A View on the News

After rumors surfaced about new actors playing some of the roles of the lead characters in the Harry Potter movies, the original cast signed to return for the remaineder of the Harry Potter films. There are 3 films left to be released; one of which is coming out this summer, two have yet to be filmed.

The first article I looked at is from the Los Angeles Times and can be found here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-potter27mar27,1,5883652.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&track=crosspromo

This article does not clarify when this news was released about the actors signing on to the rest of the 'Harry Potter' films; the audience does not know when the information was available to the public, which in turn doesn't give the event timeliness or currency in regards to news values. The article shows the impact playing the roles has had on the actors:

**Watson, for one, was rumored to be considering other alternatives, rather than continue with the role of Hermione Granger. (Grint confirmed as much when he told the media recently that Emma wanted out: "Emma doesn't want to do it any more. She's tired of being known as 'that girl from Harry Potter.' ")**

This quote actually shows conflict as well, with the rumors going around about whether Watson was going to sign or not.

**While the movies have made gobs of money world-wide and made household names of the cast, their back-to-back filming has consumed much of the lives of the young actors.**

This quote also shows the impact on the actors, and mentions the international impact as well. However, it is a general statement. This article definitely has prominence because of the famous people invovled, the actors. This article has entertainment value, most of all, and some helpfulness for those who want to know about the films - who will be in them and when they are coming out:

**The latest Harry Potter entry, David Yates' "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," opens July 13.**

The second article is from the Houston Chronical and can be found here: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/4661376.html

This article makes note that the news was released on Friday:

**Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will return as teen wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the final Harry Potter films, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Friday.**

This starts off the article in a good way, making sure that the audience knows when this information was released and when the decision was made. This makes the article have timeliness and currency. This article also shows the impact that the movies have made on the actors, as well:

**"I could never let Hermione go," she said. "I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me. I'm excited and honored to be finishing what I started and playing her in all seven of the films."**

**Grint, 18, added: "I've been so proud to play (Ron) and loved every second of being part of this world."**

This gives the article impact, however it doesn't show much impact on the viewer, except for the comment about the 'Harry Potter' books being best-sellers. The article has prominence for the same reasons as the first - the famous actors. The article has entertainment value and helpfulness, including a statment at the end of the article that is very similar to the last one:

**The fifth film in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is slated for release in the U.S. on July 13.**

This could be considered helpful information for those who would like to see the movie.

I think that these articles are a bit boring, personally. They don't have a lot of color in them; I think the reporters could have had more fun with them and make them more interesting to read. The second article was a little more fun to read because of the quotes; however, I don't think they were incoporated into the story very well. It seems like they were just put in there. It's an exciting event, especially for 'Harry Potter' lovers; therefore, I think the reporters should have geared the article toward them, giving facts about the ticket sales, book sales, etc. This article could even go into the phenomenon of 'Harry Potter' and possibly encourage those who haven't seen the movies or read the books, to do so.

Posted by Allison Hall at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NBC reality tv series, "Grease: You're the One that I Want," ended Sunday night with the audience voting for Laura Osnes (from Eagan, Minn.!) and Max Crumm to play Sandy and Danny. They will be taking on these roles in the new Broadway show, "Grease," out this summer.

The first article I looked at is from Forbes.com. Because it's a national news source, it has a national perspective when it comes to news values. It definitely shows that the event is timely, stating that the show just ended on Sunday after nearly 3 months. It shows a bit of impact nationally; actually, the audience is who impacted the decision:

**The winners, chosen by audience votes, were announced Sunday during the final episode of the NBC reality series "Grease: You're the One That I Want."**

The audience voted, therefore they had an impact and this article shows that. It also discusses 'Grease' as a musical and a movie, giving some facts about its success in the past. This shows the impact the musical has had on our culture.:

**The upcoming revival of "Grease" will be its third Broadway production. The original, which opened in 1972, played for more than 3,000 performances. The second, featuring Rosie O'Donnell as Betty Rizzo, arrived some two decades later, for a run of more than 1,500 performances.
The 1978 film, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, was one of the most successful movie musicals of all time.**

The event has some sort of prominence, for these people that won will be names that make news. Although they may not be considered "famous," the reality TV show is/was, therefore it's prominent. For those who live in the areas where the winners are originally from, this event may have proximity; however, for the most part, it doesn't show it. The article also shows some novelty, since the show announced the winners for the first time Sunday. Regarding the supplemental values, the article shows currency (for the same reasons as timeliness) and entertainment value.

