Monday, December 3, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
In Class Assignment 25 Apr. 2007
1. Should NBC News have aired any of the footage? Some of the footage? How should that be determined?
I personally believe they should have aired it. It fell in their lap, it had huge news value, and people want to know about it. Based on the fact of whether or not people should be exposed to it is their own personal decision. If someone does not want to watch it they do not HAVE to watch it. I didn't see the actual video, so I don't know if there was anything outrageous that would be hard for anybody to watch, but if there was not I don't see any reason to not have aired the footage. Also, you have to think if you were in that situation and you had this huge news story, you would probably air it, because there is nothing seriously unethical about it in my mind.
2. As a journalist, what are the ethical considerations in determining coverage of this controversial content?
Some things that come to my mind are whether or not this video footage will give ideas to other people looking for attention and who want to mimic what the killer did. They could use the video to try and get attention and commit a crime themselves. Another ethical consideration is taking into account the victims and their families and friends. They may not want this story to keep being told on the news with video footage of the killer being shown over and over. Many average viewers may also want to just forget this and put it behind them, so that they are not dwelling on it. The last consideration that I can think of is the fact that NBC could profit from this. Of course, I don't see a way around them making a profit, but you have to ask if they should have the right to make all the profit off of this tragic story and video.
I personally believe they should have aired it. It fell in their lap, it had huge news value, and people want to know about it. Based on the fact of whether or not people should be exposed to it is their own personal decision. If someone does not want to watch it they do not HAVE to watch it. I didn't see the actual video, so I don't know if there was anything outrageous that would be hard for anybody to watch, but if there was not I don't see any reason to not have aired the footage. Also, you have to think if you were in that situation and you had this huge news story, you would probably air it, because there is nothing seriously unethical about it in my mind.
2. As a journalist, what are the ethical considerations in determining coverage of this controversial content?
Some things that come to my mind are whether or not this video footage will give ideas to other people looking for attention and who want to mimic what the killer did. They could use the video to try and get attention and commit a crime themselves. Another ethical consideration is taking into account the victims and their families and friends. They may not want this story to keep being told on the news with video footage of the killer being shown over and over. Many average viewers may also want to just forget this and put it behind them, so that they are not dwelling on it. The last consideration that I can think of is the fact that NBC could profit from this. Of course, I don't see a way around them making a profit, but you have to ask if they should have the right to make all the profit off of this tragic story and video.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Final Story, Feature Lead
It was late in March, six months into the school year, and like many college freshmen Erin McCormick was driving her Dodge Neon without the supervision of her parents. It was extremely hot outside, and she was not familiar with the necessary steps to maintain a car.
“I honestly had no idea that I was supposed to do things to keep my car from breaking down,” said McCormick. “I had driven it for over a year by this point.”
McCormick’s car started overheating on a regular basis, and she took it in to get looked at.
“It started overheating after a half-hour of driving, so I decided something was wrong,” she said.
Many students leaving home for the first time are not taught what is necessary to maintain their cars. Students often drive more miles, and driving without ever having the oil changed can damage the engine.
“You should change your oil roughly every 3,000 miles, or after three months when it starts to get old,” said Allyn Van Hout, assistant manager of Jiffy Lube in Pullman. “After a while the oil starts building composites in the engine which is bad.”
“I’ve had people bring in their cars where the oil is black, or where there are actually only a few drops of oil in the car,” said Van Hout. “If you run completely out of oil it can destroy your engine.”
Clean oil is a clear tan color, said Van Hout. When it gets old it turns to a dark black color.
“I’ve had people laugh about it when I tell them how close they were to destroying their engine,” said Van Hout. “I try to explain to them that they could be paying thousands of dollars in engine repairs for not changing their oil.”
In some of these cases the car’s owners are college students that are unaware of the fact that the oil needs to be changed, said Van Hout.
This was exactly the case in McCormick’s situation.
“When I took my car in I told them I had never changed the oil before,” said McCormick. “Good thing I took it in when I did and nothing happened to my car.”
Van Hout said that changing oil is a universal need for all cars.
“It is the one thing that every car needs to have done,” Van Hout said. “It is the easiest thing to do that every car needs.”
As for other maintenance tips for college students with their own cars, follow the manufacturers recommendations for tune-ups based on the vehicles current mileage, said Van Hout.
“A higher mileage car might require more frequent changes or tune-ups based on the make and model,” said Van Hout.
“I knew a lot of people who didn’t change their oil regularly either,” said McCormick. “I make sure to tell my friends when they get a new car.”
“I’m never going to forget again,” said McCormick. “It was pretty embarrassing when my car started smoking on the highway.”
“I honestly had no idea that I was supposed to do things to keep my car from breaking down,” said McCormick. “I had driven it for over a year by this point.”
McCormick’s car started overheating on a regular basis, and she took it in to get looked at.
“It started overheating after a half-hour of driving, so I decided something was wrong,” she said.
Many students leaving home for the first time are not taught what is necessary to maintain their cars. Students often drive more miles, and driving without ever having the oil changed can damage the engine.
“You should change your oil roughly every 3,000 miles, or after three months when it starts to get old,” said Allyn Van Hout, assistant manager of Jiffy Lube in Pullman. “After a while the oil starts building composites in the engine which is bad.”
“I’ve had people bring in their cars where the oil is black, or where there are actually only a few drops of oil in the car,” said Van Hout. “If you run completely out of oil it can destroy your engine.”
Clean oil is a clear tan color, said Van Hout. When it gets old it turns to a dark black color.
“I’ve had people laugh about it when I tell them how close they were to destroying their engine,” said Van Hout. “I try to explain to them that they could be paying thousands of dollars in engine repairs for not changing their oil.”
In some of these cases the car’s owners are college students that are unaware of the fact that the oil needs to be changed, said Van Hout.
This was exactly the case in McCormick’s situation.
“When I took my car in I told them I had never changed the oil before,” said McCormick. “Good thing I took it in when I did and nothing happened to my car.”
Van Hout said that changing oil is a universal need for all cars.
“It is the one thing that every car needs to have done,” Van Hout said. “It is the easiest thing to do that every car needs.”
As for other maintenance tips for college students with their own cars, follow the manufacturers recommendations for tune-ups based on the vehicles current mileage, said Van Hout.
“A higher mileage car might require more frequent changes or tune-ups based on the make and model,” said Van Hout.
“I knew a lot of people who didn’t change their oil regularly either,” said McCormick. “I make sure to tell my friends when they get a new car.”
“I’m never going to forget again,” said McCormick. “It was pretty embarrassing when my car started smoking on the highway.”
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Press Conference Article
Rolling Stone Radio, a new streaming internet music service, was unveiled by RealNetworks and Rolling Stone during a press conference earlier today at Washington State University.
Rolling Stone Radio is a streaming radio service that will be available free of charge and feature 12 channels at launch today, said Brett Atwood, editor of music services for RealNetworks.
RealNetworks, a pioneer of streaming audio and video based in Seattle, anticipates this service will be the top music service within a year, said Atwood. The radio service is the result of a partnership between the trusted and established music magazine Rolling Stone and technology company RealNetworks, he said.
