horrible to begin with!! Anyway, these chapters were small and useful, and I am pretty sure that I will reder back to them again.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Clinton encore?!
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton seems to have gained a lead in the Democratic Presidential Candidacy polls. And that is bad bad news for the other candidates namely, Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards. How will they get back in the lead. Will there trash talk Sen. CLinton with a hint of of political correctness? Or will they just ignore this event and keep moving towards the gold?
Well come to The Days of Election '08, featuring the young and "inexperienced" Barack Obama, The Bold Hillary CLinton, and John Edwards whose expensive hair cut literally made the world turn. Our election seems to be a soap opera at its best. Those who care will pay attention to the policy choices of these candidates. And those who don't care enough just wan't who is winning and who does win.
Whatever happened to the other candidates? Poor Deniss Kucinich seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons: did an absolutely gorgeous woman marry a man aka Rep. Kucinich who is twice her age? And when will he realize that his campaign will turn futile like his other presidential campaign attempt? And who are the other democratic candidates again? The NYT fleetingly mentioned their names in this article that focused on the possibilty of CLinton winning the Democratic Presidential candidate.
The article discussed how Clinton was the last to come out with a health care policy and yet she is ahead. And how "she is tarnished by her White House years and cannot win a general election." And that Obama needs to step it up a notch and so does Edwards. And that it seems that Edwards and Obama have both decided to not diss each other and just work towards the common enemy- Clinton.
I do not know what else to say about this article except that because of the turn of recent events I wonder if I should await the next article on the elections with a bag of potato chips to find out "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."
I wish there were the articles did not add this touch of sensationalism that already exists around this topic. It is like adding fuel to the fire. REALLY!
My link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/politics/23dems.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190584815-sfAKDq4fFEyFQltccpyM/A
ps: the photog for this story describes an image at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton. only one girl was shown holding up a Cinton poster. Everyone else's said "Obama 08" huh....
Well come to The Days of Election '08, featuring the young and "inexperienced" Barack Obama, The Bold Hillary CLinton, and John Edwards whose expensive hair cut literally made the world turn. Our election seems to be a soap opera at its best. Those who care will pay attention to the policy choices of these candidates. And those who don't care enough just wan't who is winning and who does win.
Whatever happened to the other candidates? Poor Deniss Kucinich seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons: did an absolutely gorgeous woman marry a man aka Rep. Kucinich who is twice her age? And when will he realize that his campaign will turn futile like his other presidential campaign attempt? And who are the other democratic candidates again? The NYT fleetingly mentioned their names in this article that focused on the possibilty of CLinton winning the Democratic Presidential candidate.
The article discussed how Clinton was the last to come out with a health care policy and yet she is ahead. And how "she is tarnished by her White House years and cannot win a general election." And that Obama needs to step it up a notch and so does Edwards. And that it seems that Edwards and Obama have both decided to not diss each other and just work towards the common enemy- Clinton.
I do not know what else to say about this article except that because of the turn of recent events I wonder if I should await the next article on the elections with a bag of potato chips to find out "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."
I wish there were the articles did not add this touch of sensationalism that already exists around this topic. It is like adding fuel to the fire. REALLY!
My link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/politics/23dems.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190584815-sfAKDq4fFEyFQltccpyM/A
ps: the photog for this story describes an image at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton. only one girl was shown holding up a Cinton poster. Everyone else's said "Obama 08" huh....
"And ..... is survived by...."
I guess I never quite understood the essential core of an obitutary. Obituaries to me were an ode to the dead that got published. Bt instead, according to many in the book, obituaries are a celebration of life. The intricacies involved in writing an obituary were qute intriguing yet seemed fairly basic. For instance, when the book asks us to cross check everything we write, and to make sure we do not retrieve information of a person with the same name while accessing the newspaper library. Can you even imagine that? The thought of such a situation in itself is quite appaling. An obituary demands more of a feature writing style because a simple use of the five W's results in a boring introduction to the story of someone's life. I was not really aware of a mortuary form, and it is so easy to just utilize this information to create the body of the story. In doing so however, you disregard the information that lies within the lines of the form. I really like the example of how a reporters urge to probe allowed him to inform the audience of an extraordinary life of a 12 year old.
