Graphics

New York Times: Interactive Graphic

What interested me most about this graphic was that it provided a vast amount of information in a visually stimulating, yet easy to comprehend, way. The graphic is interactive and allows the reader to manipulate the graphic so that the reader can gain the knowledge he or she seeks. The graphic represents a variety of different demographics, which allows for tremendous comparisons and contrasts between genders, ages, races, etc. The New York Times has a reputation for creating excellent graphics, and in a fast paced society like the one we live in, sometimes one can gather more information by viewing a graphic rather than reading an article.

Feature

Dervla Brennan stood at the bus stop, waiting in the rain as the cold mist crept around her. Her long brown hair was matted against her face, and she was struggling to keep a cigarette burning between her lips as fat drops of rain drowned it. She was young, but her eyes were hollow in her head and worry lines were beginning to ripple across her forehead. As the coach bus rolled into the station, she threw the cigarette to the ground, and watched as the ember slowly died. “It’s better to burn out than to fade away,” she murmurs to quote the old Neil Young song.

Every Monday morning, Dervla boards the Peter Pan bus from Newton, Massachusetts to Worcester. She makes the long trip every week to visit her father, a patient at Adcare Hospital in Worcester. Adcare specializes in treating alcohol and drug addicts and rehabilitating addicts. Dervla’s father has been a long time alcoholic, and finally decided to seek treatment when his wife left him and threatened to divorce him if he didn’t seek help. “I can remember secretly hating Christmases when I was younger because his drinking always ruined everything,” she recalls. Although memories such as this stain her childhood, Dervla says that she does not hate her father because as a 21 year old woman, she understands that her father is ill and needs help to recover.

Dervla leaves Newton every Monday morning at 7:20 so that she can stay with her father for the whole day. She boards the bus wearing last night’s makeup and her hair in a perfect pompadour style. She explains that her shift as a waitress at Jillian’s of Boston ended at 3 am, and instead of tempting herself with sleep, she catches up on reading for the classes she is taking at Suffolk University as a part time student.

 

“I can’t wait to see him,” she softly says and shuts her eyes as she battles with sleep.

a few of my favorite news photographs

Photojournalism

Photojournalism is an important aspect in the field of journalism, and some may even argue that it is an art form. Not to quote that old cliche saying, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

It is important to realize that a journalist may be able to write a brilliant article that is supported by a bundle of evidence, eloquently worded, and published on the front page of the newspaper, but it does not have the same power of a simple photograph. The day after that article is published, no one will remember it. It will continue to live in the newspaper’s archives, but it will never see the light of day again. On the other hand, a photograph will continue to live on days after it is published. With all sorts of media agencies exchanging materials, a photograph may appear on a number of television news broadcasts, and a variety of new websites. The same photograph can be seen on CNN and on a Twitter account within a matter of days, but it cannot be said that an article has the same ability.

If a photograph is truly amazing, it can still radiate the same power and energy as the day it was taken to years later. A photograph can do many more things than an article can. A photograph can be a symbol; a symbol for a generation, a symbol for an event, a symbol for a mood. One article is not capable of doing all of those things while still being able to reach a large audience. That is another incredible thing about photographs- they can be viewed by an unimaginable number of people and create a mood instantly. An article does not have the same power. Moreover, a photograph can be shared around the world without worrying about different languages and translations, whereas the point of an article can get lost in the translation.

 

However, a photograph cannot always be as reliable as an article. One knows that an article from the New York Times or the Washington Post can be trusted. A photograph may surface from the Internet, and without knowing the source, it is extremely difficult to determine if it is credible. Also, a photograph can be interpreted, but an article is as a black and white as the ink and paper it was printed with.

 

Photojournalism and print go hand in hand though. Together, they create the ultimate experience for the reader, and one’s appetite for news is fed and full with an article and photograph working in harmony.

Important News For All Journalists

New York Times: Shield Law Compromise Would Protect Reporters and Bloggers

 

If the Obama administration passes these new shield laws, journalists would receive a new degree of protection. The new law wishes to protect journalists who choose not to reveal confidential sources from paying fines and even, imprisonment. The proposed shield law states that federal judges can halt a subpoena if they decide that the public interest of the news outweighs the government’s desire to find the source. Some argue that this law would give the media special privileges and could pose to be problematic if a journalist reveals anything concerning national security or criminal information.

As a budding journalist, I believe that this law should be passed, as journalists put their lives on the line in order to provide the public with news. I also believe that this law should be adhered to all over the world, as far too many journalists have been tortured or killed for their reportings.

Saudi Journalist Pardoned

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New York Times: Running in the Shadows

This article from the New York Times was extremely captivating. The topic, teenage runaways around the United States, is an invisible tragedy. It is something that is not spoken about enough, and a topic that does not get as much attention as it deserves. The article proved that teens are running away, not just in big cities like New York and Chicago, but in more rural areas too. Ian Urbina, the reporter, interviewed Betty Snyder, a 14 year old runaway from Oregon, who ran away after a violent argument with her mother. Moreover, the interview with Betty Snyder also brought two important facts to light:

1. Preteens and younger teens in the 13-15 year age group are a large part of the runaway population. Urbina wrote that one particular runaway was “childlike enough to suck her thumb, but dangerous enough to carry a switchblade”.
2. Teens are most likely running away due to violence at home. Violent incidences have increased due to the weak economy and lack of labor.