“Rolling Stone Radio is democratic,” said Atwood. Users will be able to switch instantly between 12 channels and rate songs that they listen to on a scale of one to five, he said.
For example, if the user tunes into a rock station but does not like the song that is playing, that person may choose to give it a low rating, which will be collected by the programmers at Rolling Stone who will adjust the playlist accordingly, Atwood said.
“We think the internet audience will respond well,” he said.
“This is going to be the year when Internet radio emerges from the shadows into the mainstream. This could become a truly mass medium … and when that happens, radio as we know it will cease to exist,” said Seema Williams, analyst at Forrester Research.
Other features include uncensored rap and hip hop, along with the ability to instantly buy any song from Amazon.com.
An exclusive David Bowie channel is anticipated in the next month, which will be programmed and hosted by Bowie himself, said Atwood. “We believe this is the first of what will be several artist specific channels,” he said.
"As DJ for the BowieNet radio station on Rolling Stone Radio, my first playlist will include favorite songs from the last five decades. I'm hoping music fans all over the world tune in and join me," said David Bowie.
Rolling Stone Radio will also feature significantly less commercial advertising than traditional radio, roughly three to four minutes per hour of music, said Atwood.
Atwood believes Rolling Stone Radio will penetrate the internet audience quickly. “We think within a year’s time we will be a leader of internet radio.”
Rolling Stone Radio is a streaming radio service that will be available free of charge and feature 12 channels at launch today, said Brett Atwood, editor of music services for RealNetworks.
RealNetworks, a pioneer of streaming audio and video based in Seattle, anticipates this service will be the top music service within a year, said Atwood. The radio service is the result of a partnership between the trusted and established music magazine Rolling Stone and technology company RealNetworks, he said.
“Rolling Stone Radio is democratic,” said Atwood. Users will be able to switch instantly between 12 channels and rate songs that they listen to on a scale of one to five, he said.
For example, if the user tunes into a rock station but does not like the song that is playing, that person may choose to give it a low rating, which will be collected by the programmers at Rolling Stone who will adjust the playlist accordingly, Atwood said.
“We think the internet audience will respond well,” he said.
“This is going to be the year when Internet radio emerges from the shadows into the mainstream. This could become a truly mass medium … and when that happens, radio as we know it will cease to exist,” said Seema Williams, analyst at Forrester Research.
Other features include uncensored rap and hip hop, along with the ability to instantly buy any song from Amazon.com.
An exclusive David Bowie channel is anticipated in the next month, which will be programmed and hosted by Bowie himself, said Atwood. “We believe this is the first of what will be several artist specific channels,” he said.
"As DJ for the BowieNet radio station on Rolling Stone Radio, my first playlist will include favorite songs from the last five decades. I'm hoping music fans all over the world tune in and join me," said David Bowie.
Rolling Stone Radio will also feature significantly less commercial advertising than traditional radio, roughly three to four minutes per hour of music, said Atwood.
Atwood believes Rolling Stone Radio will penetrate the internet audience quickly. “We think within a year’s time we will be a leader of internet radio.”
1) Steven Smith said there is no story if he is not trying to engage in sexual activity with underage men because then there is no illegal activity for being gay. He said the mayor may be a dirty old man, but still would not be committing a crime if he is simply gay and not having sex with minors.
2) He justified the sting operation by saying they needed to search for the truth. He didn't create the fake username on the gay chat room because he said it is against the rules and code of ethics of the Spokesman Review for him to use a fake identity.
3) I think they published so many because more and more information kept unraveling, and it was a very big story about an anti-gay mayor who may be gay, so people would keep reading it and buying newspapers. Also he said the papers were wrong at first, so they had to continue investigating the story.
4) If anyone benefitted, it would be the newspaper, and also victims of past sexual assaults because it may have brought them closure. However, we don't know for sure that he was a child molestor so it is hard to say if he really hurt anyone.
As for who was hurt, clearly the Mayor Jim West was hurt since his reputation was destroyed and his career was ended very rapidly. Also he had hidden his gay sexuality and had been anti-gay throughout his career, which made him appear to be a hypocrite.
I don't believe it was entirely worth it, although it was a huge story for the city of Spokane. There was never really proof that he was a child molestor, and all he did was be a gay person, but hide it. He felt he needed to hide it to advance high in his career, and it all came to an end after the truth came out. Maybe if it were shown that he had been a child molestor and hurt underaged peoples lives it would have been more worth it. If it were a janitor who happened to be gay, and people found out he was gay, but was not committing illegal activities, nobody would probably think twice about the situation.
5) I think there could possibly be some ethics issues in this article, because there is no proof of any illegal activities going on, just speculation and unusual events like his private vehicle being spotted in a bad neighborhood. I think the Spokesman-review should have continued investigating, and if they had found anything factual, it would have made for a much more legitimate story to be published at a later time. There could possibly be legitimate explanations for all these events, but as a political figure he will be under constant scrutiny which is unfair.
2) He justified the sting operation by saying they needed to search for the truth. He didn't create the fake username on the gay chat room because he said it is against the rules and code of ethics of the Spokesman Review for him to use a fake identity.
3) I think they published so many because more and more information kept unraveling, and it was a very big story about an anti-gay mayor who may be gay, so people would keep reading it and buying newspapers. Also he said the papers were wrong at first, so they had to continue investigating the story.
4) If anyone benefitted, it would be the newspaper, and also victims of past sexual assaults because it may have brought them closure. However, we don't know for sure that he was a child molestor so it is hard to say if he really hurt anyone.
As for who was hurt, clearly the Mayor Jim West was hurt since his reputation was destroyed and his career was ended very rapidly. Also he had hidden his gay sexuality and had been anti-gay throughout his career, which made him appear to be a hypocrite.
I don't believe it was entirely worth it, although it was a huge story for the city of Spokane. There was never really proof that he was a child molestor, and all he did was be a gay person, but hide it. He felt he needed to hide it to advance high in his career, and it all came to an end after the truth came out. Maybe if it were shown that he had been a child molestor and hurt underaged peoples lives it would have been more worth it. If it were a janitor who happened to be gay, and people found out he was gay, but was not committing illegal activities, nobody would probably think twice about the situation.
5) I think there could possibly be some ethics issues in this article, because there is no proof of any illegal activities going on, just speculation and unusual events like his private vehicle being spotted in a bad neighborhood. I think the Spokesman-review should have continued investigating, and if they had found anything factual, it would have made for a much more legitimate story to be published at a later time. There could possibly be legitimate explanations for all these events, but as a political figure he will be under constant scrutiny which is unfair.
Monday, April 2, 2007
The News Aggregators
Both sites are similar in that they are very simply laid out, and have many links everywhere that you can click. I noticed on the Huffington Post that there are clearly labeled blogs with headlines as many of the links, whereas the Drudge Report has mostly links to other news sites, and none of the headlines are actually blogs. I think the Drudge Report is less cluttered and easier to navigate.
