I am getting pretty sick and tired of hearing filler news stories on the same subject that no one should care about. What I am talking about are stories on Michelle Obama's clothes or their new dog Bo. There is no good reason as to why people would want to know or hear about this, and yet, there is so much attention given to it. I have tried my best to avoid these stories because they don't serve and good. What key issues are involved when we talk about what Michelle is wearing? None. Is there going to be a national crisis if Bo has worms and needs to go to the vet. Absolutely not. It bothers me so much that instead of doing stories on something that matters, news media is spending their time with this garbage.
People know more about Michelle's fashion sense than they do about policies on a wide variety of things. I think the news media should be more responsible in what they report, and instead of giving us fillers on things such as clothes or dogs, they should focus on other aspects like investigative journalism or whats happening in the rest of the world. If I had an opportunity to run a news station, I would never have a story on such nonsense, even if it sells. We too as citizens need to be more responsible and reject these things instead of gobbling it up. What kind of nation are we when people can name Obama's dog, but they don't know who the vice president is. Or how about people who can tell you what Michelle wore to a certain event, but don't even know what was said at that event. I believe people need to be more responsible and request better news coverage on stories that actually have an affect on the people or government.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Whitehouse Website
In class we were looking at the Whitehouse website, and many people had different opinions on it. Personally, I have conflicting views about it due to its content. I believe that it does have some useful information, however, I also believe its almost like a commercial or a tool for the Obama's administration to get reelected in the next term. The commercial part of it, for example, could be the signed legislation section, where it lists every piece of legislation that has been signed under President Obama. Another example is in the featured section, where it has a link that says "Delivering the Change." This has no informative value, but it simply makes the president look good and also makes him appear as though he is doing a great job as President of the United States of America. It has also been recently dominated by stories about the swine flu.
Here is a quote from the website section labeled "Issues." "The President arrived facing an unprecedented array of challenges, and has met them with a bold, comprehensive plan. He passed the most ambitious recovery package in history to address the economic crisis. He kept faith with the American people through a government that is open, transparent, and accountable. And he restored America's alliances abroad, as well as our American values here at home." This is another example of non-informative banter that seeks only to get President Obama elected for another term. There is also a tab on the bottom of this section that says change at a glance, where you can see all the things he has done on different dates. Again, some of these are important things that he has done, and others are just fillers that make him look good. So in conclusion, I believe that the website has some useful information, but most of it is used to ensure that Obama is reelected for another term.
Here is a quote from the website section labeled "Issues." "The President arrived facing an unprecedented array of challenges, and has met them with a bold, comprehensive plan. He passed the most ambitious recovery package in history to address the economic crisis. He kept faith with the American people through a government that is open, transparent, and accountable. And he restored America's alliances abroad, as well as our American values here at home." This is another example of non-informative banter that seeks only to get President Obama elected for another term. There is also a tab on the bottom of this section that says change at a glance, where you can see all the things he has done on different dates. Again, some of these are important things that he has done, and others are just fillers that make him look good. So in conclusion, I believe that the website has some useful information, but most of it is used to ensure that Obama is reelected for another term.
Approval Ratings
I have a pretty big problem when it comes to approval ratings for how the President is doing. I believe that it sways other people into thinking that the President is doing a good job when he or she may not be. A great example that I can think of comes out of the Bush administration. After September 11th, Bush's approval ratings shot up. After two weeks, it was raised even more. I believe this is because people hear these ratings polls and just go along with it without looking into it. I also believe that many news stations do this exact same thing, and that they should be more critical even in times of crisis. When a president has these higher approval ratings, he or she can gain more power using this as a tool.
As I stated, the Bush administrations approval rating was once at a really high level. This did not help the country because he gained much more power than he should have. He pretty much had control over congress, and the American people were willing to go along with whatever he wanted because since his approval rating was so high, he must be doing the right thing. We can look back not and see that no he wasn't doing the right thing, but congress and the American people went along with it blindly for a good period of time. I think we should do away with approval ratings for this exact reason, it doesn't benefit anyone and it skews the perception of the American people and leads to what happened in the Bush administration.
