STUDENT ZONE (BenOrtiz.com/classes)

Olatokunbo Balogun
News Reporting & Writing
Media Journal 1
I read three articles about three Americans that were detained in Iran 13 months ago.
First Source: Chicago Tribune News paper Publication. September 13, 2010. By Ramin Mostaghim and Borzou Daragahi.
Summary: Three Americans were detained in Iran, since July 31, 2009. They were indicted for trespassing into Iran illegally as spies. The Iran President Mahmould Ahmaddinejad had earlier declared the release of one of the three detainees as an act of clemency for the just concluded Holy month of Islamic fasting. But the judiciary branch in Iran objected to the release , claiming “the investigation was yet to be completed, and that the President had not coordinated with the judiciary.” However, a sum of $ 500,000 was demanded by the Iran government for the bail of Sarah Shrould.
Reaction: Mostaghim and Daragahi’s report was authoritative, informative and extensive in detail. The lead of the story answered three of the five W’s and H. It reveals the ‘who, why when and how.’ The report also shows attributin of the source with a reference to a telephone interview by the correspondents.
Second Source: Chicago Sun Times News paper Publication. September 13, 2010. By AP
Summary: Sarah Shrould 32, one of the Americans detained in Iran would be release on bail, for a sum of $ 500,000. Shrould with two others were charged for trespass into Iran illegally. Also, Shrould had been denied medical attention in spite of her deteriorating health condition.
Reaction: The report was too brief and had no serious tone. The lead of the story answered the ‘who and what’ of the five W’s. The other W’s wre used in building of the details in each paragraphs.
Third Source: USA TODAY News paper Publication. September 13, 2010. By Associated Press.
Summary: A sum of $ 500,000 was demanded by the Iran government for the release of Sarah Shrould, whose health was failing. She was detained along side with Josh Fattal 28, and Shane Bauer 28, and was charged of trespass into Iran illegally. Shrould and her counterparts pleaded not guilty of the charge.
Reaction: The inverted pyramid was used to achieve a good coherence of events in the story. Also, the lead of the story had a delayed immediate who. The report was detailed in statistics, such as dates, ages, and time.
Concluding Remarks:
The piece by the Chicago Tribune Publication was a great journalism because it reveals the quote of the source and had good clarity in diction.
The USA TODAY and Chicago Sun Times attributed their report to same source. The Associated Press News Bureau and their report showed it was paraphrased not that authoritative.

Shawn Kokoszka
October 1, 2010
Media Journal #1
Revision

After a week long of conflicting reports, Iranian officials surprisingly released 32-year-old American hiker Sarah Shroud early from an Evin Prison on $500,000 bail. While her fellow hikers remain in prison, questions still linger about the motives behind Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadon’s decision to set her free.

In regards to this news story, I read two pieces of print journalism, one from the NY Times and one from the Christian Science Monitor, and watched one news broadcast journalism piece from CBS News.

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
Broadcast aired September 14, 2010

Summary:
Elisabeth Palmer reports, “Free at Last,” as video plays of U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd leaving Iran after 410 days of imprisonment. "I particularly want to address President Ahmadinejad and all of the Iranian officials and religious leaders and thank them for this humanitarian gesture,” Shroud declared before boarding a private jet.
The story details the confusing events that surrounded the initial imprisonment of the hikers for stepping over the border into Iran through the up and down battle leading to Shroud’s ultimate release. The story was filled with a detailed account of her release and followed her step-by-step as she left Iran exiting Iran and walked off the plane into the arms of her mother.
Palmer closes the story with the backlash Iranian President Ahmadinejad's is receiving from his fellow statesman and the possible reasoning he agreed to her release. There are several theories explored, including the possibility he used the goodwill gesture as way to ease his visit to NY to talk before the United Nations.

Reaction:
In my opinion, the beauty of broadcast news is that while reporting the story, they have the benefit of having all the actual footage of her release there for us to witness. The story began in classic inverted pyramid form, with the exception of Palmers’ headline as the story began. For a story that has stirred a great deal of emotion and controversy, I feel the broadcast was fair to show the pros and cons of her release, as well as celebrating her victory, and not denying the tragic outcome for the men left behind.
Capitalizing on the personal angle, Couric also landed an emotional exclusive follow-up interview in-studio with the brother of one of the prisoners left behind in the Iranian jail. Couric asked the poignant questions to get the emotional response from Alex Fattal, “Of course we wish she was out with Josh and Shane."

DOES AMERICAN HIKER SARAH SHOURD'S RELEASE HELP AHMADINEJAD?
By Scott Peterson
Christian Science Monitor, Sep 14, 2010

Summary:
In contrast to the CBS piece, Peterson of the Christian Science Monitor weighed his story from the start on international reactions that were missing from the CBS story. Peterson cites one of his sources as Iranian PressTV and offers details that Shroud was released to a Swiss embassy. The article really has an international spin by interviewing prominent Iranians and backing up suggestions that the release was done for the sole purpose of bargaining the freedom of an Iranian US prisoner. Citing the AP and the London Embassy, Peterson also explains the political struggle within the Iranian government.

