Anchor: Faced with slashed state funding, the University of Colorado is entertaining the idea of merging its journalism school with other disciplines to create a broader "school of information."
VO (Camera pans across the armory and then across the ATLAS building): The proposed merger would combine the Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society with The School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Given the current boom in digital media and the ongoing evolution of Journalism, CU educators say that the combination makes sense both academically as well as financially.
(Cut to video of Dean Paul Vokes): Quote- "We've got a faculty that is definitely aware and studying these changes. In terms of all of the cutting-edge technical aspects, we see a wonderful opportunity with ATLAS.
Anchor: The University of Colorado would not be the first university to take such actions. According to a preliminary report, more than 25 'schools of information', existing under various names, have been created at comparable universities across the country. The merger has potential benefits for both institutions. ATLAS needs to cut its $1.16 million general fund annual budget by 10 percent, while the journalism school needs to cut 7.7 percent of its $3.9 million general fund annual budget.
VO (Run clip of Lauren Brown working in the lab): Both the faculty and students agree that this transition does not seem overbearing.
(Cut to video of Dean Paul Vokes): "There's a very active interest that our students have in the Technology, Arts and Media program, It's a very good sign for things we can accomplish in the future."
Anchor: In a rapidly changing digital environment, the merger could give the journalism school the technological edge that will keeps its students afloat.
(Cut to video of Lauren Brown): ""I think that with emerging digital media being so present in advertising and journalism, you have to have these skills to be a marketable candidate."
Anchor: While the introduction of the school of information could lessen the severity of the budget cuts suffered by both institutions, the merger could mean the elimination of at least one job.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Hard News Leads
1.) Three to four children die every day in the United States from child abuse or neglect according to a survey released yesterday by the Child Abuse Prevention Center.
2.) Nearly 150 anti-abortion protesters were arrested yesterday outside an abortion clinic in Milwaukee.
3.) A delivery driver was robbed of Chinese food at gunpoint yesterday outside the apartment complex at 718 S.W. Western Ave.
4.) Kathy Mahoney suffered minor burns on her hands and feet when a fire broke out in her two bedroom home in the 2300 block of Main Street causing $45,000 in damages.
5.) Murders in Colorado are up 53 percent according to a report released yesterday by the Bureau of Investigation.
6.) Depleting ozone levels could lead to a 10-percent increase in skin cancer according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations scientific panel.
7.) June Carter, 71, was charged with attempted murder yesterday after she doused her husband with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire.
8.) The number of broadband users surpassed the number of people using dial-up Internet access in the United States this year. The United States trailed 12 of the 15 top countries in broadband penetration according to a September report from the U.N. International Telecommunication Union.
9.) Princeton University limited the number of A's that are allowed to be handed out to no more than 35 percent of its students this school year.
10.) Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually according to the National Sleep Foundation.
2.) Nearly 150 anti-abortion protesters were arrested yesterday outside an abortion clinic in Milwaukee.
3.) A delivery driver was robbed of Chinese food at gunpoint yesterday outside the apartment complex at 718 S.W. Western Ave.
4.) Kathy Mahoney suffered minor burns on her hands and feet when a fire broke out in her two bedroom home in the 2300 block of Main Street causing $45,000 in damages.
5.) Murders in Colorado are up 53 percent according to a report released yesterday by the Bureau of Investigation.
6.) Depleting ozone levels could lead to a 10-percent increase in skin cancer according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations scientific panel.
7.) June Carter, 71, was charged with attempted murder yesterday after she doused her husband with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire.
8.) The number of broadband users surpassed the number of people using dial-up Internet access in the United States this year. The United States trailed 12 of the 15 top countries in broadband penetration according to a September report from the U.N. International Telecommunication Union.
9.) Princeton University limited the number of A's that are allowed to be handed out to no more than 35 percent of its students this school year.