As I stated, the Bush administrations approval rating was once at a really high level. This did not help the country because he gained much more power than he should have. He pretty much had control over congress, and the American people were willing to go along with whatever he wanted because since his approval rating was so high, he must be doing the right thing. We can look back not and see that no he wasn't doing the right thing, but congress and the American people went along with it blindly for a good period of time. I think we should do away with approval ratings for this exact reason, it doesn't benefit anyone and it skews the perception of the American people and leads to what happened in the Bush administration.
Media on Presidential Affairs
It you take a look back at our past presidents, you will see one thing in common. The news media did not talk about the Presidents private lives. That is, they did not talk about whether or not they were cheating on their spouses or what was going on behind closed doors. Nowadays, it is common to hear of a cheating politician or some sleazy act done by someone with political power. This turn of action came about with the Gary Hart election in 1988. He claimed that he was a family man and that he wasn't having an affair. He almost dared the media to prove him wrong and they did after showing a photo of him with another woman who wasn't his wife. After this, affairs were fair game and the news media would harp on it in a heartbeat.
If you think back on President Kennedy, you would see that he was a borderline sex addict. He even had an ambition to sleep with every woman in Hollywood. Then if you look at a recent president, President Clinton, there is a huge gap between him and Kennedy. What he did was heard across the world, and if this was some years ago, nothing would have happened. It is my opinion that the media should not produce stories on these things because it doesn't help anyone. Personally, I don't care about the presidents private and sexual life, as long as he's doing his job right I have no problem with him.
If you think back on President Kennedy, you would see that he was a borderline sex addict. He even had an ambition to sleep with every woman in Hollywood. Then if you look at a recent president, President Clinton, there is a huge gap between him and Kennedy. What he did was heard across the world, and if this was some years ago, nothing would have happened. It is my opinion that the media should not produce stories on these things because it doesn't help anyone. Personally, I don't care about the presidents private and sexual life, as long as he's doing his job right I have no problem with him.
Jon Stewart's Crusade
Every one knows that Jon Stewart is a comedian rather than a journalist. However, he has done some things that I believe all journalists should know about. Jon appeared on CNN on the segment named Rapidfire, and was discussing partisan hackery with the hosts. He ends up making a fool out of the hosts and tries to set them straight. He states that the show is hurting America because their show is helping politicians and corporations rather than the average citizen. He also states that the show is part of the politicians strategy, and that the show is disingenuous.
The hosts claim that their show produces debates among different parties to show their different sides on issues. Jon claims that this is not true, and that it is theatre. He claims that what they do is not honest, and that it is partisan hackery. Jon states that the show has a responsibility to the public discourse, and that they are failing miserably. Jon tries to at the very least put this out there, and took a stand on an issue he felt very strongly about. And it was pretty entertaining to watch.
The hosts claim that their show produces debates among different parties to show their different sides on issues. Jon claims that this is not true, and that it is theatre. He claims that what they do is not honest, and that it is partisan hackery. Jon states that the show has a responsibility to the public discourse, and that they are failing miserably. Jon tries to at the very least put this out there, and took a stand on an issue he felt very strongly about. And it was pretty entertaining to watch.
Indeed Hippies need to back off
After reading a post on Dans media blog, I came across a post about legalizing marijuana. Dan states that this may be a possibility during Obama's run as president, there are things the "hippies" should do in order to help this process go along. He does not think the hippies should rise up and be heard, and I agree. He believes that the hippies need to "keep quiet and stay out of the way," which I am in total agreement with. A great point that he has made is that the loudest voices for the legalization of marijuana are perfect examples of why it should remain illegal. He states "how can you be swayed to think that marijuana is a harmless drug when the hippies protesting its illegality are unemployed, smelly, and have yellow teeth."