Reaction:
Personally, I thought this piece complemented the prior nicely. They each told the story but dove into two separate angles. I appreciated hearing the response from the Islamic and Iranian communities. Peterson also cited a number of sources that led credibility to the new pieces of information not offered in Palmer’s piece. The story also used the inverted pyramid style of journalism, and it was the first time since learning the concept that I recognized it in print all the way to end of the article. I noticed his last couple of paragraphs could have been completely omitted if need be.

IRAN RELEASES U.S. HIKER; 2 OTHERS REMAIN IN CAPTIVITY
By Robert F. Worth and Alan Cowell
New York Times, Sep 15, 2010

Summary:
This piece by two writers was actually shorter than the other two, but did stay true to the inverted pyramid. The facts reported in this story had all been told by the other pieces, except for one important part of the original “what” of the case. This article, although briefly, was the first to thoroughly explain the reasoning for the hikers arrest in the first place. This I appreciated, for the in-depth details were lacking from the other pieces, possibly assuming the audience was aware of the direct charges.

Reaction:
Although Worth reported from Damascus, and Cowell from London on this piece for the NY Times, I feel it didn’t have the same international findings that the Peterson piece offered. Although, there were interviews with Iranian officials, the story barely whispered suggestions of fighting within the Iranian government and casually mentioned the president’s possible motivations for releasing Shroud.

Conclusions/Observations
All these stories did report the basics of the who, what, where when and why of the event. After better understanding the design of the media journal, I chose three separate media outlets to report to me the same event. Initially, I assumed that the NY Times would be the most in-depth, and I thought the CBS piece would be the one I would relate to best and I threw in the Christian Science Monitor honestly hoping to tear it apart. Yet, sitting here I really got the most out of the CSM article. There was no fluff, (which sometimes I like) and no video (which I always like), but I still feel it was the best piece of journalism because it offered the most unknown facts, cited many reputable sources and wasn’t afraid to put the focus on the repercussions of her release, instead of reporting how nice it was for her.

James Kanter
09/30/10
English 101
Media Journal 1

I am reading three articles about the American soldiers recently accused of murdering three Afghan civilians.
Source #1 : New York Times; September 28, 2010; William Yardley
Summary :
American Soldier Cpl. Jaremy N. Morlock, accused of the murder of three Afghan civilians was using multiple prescription medications and was serving in a unit overseas in which the use of hashish and other drugs was widespread. Four other soldiers have been accused of the murders as well, three of whom claim that they were forced to participate in the killings by a supervisor, Sgt. Calvin Gibbs. The same day Morlock gave his testimony in a hearing to determine what charges will be filed against the soldier, a video was leaked of Morlock describing the killings in detail. Top Army officials are worried that the tape will seriously undermine efforts to build relationships with Afghans in the war against the Taliban.
Reaction :
William Yardley’s article was extremely in depth in regards to the political circus that the leaked confession by Cpl. Morlock has become. However, the headline of the story, and the lead both emphasize the drug use that was taking place not only on behalf of the Cpl, but also the rest of the men in his unit while stationed in Afghanistan. This aspect of the story is never really unpacked in the article. There are a few references to drug usage but certainly not enough to call the article a story about drug use, which the lede and the headline suggest.
Yardley’s article included one hell of a lede, the five w’s are all accounted for, however the article in general doesn’t implement the inverted pyramid all that well. There are quotes throughout and the idea of the story shifts ideas sporatic.
Source #2 : Telegraph.co.uk; Sept 30, 2010; By Alex Spillius in Washington
Summary :
Sgt Gibbs, the accused ‘ringleader’ of the “kill team” has been scrutinized for his exploits in Iraq, where he served two terms. Gibbs shows off his tattoo’s of crossed guns and skulls in interrogations claiming that was how he kept track of his victims. Gibbs’ lawyer did not comment this week, however he recently claimed that the killings were combat related.
Reaction :
Alex Spillius’ article was short but absolutely packed with information. His article also references drug use among Gibbs’ and Morlock’s unit, however this article focuses more on details of the investigation into the actual war crimes, claiming that this particular war crimes investigation is the most serious the U.S. Army has faced in Afghanistan in its nine-year presence.
Spillius’ lede was concise and factual, and every detail was unpacked in the body of the article in perfect order according to the inverted pyramid. Spillius also adds chilling but important information about the nature of Gibbs with, “Soldiers who served with Sgt Gibbs in Afghanistan allegedly told investigators he pressed his comrades to cut fingers off Afghan corpses, and kept at least two fingers wrapped in cloth hidden in an empty water bottle.”
Source #3 : Washington Post; September 18, 2010; By Craig Whitlock
Summary :
Whitlock’s article was very long, full of information about the premeditated nature of the attacks on, and the killings of Afghan civilians. His lead focuses on this, “AT JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. The U.S. soldiers hatched a plan as simple as it was savage: to randomly target and kill an Afghan civilian, and to get away with it.”
Reaction :
Whitlock uses some seriously detailed information in his article, I think for the purpose of raising eyebrows about war crimes. He constantly refers to Gibb’s unit as the “Kill Team”, he refers several times to the use of grenades in the murders of the three Afghan civilians. His choice verbiage paints a horrific picture of the events that have taken place so far, barely focusing at all on the fact that this is an ongoing investigation. Whitlock by far has the most detailed lede, and unpacks it masterfully as well. This article is GREAT JOURNALISM in my opinion.
Concluding Remarks :
All three articles that I studied are good examples of journalism. All three of them remind the reader that the actions of Gibb’s unit are not open for interpretation, and should be presented as they happened without speculation. Whitlock wrote the best lede, by far, and Spillius’ lede was rather dry and ineffective. If I had been breezing over all three of these articles, after reading Spillius’ lede I wouldn’t have continued with the story. Out of the three articles, I enjoyed Whitlock’s the most, the length and detail of his reporting was not only inspiring because it adheres strictly to the general rules of journalism, but also was very effective at gripping my attention from start to finish. It utilized quotes, masterful paraphrasing, and referenced sources after several paragraphs. After reading the three page article I realized I had been hanging on every word. I will surely follow his work in the future.