The Huffington Reports top headlines seem to focus more on government related issues such as presidential candidates and government decisions. The Drudge Report, however, seems more balanced in that it is not all political headlines. My immediate impression is that the Drudge Report is much more balanced like a mainstream news site such as cnn, because their top headlines range from the murder-suicide at UW, to a dry spell in Los Angeles, and a story about Anna Nicole Smith.
As for political affiliation or bias, I cannot really see any obvious signs of bias, however if I had to choose one I would say they both lean slightly left, but I only say that based off of a couple of the current headlines, although I could very likely be wrong since I don't know that much about politics. I basically could not find any hard evidence to choose one.
On the Drudge Report, the headlines for most of the stories match the actual story, except that some of the headlines have been changed on the Druge Report website. The Huffington Report was similar in that the headlines were what the stories were actually about, but slightly changed.
I don't know if these sites have the power to influence the public, because I personally don't know anybody that reads them. However, if their readership is as high as some people claim, I suppose it is possible.
The Huffington Reports top headlines seem to focus more on government related issues such as presidential candidates and government decisions. The Drudge Report, however, seems more balanced in that it is not all political headlines. My immediate impression is that the Drudge Report is much more balanced like a mainstream news site such as cnn, because their top headlines range from the murder-suicide at UW, to a dry spell in Los Angeles, and a story about Anna Nicole Smith.
As for political affiliation or bias, I cannot really see any obvious signs of bias, however if I had to choose one I would say they both lean slightly left, but I only say that based off of a couple of the current headlines, although I could very likely be wrong since I don't know that much about politics. I basically could not find any hard evidence to choose one.
On the Drudge Report, the headlines for most of the stories match the actual story, except that some of the headlines have been changed on the Druge Report website. The Huffington Report was similar in that the headlines were what the stories were actually about, but slightly changed.
I don't know if these sites have the power to influence the public, because I personally don't know anybody that reads them. However, if their readership is as high as some people claim, I suppose it is possible.
Friday, March 30, 2007
By The Numbers
A recent poll asking 598 adults in North Carolina if children with AIDS should be allowed to attend school with other children showed that 64 percent believe they should be allowed to attend school, 23 percent say they should not, and 13 percent have no opinion.
The poll was sponsored by the School of Journalism and the Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Of the adults with a college education, 68 percent said they would allow it, while 54 percent of adults without a high school diploma said they would allow it.
Kathy Kerr, a health educator with the AIDS Control Program of the North Carolina Division of Health Services said it is encouraging that more than half of the adults said they would allow children with AIDS to attend classes with other children. “I think a few years ago in this epidemic there was a lot more AIDS hysteria and probably a lot more people said they wouldn’t let AIDS children attend school with other children,” she said.
“More and more people are recognizing that AIDS is not transmitted casually,” Kerr said. “You certainly don’t get AIDS by sitting next to someone in class.”
The margin of error in this poll is 4 percentage points, meaning that in 19 of 20 samples, the results would vary by no more than 4 percent from what would have been obtained if every telephone in North Carolina had been dialed.
Telephone numbers dialed were chosen by a random computer process by KPC Research, which is the market research arm of Knight Publishing Co., in Charlotte.
The poll was sponsored by the School of Journalism and the Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Of the adults with a college education, 68 percent said they would allow it, while 54 percent of adults without a high school diploma said they would allow it.
Kathy Kerr, a health educator with the AIDS Control Program of the North Carolina Division of Health Services said it is encouraging that more than half of the adults said they would allow children with AIDS to attend classes with other children. “I think a few years ago in this epidemic there was a lot more AIDS hysteria and probably a lot more people said they wouldn’t let AIDS children attend school with other children,” she said.
“More and more people are recognizing that AIDS is not transmitted casually,” Kerr said. “You certainly don’t get AIDS by sitting next to someone in class.”
The margin of error in this poll is 4 percentage points, meaning that in 19 of 20 samples, the results would vary by no more than 4 percent from what would have been obtained if every telephone in North Carolina had been dialed.
Telephone numbers dialed were chosen by a random computer process by KPC Research, which is the market research arm of Knight Publishing Co., in Charlotte.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Internet Background Information Research Assignment
1) Bellevue, WA, population of 118,496. There were more property crimes than any other type in 2005, followed by larceny theft. Both of these crimes were in the thousands. The next most occuring were burglary and motor vehicle theft, at 295 and 308. There was only 1 murder all year in Bellevue, and there were 87 violent crimes overall for 2005.
2) - In 2006, Troy Kelley was the house candidate who received the most political donations ($237,299). Christopher Marr was the senate candidate who received the most political donations ($420,201).
- Troy Kelley donated the largest amount of money to himself, with a total of $69,811 contributed.
-For Christopher Marr, the largest contribuation came from The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee for $43,000.
-The most generous anti-gun control contributor in Washington State was the Gun Owners Action League of Washington with a $3,400 donation. 100% of this money went to a Third Party, with 0% going towards the democratic or republican parties.
-The largest insurance industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was Carl H. Lindner, employed by American Financial in Ohio for a total of $1,760,000. Lindner donated $1,260,000 to the Republican party (71.59% of total donation), and $500,000 to Ballot Measures (28.41%).
-The largest beer/wine industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was BG Distribuation Partners for $845,250. The candidate receiving the most money was Rick Perry of the Republican Party in Texas for $50,000.
-The largest casino/gambling industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was from the Ohio Legacy Fund for $3,518,118. The initiative that they spent money on was "Vote Yes On Issuye 3."
3) I searched my friend Michael Rojko, because his name was uncommon enough I believe to not come up with 50 different people by that name. I found on google that he played soccer in high school back in 2001 and made the local newspaper. I also found that he received the "Polish Women's Alliance of America" scholarship for the school year 2006-2007 at the University of South Florida.
2) - In 2006, Troy Kelley was the house candidate who received the most political donations ($237,299). Christopher Marr was the senate candidate who received the most political donations ($420,201).
- Troy Kelley donated the largest amount of money to himself, with a total of $69,811 contributed.
-For Christopher Marr, the largest contribuation came from The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee for $43,000.
-The most generous anti-gun control contributor in Washington State was the Gun Owners Action League of Washington with a $3,400 donation. 100% of this money went to a Third Party, with 0% going towards the democratic or republican parties.
-The largest insurance industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was Carl H. Lindner, employed by American Financial in Ohio for a total of $1,760,000. Lindner donated $1,260,000 to the Republican party (71.59% of total donation), and $500,000 to Ballot Measures (28.41%).
-The largest beer/wine industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was BG Distribuation Partners for $845,250. The candidate receiving the most money was Rick Perry of the Republican Party in Texas for $50,000.
-The largest casino/gambling industry donator in the U.S. in 2006 was from the Ohio Legacy Fund for $3,518,118. The initiative that they spent money on was "Vote Yes On Issuye 3."