Although not all hippies are unemployed, smell bad, and have bad teeth, some are. He makes this point when he says that most of the people who do smoke marijuana are normal citizens, and that to them, the plant is nothing more than something that relaxes them and makes them "silly." But he equates a small number of outspoken drunkards during prohibition to these outspoken hippies of today. If this small number of drunks raised as much stink as these hippies do, maybe alcohol would still be illegal. I agree with Dan that these outspoken hippies are not helping their cause whatsoever. I also agree with his suggestions as to what they can do instead of leading the fight for legalization, which are pretty hilarious.
Although not all hippies are unemployed, smell bad, and have bad teeth, some are. He makes this point when he says that most of the people who do smoke marijuana are normal citizens, and that to them, the plant is nothing more than something that relaxes them and makes them "silly." But he equates a small number of outspoken drunkards during prohibition to these outspoken hippies of today. If this small number of drunks raised as much stink as these hippies do, maybe alcohol would still be illegal. I agree with Dan that these outspoken hippies are not helping their cause whatsoever. I also agree with his suggestions as to what they can do instead of leading the fight for legalization, which are pretty hilarious.
Fox vs CNN
Watching both the Fox news channel and the CNN news channel, I was able to make some distinctions between the two. Fox is easily recognised as being very right wing. CNN on the other hand appears to be liberal. I don't think that they cover the same events in the same way. CNN critiques the government on a regular basis, which was evident during the Bush administration. Fox seems to go along with what the government does and backs it most of the time. The reason for this is personal agendas, and of course the people who control the stations. This is good because you can see both sides of a story if you watch both CNN and Fox.
As to what coverage I like better, I prefer CNN to Fox. CNN, as I said, is more critical of our government and what it's doing. You would never hear a story on Fox about Arabic men being abducted and thrown into jails without a lawyer, however, you would hear a similar story like this on CNN. I prefer objective coverage, and that is what I perceive CNN to be. I simply dislike a news station that doesn't question things and just goes along with everything.
As to what coverage I like better, I prefer CNN to Fox. CNN, as I said, is more critical of our government and what it's doing. You would never hear a story on Fox about Arabic men being abducted and thrown into jails without a lawyer, however, you would hear a similar story like this on CNN. I prefer objective coverage, and that is what I perceive CNN to be. I simply dislike a news station that doesn't question things and just goes along with everything.
Hannity and Colmes
I found a clip of Hannity and Colmes and made some interesting discoveries. The basis for the show is that Sean Hannity is a conservative, and Alan Colmes is liberal. The premise is that these two, since having opposite views on matters, would produce a lively debate. They have guests on from both sides, and are clocked using a stopwatch so that both Hannity and Colmes have an equal amount of time. Fox News president Roger Ailes claims that this is so the program is fair and balanced, without leaning to one side or the other.
It is pretty clear, however, that this show is leaning towards the right in almost every aspect. It has aggressive conservative Sean Hannity versus the mildly liberal Alan Colmes. The format of the show is such that the conservatives out talk and out interrupt their liberal opponents. Alan Colmes is a bit timid on the show, and Hannity is very loud and forceful in his thoughts. It is almost to the point where Colmes appears to be Hannity's sidekick, and that he plays "second fiddle" to Hannity.
It is pretty clear, however, that this show is leaning towards the right in almost every aspect. It has aggressive conservative Sean Hannity versus the mildly liberal Alan Colmes. The format of the show is such that the conservatives out talk and out interrupt their liberal opponents. Alan Colmes is a bit timid on the show, and Hannity is very loud and forceful in his thoughts. It is almost to the point where Colmes appears to be Hannity's sidekick, and that he plays "second fiddle" to Hannity.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Good Night and Good Luck
In class we watched the movie Good Night and Good Luck. This was a very good movie that got me thinking about some topics. The film deals with the times of McCarthy and the scare of communists. He was naming people who he said were communists and stated he had a list of people who were communists that worked for the United States Government. Edward Murrow and his staff battled corporate and sponsorship pressures to discredit McCarthy in his quest. A main topic where Murrow battled McCarthy was in the was in the case of Milo Radulovich. He was facing a separation from the Air Force because his father subscribed to a Serbian newspaper.
