Analysis: Records/CAR
I dont really understand this topic or how to know to analyze this. I dont think we talked about this in class. And the www.nicar.org website, I cant find the 'Extra! Extra!' link. Im unsure of how to do this.
I dont really understand this topic or how to know to analyze this. I dont think we talked about this in class. And the www.nicar.org website, I cant find the 'Extra! Extra!' link. Im unsure of how to do this.
Analysis: Diversity
4/11/09
A Google Whiz Searches for His Place on Earth (New York Times)
This is story done by the New York Times about a young Indian immigrant expert engineer who lives, works and is a key member Google engineering team in America, but who is forced to live in Canada because his wife is not being granted an American work visa. Its a piece in their section of the newest immigrants and their impact. I think this piece moves past and beyond stereotype profoundly. Without blatantly stating it, the story is definitely siding on the side of Sanjay (the immigrant) and the problems with the visa extensions by the government. It also seemed to transcend stereotypes by making clear his exceptional ability and skill. If anything,it emphasized the absurdity of any kind of discrimination or stereotype. It discussed moreso the issues with him and his wife having such difficulties and focusing on the issue of why they weren't being treated like anyone else. The story detailed several things I didnt know much about, such as the policy and difficulting of getting the work visas and permission to be in America, especially for such capable people, and the importance of foreign born people to the technology industry, and many industries. The article did this mostly through facts and data on the growing number and scale of importance of immigrants and foreign born persons to industries and the economy. "Google and other big companies say the Chinese, Indian, Russian and other immigrant technologists have transformed the industry, creating wealth and jobs." Overall, I though this peice exemplified a good diversity story.
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/business/12immig.html?hp
Analysis: Numbers
April 5, 2009
'Vin Diesel's 'Fast & Furious' speeds to $72.5M opening, sets record for April debuts' (Star Tribune)
This article, a reaction to the opening weekend of the movie 'Fast & Furious', is filled with numbers. The reporter used the numbers to tell the financial success of the movie, in the movie industry, and relative to factors of time and other movies.. The amount of money it earned, rankings, comparisons financially to other movie earnings, time figures, and time/date references, were all used. When looking at the page, a lot of numbers popped out and feeling overwhelmed seemed possible. However, when reading the article, I thought it read smoothly and I wasn't inhibited from understanding. The numbers were appropriately spread throughout the text and placed with in the sentence. Math operations and crunching of numbers were very basic, mostly addition that I saw. The main to number operations I saw were additions of particular time earnings into total earnings or multiple country earnings totaled, as well as simple relations with rankings and ordering of figures. As far as sources, I didnt notice references besides studio estimates and data. Otherwise, it seemed to relative to 'known' past data. Overall, a good numbers article.
Obituary Analysis
New York Times: Ronald Tavel, Proudly Ridiculous Writer, Dies at 72
March 29, 2009
For an analysis of an obituary, I looked in the New York Times and found an piece on Ronald Tavel, a playwright and screenwrtier, who died.
Overall, the New York Times seemed to follow a pretty standard format for the obituary, with a few minor touches and differences. The sources for the story include Tavels only survivor, his brother Harvey Tavel; and Callie Angell, curator of the Andy Warhol Film Project; and that was it. The article was superfluous with information about Mr. Tavel, but I could only identify those two sources being referenced. As far as the lead, I thought it was pretty standard. The lead said his name, his importance and prominence, and where and when he died. The second sentence of the lead said his age and where he had lived, which was bit unique. The lead I think was very effective. If I had a limited amount of time, I would have been able to read that lead and be aware of this prominent writer's death, why he was prominent, and what happened; the crucial things I need to know. The obituary differed from a resume as it spoke in the past tense and not only listed his achievements, but implied and discussed what he leaves behind and the affect his work has had, as well as the other obvious components that make it an obituary. It had his achievements, a chronology, a lead, and discussed his only immediate survivor early in the article, all the basic components of an obituary. This was a quality example of standard obituary for the most part.