3) I searched my friend Michael Rojko, because his name was uncommon enough I believe to not come up with 50 different people by that name. I found on google that he played soccer in high school back in 2001 and made the local newspaper. I also found that he received the "Polish Women's Alliance of America" scholarship for the school year 2006-2007 at the University of South Florida.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Feature Story
For Sgt. Raymond P. Straight, the U.S. Army has given him a great career that will end with retirement in two months. He is proud to have made his final duty station Washington State University. He has not only made an impact as a faculty member of WSU, but also as a trainer of hundreds of future U.S. Army officers.
For Straight, a native of Alaska, coming to WSU was not something he had planned on doing. “I was actually pretty skeptical about the Army sending me here at first,” Straight said. “As an enlisted member of the Army, they gave me three options, and I basically had to agree with one of them or retire.”
One of his options was to be an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) instructor at WSU. Not wanting to retire yet, Straight considered the positive aspects of the job. He would be able to network with other soldiers yet also interact with civilians, and being an ROTC instructor “looks pretty good on your civilian resume”, Straight said.
Straight said being an ROTC instructor at WSU has been very rewarding. “It’s great to see young individuals go from being self-absorbed to being a public servant in our Army,” Straight said. “It’s great to know that I am actually molding tomorrow’s Army.”
Elizabeth C. Straight, Straight’s daughter, is happy with his decision to move to WSU from Alaska. She said her dad used to invite her to WSU Army ROTC events when she was still in high school, which got her to want to join the Army. Because of her interest in the program, Elizabeth was rewarded a full ROTC scholarship to WSU after high school.
If not for her fathers influence in WSU ROTC, she would not have received the scholarship and wouldn’t have gone to college immediately due to financial reasons, she said. “I was going to work and save up for college and then attend, but opportunity came first and I'm thankful,” she said.
As for Raymond Straight’s influence on other cadets, he has been a great example and mentor for future officers, ROTC cadet Taihei Hongo said. “From my physical fitness scores to my academic scores, they have all improved because of Sgt. Straight,” he said. “I’m confident he has prepared me to be a valuable asset to the U.S. Army.”
Cadets will be sad to see him leave next year, Hongo said. “He’s a great instructor, and it’s too bad future cadets won’t get to have him for ROTC,” he said.
As for his daughter Elizabeth, she is happy with the impact her father’s decisions have had on her future. “All this good came out of one move and I wouldn't want to change anything for the world,” she said.
For retirement, Raymond Straight had planned to go home to Alaska, but says WSU has grown on him.
“If I can get a job here, maybe I’ll stick around,” he said. “This experience at WSU has turned out pretty well.”
For Straight, a native of Alaska, coming to WSU was not something he had planned on doing. “I was actually pretty skeptical about the Army sending me here at first,” Straight said. “As an enlisted member of the Army, they gave me three options, and I basically had to agree with one of them or retire.”
One of his options was to be an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) instructor at WSU. Not wanting to retire yet, Straight considered the positive aspects of the job. He would be able to network with other soldiers yet also interact with civilians, and being an ROTC instructor “looks pretty good on your civilian resume”, Straight said.
Straight said being an ROTC instructor at WSU has been very rewarding. “It’s great to see young individuals go from being self-absorbed to being a public servant in our Army,” Straight said. “It’s great to know that I am actually molding tomorrow’s Army.”
Elizabeth C. Straight, Straight’s daughter, is happy with his decision to move to WSU from Alaska. She said her dad used to invite her to WSU Army ROTC events when she was still in high school, which got her to want to join the Army. Because of her interest in the program, Elizabeth was rewarded a full ROTC scholarship to WSU after high school.
If not for her fathers influence in WSU ROTC, she would not have received the scholarship and wouldn’t have gone to college immediately due to financial reasons, she said. “I was going to work and save up for college and then attend, but opportunity came first and I'm thankful,” she said.
As for Raymond Straight’s influence on other cadets, he has been a great example and mentor for future officers, ROTC cadet Taihei Hongo said. “From my physical fitness scores to my academic scores, they have all improved because of Sgt. Straight,” he said. “I’m confident he has prepared me to be a valuable asset to the U.S. Army.”
Cadets will be sad to see him leave next year, Hongo said. “He’s a great instructor, and it’s too bad future cadets won’t get to have him for ROTC,” he said.
As for his daughter Elizabeth, she is happy with the impact her father’s decisions have had on her future. “All this good came out of one move and I wouldn't want to change anything for the world,” she said.
For retirement, Raymond Straight had planned to go home to Alaska, but says WSU has grown on him.
“If I can get a job here, maybe I’ll stick around,” he said. “This experience at WSU has turned out pretty well.”
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Article #2
It was a Friday morning in January, and like many Washington State University students, Chris Schuyler was driving home to Seattle for the weekend. It had snowed heavily the night before, but Schuyler had winter tires on his Geo Tracker so he felt there was nothing to worry about.
“It was a long weekend and I was excited to get home,” said Schuyler. “Winter driving was never a problem before since I had studded tires.”
Schuyler was driving up a steep hill in Pullman when his rear-wheel drive vehicle lost traction and slid off the road into a ditch.
“I could not believe my car had actually gone off the road,” said Schuyler. “It was one of those things you think only happens to other people.”
During the winter season, more local drivers find themselves involved in accidents related to freezing weather conditions. It snows frequently and the roads become very slippery, but drivers are not always more cautious or prepared, said Steve Myers, owner of Myers Auto Rebuild and Towing in Pullman.
“We get really busy during the winter,” said Myers. “Instead of running a week back log we find ourselves scheduling repairs two or three weeks into the future,” he said.
Companies like Myers Auto Rebuild and Towing receive many calls from the police department during the winter to pull vehicles back on the road like the Geo Tracker driven by Schuyler.
Accidents resulting from poor road conditions occur fairly consistently in Pullman, Myers said. If someone slides off the road in a certain area, chances are that person is not the first, he said.
“Slick weather definitely doesn’t hurt the body or towing business,” said Myers. “I’ve been out all night towing cars in bad weather before.”
Drivers often buy winter tires and feel they are entirely safe to drive again, said Myers. However, more caution still needs to be taken in order to avoid becoming an accident victim.
The Washington State Department of Transportation web site offers tips for safe winter driving.
Drivers should keep their headlights on at all times, the web site says. The web site recommends staying off the roads entirely in icy conditions.
If driving cannot be avoided, people should drive slower and give themselves extra time to reach their destination, according to the web site.
“It was a long weekend and I was excited to get home,” said Schuyler. “Winter driving was never a problem before since I had studded tires.”
Schuyler was driving up a steep hill in Pullman when his rear-wheel drive vehicle lost traction and slid off the road into a ditch.
“I could not believe my car had actually gone off the road,” said Schuyler. “It was one of those things you think only happens to other people.”
During the winter season, more local drivers find themselves involved in accidents related to freezing weather conditions. It snows frequently and the roads become very slippery, but drivers are not always more cautious or prepared, said Steve Myers, owner of Myers Auto Rebuild and Towing in Pullman.
“We get really busy during the winter,” said Myers. “Instead of running a week back log we find ourselves scheduling repairs two or three weeks into the future,” he said.