Eventually, Murrow and his crew strike a big blow to McCarthy. Other issues that were of a big impact to me was the suicide of one of Murrow's crew. Don Hollenbeck committed suicide after being accused as a communist, and this shows how serious these times were. They also show the hearing of a Pentagon communication worker, Annie Moss, who was accused of being a communist after an FBI worker saw her name on a list for the American Communist party. In this case, Senator Stuart Symington stated that this could merely be a case of mistaken identity, and did not think the trial should continue. The fight that Murrow made was that the media should try and strive for the truth rather than just hype or what the public wants to hear.
Eventually, Murrow and his crew strike a big blow to McCarthy. Other issues that were of a big impact to me was the suicide of one of Murrow's crew. Don Hollenbeck committed suicide after being accused as a communist, and this shows how serious these times were. They also show the hearing of a Pentagon communication worker, Annie Moss, who was accused of being a communist after an FBI worker saw her name on a list for the American Communist party. In this case, Senator Stuart Symington stated that this could merely be a case of mistaken identity, and did not think the trial should continue. The fight that Murrow made was that the media should try and strive for the truth rather than just hype or what the public wants to hear.
What Happened to Barbie
In a feminist blog, I recently read something that caught my attention. For her fiftieth birthday, Mattel has given Barbie a makeover that some find as a completely negative thing. The doll now comes with stickers that children can place on the doll that resemble tattoos. The blog states that these stickers can be used to make Barbie look like their hero's, which include Amy Winehouse. Mattel claims that these stickers are merely meant for children to express themselves. The author of the blog has a picture of a Barbie with a sticker on her lower back, which is pretty effective for her argument.
She claims that this new style of Barbie is sending the wrong message with her lower back tattoos and short shirts that bare her midriff. This is what the children will aspire to become and we may have a generation of girls with what people have named "tramp stamps." The author claims that these tattoos and trashy clothing aren't the epitome of female empowerment or beauty, and I agree with her. The author claims that her mother let her grow dreadlocks when she was 16, and that she let her daughters express themselves but did not let them act too grown up. Her sister got a tattoo when she was 16, but her mother went over with her what was OK and not OK (lower back tattoos being not OK). I agree with this blog and think Mattel should rethink what their selling.
She claims that this new style of Barbie is sending the wrong message with her lower back tattoos and short shirts that bare her midriff. This is what the children will aspire to become and we may have a generation of girls with what people have named "tramp stamps." The author claims that these tattoos and trashy clothing aren't the epitome of female empowerment or beauty, and I agree with her. The author claims that her mother let her grow dreadlocks when she was 16, and that she let her daughters express themselves but did not let them act too grown up. Her sister got a tattoo when she was 16, but her mother went over with her what was OK and not OK (lower back tattoos being not OK). I agree with this blog and think Mattel should rethink what their selling.
Environmental Push
One of the posts on the Environmental Blog caught my eye because it's something that I have been interested in for a long time. It states that President Barack Obama said that it's time that we should be leaders in renewable energy sources and technologies, instead of followers. The post explains that Denmark is a great example of where we should be at and what we should be doing. It goes on to explain some reasons why they are first in renewable sources. A great fact they state is that they receive 20-25 percent of their energy from biomass, biodegradable waste, and the wind.
Another fact that I found particularly amazing is that they went from being 99 percent dependent on middle east in 1973 oil to 0 percent today. The United States produces roughly only 3 percent of its electric energy from renewable sources such as solar power and wind. Denmark creates 40 percent of wind turbines for the world, and that this provides jobs for a good amount of the countries population. The blog states that the Danes live a much simpler and smarter life than that of the Americans. They know basically one type of car, and most of them use public transportation. They use much less energy per day that we do, because they don't have much of the gadgets that we have. This is definitely something the United States should look at and take notes from, because its just smart, plain and simple.