Ulysses Santillan
News R & W
Media Journal 1
The story I followed was two porches that collapse during the weekend.The sources I retrieved were an article on the web and from the local news that two porches incident.

First Source: Sun-Times Media Wire,9/12/2010,Four injured in North Side porch collapse

Summary: Four people were injured early Sunday morning in the Lakeview neighborhood when a second -floor porch just broke apart.The victims were taken to Advocate Illinois Mansonic Medical Center, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langfordsaid.No childern were among the victims. The reason of the collapse is unknown for now.The city's Department Of Buildingswill inspect the damage and structure .

Reaction: This article from the web has a lede.It follows the form of the inverted pyramid that reveals the story.It also has attributes from Larry Langford (F.M.A.D.).It delivers supporting details. It didn't answer all questions, but gave the main idea of the incident.This article just states the main points and clearly reports it out nicely.It is readable and doesn't lackredundancy when reading it.

Second Source: NBC Chicago News,9/11/10, Porch Collapse

Summary: Nine people injured after the owner's porch collaspe Saturday night in Tinley Park. The news put up a map to view the locationhighlighted it with red indicators for viewers.They cut to video showing the damage.It looked like debris scatter around the area.Officers were showing around the incident questioning victims of the collapse.The anchor responsed the reason of the incident is still unknown The anchor said more on the story in the weeksto come and eneded instantly.

Reaction: They got a story here ,but it lacks supporting details and no lead qoutes from anybody that is involved with this incident. The newsanchor use the inverted
pyramid.The news gave an image of the damage and location so viewers will know were it happen.They just threw the facts to delivered a story.It didn't capture the victims
whereabouts and medical conditions. There's insufficient detail here,but this can still build to a captivating story.The facts can grow and the story will also.The structure needs
little more length to it.

Third Source: Fox Chicago News, 9/13/10, Porches collapse

Summary: Two porches collapse in the areas of Lakeview neighborhood and Tinley Park.The first collapse, injured four people on the second-floor when it gave
out early Sunday morning.The apartment owner was planning a house warming party when the incident happened.A victim retells the event, saying that "it wasn't crowded and there
was an instant separation of the porch."One individual is in serious-condition.The second collapse, in Tinley Park injured nine people.Most of the victims were senior citizens.They
were celebrating a special event. There is an investigation going forward for both incidents.

Reaction: Both news stories stated the facts clearly and gave supporting details.The collapse in the Lakeview had more detail and background/reaction in the story.
The ledes for both stories delivered the goods.The inverted pyramid was use nicely in each story.The Tinley Park collapse needed more detail and didn't the capture the essence
of the story that well.Don't get me wrong, it still delivered the information that was important to the audience.The combination of the stories worked great together.The Tinley story
lacked information.The facts were there and the main idea was shown perfectly.

Concluding Remarks: All three sources gave all the facts to create a lede.The web article had more detail and structure.Each story was newsworthy to people around those
communities.The inverted pyramid was use alot in these three stories.Each lede needed some shape-up, but still had the main idea insight.The media was doing their job. They report everything that will impact citizens in their community.They are watchdogs. If they weren't watching people will not get facts and reactions on the subject matter. The truth is out there, butit takes time to fully report every detail and create a good lede.