Companies like Myers Auto Rebuild and Towing receive many calls from the police department during the winter to pull vehicles back on the road like the Geo Tracker driven by Schuyler.
Accidents resulting from poor road conditions occur fairly consistently in Pullman, Myers said. If someone slides off the road in a certain area, chances are that person is not the first, he said.
“Slick weather definitely doesn’t hurt the body or towing business,” said Myers. “I’ve been out all night towing cars in bad weather before.”
Drivers often buy winter tires and feel they are entirely safe to drive again, said Myers. However, more caution still needs to be taken in order to avoid becoming an accident victim.
The Washington State Department of Transportation web site offers tips for safe winter driving.
Drivers should keep their headlights on at all times, the web site says. The web site recommends staying off the roads entirely in icy conditions.
If driving cannot be avoided, people should drive slower and give themselves extra time to reach their destination, according to the web site.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Special Leads
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/21/btsc.iran.amanpour/index.html
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- As I sat down recently with a senior Iranian government official, he urgently waved a column by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in my face, one about how the United States and Iran need to engage each other.
I think this is a narrative lead because it starts off telling the story of how an interview went between a reporter and an Iranian government official. It continues narrating a story for the next several paragraphs, and eventually has a nut graph because it describes the issue at hand. I think it is written well, except that it is a topic I am not very interested in, so i found it boring and difficult to understand what the story is actually about. I think this type of article should not delay the issue and get right to the point.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2889317&page=1
DREXEL HILL, Pa., Feb. 20, 2007 — In the nurse's office at Hillcrest Elementary School in this Philadelphia suburb, nurse Kim Glielmi spends much of her day dealing not with cuts and bruises, but pounds and inches. On the day we visited, the entire kindergarten class was lined up for its mandatory march to the scales.
This is a narrative lead because it tells a story in the fest few paragraphs, as can be seen in the lead. It does not start off telling the reader what the news story actually is or where the news value is. However, I was interested enough to continue reading and I think it did a good job of keeping me reading more into the article.
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- As I sat down recently with a senior Iranian government official, he urgently waved a column by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in my face, one about how the United States and Iran need to engage each other.
I think this is a narrative lead because it starts off telling the story of how an interview went between a reporter and an Iranian government official. It continues narrating a story for the next several paragraphs, and eventually has a nut graph because it describes the issue at hand. I think it is written well, except that it is a topic I am not very interested in, so i found it boring and difficult to understand what the story is actually about. I think this type of article should not delay the issue and get right to the point.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2889317&page=1
DREXEL HILL, Pa., Feb. 20, 2007 — In the nurse's office at Hillcrest Elementary School in this Philadelphia suburb, nurse Kim Glielmi spends much of her day dealing not with cuts and bruises, but pounds and inches. On the day we visited, the entire kindergarten class was lined up for its mandatory march to the scales.
This is a narrative lead because it tells a story in the fest few paragraphs, as can be seen in the lead. It does not start off telling the reader what the news story actually is or where the news value is. However, I was interested enough to continue reading and I think it did a good job of keeping me reading more into the article.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Hourglass Assignment
Three Washington State University police officers were injured and 22 students arrested after a protest on Friday regarding the possibility of all faculty members being required to take a class in cultural diversity.
There were two campus groups and over 200 demonstrators involved with the protest at the monthly Board of Regents meeting. The Students Against Racism were protesting for the additional cultural classes for faculty, while the American Student Organization members were protesting against diversity classes.
The protestors were being loud and disruptive without a permit to hold a rally, and as a result were asked to disperse, said Police Chief R. Barclay Peterson. “There never would have been a problem if they simply would have moved back when we asked them. Instead, both groups decided to gang up against the police,” he said.
One police officer, Andrea Wilson, received a gash on her forehead, Peterson said. James Nelson and Sgt. Jerico Turner were the other police officers injured, receiving bruises from thrown items.
All of those arrested were charged with trespassing on state property for refusing to disperce, and twelve were also charged with resisting arrest. Ten students were charged with assault after they allegedly threw rocks and bottles at the police officers.
The regents did not take action on the new diversity requirement, and will discuss it again at next months meeting to be held May 16th in Regents Hall.
“We will continue protesting until the regents vote to mandate faculty training,” said Jonathan Walterson, president of Students Against Racism. “We’re done negotiating with them. Now it is time to cause trouble,” he said.
Walterson said there will be more rallies, not only at the next meeting but before then.
Brian Allen, a senior biology student and president of the American Student Organization, said his group will continue protesting as well. “Our faculty do not need additional training in diversity. Many of our faculty aren’t even from this country,” he said.
“It Just got out of hand,” said Peterson. The protest started at the fountain at Central Mall around noon with one group chanting “no more racism” and the other saying “stop diversity,” he said.
The students then marched towards Regents Hall at about 1:15 p.m., the location of the meeting, and were disrupting classes when they were asked to disperse, he said.
About 60 officers were present by 1:20 p.m. because the demonstrators were too loud and rowdy, said Peterson.
The protestors were then met by officers and ordered to disperse near the Liberal Arts Building. By 1:25, the demonstration was at its worst, Peterson said. The protestors started shouting directly at the police and began throwing things at them, he added.
This is when the three officers were injured, Peterson said.
By 1:30, most of the protestors began to back off, and those who did not were arrested, ending the demonstration, he said.
The Protest delayed the beginning of the afternoon session of the regents meeting, and the meeting resumed at about 2 p.m., said Peterson.
There were two campus groups and over 200 demonstrators involved with the protest at the monthly Board of Regents meeting. The Students Against Racism were protesting for the additional cultural classes for faculty, while the American Student Organization members were protesting against diversity classes.
The protestors were being loud and disruptive without a permit to hold a rally, and as a result were asked to disperse, said Police Chief R. Barclay Peterson. “There never would have been a problem if they simply would have moved back when we asked them. Instead, both groups decided to gang up against the police,” he said.
One police officer, Andrea Wilson, received a gash on her forehead, Peterson said. James Nelson and Sgt. Jerico Turner were the other police officers injured, receiving bruises from thrown items.
All of those arrested were charged with trespassing on state property for refusing to disperce, and twelve were also charged with resisting arrest. Ten students were charged with assault after they allegedly threw rocks and bottles at the police officers.
The regents did not take action on the new diversity requirement, and will discuss it again at next months meeting to be held May 16th in Regents Hall.
“We will continue protesting until the regents vote to mandate faculty training,” said Jonathan Walterson, president of Students Against Racism. “We’re done negotiating with them. Now it is time to cause trouble,” he said.
Walterson said there will be more rallies, not only at the next meeting but before then.
Brian Allen, a senior biology student and president of the American Student Organization, said his group will continue protesting as well. “Our faculty do not need additional training in diversity. Many of our faculty aren’t even from this country,” he said.
“It Just got out of hand,” said Peterson. The protest started at the fountain at Central Mall around noon with one group chanting “no more racism” and the other saying “stop diversity,” he said.