This article can be found here: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/26/ap3551309.html

The second article I looked at had a different perspective because it is from a Twin Cities news source, twincities.com. The new Sandy, Laura Osnes, is a Minnesota native, coming from Eagan. This article concentrates on her for the most part; because it is so specific and a narrowed subject, it contains many news values. It is timely for the same reason as the first article - it clarifies that it the winners were announced on Sunday evening. This article shows a local impact since Osnes is from Minnesota; it discusses her wedding, and also quotes some individuals who have directed her in the past in various musicals:

**Osnes' Minnesota mentors weren't surprised by Sunday's verdict.
"There was no doubt in my mind that Laura would win any competition anywhere for the role of Sandy in 'Grease,' " said Michael Brindisi, artistic director of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, where Osnes was playing Sandy even as she auditioned for the reality TV show.
"She's got all of the skills necessary for that role and many other roles. She's gorgeous, she's sexy, she's sweet, she's innocent. She's also a really good 21-year-old actress."**

**"She's not trying to make it fit," said Matthew Howe, who directed a teenage Osnes as Dorothy in a Children's Theatre Company production of "The Wizard of Oz." "She's just being Laura."**

These add local impact, but also give the reader a view of her personality through the eyes of some of the people she has worked with. It also shows that people were supporting her. The article shows prominence, as well - with the NBC reality TV show being the famous "institution." People may feel a geographic closeness - proximity - if they are from the twin cities area, which most of the readers will be, because Osnes is from Eagan. The article shows a little bit of conflict with just one quote from Osnes:

**"After the show last week, I tried to give Ashley a hug, and she sort of pushed me away," she said. "It can be hard to keep a positive attitude when there's a whole lot of emotions."**

Ashley Spencer, the "Sandy" that Osnes beat is who she is referring to in this quote. It shows a personal/internal conflict that Spencer may have. The event is somewhat unusual, for the same reasons as the last article showed. Regarding the supplemental values, the article shows currency and entertainment.

In my opinion, the second article was a lot more interesting to read. This is probably due to the fact that I am from the Twin Cities, therefore I enjoy reading about the life of someone who is from the same area I am. It served as more of a human interest story than anything, while the first one seemed to be more of a report on what happened. I feel the twincities.com article really allowed the reader to get to know this girl and a little bit of her personality.

Posted by Allison Hall at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ClearWay Minnesota, who has recently been involved in the smoking ban bill
in Minnesota, offers an online quit plan for smokers called QUITPLAN.com.
It is a freewebsite that serves as a personal support center and offers
helpful and interactive quit-smoking resources such as personalized
quit-smoking plans, expert counselors who respond to user questions within
a 24 hour period, a forum to talk with other smokers trying to quit,
self-evaluations and even tools tha track the quitting progress,
calculating savings and suggesting next steps. ClearWay Minnesota also has
a QUITPLAN helpline as well as QUITPLAN centers. According to QUITPLAN.com,
the online program "provides options for smokers who may not want to use
face-to-face or telephone counseling." Does this really work? What are the
advantages and disadvantages of doing a smoking plan online? What other
companies fund an online quit-smoking plan? What are the results compared
to face-to-face counseling? Is this an issue that should be taken to the
internet? Will this trend carry over to online counseling in other areas of
life (it might already have)?

Sources:

Joanne D'Silva, research program manager of ClearWay Minnesota - 952.767.1400
John R. Polito, editor of whyquit.com - 843.849.9721
John L. Kirkwood, president and CEO of the American Lung Association - 212.315.8700

Posted by Allison Hall at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

On Monday, Yahoo! introduced a new search system called "OneSearch" for mobile phone users. It is specifically for an instance when one is searching for topics that are only relevant to a certain area of the country. Users just type in a zipcode or city name and they are set to go.