10.) Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
In class assignment
Tyson Gibb
In Class Assignment
a.) The small town of Panora, Ia welcomed home one of its soldiers Friday. Instead of arriving to jubilant well-wishers and a parade down Main Street, 525 mourners packed the United Methodist Church where cars stretched to the West Cemetery outside of town.
b.) Flags at half-staff and patriotic ribbons surrounding the altar accompanied tears of grief at the funeral.
c.) To the rest of the country, Army Spec. Michael Mills was just one more casualty of the war, killed alongside 28 others when a suicide bomb exploded on Feb. 25. To the 1,100 people paying their respects here, Mike Mills was a 23-year-old hometown boy known for carrying on the family tradition of joining the army. His funeral providing a somber contrast to the joyous reunions held for returning troops throughout the country.
In Class Assignment
a.) The small town of Panora, Ia welcomed home one of its soldiers Friday. Instead of arriving to jubilant well-wishers and a parade down Main Street, 525 mourners packed the United Methodist Church where cars stretched to the West Cemetery outside of town.
b.) Flags at half-staff and patriotic ribbons surrounding the altar accompanied tears of grief at the funeral.
c.) To the rest of the country, Army Spec. Michael Mills was just one more casualty of the war, killed alongside 28 others when a suicide bomb exploded on Feb. 25. To the 1,100 people paying their respects here, Mike Mills was a 23-year-old hometown boy known for carrying on the family tradition of joining the army. His funeral providing a somber contrast to the joyous reunions held for returning troops throughout the country.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Blogging a scene.
As I sit on one of the austere wrought iron benches that conveniently trace out the edges of the Norlin back entrance, I light a camel filter hoping it will stimulate the funeral paced clock that ticks out my library induced purgatory. My jeans offer only meager resistance to the cold which seeps out of the metallic black bars holding me off the floor.
A modest congregation of fellow smokers indiscriminately splays out around me, and we share the quiescent moment anti-climactically sucking our lives away through a cotton filter. The overwhelming majority of my unnamed compatriots are men. We pass the time by staring at the ground saying absolutely nothing to each other. I can only assume that we are too engrossed in our thoughts of titties and beer to formulate needless conversation.
Long periods of silence are punctuated only by a hacking cough that emanates from a bespectacled young man's throat and reverberates off the colossal back wall, journeying out into the star obstructing cloud coverage of the late night sky.
Another demure inspection of the ground reveals that the interlocking tile resembles a beach front invasion. Discarded cigarette butts, which by now look like the tattered corpses strewn across Omaha Beach, lay heedlessly wherever they have fallen.
Immediately to my right, revolving glass doors stand sentinel at the entrance, separating the catacombs of knowledge inside from the brisk night air.
A rosy cheeked young woman appears on the scene, freshening the testosterone laden air as she walks pointedly to the entrance. Her delicate footfalls radiate out and follow benignly behind our bespectacled friend's dry cough.
Our feminine visitor's presence is cut short as she overcomes the rotating glass door's stagnant inertia and recedes into the building.
At this point I am forced to follow her lead, and I take one fleeting glance at the desolation around me before heading inside to swallow another hefty work load.
A modest congregation of fellow smokers indiscriminately splays out around me, and we share the quiescent moment anti-climactically sucking our lives away through a cotton filter. The overwhelming majority of my unnamed compatriots are men. We pass the time by staring at the ground saying absolutely nothing to each other. I can only assume that we are too engrossed in our thoughts of titties and beer to formulate needless conversation.
Long periods of silence are punctuated only by a hacking cough that emanates from a bespectacled young man's throat and reverberates off the colossal back wall, journeying out into the star obstructing cloud coverage of the late night sky.
Another demure inspection of the ground reveals that the interlocking tile resembles a beach front invasion. Discarded cigarette butts, which by now look like the tattered corpses strewn across Omaha Beach, lay heedlessly wherever they have fallen.
Immediately to my right, revolving glass doors stand sentinel at the entrance, separating the catacombs of knowledge inside from the brisk night air.
A rosy cheeked young woman appears on the scene, freshening the testosterone laden air as she walks pointedly to the entrance. Her delicate footfalls radiate out and follow benignly behind our bespectacled friend's dry cough.
Our feminine visitor's presence is cut short as she overcomes the rotating glass door's stagnant inertia and recedes into the building.