Each story capture their own essence.It was probably not enough, but it was given instantly at a blink of an eye. The stories had familiar details and ledes that started somewhat exactly the same.It still works.Each story expands alittle.These incidents will grow in the weeks to come.And each output will report the same information that they are given.That's the job that needs to be done daily.These stories have negligence written all over the news. Each story focus on the same incident, except the NBC news that had some facts on the Tinley collapse.The basic news structure is still shown daily.

New Reporting and Writing
Media Journal 1
John Fox
WC-663

I read three articles about the “Super Bug” that has sprung up in three states from people who had traveled to India in the past year and received medical attention.

First Source: Chicago Tribune Online, September 13, 2010. By Trine Tsouderos

Summary:

There has been a new gene discovered that can turn a number of types of bacteria into “Super Bugs” which are found to be resistant to antibiotics. There have been cases of people getting sick in three different states. In all of the cases, the people who have been affected by this “Super Bug” had recently traveled to India in the past year and received medical attention while there.

Response:

Tsouderos's article was very informative and straight to the point. The layout of the article followed the classic inverted pyramid style very well. In the lead paragraph, Tsouderos's tells the readers the who, what, where, why and when. These things were very clear in the lead. In the very first paragraph he gets right to the point with the purpose of the article: “Three people who returned to the U.S. from India within the past year infected with newly described super bugs that are highly resistant to antibiotics, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” I thought that adding the source at the end made the lead paragraph very strong. It made me feel like the source was reliable and that made me want to continue reading.

Second Source: News.gather.com, September 14, 2010. By Brenda Daverin

Summary:

The lead paragraph starts off stating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports that three people in three different states had infections from “Super Bug”. Daverin then lists the states where the cases were reported. She then explains what all three people who had the “Super Bug” have in common, that they all have traveled to India in the past year. She then continues to explain what the “Super Bug” is and what it does.

Response:

Daverin's article was a little less informative than Tsouderos's. It seemed less specific and the opening paragraph didn't jump out at me as did the Tribune article. The lead paragraph used the inverted pyramid style well but didn't include the when and why. It felt more vague and brief. In the lead paragraph it didn't really explain what the “Super Bug” was, it was more focused on telling the readers what states the cases turned up in.

Third Source: Sun Times, September 13, 2010. Associated Press

The article started out with the lead sentence “An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding.” It then when on to state that there is a new gene that can change different bacterias into “Super Bugs” that are resistant to all antibiotics. The article goes on to tell the readers the problem with the “Super Bugs” and the cases that have sprung up in three different parts of the country.

Response:
The article from the Associated Press was very dramatic and over done. I found in the lead paragraph that instead of informing the reader, it was almost like they were trying to scare them. With the lead sentence stating that a nightmare is occurring. I also found it strange that in this article they state that the “Super Bug” was resistant to all known antibiotics, while the other two articles state that it was only resistant to three known antibiotics.

Concluding Remarks:

I found the articles by Daverin and Tsouderos to be good journalistic pieces. All three articles used the inverted pyramid style of writing. I felt very informed on the issue after I was done reading all three articles.
The article from the Associated Press on the other hand seemed very over done. I felt like I was being told to panic from the lead sentence and through out the entire article. Also, finding the inconsistency in the article made me question the information and sources.