The first article I read is from www.techtree.com and was posted on March 20 (today). The article does have some major news values that is shows within it. The event is timely, seeing as Yahoo! just announced it on Monday. The article shows clearly that this new search system has impact by giving examples of situations where individuals may need the system:

**For instance, instead of popular movies or critical reviews, OneSearch lists local theaters playing a particular movie, user ratings of the movie, and news headlines related to it.**

I know there are many times when I, personally, would like to look up movies right on the spot and quickly; this shows the impact it will have on the consumer, as well as the supplemental value of helpfulness. This news event has some sort of prominence, not having to do with a well-known individual or celebrity, but rather a well-known institution - Yahoo! itself. Because it is such a huge company, it will make news. It even mentions one of Yahoo!'s competitors:

**Scoring one up over Google, Yahoo! reportedly yesterday introduced its new Internet search system for mobile phone users, OneSearch that promises locally relevant search.**

Even if we don't use Yahoo! to search online, most people know Google; therefore, the audience will be able to recognize the name and make the assumption that Yahoo! is a big and powerful company. This article shows the novelty of the event, since One Search is a new idea in the technological world and on the internet. Going back to the supplemental values, this event has currency because it is worthy of discussion - it may become an emerging trend.

This article can be found here: http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Yahoo_OneSearch_for_Mobile_Users/551-79887-643.html

The second article I looked at on the same topic is from www.unstrung.com and was also posted on March 20. The reporter of this article considered many news values, as well. It is timely and shows that it is so by stating that they just released the info yesterday. The article describes what Yahoo! hopes to do for consumers by giving a quote from the senior vice president of connected life, Yahoo!:

**"Yahoo! oneSearch has already started to change the mobile search game by fundamentally improving the way consumers' access and use the Internet on their mobile phones," said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life, Yahoo!.**

This article is more clear about the fact this new search engine is an expansion of a previous idea:

**Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) has today expanded the reach of the popular new Yahoo! oneSearch service to the Mobile Web in the United States. **

OneSearch, the article says, was first available only on the web through computers. Now, they are taking it to a new level and offering to mobile users on their phones in the United States. Therefore, the impact is on a smaller group of people - those who own cell phones. It also lessens the value of novelty in the article, because it isn't as unusual anymore, now that the reader knows this search engine has been online for awhile already. This article gives another quote from Boerries, which shows what people think of it so far:

**"Consumers that have tried oneSearch love it, telling us it's easier and more helpful than any other mobile search services they've used. We are delivering the results consumers want with just one search, not a list of Web links."**

This shows the impact is has and possibly indicates what peoples' responses will be in the future. The event has prominence for the same reason as the first article showed: Yahoo! as a name. The article shows currency for the same reason as the first - it may be an emerging trend. It is obvious in this article that Yahoo! is making this a trend within it's own organization because it is making it available on mobile phones in addition to the internet on computers.

This article can be fond here: http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=119837

In my opinion, the second article gives the reader a bigger picture of what the situation is; I think it is important to know that this is an expansion of an idea. I hadn't even heard about OneSearch online, and all of a sudden I'm reading about it going to cellphones. I think both articles could've done a little bit of history on the OneSearch at the end of the article, just simply stating when it first appeared online, etc.

Posted by Allison Hall at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new study conducted by University of Minnesota and St. Louis University doctors that brought them to teh conclusion that duct tape does not get rid of warts. During the study, they used a control group that used moleskin on individuals' warts. The second group used a moleskin pad, as well, but put a underlayer of clear duct tape. It turns out that 3/4 of the duct-taped warts that had disappeared came back within six months. In the control group, 1/3 returned. However, the researchers mistakenly thought that clear and gray duct tape had the same adhesive, when it turns out they don't (Gray tape's is rubber based while clear's is acrylic).