The students then marched towards Regents Hall at about 1:15 p.m., the location of the meeting, and were disrupting classes when they were asked to disperse, he said.
About 60 officers were present by 1:20 p.m. because the demonstrators were too loud and rowdy, said Peterson.
The protestors were then met by officers and ordered to disperse near the Liberal Arts Building. By 1:25, the demonstration was at its worst, Peterson said. The protestors started shouting directly at the police and began throwing things at them, he added.
This is when the three officers were injured, Peterson said.
By 1:30, most of the protestors began to back off, and those who did not were arrested, ending the demonstration, he said.
The Protest delayed the beginning of the afternoon session of the regents meeting, and the meeting resumed at about 2 p.m., said Peterson.
Article 1 Revision
Using common sense and working together with police are keys to preventing and solving property crimes during the school year, said Chris Tennant, the Pullman Police Department commander.
In a small college town like Pullman, property crimes can often be called opportunity crimes due to the lack of students taking preventive measures, said Tennant. For example, if the opportunity to steal something presents itself with little risk of being caught, students are more likely to commit that crime, he said.
According to statistics provided by the Pullman Police Department, there were over 30 reports of theft in December 2006, including four automobile theft reports. The report also lists 14 burglaries or home intrusions and 17 hit-and-run vehicle incidents.
“These crimes often result from a lack of common sense,” said Commander Chris Tennant. “Don’t leave your wallet sitting on the car dashboard, and lock your doors. Locks actually work and can deter a potential burglar from your house.” This takes away easy opportunities for someone to commit a crime against you, said Tennant.
Many of the crime reports come after someone throws a party at their house, said Tennant. “The owners throw a party, sell cups and alcohol, and eventually there are random people over who rob them blind.” Thinking ahead could have easily solved this problem, he said.
People need to realize that they can always be a victim, Tennant said. Doing this helps people recognize crime opportunities and prevent them from happening.
However some crimes can occur even when the victims are careful. Student Nicholas Kane lives on College Hill, and has to park his car on the street. Two weeks after buying new snow tires for his truck, he woke up to find two of them had been slashed.
“I was really angry because I knew the person got away with it, and I had to buy my own snow tires,” said Kane. “It was a situation of bad luck where I had to pay for another person’s crime.”
Crime solving is a partnership between the community and the police department, said Chris Tennant. “If you find yourself the victim of a crime, the first thing you need to do is actually report it.”
For example, students like Kane often do not report crimes because they assume that nothing can be done, said Tennant. In Kane’s case, the police may not always find the culprit, but they can do things like put more patrols in the area to prevent it from happening again.
“Looking back on it, I should have reported it to the police,” said Kane. “Over the next couple days about three more cars on my street had their tires slashed as well, and I’m guessing they could be related,” he said. “If I had called police maybe they would have been prevented, so hopefully one of the other victims reported it.”
Taking simple steps such as locking your doors, making smart decisions, and always reporting crimes to the police can really make a difference in the amount of crimes that occur in Pullman, said Tennant.
In a small college town like Pullman, property crimes can often be called opportunity crimes due to the lack of students taking preventive measures, said Tennant. For example, if the opportunity to steal something presents itself with little risk of being caught, students are more likely to commit that crime, he said.
According to statistics provided by the Pullman Police Department, there were over 30 reports of theft in December 2006, including four automobile theft reports. The report also lists 14 burglaries or home intrusions and 17 hit-and-run vehicle incidents.
“These crimes often result from a lack of common sense,” said Commander Chris Tennant. “Don’t leave your wallet sitting on the car dashboard, and lock your doors. Locks actually work and can deter a potential burglar from your house.” This takes away easy opportunities for someone to commit a crime against you, said Tennant.
Many of the crime reports come after someone throws a party at their house, said Tennant. “The owners throw a party, sell cups and alcohol, and eventually there are random people over who rob them blind.” Thinking ahead could have easily solved this problem, he said.
People need to realize that they can always be a victim, Tennant said. Doing this helps people recognize crime opportunities and prevent them from happening.
However some crimes can occur even when the victims are careful. Student Nicholas Kane lives on College Hill, and has to park his car on the street. Two weeks after buying new snow tires for his truck, he woke up to find two of them had been slashed.
“I was really angry because I knew the person got away with it, and I had to buy my own snow tires,” said Kane. “It was a situation of bad luck where I had to pay for another person’s crime.”
Crime solving is a partnership between the community and the police department, said Chris Tennant. “If you find yourself the victim of a crime, the first thing you need to do is actually report it.”
For example, students like Kane often do not report crimes because they assume that nothing can be done, said Tennant. In Kane’s case, the police may not always find the culprit, but they can do things like put more patrols in the area to prevent it from happening again.
“Looking back on it, I should have reported it to the police,” said Kane. “Over the next couple days about three more cars on my street had their tires slashed as well, and I’m guessing they could be related,” he said. “If I had called police maybe they would have been prevented, so hopefully one of the other victims reported it.”
Taking simple steps such as locking your doors, making smart decisions, and always reporting crimes to the police can really make a difference in the amount of crimes that occur in Pullman, said Tennant.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
2nd Day Lead
There are still no suspects or leads as the parents of a 4-year-old girl plea for her safe return after she went missing from her crib 24-hours ago.
Police have visited every home in a six-block radius around the Norton’s house in the past day, asking if they might have seen or heard anything about the girl, Angela Melissa Norton.
"We are begging anyone who might have seen our daughter to please call the police or us,” Maria L. Norton told reporters today. “She has never been away from home without us, and we are certain that she must be terrified not to be in her own home.”
Police have visited every home in a six-block radius around the Norton’s house in the past day, asking if they might have seen or heard anything about the girl, Angela Melissa Norton.
"We are begging anyone who might have seen our daughter to please call the police or us,” Maria L. Norton told reporters today. “She has never been away from home without us, and we are certain that she must be terrified not to be in her own home.”
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Story #1 First Draft
Using common sense and working together with police are keys to preventing and solving property crimes during the school year, said Chris Tennant, the Pullman Police Department Commander.
In a small college town like Pullman, property crimes can often be called opportunity crimes due to the lack of students taking preventive measures, said Tennant. For example, if the opportunity to steal something presents itself with little risk of being caught, students are more likely to commit that crime, he said.
According to statistics provided by the Pullman Police Department, there were over 30 reports of theft in December 2006, including four automobile theft reports. The report also lists 14 burglaries or home intrusions and 17 hit-and-run vehicle incidents.
“These crimes often result from a lack of common sense,” said Commander Chris Tennant. “Don’t leave your wallet sitting on the car dashboard, and lock your doors. Locks actually work and can deter a potential burglar from your house.” This takes away easy opportunities for someone to commit a crime against you, said Tennant.
Many of the crime reports come after someone throws a party at their house, said Tennant. “The owners throw a party, sell cups and alcohol, and eventually there are random people over who rob them blind.” Thinking ahead could have easily solved this problem, he said.
People need to realize that they can always be a victim, Tennant said. Doing this helps people recognize crime opportunities and prevent them from happening.