Media Journal#1/Repost

Ahmed A.
Fall 2010
Eng 151
Media Journal I
KORAN FIRESTORM
Drama unfolds as pastor declares “International burn a Koran” event
Entry #1
I followed this story, which received full-blown media coverage last week, began in a small town in Florida.
First source: CNN: Rick Sanchez Interviews Pastor Jones (Rick’s List Show), July 29, 2010
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-29/us/florida.burn.quran.day
Summary:
Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Church applied for a permit to hold a “burn a Koran” rally, and when he was denied, he went on a national media campaign to make his intention public. He advertised the event on his website and Facebook page and also put up, at the church’s backyard, a banner announcing the site of the event.
“Why would you do this to 1.5 billion Muslims by burning their sacred book,” asked Sanchez in the live interview. The pastor appeared not only on CNN but also on a number of other major cable news networks, like MSNBC and Fox News, and in other major newspapers at home and abroad.
Reaction:
I think Pastor Terry Jones should have been allowed to go ahead with his plan to burn the Koran. What, presumably, gave him the power he enjoyed was the presence of national and local media because his entire motivation, as it appears, was to be on the limelight rather to make his threat come true. It was useful to cover the story since it is close to home.
Entry #2
Source: ABC National Television: “Good Morning America,” Sept. 9
http://www.abcactionnews.com
As the above story developed, more players joined the debate in order to cool down the growing tension.
Summary:
As the “burn a Koran,” day drew closer, it has raised storms within the ranks of the federal government. For instance, President Obama, in an ABC National exclusive television interview, said this will create a “recruitment bonanza for Al Qaida,” and thus joined the international condemnation to prevent “burn a Koran,” day, and so did the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Many other American individuals and organizations spoke out against the plan describing it as provocative move.
Reaction:
The impact of this story was huge. People beyond our borders have held public demonstrations describing the Pastor’s action as offensive to their culture. I think media coverage of this story was relevant because of its incendiary nature and consequent global security ramifications.
Entry #3
Source: Chicago Tribune News Services, Analysis by Stephan H. Sept. 09
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/os-florida-pastor-quran-burning
The story above has had several other dramatic twists. At one time, the pastor decided to call off the event if a plan to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero is canceled, and two days before the planned date for the event, Donald Trump, a New York real estate mogul proposed to buy the site where the Islamic Center will be built for 25 per cent more than the current owners have paid for it; however, the property owners rejected the deal, calling it “unnecessary”.
Two days before the event date, Pastor Jones called off the burning of the Holy Book. He claimed that a local Imam called Imam Musri had promised him that he would arrange for a meeting with the project manager of the Islamic Center at New York’s lower Manhattan, and when the media contacted Imam Musri, it was discovered that there was “no such a deal,” while on the other hand the Project Manager of the New York Islamic Center argued that “…we are not bartering our religion…” At one time, the pastor called off the rally and then back-tracked, saying that he would forego his plan if the location of the Islamic Center is moved. This presented some inconsistency in the story the pastor gave to the media. The many dramas that unfolded during the development of the story made it more interesting to follow.
Reaction:
The Chicago Tribune analysis article on Pastor Jones clearly shows how his past leadership style explains his current inconsistencies in providing the media with ineffectual information as pertains to deals he made with Imam Musri, and other instances when he suggested he would backtrack decisions to call off the event.
Finally, when the pastor called off the event a day before 9/11, media and public assessment of the event coverage began. Many ordinary Americans asked if we should allow radical individuals like Jones get all that attention or whether the whole drama was even newsworthy. Others have, however, argued that because of the bizarre nature of the story, its global impact, and the fact that it was organized on the anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks on U.S homeland makes it all the more compelling to cover it. Either case, Pastor Jones may, in essence, just have been seeking media attention for cheap publicity. He might as well being objective about his decision to burn the Koran. Nonetheless, the Pastor of the 50-member church went on camera, stayed on for more than a month, and had certainly achieved one thing for himself: the power to make news.

Najam Aldin
media journal 1 entry

Mayor Daley retirement cbs2 Jay Levine
Summary:
The Mayor of chicago is retiring before things get worse.

Reaction: The mayor's wife is battling cancer and sick on a frequent basis. There is a lot of resentment about the sale of city parking to private contractors. The mayor has attempted to undercut the supreme court on the hand gun law that they struck down. He also spent a lot of money on a failed olympics bid.

Concluding remarks: Chicago has a reputation because of Al Capone and Mayor Daley has a rumored connection with Lucky Luciano. Eventually even a gangster mayor has to call it quits. I think the loss of control over who has a gun is the major deciding factor in the mayor's retirement.
After Daley's retirement Chicago needs a new approach. Crain's chicago business Greg Hinz
Summary: Mayor Daley had a term with some success but plagued by favoritism and corruption.
Comments: He is retiring with good money from the sale of chicago parking and his son got agood deal out of the city while his father was in charge.

Chicago without Mayor Daley. Huffington Post Don Babwin Sophia Tareen
Summary:The mayor is retiring!
Comments This is a gently written article about the mayor's retirement, and the writers discuss mostly the positive aspects of the mayor's career.

Soma Akainyah
9/15/2010
Media Journal 1

Terry Jones, a Gainsville Florida pastor announced on twitter and facebook that he planned to hold an “international burn a Koran day.” His actions sparked much controversy internationally as news spread to Afghanistan. I read two articles and watched one news broadcast about the subject. My first source was a news broadcast on CNN.

CNN’s Rick Sanchez talked to the pastor and asked him the basic question, which was why he felt the need to organize his church to partake in an international Koran burning day. This day would take place on the 9th anniversary of September 11th. Jones stated that it is in protest of the Islamic laws and their brutality. Sanchez further questioned the pastor asking him how he would feel if Muslims decided to burn the Christians most sacred book: the bible. Jones responded “For us, this book [Koran] is not sacred…were not burning down a house.” Sanchez also placed emphasis on the magnitude of Jones’ planned action by informing him that there are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. Even so, Jones did not seem fazed by the number.

Sanchez interview was straightforward and to the point. He asked the major questions, which were why Jones felt the need to plan this day and if he knew how this would affect the Muslim community. It was apparent that Sanchez was against the idea calling it “just crazy,” but he still acquired the pertinent information while adding snippets of his own personal opinion. Despite his opposition to the idea, Sanchez was neither rude nor offensive to Jones and would even apologize for his differing opinion.