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/theater/27tavel.html
Analysis: Event Coverage
Article: 'Watchmen' stars eagerly await release (CNN)
The article I covered for my analysis of event coverage is an advance on the release of the film 'Watchmen' this past week.
The sources in the story are all from people very connected and involved with the film. The sources come from multiple actors, stars, and producers of the film. The story is focused around these sources and their quotes, with the details, topics, aspects and facts of the movie weaving between them. The sources provide quotes, insight, and inside looks at the film before it is released.
The angle was well crafted. A big theme behind the making of this movie is the difficulty of adapting the graphic novel, said to be the best graphic novel ever created, as well as 'unfilmable', to the big screen. So there was much anxiety and many questions as to how it would come out. The angle therefore takes the idea of the advance, effectively builds anticipation for the release, and attempts to address this issue and controversy over whether the the film will be a successful adaptation of the critically acclaimed graphic novel. That is the reporters angle, and he crafts it well because of all the quotes from actors and people directly involved in the film, with quotes giving insight as to how they think the film did and their belief and hopes that the film did a good job. It also has extra interest because of all the contact and interaction with the actors and stars, which always draws people.
In the end, the reporter did everything but create a listing. Its nothing less than a full story. You forget that it even is a listing on an event, and get committed to the story of the article, but find yourself with the details of the event (like in a listing) properly deposited in your brain at the end of the article. I think it was an excellent advance.
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/05/watchmen.stars/index.html?iref=newssearch
Entry on Spot and Follows
News stories: Twins finally make a splash: Sign free agent 3B Joe Crede to 1-year deal (2/21, Pioneer Press)
Signing Crede is low risk, All-Star reward (2/22, Pioneer Press)
These two stories cover the signing of third basement Joe Crede by the Minnesota Twins for the upcoming season.
The leads in the stories are very different. The lead for the Feb. 21 story is hard news. The story had clearly just broken and that was the purpose of the story. It breaks the news and details of the new Twin's acquisition. The Feb. 22 story is a much more analyitical and in-depth lead. It looks and states an analyzation of Crede and says more about him than just the facts.
The main news in the first story is covered rather traditionally, with the most important facts and details first and quotes and other material following, soundly covering the EVENT of signing Crede. The second news story finds its main news in the analyzation the writer is making, over how it was a good choice for the Twins and how it might play out. The first story's main news has an urgency and recency to it, while the second one is much more reflective and narrative. It advances the news by discussing the meaning of the details and hard news of the event and the first story. It steps back and discusses, rather than tells, what happened.
Feb. 21 Story : http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/40028502.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Feb. 22 Story: http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/40035792.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Motion picture 'Slumdog Millionare' collected eight oscars Sunday Night at the 81st annual Academy Awards, reported CNN.
Heath Ledger won best supporting actor for his role in 'The Dark Knight', becoming only the second actor of all time to win an Academy Award posthumuously for his demented interpretation of the Batman villain, the Joker, reported the Pioneer Press.
Kate Winslet won the Academy Award for best actress for her role in 'The Reader, and Sean Penn earned the same honor for best actor for his work in 'Milk'. Penelope Cruz won best supporting actress from performance in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'.
As the film's huge cast took up the stage, producer Christian Colson referring to 'Slumdog's' "extraordinary journey."
"Most of all we had passion and we had belief, and our film shows if you have those two things, you have everything," said Colson, reported CNN.
With ten nominations, 'Slumdog Milliionare's' other wins included best director (Danny Boyle), best adapted screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), score (A.R. Rahman), song ("Jai Ho," co-written by Rahman), cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle), sound mixing and film editing, according to CNN.
Also, in winning his Oscar for best actor, Sean Penn commented on the anti-gay protesters demonstrating outside, and the recent California vote to ban gay marriage, reported the Pioneer Press.