The first article I read is from the Toronto Star and was written on March 20. The story has many news values associated with it that the reporter shows through the article. First off, this event is certainly timely, seeing as the study was just released. It definitely has an impact - warts are common - but this article doesn't exactly show the imapct. However, it does say this:

**A study by University of Minnesota and St. Louis University doctors says that, despite claims to the contrary, duct tape does not vanquish the common wart.**

This shows that the popular belief was the contrary, which shows some impact and mostly conflict because of the two different opinions. Also because the researchers used clear tape instead of gray, that created conflict as well; perhaps the study wasn't done right..? Regarding the supplemental trends, this story definitely is helpful - it is consumer/health related; therefore, people (especially those with warts) can learn from it and apply it in their own lives. This article even touches on what the researchers think the public will do with this info:

**"I don't think that those of us who have used duct tape in the past few years will stop using it because of this (study)," said Dr. Neil Shear, head of dermatology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. "I think we will say ... `We have no idea if this works or not, or how it works, but it has been reported to help some people. It's not a big expense. It doesn't hurt a lot. What's the harm in trying?' "**

This shows how it relates to the public, but also the credibility of the research itself. The individuals conducting the research don't sound extremely confident in it - they aren't convinced that people will take this seriously because they may have made a few mistakes (with the different types of tape). I wouldn't consider this story to be necessary; however, it does show at least some importance. For those who have warts, it is extremely important to know what the options are, how to remove them and what works.

This article can be found here: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/193780

The second article is from the Star Tribune. This article seems to go into more detail; therefore, it has more new values incorporated into it. The article shows that the topic is recent by clairifying that the study was "a study in March's Archives of Dermatology." The topic definitely has an impact, because so many people have warts; however, the article doesn't show that very clearly. There is a quote from a doctor, talking about patients:

**"I have plenty of patients come in having tried duct tape. That's why they come in, because it didn't work," Paller said.**

This shows that there are definitely an abundance of people out there, according to this doctor, that have this problem. This quote also shows someone else, other than the researchers supporting the study's findings. Although the article also mentions the grey/clear tape debate, this quote gives the article balance and fairness. The article shows conflict, due to this debate, as well:

**This time, a study among adults found duct tape helped only 21 percent of the time and was no more better than moleskin, a cotton-tape bandage. But researchers used transparent duct tape so patients and doctors would not be able to guess which bandages contained duct tape. Only later did they learn that the transparent variety does not contain rubber, unlike the gray duct tape that appeared to be effective in the 2002 study.**

The article shows necessity in the same way, or at least some importance. Helpfulness is big in this article too, for it is health related and even gives some advice on what else works for removing warts:

**What works: Over-the-counter topical treatments containing salicylic acid sometimes work. Doctors use laser therapy or liquid nitrogen against an unyielding wart, or in extreme cases a prescription cream or a virus-fighting injection. Warts usually clear up on their own in about two years, Paller said.**

This article can be found here: http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1066089.html

I think the second article does a better job of explaining warts in a simple way so the reader will understand without being a specialist in science and/or medicine. I also think that the story was way more balanced than the first. It was ironic, how both articles are about this new find, however the researchers themselves don't seem extremely confident in their findings. I'm not sure if that is the reporters' fault for not writing balanced articles or the researchers' fault for speaking up and standing up for their research. Seeing as both articles contain quotes from the researhcers that aren't especially optimistic about their findings, I would guess that it was them who don't believe in their research - not the reporters.

Posted by Allison Hall at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

After her dog went missing about a month ago, a 17-year-old girl from St. Paul received a box at her house two weeks ago with her dog's head inside. St. Paul police are investigating the case. The Humane Society of the United States is also helping out, offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The first article I read is from ABC News, AP, and was written on March 15. The article offers many news values. It is fairly timely; however it is a bit delayed, for it actually happened two weeks ago. The article definitely shows the impact it had on organizations in the area and in the U.S. The article tells what the Humane Society is doing:

**The Humane Society of the United States said Wednesday it was offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The local chapter offered another $1,000 reward.**

It also shows the impact it had on the young girl who was the owner of the dog, as well as her grandmother with whom she lives. The article notes that the event happened in St. Paul, giving it proximity for Minnesota Readers. It also gives emotional closeness. The article contains many quotes from the grandmother and Crystal as well, making the reader feel closer. Here are some examples:

**"I felt empty," Crystal told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. "I couldn't talk to anyone. He was my dog. It was just me and him. … I told him everything and he never shared any of my secrets."**

**"She was just hysterical," said Crystal's grandmother, Shirley Brown. "She was screaming. She said, 'Grandma, it's my dog's head!'**

**"This was so cruel," Crystal said. "This is one sick, twisted person."**

The article shows conflict, mostly because of the drama and the conflict within Crystal, the owner of the dog. The event itself has novelty because of the unusualness of the event. It's obvious that this sort of thing doesn't happen often.

