I jumping into an article early on in today's paper, especially because the front page had a lot I'm interested in. One article was about the campaign, but a focus not yet touched on amid the Republican debates and snafus of recent days. In 2008, Obama was served by an army of young voters dedicated to see him win. Because of this, he was able to win certain states that had been red for years. Four years later, the Obama campaign hopes for the same type of following but is most likely to be disappointed by the turnout. Many of the college students from 2008 are now entering the workforce and feeling the strain of not being able to hold or even find a job. They did so much work for Obama in 2008 and feel like he did little to repay them. One woman quoted in the article put it best by saying, "It’s hard to be a passionate follower of him. It’s easier to be a thoughtful supporter.”
The delayed lede for this story worked well. The reporter focused in on one student who worked so vigorously in 2008 and has now cooled a bit because of other priorities. The tone of the article is definitely quote-based, with almost every other paragraph being student testimony to the change from 2008 to 2012. I like this style a lot because it really gives a feel for how big the demographic being covered in the article really is.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday 11/14/11
I didn't find much that drew my attention right away in today's paper. I scanned the headlines, reading an article here and there before I decided to stop and write about the front page article boasting Google's wildest dreams. The article is about Google X, a secret lab facility that only a select few know details of where Google staff dream up their next big ideas like the driverless car and space elevators. Situated in an area only those who work there know about, the information given was very limited and all from employees who were briefed on the topic, not first hand accounts.
This article was interesting because most of the information used by the reporters was not first hand. Since its such a top secret place, they had to use other sources a bit farther away from the center to get any information at all. In my experience so far, going directly to the source and then those around it has been the best option for writing articles. I never really considered what it would be like to write a piece about something so secret no one would speak of it. Either way, the technology they are dreaming up sounds fantastic and a bit reminiscent of irobot.
This article was interesting because most of the information used by the reporters was not first hand. Since its such a top secret place, they had to use other sources a bit farther away from the center to get any information at all. In my experience so far, going directly to the source and then those around it has been the best option for writing articles. I never really considered what it would be like to write a piece about something so secret no one would speak of it. Either way, the technology they are dreaming up sounds fantastic and a bit reminiscent of irobot.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wednesday 11/9/11
Nothing in the front page area really caught my eye today, so I decided to do a specialized search for my articles of choice. I'm taking a contemporary conservation class this semester and have had my interests turned to topics relating to the environment. I didn't have to look very far to find a piece in the paper relating to some environmental issue. The headline read " US to open new areas of offshore drilling," a very hot topic issue.
The Obama Administration announced a 5 year plan for more drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska waters, but none on either the West or East coast, as was previously asked for by Congress. This deal seems to be a true compromise because neither side is completely happy with the results. Prominent figures on both sides of the debate have voiced concerns. One claims that we have learned something from the BP disaster and setting limits it wise, while on the other side the oil industry claims in a time where we need jobs, drilling would have revitalize the economy.
it was a tough decision for the Obama Administration I'm sure, and since neither side got all that they wanted, Obama doesn't have full support from either. Depending the outcome and if they plan sticks to its original components, I think it was a wise decision. Environmentalists may not be happy that Alaska is being touched, but it could have been have been extended further. The oil industry claims more drilling would offer more jobs, but there are other ways to create jobs and limiting oil drilling is really a good idea for us and the environment.
The Obama Administration announced a 5 year plan for more drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska waters, but none on either the West or East coast, as was previously asked for by Congress. This deal seems to be a true compromise because neither side is completely happy with the results. Prominent figures on both sides of the debate have voiced concerns. One claims that we have learned something from the BP disaster and setting limits it wise, while on the other side the oil industry claims in a time where we need jobs, drilling would have revitalize the economy.
it was a tough decision for the Obama Administration I'm sure, and since neither side got all that they wanted, Obama doesn't have full support from either. Depending the outcome and if they plan sticks to its original components, I think it was a wise decision. Environmentalists may not be happy that Alaska is being touched, but it could have been have been extended further. The oil industry claims more drilling would offer more jobs, but there are other ways to create jobs and limiting oil drilling is really a good idea for us and the environment.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Tuesday 11/8/11
One of the first headlines in today's paper was a continued story about Herman Cain's sexual assault accusations. Since I read a few articles about it previously, I was interested to see the latest development. This article is the first I've heard of one of the accusers coming forward with a name, saying that Cain groped her fourteen years ago. Cain has been on various talk shows speaking of his innocence and willingness to testify to prove that fact. The back and forth between the two has become much more heated since this woman is the first of the 4 to put a name and facts to the charges Cain is accused of. Cain's campaign keeps returning with denial of the claims just as the woman insists on the truth of her words. A controversy such as this typically ends poorly for the public figure. In the past few years sadly, many political figures have revealed true colors after weeks of denying accusations against. While he is still managing to stay atop the polls as a Republican candidate, I hope Cain doesn't become the next Jon Edwards.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday 11/7/11
Looking at today's paper, my eye was immediately drawn to the headline, "Preaching Virtue of Spanking, Even as Deaths Fuel Debate." Growing up attending a church where this topic was prominent, the article piqued my interest easily. This article was pretty loaded and to summarize it all would be difficult. In essence, a pastor and his wife published a book about disciplining children that wound up in the hands of three families with adopted children who took the principles too far. As far as legislation banning the book or even the practice of spanking, is hard to settle. Since its a religion based issue, there are heated opinions on both sides. While the pastor meant it well and obviously did not harm his children, when in the wrong hands, a book like that could and has become fatal for three children which should cause all in connection to it to reconsider.