However some crimes can occur even when the victims are careful. Student Nicholas Kane lives on College Hill, and has to park his car on the street. Two weeks after buying new snow tires for his truck, he woke up to find two of them had been slashed.
“I was really angry because I knew the person got away with it, and I had to buy my own snow tires,” said Kane. “It was a situation of bad luck where I had to pay for another person’s crime.”
Crime solving is a partnership between the community and the police department, said Chris Tennant. “If you find yourself the victim of a crime, the first thing you need to do is actually report it.”
For example, students like Nicholas Kane may wake up and find that their tires have been slashed, and rather than report it, they assume nothing can be done and ignore it, said Tennant. The police may not always find out who slashed the tires, but they can do things like put more patrols in the area to prevent it from happening again.
“Looking back on it, I should have reported it to the police,” said Kane. “Over the next couple days about three more cars on my street had their tires slashed as well, and I’m guessing they could be related,” he said. “If I had called police maybe they would have been prevented, so hopefully one of the other victims reported it.”
Taking simple steps such as locking your doors, making smart decisions, and always reporting crimes to the police can really make a difference in the amount of crimes that occur in Pullman, said Tennant.
In a small college town like Pullman, property crimes can often be called opportunity crimes due to the lack of students taking preventive measures, said Tennant. For example, if the opportunity to steal something presents itself with little risk of being caught, students are more likely to commit that crime, he said.
According to statistics provided by the Pullman Police Department, there were over 30 reports of theft in December 2006, including four automobile theft reports. The report also lists 14 burglaries or home intrusions and 17 hit-and-run vehicle incidents.
“These crimes often result from a lack of common sense,” said Commander Chris Tennant. “Don’t leave your wallet sitting on the car dashboard, and lock your doors. Locks actually work and can deter a potential burglar from your house.” This takes away easy opportunities for someone to commit a crime against you, said Tennant.
Many of the crime reports come after someone throws a party at their house, said Tennant. “The owners throw a party, sell cups and alcohol, and eventually there are random people over who rob them blind.” Thinking ahead could have easily solved this problem, he said.
People need to realize that they can always be a victim, Tennant said. Doing this helps people recognize crime opportunities and prevent them from happening.
However some crimes can occur even when the victims are careful. Student Nicholas Kane lives on College Hill, and has to park his car on the street. Two weeks after buying new snow tires for his truck, he woke up to find two of them had been slashed.
“I was really angry because I knew the person got away with it, and I had to buy my own snow tires,” said Kane. “It was a situation of bad luck where I had to pay for another person’s crime.”
Crime solving is a partnership between the community and the police department, said Chris Tennant. “If you find yourself the victim of a crime, the first thing you need to do is actually report it.”
For example, students like Nicholas Kane may wake up and find that their tires have been slashed, and rather than report it, they assume nothing can be done and ignore it, said Tennant. The police may not always find out who slashed the tires, but they can do things like put more patrols in the area to prevent it from happening again.
“Looking back on it, I should have reported it to the police,” said Kane. “Over the next couple days about three more cars on my street had their tires slashed as well, and I’m guessing they could be related,” he said. “If I had called police maybe they would have been prevented, so hopefully one of the other victims reported it.”
Taking simple steps such as locking your doors, making smart decisions, and always reporting crimes to the police can really make a difference in the amount of crimes that occur in Pullman, said Tennant.
Re-ordering exercise
The Iraqi government said Sunday it could attack American and British bases in the Persian Gulf that are used to launch airstrikes against Iraq.
“We, by help from God and support from the sons of our glorious Arab nation, including true and sincere nationals … in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have the ability to attack the soldiers and means of aggression from whatever region,” Iraqi television said, quoting a statement from President Saddam Hussein and senior leaders.
The statement came amid a simmering war of nerves with the United States and Britain over “no-fly” zones imposed in northern and southern Iraq. Iraq does not recognize the zones and has vowed to fire at any plane that violates its airspace.
“Once again … we draw the attention of the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and tell them you are getting involved now in a vicious and aggressive war that the people of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have no interest in,” the statement said.
The statement did not specify what type of action Iraq would take against the U.S. and British bases.
The United States has accused Iraq of more than 90 violations of the no-fly zones since mid-December. It said U.S. and British forces have retaliated by attacking more than 40 Iraqi targets.
Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have opened their air bases to U.S. and British planes that patrol the no-fly zones.
The zones were set up by the United States, Britain and France after the 1991 Persian Gulf War to prevent the Iraqi air force from attacking rebels in the north and south.
The Iraqi statement was issued following a meeting Saddam held with three senior aides. It again warned Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to distance themselves from the United States.
“We, by help from God and support from the sons of our glorious Arab nation, including true and sincere nationals … in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have the ability to attack the soldiers and means of aggression from whatever region,” Iraqi television said, quoting a statement from President Saddam Hussein and senior leaders.
The statement came amid a simmering war of nerves with the United States and Britain over “no-fly” zones imposed in northern and southern Iraq. Iraq does not recognize the zones and has vowed to fire at any plane that violates its airspace.
“Once again … we draw the attention of the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and tell them you are getting involved now in a vicious and aggressive war that the people of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have no interest in,” the statement said.
The statement did not specify what type of action Iraq would take against the U.S. and British bases.
The United States has accused Iraq of more than 90 violations of the no-fly zones since mid-December. It said U.S. and British forces have retaliated by attacking more than 40 Iraqi targets.
Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have opened their air bases to U.S. and British planes that patrol the no-fly zones.
The zones were set up by the United States, Britain and France after the 1991 Persian Gulf War to prevent the Iraqi air force from attacking rebels in the north and south.
The Iraqi statement was issued following a meeting Saddam held with three senior aides. It again warned Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to distance themselves from the United States.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Good News Lead From CNN
"A shootout at the home of a Florida sheriff left four people dead Tuesday, including the sheriff's wife, a deputy and two suspects the wife reported as intruders."
This is a good news lead because it contains important "w's" of a news lead, and gives important information first.
Who: Sheriff's wife, deputy, and two suspects.
What: Shootout that left four people dead.
Where: Home of a Florida Sheriff.
When: Tuesday.
Monday, January 29, 2007
1/29/2007
A Moscow resident died Monday when his car crashed into a utility pole on Broad Street in wet weather conditions.
The accident occurred at about 5 p.m. when 20-year old John Frazier lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang. Frazier was going 20 mph over the speed limit when he hit the utility pole and was thrown through the car windshield. He was not wearing a seat belt, which caused him to land some 20 feet away.
Frazier was the only person in the vehicle, and no other injuries were reported. The utility pole is located at the intersection of Broad Street and Main Street.
The accident occurred at about 5 p.m. when 20-year old John Frazier lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang. Frazier was going 20 mph over the speed limit when he hit the utility pole and was thrown through the car windshield. He was not wearing a seat belt, which caused him to land some 20 feet away.