This article can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2953573

The second article I read on this event is from the Star Tribune, written on March 16. This article serves as more of an update than a first look at the event. It discusses the "bigger reward" for information on the case. None the less, it still explains the situation and contains many news values. It is obviously timely, seeing this all has happened within the last couple weeks. This article shows the impact of the event through quotes as well. Although there aren' t any quotes from the owner of the dog (appropriate, since it isn't the first time the paper has written on this topic), it does contain a quote from another important person:

**"I've never heard of another case getting this much attention and people wanting to contribute money like this. I think it's because this was so horrendous and because the victim was a teenage girl," Jill Fritz, the Humane Society's state program coordinator, said Friday.**

Because this particular article is about the bigger reward being offered, Fritz would be a good person to quote, being from the Humane Society, who is supplying the award money. The article also shows the impact nationally and other people's reactions to the event:

**Since the Humane Society announced the reward fund Wednesday and news about the case spread, the group has received pledges and donations from across the United States and Canada.**

The article shows proximity in the same ways as the first article and it somewhat shows the novelty, although it is a follow-up article.

This article can be found here: http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1060291.html

I think because these articles have a different goal in mind, it is difficult to compare them. However, in my opinion, I think both of them did a great job of incorporating new values within them so the reader will know why this event is important.

Posted by Allison Hall at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Tuesday night, Brandon Rogers was the first of 12 finalists to be kicked off American Idol after he forgot the words to the song he sang, "You Can't Hurry Love." It was a Diana Ross-themed show; contestants sang everything from "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to "Stop in the Name of Love." Ross even made an appearance, singing two songs on the show.

The article I looked at is from Newsday.com and was written on March 15. It has some news values but does not even come close to covering them all. It shows that it is timely, since this episode aired this week. It has prominence, since it is a hit TV show, with celebrity judges and a celebrity host (Ryan Seacrest). Also, it mentions the Diana Ross-themed show and the fact that Ross herself performed. This shows prominence, as well. This event definitely has novelty, since contestants don't usually forget the words to the songs they are singing on American Idol. It also is an unusual event because...

**"Last night, Rogers became the first of the top 12 finalists to be told to stop in the name of love of music, but before he could even reprise his song, the show ended."**

Regarding the four supplemental news values, this article shows that the event has currency and entertainment. Clearly, it is current news for the same reason as it is timely. Most of all, this article is for entertainment purposes because it is about a subject that is a part of the entertainment industry. One could argue that it this event has necessity, for those who watch the show insist on knowing the latest, or if fans of the show missed the episode, they will want to know what happened. However, the article doesn't show this necessity; it may imply it, though.

This article can be found here: http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-etidol155131154mar15,0,4794551.story?coll=ny-television-print

The second article I looked at is on CNN.com. This article shows more news values than the previous one. It shows the timeliness in the same way the first article did - confirming it was this week's episode of American Idol. This article shows that the event has prominence because of the show's popularity:

**"'American Idol' continues to rule the ratings, attracting between 27 million and 37 million viewers per telecast this season."**

The article also shows this by mentioning that the show is a "top-rated Fox network sing-off." This identifies the show's importance.

This article shows prominence, as well, with the mention of the judges as well as Diana Ross. It also shows some conflict, for the lead reads:

**"Brandon Rogers, who forgot the words to his song on Tuesday's "American Idol," had a feeling he wouldn't last. He got confirmation Wednesday."**

This mentions Rogers' feelings, and his reaction to the event. It's more the drama that makes the article have conflict, as well as the quote from Rogers, which the first article containted as well:

**"I have no hard feelings," Rogers, 28, said before leaving the stage. "I kind of expected it."

The article shows that the event has novelty, for the same reasons as the first article does. This article also shows currency and that the event has entertainment value, in the same way as the first article does.