At this point I am forced to follow her lead, and I take one fleeting glance at the desolation around me before heading inside to swallow another hefty work load.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Rove vs. Dean
1.) The first angle could dissect the recent historical contributions administered by these two men and weigh each man's political disposition against each other. It could be angled to address what each man is bringing to the debate, in order to adequately illustrate each man's unique perspective. This could potentially ground the center outside the actual debate enough to allow someone who hadn't seen it to write the story.
2.) The most basic story angle would cover the debate itself. This story would center wholly around what actually occurred in the debate and give the who, what, when, where and how of the event itself.
3.) Another angle could analyze the local public's reaction to the debate. The two debaters are sure to have an extremely polarizing effect on the community. Karl Rove's mere presence has prompted protest at multiple universities throughout the United States. Controversial figures such as these will undoubtedly elicit some kind of response, and this story has the potential to be written be somone who did not actually attend the debate.
4.) I'm not sure if Dean and Rove have had prior meetings up on the podium, but someone could analyze how this meeting compares to previous discourses they have held.
5.) The final angle could filter the debate down to the questions asked. It could expound upon what the questions reflect about the concerns of the community, and investigate how well the politicians' responses addressed these concerns.
2.) The most basic story angle would cover the debate itself. This story would center wholly around what actually occurred in the debate and give the who, what, when, where and how of the event itself.
3.) Another angle could analyze the local public's reaction to the debate. The two debaters are sure to have an extremely polarizing effect on the community. Karl Rove's mere presence has prompted protest at multiple universities throughout the United States. Controversial figures such as these will undoubtedly elicit some kind of response, and this story has the potential to be written be somone who did not actually attend the debate.
4.) I'm not sure if Dean and Rove have had prior meetings up on the podium, but someone could analyze how this meeting compares to previous discourses they have held.
5.) The final angle could filter the debate down to the questions asked. It could expound upon what the questions reflect about the concerns of the community, and investigate how well the politicians' responses addressed these concerns.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Left of Center
A study comparing the death and accident rates of left- and right-handed people has illustrated a surprising disparity in life expectancies. The study, conducted last year by psychology professor Diane Halpern of California State University at San Bernardino and researcher Stanley Coren from the University of British Columbia, endeavored to determine why fewer left-handed people are among the elderly population.
The researchers studied the death certificates of 987 people in two Southern California counties, corresponding with relatives to ascertain the subjects' dominant hands. They found that the average age at death for right-handed people was 75 years, while their left-handed counterparts averaged a mere 66 by comparison.
"The results are striking in their magnitude." said Halpern. "We knew for years that there weren't as many old left-handers. Researchers thought that was because in the early years of the century, most people born left-handed were forced to change to their right hands. The truth was that there simply weren't as many left-handers left alive, compared to right-handers."
According to the study, left-handed people were four times more likely to die from injuries while driving than right-handers and six times more likely to die from accidents of all kinds.
Interestingly, the gap between life expectancies of right- and left-handed people was more prominent in males than females. While left-handed women died an average of six years earlier than their right-handed counterparts at the age of 72, left-handed men died an average of 11 years earlier than right-handed men at the age of 62.
Halpern attributes these significant differences in statistics to the right-hand dominated world in which we all live in. In fact, they may reflect a previously unknown difference in the way left- and right-handed people interact with the world around them. "Almost all engineering is geared to the right hand and right foot," she said. "There are many more car and other accidents among left-handers because of their environment."
Although the results could potentially be disheartening for left-handers everywhere, Halpern suggests that it is important not to change which hand a child uses. "There are many, many old left-handed people," she said.
Despite what appear to be odds stacked against them, old lefties are out there, occasionally smearing ink on their palm as their left hand scribbles out their memoirs.
Visual presentation: A graphic could include some of the statistics presented in the article. A pull quote could also be considered, perhaps of Halpern's assertion that "The results are striking in their magnitude."
The researchers studied the death certificates of 987 people in two Southern California counties, corresponding with relatives to ascertain the subjects' dominant hands. They found that the average age at death for right-handed people was 75 years, while their left-handed counterparts averaged a mere 66 by comparison.
"The results are striking in their magnitude." said Halpern. "We knew for years that there weren't as many old left-handers. Researchers thought that was because in the early years of the century, most people born left-handed were forced to change to their right hands. The truth was that there simply weren't as many left-handers left alive, compared to right-handers."
