Friday, December 4, 2009

Publication Review

A. What is the article about?
The article is about a high school newspaper that was asked to submit their article about a visiting Supreme Court Justice for review. Many found this innapropriate and demeaning to the newspaper staff. It showed the government exercising control over the media at the high school level.




B. What do you think about the material/information in this article? How does it seem to fit with our journalism class?
It fits very well with our journalism class. Although our articles only need to go through our principles for the most part, a situation like this could occur at any time. I would be very offended if someone I interviewed or did an article on asked to review it before publishing. As a journalist, I take pride in my work. It would be very demeaning to be told that I was not mature enough to write an article that is factually correct.




C. What questions are you left with? What kind of articles in journalism would you like to read next?
I'm wondering why the school even handed the article over. Was it a legal obligation? Also, it seems to me as if maybe the press is making a bigger deal out of it than the actual journalism staff did. They most likely would have commented if they had felt strongly about the situation.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A. What is the article about?

The article is about how the author believes that even though numerically, women have made great progress in the past years, they have gained very little actual respect. She believes that much of this is the fault of women themselves, as they don't fight for the respect they deserve. The author uses examples such as never having been asked for a raise by a woman, or the snide and degrading comments that many news reporters have made about female politicians and other well-known women. Overall, she believes that in order for women to make true progress, they have to start standing up for themselves and demanding respect as human beings, without being ashamed of their femininity.

B. What do you think about the material/information in this article? How does it seem to fit with our journalism class?

The information is very good. It is very appropriate since we do have a completely female class (not counting Mr. Ayer of course...). The author brings up many good points that aren't traditionally thought of. She is very insightful in talking about how numerical progress isn't the only kind of progress there is. She also did a very good job of using other sources and finding good examples to support her case, which is a very valid lesson since we are all new journalists.

C. What questions are you left with? What kind of articles in journalism would you like to read next?

I wonder if there is a way to measure progress, and not just in the number of women with important jobs. I can't really think of a way to track progress in respect for women at all, since every woman's opinion and how she is treated are different. For instance, I haven't come across as much bias because of my gender, but I'm sure that many women have. I would like to see some way to mark that kind of progress. I thought this article was a good starter for the year. It was interesting to read and well-written. I'd like to see more articles like this!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Death of a Paper

A. What is the article about?
The article is about a newspaper that has been around for about 130 years and is now closing due to lack of funds. The paper had the option of severely cutting staff, but decided to close because the quality of the paper would be severely cut, too. The article talks about how the paper and its goal of quality have been so special over the years, and how it really is a tradgedy that the paper has to be shut down.
 
B. What do you think about the material/information in this article? How does it seem to fit with our journalism class?
It relates very directly back to our class, seeing as we are creating a newspaper. We, too, compete with other forms of media, such as the Source 65 News. It really puts an emphasis on how papers should go all in or all out, because a paper that isn't quality isn't worth printing.
 
C. What questions are you left with? What kind of articles in journalism would you like to read next?
I wonder if the paper will return someday after the recession. Right now it's closing because of lack of funds, but someday the economy will have to improve, but by then will newspapers be dead?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Fallen Soldiers, Coming Home In Public

A. What is the article about?
This article is discussing the previous ban on photographs of coffins of dead soldiers being published. It describes some of the benefits, negative results, and the justifications for this ban. There is also much speculation about how President Obama will handle this controversial issue when soldiers start getting sent home dead because of his war, instead of President Bush’s.



B. What do you think about the material/information in this article? How does it seem to fit with our journalism class?
The material relates directly to our class because it talks about publishing photos and the restrictions that we, as journalists, have when it comes to what we can or can not publish. Many people don’t realize that journalists do have restrictions. Even with ‘Freedom of Speech,’ it’s not always in the journalist’s best interest to print some things. This article really helps the public see how fine the line really is. When it comes to sensitive matters, such as death, it is especially important for journalists to be sensitive to the people who will be reading the articles.




C. What questions are you left with? What kind of articles in journalism would you like to read next?I’m wondering why the photographs of the dead is considered to be such a negative thing. Sure, it can create anger and can lose support of the war. But doesn’t it also create support for the soldiers? I think it could bring our country together even more. Bringing the war closer to home may make it more real to people. I like this kind of article because it does relate directly to journalism, but it’s also something that’s affecting our lives right now.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Students Go Against Principal's Order

The article is about students, who despite being told not to publish a story about a local middle school teacher, went along and finished their story and got it published in the local newspaper. The principal of the high school didn't want the story to be printed for the sake of the reputation of the teacher, but the students believed in the right for news to be printed, and this was news.

The information in the article was extremely fitting for our class, as we ourselves are student journalists. I think it definitely has something to say about our responsibilities as journalists, which is to get the story out and printed. It's our job to report on newsworthy events, which is what these students did, despite hindrances that can be fought off.

I wonder if the principal really thought the students did nothing wrong. They made him look foolish, and he came back to try and go along with it even though the damage was already done. Were there any repercussions for the students?

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Starbucks Shrine

The article is about an old man who became a regular presence at a New York Starbucks. The man sat in the same purple chair every day, which seemed to represent him by it’s permanence and cheerful demeanor. However, people were shocked to hear he was dead one day. His chair became a sort of shrine to him, with letters and flowers left there. His past, which had previously been unknown, soon came out and made his acquaintances realize what kind of man he really was: a fun-loving, flirtatious homeless man.

The material in the article is very relevant to our class and society, even though it's not very obvious. The message of the article is that even one man, seemingly menial in the lives of many, actually had the power to affect those people in ways they never would have realized until he was gone. The message to our class is a lesson about the content of our writing. It teaches that a small event that will touch the hearts of many can make just as good of a story, if not better, than a major event that is impersonal. Personally, it helped me come to the conclusion that the only way to write a good story that people will want to read and care about is to care about it myself and make it a close to home story.

My only questions are about how the story came to be reported on. Did the author of the story know the man to whom the shrine was dedicated? How did the press find out about the story and what made them think it was important enough to report on. I liked the article because it indirectly gave us a lesson on how we should undergo writing our own stories. I would like to see more articles like that. Ones that have a lesson, but are also interesting to read and don't directly relate back to journalism.