This article can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/15/tv.americanidol.ap/

I think these articles are mainly for entertainment purposes. The stories may be for those who watch the show but missed the episode, or for those who don't have time to really watch it but like to keep up with the latest entertainment buzz. The second article does a great job of including news values and keeping it simple. Making sure that the reader knows the importance, culturally, of the TV show is huge - giving the event more impact. For example, just adding the fact that American Idol "continues to rule the ratings" and is "top-rated." Those phrases say a lot. I don't think the first article did a very good job of that.

Posted by Allison Hall at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

(For the week of March 18-23)

A bill passed the Minnesota House on Thursday would require all flags and flag merchandise sold in Minnesota be made in the United States. According to an article from the Winona Daily News:

**"That includes flag replicas, along with anything and everything emblazoned with the flag’s image — coffee cups, T-shirts, key chains, even the pins politicians wear on their suit lapels."**

Besides making people "irked" by U.S. Flags being sold in other countries, why is this a big enough issue that a bill must be proposed? It is obvious people are bothered by it, but why is a bill necessary? How would this bill be enforced?

Possible sources:

Rep. Tom Rukavina (the bill's sponsor): 651.296.0170
Senator Steve Murphy (co-author): 651.385.7649
Rep. Dan Severson (opponent): 651.296.7808

Posted by Allison Hall at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

R.T. Rybak, Mayor of Minneapolis, has strived for what he calls a "New Minneapolis" since he came to office in 2002. He wants to reweave urban fabric; he doesn't believe that the city should concentrate on housing, jobs, or transportation individually. It should be organic and every aspect of the city should be quality. So, how is Minneapolis doing so far? What changes have been made? What does the future look like? Will our city really be a "New Minneapolis?"

Sources:

Mayor R.T. Rybak - 612.673.2100
Barbara Johnson - 612.673.2204 (City Council President)
Betsey Hodges - 612.673.2213 (City Council Member)

Posted by Allison Hall at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

NASA's Cassini spaceraft, launched in 1997, has sent pictures back to Earth of Saturn images that show "never-before-seen images" of the planet above and below its rings. Scientists have apparently been waiting for years for images like these.

The first article I read is from the Los Angeles Times and titled, "Images show Saturn from new angles." It is a very short article and doesn't actually show many news values within it. It is obviously timely because the pictures were recently released. NASA is a famous institution, which would make this event have some sort of prominence. It has some novelty, since it's not every day that we receive photos like these of other planets. Other than that, I don't feel the article shows much news value except that it's new information. It does show the impact on scientists:

**"Finally, here are the views that we've waited years for," said Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team leader at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.**

But it does not explain what these photos will do for science. Are the photos just pretty to look at? Is that why it is a huge deal? Or should it be implied? The skeptic may not understand why this is important to know. It could be that this article is more for entertainment - these photos and the video would be fun to look at.

This article can be found here: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-saturn3mar03,1,4501695.story?coll=la-news-a_section

The second article I read is from the CaribJournal (Caribbean News) and is titled, "Cassini Stunning Images, Movie of Saturn." This article is not as plain and boring as the first one because it includes more information about the event. This article shows that the event is timely, for it specifies when the pictures are released and when the information was released. It has prominence, and discusses NASA and the Cassini mission a bit at the end of the article:

**The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Cololardo.**

It gives the reader a better idea of the pictures, how beautiful they apparently are and, therefore, how unusual it is. The article doesn't give much information about the impact of the event either, but it does tell of what the future will bring; what more Cassini will do:

**Cassini’s highly inclined orbits around Saturn will be progressively lowered so that, by late June — three years after entering orbit — the spacecraft will once more be orbiting in the ring plane.**

That at least shows some sort of goal that will hopefully be met.

This article can be found here: http://caribjournal.com/2007/03/03/cassini-stunning-images-movie-of-saturn/

In my opinion, both articles are just reports, which is good, but they don't really relate the new information to the everyday reader. The second article gives us a link to where the video and images can be found, which is nice, but it doesn't go into at all what the impact of these new things will be on science or anything. I feel that would be more interesting to read. However, I do think the second article is better than the first because of the detail it goes into about the new findings.