Another fact that I found particularly amazing is that they went from being 99 percent dependent on middle east in 1973 oil to 0 percent today. The United States produces roughly only 3 percent of its electric energy from renewable sources such as solar power and wind. Denmark creates 40 percent of wind turbines for the world, and that this provides jobs for a good amount of the countries population. The blog states that the Danes live a much simpler and smarter life than that of the Americans. They know basically one type of car, and most of them use public transportation. They use much less energy per day that we do, because they don't have much of the gadgets that we have. This is definitely something the United States should look at and take notes from, because its just smart, plain and simple.
NPR
Listening and reading the National Public Radio, I heard an interesting story. President Barack Obama announced that Chrysler would be heading into bankruptcy with the aid of another 8 billion, that's right, 8 billion, dollars in taxpayer money. He stated that this shouldn't be seen as a weakness, because he believes that Chrysler will come out of this stronger. The Obama administration doesn't plan to manage the corporation, however, Chrysler is signing a partnership with an Italian company named Fiat.
This bankruptcy does not mean that the company will be shut down. What chapter eleven bankruptcy does is that it allows a judge to decide how much the company's creditors would receive. Obama stated that Chrysler has helped the middle class of America. He also stated that the company had moved too slowly to adapt to the future. The company continued to make cars that were just not as good, meaning not as efficient and less popular, than other foreign car makers. Chrysler is a very popular car company in the United States, and I don't believe the government would allow it to go under because so many jobs would be lost, not to mention the number three automaker in the country.
This bankruptcy does not mean that the company will be shut down. What chapter eleven bankruptcy does is that it allows a judge to decide how much the company's creditors would receive. Obama stated that Chrysler has helped the middle class of America. He also stated that the company had moved too slowly to adapt to the future. The company continued to make cars that were just not as good, meaning not as efficient and less popular, than other foreign car makers. Chrysler is a very popular car company in the United States, and I don't believe the government would allow it to go under because so many jobs would be lost, not to mention the number three automaker in the country.
Critiquing the Traditional Paper
Looking at the New York Times newspaper the past couple of days, I have noticed that it has been dominated by the swine flu. In today's paper, the main story was about how the World Health Organization has raised the swine flu alert level. They raised the alert level to phase five, which is next to the highest phase. Since the alert system was implemented in 2005, this phase was only used for the avian flu scare, and phase six means that a pandemic is underway. The CDC reported 91 confirmed from ten different states, up from 64 cases in 5 states on Tuesday.
Personally, I think this is just a giant act from the media to scare people into reading their news. As with the avian flu, nothing really happened and people were scared into learning more about this so called pandemic. Their main source of information was from the media, which loves stories such as this. What's really happening? A couple people in the United States have a flu that can be cured. More people die from the regular flu when that season comes around. In most of these cases, the victims have been extremely young or extremely old. I believe that this will go the way of the avian flu and fade into nothing but a distant memory.
Personally, I think this is just a giant act from the media to scare people into reading their news. As with the avian flu, nothing really happened and people were scared into learning more about this so called pandemic. Their main source of information was from the media, which loves stories such as this. What's really happening? A couple people in the United States have a flu that can be cured. More people die from the regular flu when that season comes around. In most of these cases, the victims have been extremely young or extremely old. I believe that this will go the way of the avian flu and fade into nothing but a distant memory.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Accountability in Schools
The federal stimulus package has 13 million dollars to boost Title I. Title I is a federal program that is intended to give extra help to disadvantaged school children. However, this money may not reach these students. Some districts redirect the money that is meant for low-income students and send it to other schools that have more political pull. To remedy this problem, congress has made it mandatory that they give a better account as to how the money is spent.