Frazier was the only person in the vehicle, and no other injuries were reported. The utility pole is located at the intersection of Broad Street and Main Street.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Story Pitches
Dear Editor,
In recent years, environmental protection has become a big topic in America. The rising price of gas has also become a concern to many Americans. One of the biggest trends seems to be buying hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars are supposed to be not only better for the environment, but have better fuel economy. The reality, however, is hybrid cars seem to be very rare in Pullman. Are people buying into this or are sales lower than expected?
I plan to interview people at the local Ford dealer and find statistics on local hybrid car sales along with national sales rates. My article will also include their performance statistics, an interview from a hybrid car owner, and interviews with several people owning regular gas vehicles. This will generate several opinions on hybrid cars, and will possibly show why people are buying or not buying them locally.
This is newsworthy because many people are unfamiliar with hybrid cars. This information will expose them to this topic, let them know if hybrid cars are a great value, and why the trends are the way they are.
Several members of my family own hybrid cars, and I have been interested in cars all my life. This is why I believe I should write this article.
Dear Editor,
Every week there are reports in the local newspaper about people’s personal property being damaged or vandalized. Houses are often broken into or damaged, along with cars. This is definitely an issue that should be addressed here in Pullman.
I know from personal experience that it can be very frustrating to wake up and find your brand new studded tires slashed while you parked out on the street. I also felt very clueless as to what procedures to follow in case of this, or what precautions I should take to prevent it from occurring.
This article would include an interview with the Pullman Police Department about what to do if your property is damaged, and what preventive measures to take. It would also include statistics about automobile and home damage in Pullman, to give readers an idea of the frequency of the crimes.
I believe this article would contain information that ALL students would find useful and interesting. It will also help students be confident in what actions to take if a property crime were to be committed against them.
Dear Editor,
Since Christmas break many students have been left without Fox on their Time Warner Cable. I know that apparently the two companies were unable to come up with a deal, and Pullman residents are very angry about it. I have not been able to watch many of the shows that I enjoy, including football and American Idol.
I plan to interview several students, along with possible associates of Time Warner Cable and Fox. I also plan to interview several places such as bars or restaurants that get satellite cable, and see if they are actually happy with the situation and if it is bringing them more money.
Students and residents of Pullman want to know what is going to happen to resolve this issue. The goal of this article is to find out what steps are being taken, and to inform the local community.
In recent years, environmental protection has become a big topic in America. The rising price of gas has also become a concern to many Americans. One of the biggest trends seems to be buying hybrid cars.
Hybrid cars are supposed to be not only better for the environment, but have better fuel economy. The reality, however, is hybrid cars seem to be very rare in Pullman. Are people buying into this or are sales lower than expected?
I plan to interview people at the local Ford dealer and find statistics on local hybrid car sales along with national sales rates. My article will also include their performance statistics, an interview from a hybrid car owner, and interviews with several people owning regular gas vehicles. This will generate several opinions on hybrid cars, and will possibly show why people are buying or not buying them locally.
This is newsworthy because many people are unfamiliar with hybrid cars. This information will expose them to this topic, let them know if hybrid cars are a great value, and why the trends are the way they are.
Several members of my family own hybrid cars, and I have been interested in cars all my life. This is why I believe I should write this article.
Dear Editor,
Every week there are reports in the local newspaper about people’s personal property being damaged or vandalized. Houses are often broken into or damaged, along with cars. This is definitely an issue that should be addressed here in Pullman.
I know from personal experience that it can be very frustrating to wake up and find your brand new studded tires slashed while you parked out on the street. I also felt very clueless as to what procedures to follow in case of this, or what precautions I should take to prevent it from occurring.
This article would include an interview with the Pullman Police Department about what to do if your property is damaged, and what preventive measures to take. It would also include statistics about automobile and home damage in Pullman, to give readers an idea of the frequency of the crimes.
I believe this article would contain information that ALL students would find useful and interesting. It will also help students be confident in what actions to take if a property crime were to be committed against them.
Dear Editor,
Since Christmas break many students have been left without Fox on their Time Warner Cable. I know that apparently the two companies were unable to come up with a deal, and Pullman residents are very angry about it. I have not been able to watch many of the shows that I enjoy, including football and American Idol.
I plan to interview several students, along with possible associates of Time Warner Cable and Fox. I also plan to interview several places such as bars or restaurants that get satellite cable, and see if they are actually happy with the situation and if it is bringing them more money.
Students and residents of Pullman want to know what is going to happen to resolve this issue. The goal of this article is to find out what steps are being taken, and to inform the local community.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Three News Websites
The three news websites I decided to use were cnn.com, cbsnews.com, and abcnews.com. The first thing I noticed was that cnn.com and cbsnews.com each had a large headline about cancer deaths dropping for the second straight year. Abc News, however, had a large main headline about OJ Simpson’s book about hypothetically murdering his ex-wife. CNN and CBS each had one main headline accompanied by a picture, whereas ABC had the OJ Simpson headline along with four other headlines that alternated.
CNN had stories in their top headlines about deaths in Iraq, the death of an Al-Qaeda figure, bombings, and other stories containing facts. The CBS website seemed to be dominated by stories containing commentary, such as Senator Clinton being against troop buildup in Iraq, or a commentary discussing whether more troops are needed or not. ABC News focused less on Iraq stories than CNN did, and included many stories about unusual things or celebrities. Top ABC headlines included an Indian movie star getting married, and the heaviest man in the world.
ABC seems to appeal to people who may be more interested in celebrities and unusual stories, as opposed to the emphasis on war articles from CNN and CBS. Nonetheless, all three of them appeal to adults who are interested in reading the news to begin with.
The site that I liked the least was CBS. This website was very cluttered and confusing to navigate, with many different sections having links scattered randomly on the front page. I liked CNN because it is very easy to navigate, and includes top stories right up front that I personally care about reading.
All three of the sites appear to be fair and balanced to me, even though they focus on different types of stories. I was able to find stories pertaining to things like health and sports, along with the war in Iraq. None of the sites stood out to me as having a biased opinion in their stories either, which makes me believe they are fair and balanced.
CNN had stories in their top headlines about deaths in Iraq, the death of an Al-Qaeda figure, bombings, and other stories containing facts. The CBS website seemed to be dominated by stories containing commentary, such as Senator Clinton being against troop buildup in Iraq, or a commentary discussing whether more troops are needed or not. ABC News focused less on Iraq stories than CNN did, and included many stories about unusual things or celebrities. Top ABC headlines included an Indian movie star getting married, and the heaviest man in the world.
ABC seems to appeal to people who may be more interested in celebrities and unusual stories, as opposed to the emphasis on war articles from CNN and CBS. Nonetheless, all three of them appeal to adults who are interested in reading the news to begin with.
The site that I liked the least was CBS. This website was very cluttered and confusing to navigate, with many different sections having links scattered randomly on the front page. I liked CNN because it is very easy to navigate, and includes top stories right up front that I personally care about reading.
All three of the sites appear to be fair and balanced to me, even though they focus on different types of stories. I was able to find stories pertaining to things like health and sports, along with the war in Iraq. None of the sites stood out to me as having a biased opinion in their stories either, which makes me believe they are fair and balanced.
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