Posted by Allison Hall at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

President Bush visited the southern region of the country where a major storm and tornadoes destroyed many areas and took lives, as well. He spend time in Enterprise, Ala. at the high school that was destroyed and killed 8 students and Americus, to a neighborhood where 2 people had died during the storm. President Bush promises federal aid to victims and for rebuilding.

The first article I looked at is from the San Francisco Chornicle, but originally in the New York Times. It's headline reads, "After deadly tornadoes, Bush vistits ruined areas." The event is important and has value not only because the storm hit very recently, but whenever the President visits a "ruined" area, it makes news. Therefore, it is timely and has prominence. The event also has an impact on the whole country, for whenever there is a disaster like this we are affected in some way. This article shows conflict, as well. What to do and how to clean up is always a question that needs answering after a storm that results in such disaster, both emotionally and physically. The article mentions the Bush Adminstration's reaction, or lack there of, to Hurricane Katrina and contrasts it to his reaction in this sircumstance:

**The hastily arranged trip, after a massive storm system that produced at least 31 tornadoes from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, was designed to send an image of a compassionate president leading a competent government response, in sharp contrast with the lingering images of federal indifference and ineptitude in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.**

This shows some conflict as well. This article definitely shows the novelty, or unusualness of the event:

**The hastily arranged trip, after a massive storm system that produced at least 31 tornadoes from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico...**

It's not every day..or every year there are that many tornadoes resulting from one big storm. This has currency, too, for it is a subject worthy of discussion. People died. People were injured. People lost their homes, their schools. Therefore, it is also necessary for people to know about.

This article can be found here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/04/MNGM4OF4JJ1.DTL

The second article I looked at is from the Boston Globe and titled, "Bush visits Ala. school hit by tornado. This article is longer and goes into more detail about what he did, what he said and what he wants to have happen. Regarding news values, this article shows much of the same values as the other article has. It's timely, has prominence, is unusual and is necessary to know about for all the same reasons as the first article. This article from the Boston Globe seems to identify these news values within the article more clearly, making it have more of an impact on those who do not live in the south. For example, the article quotes Bush saying the following:

**"The best help they can get is when a citizen comes and builds them a house," the president said, appealing for volunteers to help in the recovery. "The minute you find out you don't have what you need, if you put out a call to the country, this country will respond."

This shows the impact that it can have on the entire country, like Hurricane Katrina did. It also shows the impact that the President had on the people he visited:

**The president stopped by the home where the two had died; the tornado tore the back of the house away, leaving rooms exposed.

When she saw Bush, Benita Fletcher called her boyfriend and then handed her phone to the president. "President Bush calling," Bush said. "Looks like you have a fine girlfriend."**

The article also shows conflict, obviously, but also how it is being resolved:

**Teams from the federal relief agency have nearly completed preliminary damage assessments in Alabama and began similar work in Georgia yesterday, which Paulison said shows the extent of the changes at FEMA. He said the agency started moving in truckloads of supplies and communications equipment immediately, and had teams on the ground just a few hours after the storms hit.**

This article seems to go more in depth in general and gives the reader a picture of exactly what the President did on this visit, how people reacted and how he reacted as well.

This article can be found here: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/04/bush_visits_ala_school_hit_by_tornado/

I prefer the Boston Globe article over the San Francisco Chronicle article, solely because it goes into more detail. I feel this event should be covered in the fashion of the Boston Globe article - detailed, including the emotions of everyone involved and the actions the government is intending to take. The first article does have quotes from survivors from the high school in Ala., which adds an emotional effect. Also, I think these articles shed Bush in a better light, after all the critisism he ha received recently regarding Katrina.

Posted by Allison Hall at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Most metro area schools cancelled school today. Numerous flights were cancelled. News forcasters discouraged travel. Yet, the University of Minnesota was one of the only schools in the area to reopen Friday for classes. The U of M is known for never cancelling classes even during the worst of conditions, but why? Why are universities always the last to close their schools when weather is bad and travel is dangerous?

Possible sources:

E. Thomas Sullivan, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, 612-625-0051

Robert H. Bruininks, President of the University of Minnesota, 612-626-1616

Rick Krueger, Executive Director of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, 651-659-0804 or Mr. Krueger directly by e-mail at rick@transportationalliance.com

Posted by Allison Hall at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)