Thursday, May 28, 2009
"Feeding the Beast" video
-Due to the 24-hour news cycle in print, tv, and internet reporters are pressed to meet deadlines and gather all the relevant information before that happens. Reporters run into problems when they can't get the facts or interviews they need. In this circumstance, a good story may not make the news. It was also interesting to learn how relevant trust is between peers. Reporters must trust the members of their team.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Special Leads
MSNBC contributor
msnbc.com contributor
updated 5:22 a.m. PT, Tues., May 26, 2009
Exercise not likely to rev up your metabolism
Studies bust myth that working out gives you a fat-burning boost
(Question/Contrast)
Start exercising and you’ll become a round-the-clock, fat-burning machine, right? That’s long been a commonly held belief among exercisers and fitness experts alike. But a new report finds that, sadly, it’s not very likely.
Daniel LyonsThey Might Be a Little Evil
Why Google faces antitrust scrutiny.
Published May 23, 2009
(Narrative)
We all know how an auction works. The auctioneer sits up front and keeps calling for higher bids until there's one bidder left—and that person wins. Now imagine an auction where the auctioneer won't let you see the other bidders, but assures you they are there, on the other side of a curtain. The auctioneer won't tell you who the other bidders are; you're only told a range of prices that others have bid. And there's another twist: simply paying the most doesn't guarantee you'll win, because the auctioneer has created a system that lets some bidders win even when they pay less. You may not like this system, but you must participate because this auctioneer controls the bulk of the market.
Friday, May 22, 2009
News Story
WSU COUGAR FOOTBALL TEAM UNIFORM UNVEILING TO OCCUR AT TRI-CITIES TAILGATE ON JUNE 12
As of July 1, all of the Cougar Athletics’ teams will be converting to Nike. The men’s baseball, basketball, and football team were all previously sponsored by Russel Athletics. WSU will now be the ninth Pac-10 team to convert to Nike. UCLA will remain the only Pac-10 Football team sponsored by Adidas. The WSU Football team looks to elevate their appearance to a higher level with the elite programs of the Pac-10.
The Tri-Cities tailgate is a Cougar-themed event which has been occurring yearly over the past ten years. On the night of the event, the WSU Football coaching staff will be present to unveil the new uniforms and to discuss the upcoming season. The Eastern Washington location, as opposed to the
WSU Athletics Marketing Director Casey Fox said they talked with the football program to figure out the best way to unveil the uniforms while also generating publicity. The Tri-Cities tailgate presented itself as the perfect opportunity. While
The WSU Athletics Marketing Department has since recognized that the Tri-Cities are a huge target market for Cougar Athletics, being that there are 14,000 WSU Alumni currently living in the Tri-Cities.
“The Tri-cities is a market that we are trying to get more involved with WSU Athletics,” said Marketing Director Casey Fox. “There are 275 season ticket holders out of the Tri-Cities, compared to 1,000 in
WSU Football Team kicker, Reid Forrest, has expressed enthusiasm and excitement for the new uniforms. The excitement around the change has given him, as well as the entire Cougar Football team, hope for a brighter season.
“We are looking at this season as a new start,” said Forrest. “We have washed last season away, and the new uniforms will be the new face of our team.”
As a component of confidence, Forrest states that many members of the team have reported that their appearance, when preparing for a game, will reflect on the game itself. The players are hoping the new uniforms will provide more excitement and confidence for the team.
Once the uniforms are unveiled at the tailgate, the Nike sideline apparel will be available to purchase at the event on June 12. The new Cougar gear will also be sold at Nike retail outlets.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Summary Lead
This is a good example of a summary lead. It tells you exactly what the article is going to discuss in a simplified way. This article was found on Msnbc.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Three Pitches
I decided it would be interesting to write a story about the Cougar Soccer Camp. It is a soccer camp held for middle-school to high-school girls for a week in mid-July. The girls stay in dorms and eat in the cafeterias. It is a great opportunity for younger soccer players to learn from college level players and coaches. I have coached the camp in the past and it has been a great way to earn money during the summer. Many of my teammates depend on coaching soccer camps because it is the only job they cant get because of their busy schedules. This year, however, the existence of the camp is still pending. The coordinator has been unsure about the possibilities because not many kids have signed up due to people's changes in financial priorities. I want to write a story about how the economy is effecting the WSU Women's Soccer Camp. I will interview the camp coordinator, possibly the coaches, players who usually coach the camp, and past attendees. I think this story would spark interest in many local parties, especially those involved or interested in WSU athletics.