These unethical practices should and must be stopped. Sloppy book keeping has made it possible to mask teacher salaries in different schools. Low income schools are being taught by less qualified teachers and more affluent schools are being taught by higher paid, more qualified teachers. This practice should be turned around, meaning that the more qualified teachers should teach in the low income schools. School reform is necessary, and the new system should create more fair practices in low income schools. Hopefully, this new system will create a more fair and balanced opportunities for the low income schools.
These unethical practices should and must be stopped. Sloppy book keeping has made it possible to mask teacher salaries in different schools. Low income schools are being taught by less qualified teachers and more affluent schools are being taught by higher paid, more qualified teachers. This practice should be turned around, meaning that the more qualified teachers should teach in the low income schools. School reform is necessary, and the new system should create more fair practices in low income schools. Hopefully, this new system will create a more fair and balanced opportunities for the low income schools.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Last night i watched the news at 6:30 and the Daily Show at 11:00 and attempted to compare the two programs. While the news shows just that, the news, the Daily show is a bit different. The Daily Show is on Comedy Central, thus you wouldnt expect alot of news stories. They tend to focus on some humorous stories, and there isnt alot of them. Then they have a guest on to talk about a topic which can range from religion to politics. Its more of a comedic program than an informative one, which I believe most people would expect.
The network news doesnt focus on a funny or humorous aspect. They have stories that also range from politics to human interest stories. They talked alot about the Somali pirate attacks, which has been dominating the network news stations lately. The news is more informative than the Daily Show because they have much more news or stories on many different things. Both the Daily Show and the news had stories that werent really news but were interesting, such as the passenger on a plane landing it after the pilot died. In short, the Daily Show is more entertaining but the news is more informative.
The network news doesnt focus on a funny or humorous aspect. They have stories that also range from politics to human interest stories. They talked alot about the Somali pirate attacks, which has been dominating the network news stations lately. The news is more informative than the Daily Show because they have much more news or stories on many different things. Both the Daily Show and the news had stories that werent really news but were interesting, such as the passenger on a plane landing it after the pilot died. In short, the Daily Show is more entertaining but the news is more informative.
Reading the Huffington Post blog, I came to the conclusion that it is a pretty good blog. Today, most of the featured blogs are about Obama and his speech about the economy. However, there are other blog posts about different interesting things. These include the Somali pirates, and there is even one about how countries such as Haiti matter to Americans. These stories cover domestic and world events such as how North Korea will restart its nuclear-arms plant.
I have never visited this blog before, and I actually have become a fan of it. The posts the site has are very interesting and broaden your view on many things such as global events. The quality of these posts are very good. They may vary between posts because there are different authors, but for the most part, the quality is high. One post about the Somali pirates caught my attention and taught me that pirates have hijacked four more ships. The information they have on the story is in depth and appears very accurate. I recommend this blog to others and I will be reading it daily.
I have never visited this blog before, and I actually have become a fan of it. The posts the site has are very interesting and broaden your view on many things such as global events. The quality of these posts are very good. They may vary between posts because there are different authors, but for the most part, the quality is high. One post about the Somali pirates caught my attention and taught me that pirates have hijacked four more ships. The information they have on the story is in depth and appears very accurate. I recommend this blog to others and I will be reading it daily.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Has new media influenced presidential politics? I believe it is very apparent that the answer is yes. New media, such as Youtube, have influenced presidential politics greatly. Young voters mainly have been influenced by new media such as Youtube, because they watch things on that website frequently. Other types of new media such as text messaging have been used for the first time in this past election. It was a way to reach young voters personally, and Barack Obama's campaign used it effectivly.
Clips on youtube have been extremely influencial on the past election. Obama's speech that had been turned into a song drew many viewers. Small soundbite clips have also been viewed by a mass audience on the site. Being able to select the information you want influenced viewers because they would view things that go along with what they already believe. Also, if a clip become viewed by alot of viewers, then it is more likley to be watched by a wider audience because it may become the "clip of the day." Also, blogging has become a popular new media device, and has influenced those who read them when it deals with politics.