My second source was an article written in the September 8th issue of The Chicago Tribune by David Zucchino. Director of US forces, General David Patraeus openly spoke about Terry Jones plan to burn the Koran on the 9th anniversary of September 11th. He stated that this subject was of concern because it would anger the same Afghans that the united stated soldiers are attempting to “win over.” Consequently, the sight of Americans burning the Koran would undoubtedly provoke violence from extremists. Once again, Terry Jones seemed not too effected by this. His response was that he and his church are taking Zucchino’s concerns into consideration.

Throughout the article, Zucchino provides sources and opinions from a number of people and organizations. In summary, it seems as though most are not in favor of Jones’ Plan. The white house agreed with Gen. Patraeus and his concern for the safety of the U.S. troops, and the State department outright called the plan “Un-American.” Even the Mayor of Gainesville Florida, where the church is located, called the church “an embarrassment.” In response to all of this, Terry Jones tells CNN’s America Morning: “We have firmly made up our mind, but at the same time we are definitely praying about it.”
Zucchino’s article was overall very informative. His use of a wide array of people and sources stressed the fact that most people all over America are against this idea. Overall, it seemed as though Zucchino’s main focus of the article was to point out that most people felt that this act of violence will possibly only cause more violence especially for the U.S. troops. Although the article was thorough, it was mostly one sided. There were many quotes in opposition to Jones’ plan, however in order to retain fairness, it would have been interesting to see what else Jones and some of his followers had to say about this issue in their defense.

My final source was an article written on CNNs website by Shirzad Bozorgmehr, and journalist Matiullah Mati. The article followed up on the story the day before Jones planned Koran burning day (September 11th). Two people were killed in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday during a 600 people protest against Terry Jones. This event took place before Terry Jones told NBC’s today that the church will definitely not burn the Koran. “Not today, not ever.” The protest lasted about three hours and Afghan security forces opened fire in order to stop the protest from gaining entry into the governor’s office of Baraki Barak. CNN states that the plan to burn the Koran immediately sparked “international condemnation.” Also, Joes stated that his meeting with the New York Islamic center is what persuaded him to cancel the burning of the Koran. President Obama commented saying that the act would “go against what this country stands for.”

CNN’s article was very informative. It acquired all of the facts and seemingly relayed the information accurately. The article was concise and provided high lights of the story followed by detailed explanations.

In comparison to my other two sources I would say that CNN’s article seemed the most unbiased, but Rick Sanchez interview was the most entertaining. I liked that his interview was in depth and allowed the viewer to try and understand what was going to Terry Jones’ mind. Although the articles provided quotes, they focused the attention more on national and international opinion.
Overall I observed that broadcasts news provides the viewer with brief updates and facts. This is in contrast to print which provides a little more detail including quotes. It also enables the reader to refer back to certain information. Personally I enjoy both aspects, but tend to favor broadcast due to the occasionally colorful personalities of news reporters and anchors.

Media Journal, 9/9
“Enbridge pipeline leaks oil in Chicago suburb”
The Daily Caller

Summary:
Around noon today, an Enbridge Energy pipeline was reported leaking oil onto the streets of Romeoville, IL. 50 gallons per minute were reported leaking; it was stopped in about 40 minutes. Vacuum trucks and booms were on the scene removing the oil, sent by Enbridge Energy. Businesses nearby were evacuated just to be safe; no known injuries resulted from the leak. An Enbridge pipeline also created a much more severe oil spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River on July 26, which still requires an active clean-up.

Reaction:
I realize that all companies make mistakes, but something as serious as an oil spill really angers me. I’m wary of Enbridge Energy, having been responsible for two spills in just over a month. Shouldn’t they be investigated? Of course they should. Through research I’ve discovered claims against the company that state its disregard for the safety of its employees, resulting in fines of $2.4 million. Two employees were killed in 2007 by an incident related to pipeline repair. If this company has a history of leaking pipelines, why do they continue to be allowed to build them? Oil spills obviously affect a huge number of people, not to mention animal life and, firstly, the environment. We can’t, as human beings, have companies constructing faulty equipment that is used daily in order to save a couple dollars. Planet earth is too precious, we must make every effort, huge or small, to protect it.

Media Journal, 9/11
“Marking 9/11 at Pentagon, Obama says U.S. ‘never’ will be at war with Islam”
The Hill (linked from The Daily Caller)

Summary:
President Obama spoke at the Pentagon Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The crowd consisted of 150 survivors and their families, as well as Defense Department officials. The president touched upon current controversies such as the proposed building of a mosque near Ground Zero, as well as the pastor in Florida threatening to burn the Koran. His message reiterated the fact that "as Americans we are not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam…", and that the attacks nine years ago were by an extremist group, al-Qaeda. He goes on to say that as Americans, we will never surrender our “virtues and values” to terrorists who try to rob us of them. Obama spent about 45 minutes after his speech shaking hands and interacting with crowd members. In remembrance, he tells America “…your loved ones endure in the heart of our nation, now and forever."