Thankfully Obama has included $1.5 million in his stimulus package to address the nation’s homeless families. However, that money does not apply to homeless teenagers. Hopefully, this article was attract attention to the issue and runaway teens can sleep a little sounder at night.

201 Journalism 3.0: Farming in New England

Topics of Interest

• Buy Local Movement

1. How has the buy local movement helped farming?
2. Are there more small farms due to the popularity of the movement?
3. How many towns in the Amherst area have farmers’ markets? How many town in New England have farmers’ markets?

• Niche markets

1. Ice cream is up, while milk is down.
2. Fruits and vegetable grown in trees are up, but fruits and vegetables grown in the ground are down.

• Unique Products

1. Apple Cider
2. Seasonal items?
3. Pumpkin harvest this fall was below normal

• Farming in the Family

1. Who is going into agriculture?
2. Stockbridge enrollment stats
3. Local aggie high schools stats
4. Will this generation take care of New England’s farms?
5. What happens when there is no one to take care of the farms?

• Green Movement

1. How is the green movement helping farms?
2. Are more farms organic now that consumers are more eco-friendly?
3. Are farms willing to stop using pesticides in order to appeal to more organic consumers?
4. Are farms concerned with their eco-footprint?

• Tourism

1. Are tours more profitable than growing crops?
2. Is tourism more predictable than harvesting?
3. Has the economic downturn caused an upturn in visitors to farms? Are families opting to go to local farms instead of on vacations?

• Big Companies and Little Farms

1. How are smaller farms dealing with the competition from big companies? Have big companies been hit by the buy local movement?
2. Are farms that sell to big companies making a profit even in the economic recession?

• Economy

1. How many farms have closed in the last 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?
2. If farms keep closing, what will this mean for New England?

• Interesting Links

1. New England Small Farm Institute
2. EPA: Agriculture | New England
3. National Agricultural Statistics Service
4. State Farm Bureau\’s of New England
5. Freakonomics: Are Farmers\’ Markets That Good For Us?
6. New York Times: Troubled Times for New England Tobacco Farmers
7. Mass Farmstands

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FRONTLINE: Growing Up Online

I thought that the Frontline documentary, Growing Up Online, was very insightful and informative concerning the dangers and risks that young people are engaging in on the Internet. The documentary featured stories about online predators, the self-destructive paths the Internet can lead young people down, and cyber-bullying. These topics were discussed by Internet experts, parents, and teenagers; all of whom had different views to express concerning the topics. However, while I thought the candidates for the interviews were engrossing, I felt that the predator topic lacked raw human emotion. It focused more on the fear of predators, and how to prevent children from interacting with predators, rather than adding the human element and color of an actual incident. While it may have made the documentary too emotional and graphic, I believe that it would have made the documentary that much more compelling.

In terms of journalism, I think that Frontline formatted the documentary to be gripping by striking an equal balance between commentary from parents and teenagers. With a such a debatable topic as this generation’s Internet use, Frontline merely had to pose a question, and the participants were more than willing to speak about it. There are people passionate on both sides of the topic, with parents fearful and teens trying to convey that the Internet is just a part of everyday life now. Frontline not only just provided the commentary between the different sides but it also provided interesting facts, such as the Internet is creating the biggest generation gap culture has ever seen since the advent of rock and roll music.

I think that the documentary could have been more engrossing if Frontline showcased some of the positives that have come from this generation’s Internet use. Young people can communicate with people around the world in an instant and it can give them a broader culture perspective. An interested student can view facts and details about a particular college he or she is interested in without even visiting. It would also be interesting to investigate whether or not people feel that young people are now more street smart because of their Internet use. Frontline could do a series of followups about different niches within the Growing Up Online documentary. Are kids smarter from using the Internet? What is the best way for parents to monitor online activity? What are the repercussions for a college or potential employer seeing less than flattering portrayals of prospective candidates?

A local angle that could be interesting would be to investigate how Internet use is directly impacting one’s community. A journalist could see how people across different ages groups, socioeconomic groups, and genders are using the Internet and determine what the positives and negatives of it. Are local schools updating their curriculum to keep up with technology and students? How are local businesses surviving when more and more people are searching online and buying what they need? What are local law enforcement agents doing to prevent Internet crimes?

I feel that this documentary connected with my life in the sense that everyone has heard of the horrors of the Internet, but it expanded my knowledge of people’s opinions. As a prospective journalist, it is important to be informed about the general consensus of a particular topic and what controversies surround it.

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Washington Post: Supreme Court Wary of Ban on Cruelty Videos

This article remained unbiased while still reporting the facts. It states both sides of the issue while remaining neutral and does not pass judgement or state the paper’s opinion. The article also makes use of excellent sources, and uses thought-provoking quotes such as”you can create a lot of First Amendment horribles. What about — what about a new Adolf Hitler? Can we censor any depiction of that new Adolf Hitler and the horrible things that he is proposing, including extermination of a race? Is that proscribable under the First Amendment?” from Justice Antonin Scalia.