Clips on youtube have been extremely influencial on the past election. Obama's speech that had been turned into a song drew many viewers. Small soundbite clips have also been viewed by a mass audience on the site. Being able to select the information you want influenced viewers because they would view things that go along with what they already believe. Also, if a clip become viewed by alot of viewers, then it is more likley to be watched by a wider audience because it may become the "clip of the day." Also, blogging has become a popular new media device, and has influenced those who read them when it deals with politics.
Though many males may hate me for saying this, I believe the tv show The Girls Next Door is an awful show. The main reason I dislike it is because it sends the wrong message to young girls who watch it. The values that they express in the show are that a girl should worry about her appearence to get ahead in life rather than her intelligence. These girls are depicted as very slow or ditsy, but are revered for thier looks.
It's also hard to explain to a young girl what the playboy mansion is and its functions. It is also hard to explain how Hugh Hefner has three girlfriends. Since shows like this have surfaced, girls are dressing more provacative at a younger age. These girls are worrying about thier bodies at an earlier age when they should be busy being kids. Though somewhat entertaining, this show expresses wrong messages to young girls and boys as well. Young boys are being taught to judge women on thier looks which is wrong.
It's also hard to explain to a young girl what the playboy mansion is and its functions. It is also hard to explain how Hugh Hefner has three girlfriends. Since shows like this have surfaced, girls are dressing more provacative at a younger age. These girls are worrying about thier bodies at an earlier age when they should be busy being kids. Though somewhat entertaining, this show expresses wrong messages to young girls and boys as well. Young boys are being taught to judge women on thier looks which is wrong.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Watching the local news today at 5:00 PM, I noticed that it was lacking something. What it lacked most was political content. That is, instead of having stories that dealt with any political event, it contained mostly human interest stories. The first story that came up dealt with volunteer fire fighters donating money to help a boy with cancer. The next story dealt with abused dogs who have found a new home due to adoptions.
The rest of the stories fell somewhere along the line of the human interest pieces. It may be possible that political content doesnt attract a wide audience. The stories they choose to highlight attract a much wider audience. An example would be a story they ran about a Hoboken pizzaria who is offering free food with any purchase. He explained that he enjoyed helping his community during this economic crisis. Though entertaining, these stories are not as important that others they could be showing, especially when it comes to political content.
The rest of the stories fell somewhere along the line of the human interest pieces. It may be possible that political content doesnt attract a wide audience. The stories they choose to highlight attract a much wider audience. An example would be a story they ran about a Hoboken pizzaria who is offering free food with any purchase. He explained that he enjoyed helping his community during this economic crisis. Though entertaining, these stories are not as important that others they could be showing, especially when it comes to political content.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Watching the 6:30 news on CBS, i kept track of what stories were presented. I noticed that they did'nt have the stories in order of importance. It seems they also cover stories that seem to have little to no importance at all. There are many other stories that they could have been covering but they instead chose human interest pieces to gain a bigger audience.
They covered a story about how in this economy it is becoming harder and harder to pay for college. It had a couple of colleges give numbers as to how much money they have cut from the school. It also had students who were forced to drop out because they couldnt afford tuition. However, this story was buried at the end of the program. Following that story was another about an elderly woman who was alive during the depression, and is sharing her cheap meals on the internet. CBS did cover some good stories, such as Obama's crackdown on wasteful spending, or how verterans claims for health care have been denied. However, most of what they showed, such as senator Ted Kennedy being knighted, was not what I would consider important news.
They covered a story about how in this economy it is becoming harder and harder to pay for college. It had a couple of colleges give numbers as to how much money they have cut from the school. It also had students who were forced to drop out because they couldnt afford tuition. However, this story was buried at the end of the program. Following that story was another about an elderly woman who was alive during the depression, and is sharing her cheap meals on the internet. CBS did cover some good stories, such as Obama's crackdown on wasteful spending, or how verterans claims for health care have been denied. However, most of what they showed, such as senator Ted Kennedy being knighted, was not what I would consider important news.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
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