The chapter in the book essentially provided us with ways to create an obituary while keeping in mind the newspaper's policy. But for me the chapter provided a boatload of information by inclding the passage on Tracy Berton. Berton said that "obituaries are the stories that are most likely to be passed along for generations- yellowed and encased in plastic- "
An obituary is an opportunity to truly create a longlasting impression.
The chapter in the book essentially provided us with ways to create an obituary while keeping in mind the newspaper's policy. But for me the chapter provided a boatload of information by inclding the passage on Tracy Berton. Berton said that "obituaries are the stories that are most likely to be passed along for generations- yellowed and encased in plastic- "
An obituary is an opportunity to truly create a longlasting impression.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Money, Money, Money...AND?
My article described the life of Norman Hsu, who was a promient donor tot he democratic campaign until now. Now he is just a wannabe star who thought his money would get him places. It dd but then the same money brought him right back down. I want to take this moment to actually highlight the sublime brutal nature of this New York Times article: after reading this article, I felt sorry for the man, not because he was in such trouble, but because he seemed so absolutely pathetic! I cannot believe that I actually felt this way!
Anyway the article focused on how Hsu was in the race to raise $1 million dollars for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He raised $850,000 but it will all be returned because the nature of themoney is unknown. Accrding to the article, all Hsu wanted from CLinto was a treat in the White House. The article said that he was running away from a fraud convictin and was using his politcal connections to create a frendly business atmosphere in his career. He just wanted the celebrities to become his friends so he oculd name drop and further his business. He did succeed because many of the recipients of his donations said that he was the "go to man." And now they all snub him with a tone of tragedy.
I do not really know how to perceive this story mainly because the role of money in the election of a governemnt representative is quite appaling. Unitl now, the CLinton campaign was not doing a back ground on where the money came from. I guess the bottom line is that MONEY RULES!
Here is the link to my stroy for this post:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/us/politics/16hsu.html?pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper
And this is my link for the last post which I obviously forgot:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20070912/cm_uc_crsesx/op_393800
Anyway the article focused on how Hsu was in the race to raise $1 million dollars for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He raised $850,000 but it will all be returned because the nature of themoney is unknown. Accrding to the article, all Hsu wanted from CLinto was a treat in the White House. The article said that he was running away from a fraud convictin and was using his politcal connections to create a frendly business atmosphere in his career. He just wanted the celebrities to become his friends so he oculd name drop and further his business. He did succeed because many of the recipients of his donations said that he was the "go to man." And now they all snub him with a tone of tragedy.
I do not really know how to perceive this story mainly because the role of money in the election of a governemnt representative is quite appaling. Unitl now, the CLinton campaign was not doing a back ground on where the money came from. I guess the bottom line is that MONEY RULES!
Here is the link to my stroy for this post:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/us/politics/16hsu.html?pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper
And this is my link for the last post which I obviously forgot:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20070912/cm_uc_crsesx/op_393800
Quotes and other essentials
Journalism textbook are basically a hard copy version of what journalists are told on the job. For example chapter 4 has some of the most basic journalism values spelled out for us. Yet it is so easy to mess up! A lot of times when you are in a desperate need for quotes, you end up quoting "dull, repetitive, ill-phrased,...or just plain dumb quotes." I now wonder what happens when the interviewees quotes are all just worth paraphrasing...is it possible to write a story with no quotes? Is that allowed? Anyway, the book makes great points about quotes, and about what to write and what not to write. Like the part about capturing dialect, or correcting grammar. I think it is okay to correct grammar, but I feel that the choice once made should me made consistently. For instance, the example of the president. Most of us kow, that public speaking and impeccable sentences are not the President's cup of tea. Therefore, we should present the quote as it is. But the two most important things that was discussed was the need of accuracy and the topic of anonymous sources. Quotes are probably the most important part of a story- it can bring accolades through the revelation of information or it can bring a lawsuit thorugh the revelation of incorrect information. WE NEED TO BE ACCURATE!