Reaction:
Personally, I agree with the fact that America is not at war with a religion. We’re not. We were attacked by extremists, and maybe they attacked for religious reasons, but terrorist attacks happen all the time and it makes no sense, as a nation, to declare war on the religion of your attacker. Islam itself, from what I understand, happens to be a peaceful religion that centers around the worship of Allah, an all-knowing, all-loving deity. Extremists of any religion are willed to take radical and sometimes violent actions. And let us not forget, many Americans are Muslim. One of the wonderful liberties this country has is freedom of religion.
It was courteous of the president to stick around after his speech and embrace the crowd, which the article mentioned is “[s]omewhat uncharacteristic…” of him. I believe he was truly engaged in the commemoration and hopes to inspire the American people to appreciate the many things this country stands for.

Media Journal, 9/13
“Swift, West live up to the hype at the VMAs”

Summary:
A recap of last night’s Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift and Kanye West each performed separately, providing undertones of last year’s “debacle” where West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech to claim that her award should have gone to R&B/pop singer Beyonce. As the VMAs got closer, more talk circulated of a “Swift-West showdown”. Each artist has an album due out this fall, and as Kanye West learned from his behavior last year, public stunts such as the one he pulled can affect one’s album sales, not to mention one’s image. In a more roundabout way, he addressed “the obnoxious behavior that has too often overshadowed his musical talent” in his performance; in a type of peace-offering, Swift sang the lyrics “[e]very one of us has messed up, too… I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new”. In short, the artists have gotten past the issue.
Other hilights of the awards ceremony included Lady Gaga’s numerous victories and outfits, one of which appeared to be made entirely of raw meat. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, incorporating vulgarity and a skit with newly-released-from-jail Lindsay Lohan into her act. “I want to encourage everybody to be on their worst behavior”, Handler announced. The more subdued tone of the evening, however, suggested the artists’ opting against the recreation of last year’s drama.

Reaction:
Although I have not watched the VMAs in years, I try to keep updated on what happens during them: the drama, the performances, the winners, etc. The Kanye West/Taylor Swift confrontation of 2009 was a pretty huge deal for a while. So many people mocked and recreated the incident on youtube.com that it’s almost difficult to find a recording of what actually happened. But once you see it, you immediately empathize with Swift, who was 19 years old at the time and, at first, beaming to be onstage accepting an award. I do agree that Kanye West is an exceptionally talented artist, and also an exceptionally obnoxious one. Humility can go a long way, especially for those in the public spotlight. How mature of Taylor Swift to give him the benefit of the doubt; he has indeed, in the past year, publicly apologized to her several times.
As for the rest of the show, Lady Gaga’s insane wardrobe is to be expected, as is Chelsea Handler’s dry humor. I was relieved to read that no reprisals of 2009’s shocking or fat-headed fuss did occur.

Conclusions/Observations

These articles differ greatly in their themes and subject matter; purposely I chose to report on a variety of topics as a reflection of our lives as a community, a nation at war, and a celebrity-obsessed culture. We are affected, to varying degrees, by each of these things. Some of them carry more weight than others, especially to those who are first-handedly affected. One can argue that, for such a topic as the commemoration of 9/11, we all are equally touched as Americans. But I strongly believe that those people who experienced the loss of a loved one nine years ago will have a greater reaction to the president’s speech than, say, someone who was nine years old at the time.
I was hoping the article on the Romeoville oil spill would have been more detailed; I ended up doing research of my own after reading it. I’ve found that web-based news tends to come in either simple or in-depth form. Sometimes all the information you need is in a shorter article, but personally I prefer the lengthier ones, especially if they include links to related articles or information.
The report on this year’s VMAs was entertaining and slightly informative; how useful that information may be is not for me to decide. Like the Obama’s 9/11 remembrance speech, those who have been personally affected by behaviors at the awards show (celebrities in attendance, Taylor Swift’s mom, etc.) will likely have a more interesting reaction to recaps of the evening.

Media Journal #1:

Entry #1: Article from the Fox News website, published on July 17, 2010, by their NewsCore.

Summary: The article “U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to ‘De-Baptize’” from the Fox News website, talked about a ritual led by Edwin Kagin (an atheist) with the objective of “de-baptize” other atheists by using a hair dryer. The article was based on a report made on the news program “Nightline,” a few time ago. According to it, the ritual consisted of using the hair dryer to “symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on [the heads of the atheists who attended the event]” during their baptisms. Apparently, the reason for the ritual is based on Kagin’s belief that parents’ decision to baptize their offspring is wrong – since they make this decision without their children’s consent.