I thought the article was well written and organized. The headline obviously caught my attention right away and the delayed lede worked for the type if issue being covered. Since it was an article covering a controversial issue that happens to tie in to religion, I expected to see a bit more of a bias or leaning in one direction, but was gladly proved wrong. Both sides of the issue were very well represented, allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusions. One sentence though did give away a bit of what the reporter thought. The tidbit telling of the pastor's hobby of being a knife and tomahawk throwing champion, giving the subject of the article, was cleverly added to show the reporter's feelings in an understated manner.
I thought the article was well written and organized. The headline obviously caught my attention right away and the delayed lede worked for the type if issue being covered. Since it was an article covering a controversial issue that happens to tie in to religion, I expected to see a bit more of a bias or leaning in one direction, but was gladly proved wrong. Both sides of the issue were very well represented, allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusions. One sentence though did give away a bit of what the reporter thought. The tidbit telling of the pastor's hobby of being a knife and tomahawk throwing champion, giving the subject of the article, was cleverly added to show the reporter's feelings in an understated manner.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wednesday 11/2/11
It was the headline that got interesting in the front page article about jeans. "Stone-washed blue jeans (minus the wash)." It was intriguing and made what could be a boring subject very interesting. Next to article talking about Cain's harassment scandal and Greek austerity measures, this article especially popped. I really enjoy feature pieces like this, that come across my radar every now and again. Its fascinating to me the things going on in the world I had no idea of and its nice to be uplifted by stories like this.
Levi Strauss % Co. determined that 919 gallons of water are put into a pair of jeans throughout their lifetime, from cotton picking to washing machine. In order to promote conservation and protect the future of their company, Levi is teaching farmers in the countries cotton is picked like India and Brazil how to conserve and collect rainwater. As far as minimizing at home, Levi suggests people wash rarely and only with cold water. One suggestion is to never wash and put them in the freezer to kill the germs that cause odor.
Water scarcity has been on the horizon for sometime and is finally being recognized as an environmental issue as dire as global warming. Apart from Levi,who "woke up" after flooding in the Middle East impacted their production, Pepsi and other large companies are reevaluating and looking into alternative methods to conserve water and ultimately save their business practices. Its encouraging to see big companies making an effort to save water and use it only when necessary. I'm not at the point of freezing my jeans yet, but considering that alternative to cold washing is definitely viable.
Levi Strauss % Co. determined that 919 gallons of water are put into a pair of jeans throughout their lifetime, from cotton picking to washing machine. In order to promote conservation and protect the future of their company, Levi is teaching farmers in the countries cotton is picked like India and Brazil how to conserve and collect rainwater. As far as minimizing at home, Levi suggests people wash rarely and only with cold water. One suggestion is to never wash and put them in the freezer to kill the germs that cause odor.
Water scarcity has been on the horizon for sometime and is finally being recognized as an environmental issue as dire as global warming. Apart from Levi,who "woke up" after flooding in the Middle East impacted their production, Pepsi and other large companies are reevaluating and looking into alternative methods to conserve water and ultimately save their business practices. Its encouraging to see big companies making an effort to save water and use it only when necessary. I'm not at the point of freezing my jeans yet, but considering that alternative to cold washing is definitely viable.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday 11/1/11
Even though yesterday was my designated candidate follow up day, the article claiming Cain's sexual harassment history was too enticing to be over looked. The information was first released on Politico where it claimed that Cain spoke in a suggestive manner to two female employees while he was chief of the National Restaurant Association. Since the news broke, Cain has been dealing with his first controversy, doing damage control to save his high standing in the polls.
What is hurting Cain is his change in the information relayed. The article cited two instances where Cain was asked the same questions and gave different answers. No matter what the answer he gives, he needs to stick to his story, ideally the true one, because otherwise he will look guilty. This is a chance for Perry and Romney to point out flaws in Cain's ability to deal with issues, to gain their own standing. It's November 1st, so I guess a candidate scandal was due to happen.
What is hurting Cain is his change in the information relayed. The article cited two instances where Cain was asked the same questions and gave different answers. No matter what the answer he gives, he needs to stick to his story, ideally the true one, because otherwise he will look guilty. This is a chance for Perry and Romney to point out flaws in Cain's ability to deal with issues, to gain their own standing. It's November 1st, so I guess a candidate scandal was due to happen.
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