I did a story on anonymous sources for a workshop that I attended. I did the story during the Judith Miller case where this topic was especially prominent. I persoally think that the quality of the quotes should be the cause of a promise of anonymity. Yet a condition should be made that in case of excruciating circumstances aka a court trial, the journalist should be allowed to disclose the source, but only after the permission of the source in question.
The timeline reading was basically an informational page on the need to be clear. As a journalist, I have so much to tell, but I remember my teacher in high school telling me that I should write so that even a five-year-old can understand what I am saying. When the author said that the journalist should not have the reader click on something that he or she does not know the destination to. Similarly, I do not want to give the reader information that either proves futile or takes the reader to a new level of confusion.
I especially liked the poynter article because it showed journalism in action. I really liked how the blog prompted a petition and other similar action. Journalism is a service to the public. But a responsibilty to respond also lies within the public. Together many things can happen.
I did a story on anonymous sources for a workshop that I attended. I did the story during the Judith Miller case where this topic was especially prominent. I persoally think that the quality of the quotes should be the cause of a promise of anonymity. Yet a condition should be made that in case of excruciating circumstances aka a court trial, the journalist should be allowed to disclose the source, but only after the permission of the source in question.
The timeline reading was basically an informational page on the need to be clear. As a journalist, I have so much to tell, but I remember my teacher in high school telling me that I should write so that even a five-year-old can understand what I am saying. When the author said that the journalist should not have the reader click on something that he or she does not know the destination to. Similarly, I do not want to give the reader information that either proves futile or takes the reader to a new level of confusion.
I especially liked the poynter article because it showed journalism in action. I really liked how the blog prompted a petition and other similar action. Journalism is a service to the public. But a responsibilty to respond also lies within the public. Together many things can happen.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Oprah can do anything. And Rep. Rush
I'm sorry, but I really needed to write about this recent turn of events. Oprah raised three million dollars for Sen. Barack Obama. Okay, now let's take time to absorb this. Within one event, she raised three million dollars. WHO DOES THAT?? Only Oprah.
Senator Obama seems to bring with him an extremely intriguing histroy whenever he is in the news. Se. Obama almost seems like the mysterious candidate (irony huh?) in this election. I say this because in comparison to the other candidates, Obama had spent the least amount of time in the national public eye. My case in point is the recent New York Times article that discussed his failed campaign againt Rep. Rush of the Hyde Park district of Illinois. There were three pages discussing this point in Obama's career that many say made him the way he is today. I also think that Obama displays a sense of confidence that will enable him to be independent of other while he makes hs decisions. The article basically talked about this same issue and how Obama was really upto the challenge. That it was different story that he had not succeeded, but that the core was he was an "apt student of his own mistakes. I believe that this article needed to be mentioned in my assesment of this election because for me like I mentioned earlier, Obama signifies hope. And he is EVERYWHERE. Most articles give me the facts of hi campaign, but sometimes I just want to know about his life.
Senator Obama seems to bring with him an extremely intriguing histroy whenever he is in the news. Se. Obama almost seems like the mysterious candidate (irony huh?) in this election. I say this because in comparison to the other candidates, Obama had spent the least amount of time in the national public eye. My case in point is the recent New York Times article that discussed his failed campaign againt Rep. Rush of the Hyde Park district of Illinois. There were three pages discussing this point in Obama's career that many say made him the way he is today. I also think that Obama displays a sense of confidence that will enable him to be independent of other while he makes hs decisions. The article basically talked about this same issue and how Obama was really upto the challenge. That it was different story that he had not succeeded, but that the core was he was an "apt student of his own mistakes. I believe that this article needed to be mentioned in my assesment of this election because for me like I mentioned earlier, Obama signifies hope. And he is EVERYWHERE. Most articles give me the facts of hi campaign, but sometimes I just want to know about his life.