"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think it's a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that support," Penn said. "We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/22/oscar.night/index.html
Pioneer Press: http://www.twincities.com/ci_11762420
Structure
News story: Police: Australian fires create 'a holocaust' (CNN, Monday Feb. 9)
This news story was entirely structured with one to two, tight, informative statments. The reporter summarizes the information in small blocks of material, with a combination of importance, recency, and quality. The lead is jam packed with the core details of the story, the deaths and other consequences of the Australian fires. The next four blocks of information take on the story in a broad-reaction manner, looking at the big picture of the event with strong quotes to back them up, from police officials and Australia's Prime Minister. The next couple blocks pull back to put the story in perspective, bring in some history and using a reflective approach, including past fires and how this one relates. After this, the story turns to a much more narrative and point of view story, telling details about the story from different people's perspectives, as well as what the next steps will be.
Overall, the reporter seemed to order the information in a importance to interesting format, the most important, crucial information first, and from their prioritizing by the quality and level of interest the information had. I think this is effective. The story gets the reader the important facts first: what happened, the deaths, other consequences. From there it gives reaction, which ultimately performs the function of "what does the story mean", which the quotes and reactions give. Then history and reflection, to further inform the reader of the context and magnitude of the situation. It had a mix of facts and story. It could have been written facts first, with the lead, and following all the numbers and hard facts, such as whats happening now, whats going to happen, and so on, with the quotes and narrative later. However, this format gave plenty of crucial information, and then told a much more interesting story overall.
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/australia.wildfires/index.html
Attribution: Police: Australian wildfires are 'a holocaust'
In an article I reported on for the blog, the attribution and its techniques seemed sound and understandable. The story was by CNN about the current wildfires in Australia.
There are multiple sources attributed, including: Phil Sheppard, inspector of police of the state of Victoria, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd from his Australian TV interview, police in general, Michelle Achisson, civilian, Dr. John Coleridge of Victorias Alfred hospital, as well as a statment from Queen Elizabeth II. These are all sources that CNN either used as quotes or statements and facts in their report on the fire. They get a good representation, from a plain citizen, to the major involved official groups like the police, to the prime minister.
The attribution is appropriately placed throughout the story in a balanced and spaced out manner. The attributions are not clumped together, but rather spaced throughout the story with statements and quotes. The attribution is set upl in all the traditional, acceptable ways, such as 'according to" and 'said'. They are seemlessly placed within the sentences and paragraphs in a way that informs the reader but is comfortable and unnoticeable. It reads smoothly and I found no issues with reliability or sources of the information they gave. It seemed rather flawless and effective attribution to me.
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/australia.wildfires/index.html
Lead: Democrats Indicate Areas of Compromise on Stimulus (New York Times, Sunday February 1)
The lead plays a crucial role in the story's consumption. It is its title, its label, its only form of identification to the eye and chance of being read. This, and all leads, usually work to summarize all the key information of the story; to indicate what about it is newsworthy and why its important and deserving of being read. It gives only the most crucial pieces(who/what/where/when/why).
This particular lead does just that. It says WHAT occured, which is the most important aspect and the news of this story. It also says WHO is involved in the WHAT. The what and the action of the story being that areas of compromise on the stimulus have been indicated, and that the democrats(who) have indicated it. The what/action of the story is the detailed area that takes up most of the lead; not just that the Democrats indcated something, not just that they indicated areas of compromise, but that they the Democrats indicated areas of compromise on the stimulus. The who is simple, being the democrats. The part most general would probably be the word stimulus. It assumes understanding and knowledge of the large economic stimulus plan that is going through the legislative branch at the moment.
Overall, this is an effective lead. The lead is the story's only chance of being read; it is the story's only representation. It indicates what I will be reading. And this lead does everything it supposed to. It tells me exactly what I need to know: what the story is about and why what about the story is important. From there, it turns everything over to me as a reader(as its supposed to) to make a decision about whether or not I will read it.
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/us/politics/02web-talkshows.html?_r=1&hp