Response: Although this article is almost two months old, I could not help but choose it as one of the entries to be analyzed. The title simply caught my attention because it sounded absurd, and not surprisingly, after reading its content I could confirm that the article was totally pointless. It was not an in-depth article (and apparently it should not), but worst of all, it was not even that informative. It does not include any information on where this “ritual” took place, how many people showed up, the context of it (if any), and who exactly is Edwin Kagin. Plus, the statements used in the article are just plain stupid. For example, a 24-year-old named Cambridge Boxterman (who we do not even know if he was present at the event or not) says, "I was baptized Catholic. I don't remember any of it at all. According to my mother, I screamed like a banshee...so you can see that even as a young child I didn't want to be baptized.” With a childish-sounding comment like this, if I did not know better, I would think that atheists were stupid. But then I thought that perhaps this is the reason why an article like this was posted on the Fox News website (which definitely has a more traditional/ religious point of view). By keeping this in mind, I would not be surprised if after all, they had decided to post this article on their website because of an agenda.

Entry #2: Video from the CNN website, added on September 8, 2010, about a broadcast from HLN’s “The Joy Behar Show.”

Summary: The video excerpt from HLN’s TV show “The Joy Behar Show” talks about a 170 pages long manual on how to molest children, found a few months ago by investigators in Florida, and whose author is still unknown. Throughout the broadcast, tidbits of information about the book and its discovery are presented at the bottom of the screen. However, the video itself is a brief discussion with former prosecutor Robin Sax, Ed Smart, and Marc Klaas (these last two being fathers of rescued abducted girls) about the fact that a book like this is considered legal, the importance of bringing this news to the public, and other concerns that are brought up by the discovery of a book like this.

Response: Once again, this video caught my attention because of its headline, which stated “A ‘how-to’ manual for child molesters?” It made me wonder what this absurdity was about. So after watching the broadcast, it turns out that although informative, it was not an in-depth coverage of the particular topic (probably because of the time restrains of television). However, it included some outside opinions from relevant people, like Marc Klaas, for example, who is the father of Polly Klaas – a rescued abducted girl. At some point, Klass says that “[the discovery of this manual] should also act as a wake-up call to legislators around the country to take action, to ensure that this kind of activity is illegal, and that law enforcement has the tools necessary to be able to go after the individuals that are engaging in this kind of activity on the internet…” Overall, at first I also thought that this is one of the types of news people should focus on, since the topic in question is relevant not only for those who have kids, but also for society in general – that should be concerned and do whatever it can do stop the problem of child molestation. Moreover, the topic is omnipresent – no matter where we are, this problem can probably be found there too. However, a friend’s comment about this broadcast made me think twice about my opinion. She said that she was “mad at CNN for giving it publicity too,” and she had a good point. It made me think about whether or not it is a good idea to share news like this with the public and made me realize that someone against the publicity of something like this was missing at the discussion on the video.

Entry #3: Article from the Physorg website, published on September 10, 2010, by Jake Coyle.

Summary: The article “Social Media Inflames News Cycle of Quran Burning,” by Jake Coyle, talks about how the widespread coverage of Florida Pastor Terry Jones’ plan (to burn copies of the Quran on 9/11 this year) makes some people question the media and readers’ judgment about what is newsworthy and how the social media influences this judgment. According to the article, it is difficult for news organizations to decide how to act when faced with situations like this because even if they decide not to cover these stories, the social media made by citizens will. Moreover, it brings the idea that if small stories coming from this social coverage become big ones and involve prominent people, it is even harder for the media not to cover them. So consequently, it would be up to these citizen journalists and readers to decide about spreading the news, reading it, or ignoring it.

Response: In this case, I chose this article because it takes a recent news topic and offers a different and relevant point of view about it. I thought the article itself was informative since I did not know, for example, that “several news organizations, including The Associated Press, have said that they [would not] distribute photos or video of Qurans being burned [in case that happened],” as the author says. In addition, it included some outside opinions and its topic – the social media impact on the news cycle – is relevant for society nowadays. It is good to think about the responsibilities social media should have, how their actions impact everything else, etc. However, at first I was surprised to find an article about the Quran burning story on a website about Science, Physics, and Nanotechnology. But after analyzing it closely, I saw that the article was under Technology/ Internet and the article’s content was very well focused on this side of the discussion (since they would not be discussing about social media if we did not have the technological advances necessary to gives us the internet).

Conclusion: After choosing and analyzing these three news pieces, I got to the conclusion that sometimes it is easy to spot articles that may subtly carry a specific agenda, depending on how they are covered and where they can be found (like it was the case for the article about atheists found on the Fox News website). Moreover, it made me think about the pros and cons of sharing a story like the one covered on “The Joy Behar Show” with the public and if something like that should be covered at all by the media or not. Finally, I got to the conclusion that sometimes it is possible to cover seemingly unrelated topics on a particular subject oriented field. The article from the Physorg website, that uses the story about the Quran burning plans to actually discuss about social media, is a very good example of that. I would think that the Florida Pastor’s plans would not belong on a website about Science, Physics, and Technology, but the article’s writer makes a good job on using this unrelated topic to focus on a subject that is relevant to the website’s particular interests (internet/ social media). In the end, the analyses of these news pieces were useful to think about different things when it comes to journalism.