Punctuation, and etc.
I absolutely detest the fact that punctuation is so complicated yet so extremely crucial. I wish that there weren't so many rules about where to place a comma or the best place for a hyphen versus a dash. But that comma could potentially determine the wa the reader reads my story or the number of red marks with which my editor will decorate my draft! This lesson in punctuation was a refresher (if that's a word) but it is still a lot to remember. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will have most of it memorized.
"The best obtainable version of the truth." - Bob Woodward.
Woodward said that journalist should work towards obtaining the best possible version of the truth, I believe that a journalist should make the best possible effort to obtain the plain truth. I do not know if the two statements imply the same ideal, but it seems like the path to the truth has now become easier yet more difficult. Easier because of the advancement in technology, and difficult because of the busy nature of our lives. Interviewees do not have time, and some times they spend time covering up what they did (The Valerie Plame case). But regardless, the first chapter discussed the definition of news and other important aspects of journalism today. For me the two most important things that determine the news are the impact, prominence and the truth of the event. And as Kovach and Rosenthal say, the first obligation is to the truth, and then the citizens. And in today's world of convergence, it is become increasingly easy to get the news, but it is important that the news presented is accurate and truthful.
Convergence is scary. It is also extremely fascinating. I know that convergence is going to play abig role in my career. I want to be a print journalist, but like I mentioned earlier, I think I might switch to being an online print journalist. But then again there are so many online websites like they said at the chapters end, that it might be smarter for me to switch. The one statement that intrigued me in chapter two was when the authors said that the journalists will not be the gatekeepers anymore because the public will have the ability to choose what is newsworthy to them and what is not. As of right now, I do not know if that is good or bad. I have never ever been presented with a chart of a newspaper staff. Since I started, I have just been concrened about who is going to look at my story, and that's it. Hmmm.
Chapter three is a staple in ever journalism book that I have read so far. How to interview. I believe that by reading such chapters, I might get some tips but ultimately the way I interview someone depends on the moment. Anyway, the chapter essentially talked about how ti get the interview started: making the interviewee feel comfortable. But what I liked about this chapter was that the authors focused on interview skills for the different kinds of story. But the basics still remain the same. Ask open ended questions, and ALWAYS seem interested in what the person is saying. The "mhms" and the "aha"s can never be more important!
"The best obtainable version of the truth." - Bob Woodward.
Woodward said that journalist should work towards obtaining the best possible version of the truth, I believe that a journalist should make the best possible effort to obtain the plain truth. I do not know if the two statements imply the same ideal, but it seems like the path to the truth has now become easier yet more difficult. Easier because of the advancement in technology, and difficult because of the busy nature of our lives. Interviewees do not have time, and some times they spend time covering up what they did (The Valerie Plame case). But regardless, the first chapter discussed the definition of news and other important aspects of journalism today. For me the two most important things that determine the news are the impact, prominence and the truth of the event. And as Kovach and Rosenthal say, the first obligation is to the truth, and then the citizens. And in today's world of convergence, it is become increasingly easy to get the news, but it is important that the news presented is accurate and truthful.
Convergence is scary. It is also extremely fascinating. I know that convergence is going to play abig role in my career. I want to be a print journalist, but like I mentioned earlier, I think I might switch to being an online print journalist. But then again there are so many online websites like they said at the chapters end, that it might be smarter for me to switch. The one statement that intrigued me in chapter two was when the authors said that the journalists will not be the gatekeepers anymore because the public will have the ability to choose what is newsworthy to them and what is not. As of right now, I do not know if that is good or bad. I have never ever been presented with a chart of a newspaper staff. Since I started, I have just been concrened about who is going to look at my story, and that's it. Hmmm.