2- New Football uniforms unveiling
On the main page of the Cougar Athletics web site is a large add informing visitors of the new football uniforms to be unveiled June 12. This will be the first time the Coug's wear Nike. The unveiling is set to be at Broadmoor RV/Towne Crier Tri-Cities Tailgate June 12 at the TRAC Center in Pasco, Wash. Although, the idea of new uniforms is very exciting, I would like to find out more about this hype. I think it would be interesting to find out from certain involved individuals what is so significant about the new uniforms and what they believe they will bring to the upcoming season. It is obvious a great deal of marketing has gone into this advertising so I would like to ask certain individuals of their opinions. I would plan to talk with players, equipment managers, coaches, and possibly even someone from marketing. I think this story would be relevant to most citizens of Pullman or anyone who is a fan of Cougar football.
3-Rockstar Tan Bar / Straight-Up Fashions
New to the Pullman scene, Rockstar Tan Bar and Straight-Up Fashions have existed as the trendy new spots on Main Street. Rockstar has done really well in their first year of operation, however, Straight-Up, not so much. As they are owned by the same two individuals, I find it interesting that Rockstar has done so well, while Straight-Up Fashions has just recently closed its doors. My roommate was an employee was at Straight-Up Fashions and at first, was working long and frequent hours, then she slowly started working less and less. She was really frustrated by this and was very upset when she realized she was no longer going to be working. I think a big contributing factor to this was Straight-Up's high prices and designer-brand inventory. It seems they were selling to a very small market at too high a cost. Rockstar, on the other hand, has done very well due to their great deals, as well as selling a product where it will be high demand; tanning in a place of no sunlight. I would like to find out more about this issue. I plan to talk more with my roommate, one of Rockstar/Straight-Up's main workers and models, and the owners to find out more about the business and what they did right and what they did wrong. I think this is a relevant story because a high number of individuals tan at Rockstar and I'm sure these people would be interested in finding out why Straight-Up Fashions closed as well.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
News Site Compare/Contrast
Cybercast News Service-CNSNews.com describes their news service as one created in an effort to exist as a service for individuals who appreciate a balanced news source without biases or omissions. i chose this site to see if their stories would differ from the mainstream sites that they claim are bias. Their site states that their parent research center, Media Research Center, has found liberal biases in many news provider. Their organization was formed in an effort to provide an alternative news source. Most of their headlines are concerned with politics and foreign policy. Further down the page can be found more national coverage concerning the economy, culture, and entertainment. Many of CNSNews's stories are made up of hard facts. It is difficult to uncover connotation or opinion in their stories. One story concerning Obama's decision to reverse his decision to release photos taken in Iraq, however, shows a feeling of disappointment. The author seemed to show her opinion when she comments, "The move represented a sharp reversal from Obama's repeated pledges for open government, and in particular from his promise to be forthcoming with information that courts have ruled should be publicly available". The article even went on to compare his decision to previous experiences with former president Bush. In conclusion I found this site to be very factual but without offering a variety in its story choice.
MSNBC- I chose this site because it is one I usually turn to when I searching for news. I have found that it coveries a variety of stories and subjects. While this site also puts alot of focus on polictics, many of its headlines cover wider topic choice. This site also covers the Obama decision to reverse his decison to realease pictures, however, the author showed stronger negative connotation, for instance, "Obama's reversal on the photo release set off immediate reactions from bloggers, liberals who decried that he was buckling to political pressure and conservatives who agreed with the decision but said it proved Obama was inconsistent". Unlike the CNSN site, however, MSNBC went on to describe details from what the pictures contained and even had links to some of the disturbing pictures that had been released in the past.
Between the two sites I browsed, I found that they were both more advocative of conservative beliefs. Each article showed a disagreement with the Obama decision. MSNBC was actually less discrete in covering their opinions. While I was hoping to find greater differences between the sites, I concluded that while news services claim to be less biased, it seems hard for them to not implace their opinions within their writing.
msnbc.com
CNSNews.com
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Murrow Standard?
The first video, from CNN, is trying to provoke sympathy for the people in Ecuador affected by the oil dumping. The newscast includes interviews with environmentalists, helpless individuals, as well as other personalities who are blaming Chevron for the damages. Even the clips included from the interview with Chevron's Silvia Garrigo portray her in a negative and deceitful light. The newscast even goes in depth to explain how the work of the Ecuadorians was able to get the case. It is clear that the information reported on this newscast was very selective.
This second newscast works to show Chevron as a victim. Chevron is claiming that they are at the end of a conspiracy. The newscast makes an effort to explain how Chevron cleaned the oil pits after they had worked there and that the Ecuadorian oil company had even cleared Chevron from further responsibility. This newscast chooses different clips from the Silvia Garrigo interview as well. It seems that the clips which showed her correctly defending Chevron as innocent victims. This newscast also included clips from scientists with deep explanations for Chevron's lack of responsibility in repairing the damages. It even goes further to show that the plaintiffs test samples were taken to a non-credible laboratory. The cast additionally offers further explanation for the contamination.
It is clear that each news cast, for whatever reason, has their own agenda. The way they were each reported does not show heavy bias but it is interesting how the selection process for the news is different in each case. It is clear that each news provider placed certain facts higher than others. The question of which story to believe lies in the issue of objectivity.