Chapter three is a staple in ever journalism book that I have read so far. How to interview. I believe that by reading such chapters, I might get some tips but ultimately the way I interview someone depends on the moment. Anyway, the chapter essentially talked about how ti get the interview started: making the interviewee feel comfortable. But what I liked about this chapter was that the authors focused on interview skills for the different kinds of story. But the basics still remain the same. Ask open ended questions, and ALWAYS seem interested in what the person is saying. The "mhms" and the "aha"s can never be more important!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
ELECTION 2008-- Obama and his proposals.
Senator Barack Obama is a symbol of hope for me. Actually, i would say that he is a symbol of change in a positive direction. Yes he is a young-un. Yes he hardly has any experience when compared to his competitors. But he probably has the most hunger within him to implement a much needed change in the politics of this country. In an article published in The Boston Globe on 09/04/07 [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/04/obama_proposes_ethics_reform_plan/]
Obama suggested an end to the revolving door policy, and specifically addressd the issue of lobbying in the capital. The ongoings in DC generally seem too complicated to be simplified. Therefore many just choose to stay away. Several tmes, I become a part of that "many." But after realizing the impact that we have on the entire world, I chose to at least try to understand what actually is going on in the Capitol Hill or in the White House. The Jack Abarmoff scandal highlighted the affect of lobbyists on the country. A free golf outing resulted in a proposal for a policy change. Obama said that he wants to create a central database for the public to access lobbying reports. The revolving door policy has infested the government for too long, and Obama said that he would come up with rules and regulations regarding this issue. We need change. It is a reality too hard to miss. Is this a step towards a successful change? I do not know. But it is a step towards the realization of reality and the choice to tackle this very reality.
Obama suggested an end to the revolving door policy, and specifically addressd the issue of lobbying in the capital. The ongoings in DC generally seem too complicated to be simplified. Therefore many just choose to stay away. Several tmes, I become a part of that "many." But after realizing the impact that we have on the entire world, I chose to at least try to understand what actually is going on in the Capitol Hill or in the White House. The Jack Abarmoff scandal highlighted the affect of lobbyists on the country. A free golf outing resulted in a proposal for a policy change. Obama said that he wants to create a central database for the public to access lobbying reports. The revolving door policy has infested the government for too long, and Obama said that he would come up with rules and regulations regarding this issue. We need change. It is a reality too hard to miss. Is this a step towards a successful change? I do not know. But it is a step towards the realization of reality and the choice to tackle this very reality.
The State of the News Media
I'm scared. I'm scared to enter a profession that seems to be on the brink today. More so when the report predicted that "the stage seems set in 2007 for more business turmoil, a negative industry image and further cuts in the newsroom’s capacity to do public-service reporting with distinction." I want to be a newsreporter not for a local TV network, but for a newspaper. But now it seems like I will have to hone my skill at digital journalism, which apparently does not have a set standard, but does have a high user rate ie if I inferred the statistics of the report correctly. I personally found the report to be quite disappointing. Although the press still plays an important role in society today, the report suggests a decrease in consumer rates for hard news. The report said that many Republicans do not find any of the news outlets credible except for FOX. FOX to me is a joke. The obvious nature of political bias within the media is claerly obstrcting the popularity of newswatching amongst the audience. But what hurt me the most was the conclusion that many news outlets were focusing on "hyper localism" in order to appeal to their audiences. Do we really need to make an ignorant society as such, even more ignorant? Do we need to place a protective shell over a bubble that never seems to burst unless something like 9/11 happens? I'm not saying that we should not focus on local news, but what I'm just saying is that we need to be aware of the fact that we are world citizens. Journalism is a service to society. Economic issues seem to have hindered the path of journalists realizng their actual need in society. The report said that news organizations need to rework their economic model. Money. Money. Money. And then there is the truth.
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