According to the study, left-handed people were four times more likely to die from injuries while driving than right-handers and six times more likely to die from accidents of all kinds.
Interestingly, the gap between life expectancies of right- and left-handed people was more prominent in males than females. While left-handed women died an average of six years earlier than their right-handed counterparts at the age of 72, left-handed men died an average of 11 years earlier than right-handed men at the age of 62.
Halpern attributes these significant differences in statistics to the right-hand dominated world in which we all live in. In fact, they may reflect a previously unknown difference in the way left- and right-handed people interact with the world around them. "Almost all engineering is geared to the right hand and right foot," she said. "There are many more car and other accidents among left-handers because of their environment."
Although the results could potentially be disheartening for left-handers everywhere, Halpern suggests that it is important not to change which hand a child uses. "There are many, many old left-handed people," she said.
Despite what appear to be odds stacked against them, old lefties are out there, occasionally smearing ink on their palm as their left hand scribbles out their memoirs.
Visual presentation: A graphic could include some of the statistics presented in the article. A pull quote could also be considered, perhaps of Halpern's assertion that "The results are striking in their magnitude."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Research Homework #2
1.) a) Total Population of Colorado based on 2009 census = 5,024,748.
b) 2.6% of this total population was made up of asian or pacific islanders, so there are 130,643 asian or pacific islanders in Colorado.
url= http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
2.) a) http://www.familywatchdog.us/
b) David Dakota Baldeagle is a convicted rape offender who lives about 10 blocks away from me near flagstaff, and works around campus.
c) url= http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/search.do?searchType=byHighEd&anchor=offlist
3.) Here is the crime statistics for University of Colorado at Boulder.
url= http://ope.ed.gov/security/InstDetails.aspx?706172656e7469643d31323636313426756e697469643d313236363134303126796561723d32303038267264743d322f322f323031302031323a31313a323320504d
b) There were 7 forcible sex offenses reported in 2008 (The latest year available), and 59 burglaries.
4.) Senator Mark Udall received $12,015,829. Senator Michael Bennet received $3,661,380. This is according to opensecrets.org
5.) a) In 2008, Bill Ritter received $984,026 in contributions.
b) Bill Ritter received 2,167 different contributions to achieve the sum total above.
c)
6.) a) The latest government figure for tuition cost is $16,245
b) What was the average tuition, fees, room and board at four-year public institutions for the latest year available? It was $13,424
c) Same question but with private schools yielded an average of $30,393.
7.) Homepage for the state of Colorado: www.colorado.gov/
8.) Homepage for Boulder: http://ci.boulder.co.us/
b) 2.6% of this total population was made up of asian or pacific islanders, so there are 130,643 asian or pacific islanders in Colorado.
url= http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
2.) a) http://www.familywatchdog.us/
b) David Dakota Baldeagle is a convicted rape offender who lives about 10 blocks away from me near flagstaff, and works around campus.
c) url= http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/search.do?searchType=byHighEd&anchor=offlist
3.) Here is the crime statistics for University of Colorado at Boulder.
url= http://ope.ed.gov/security/InstDetails.aspx?706172656e7469643d31323636313426756e697469643d313236363134303126796561723d32303038267264743d322f322f323031302031323a31313a323320504d
b) There were 7 forcible sex offenses reported in 2008 (The latest year available), and 59 burglaries.
4.) Senator Mark Udall received $12,015,829. Senator Michael Bennet received $3,661,380. This is according to opensecrets.org
5.) a) In 2008, Bill Ritter received $984,026 in contributions.
b) Bill Ritter received 2,167 different contributions to achieve the sum total above.
c)
6.) a) The latest government figure for tuition cost is $16,245
b) What was the average tuition, fees, room and board at four-year public institutions for the latest year available? It was $13,424
c) Same question but with private schools yielded an average of $30,393.
7.) Homepage for the state of Colorado: www.colorado.gov/
8.) Homepage for Boulder: http://ci.boulder.co.us/
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Research
Question 1: Weather Story #1
You are writing a weather story about a hurricane, and you want to put it in perspective. Find a site that offers a list of hurricanes, and write the name of the site and the URL; then answer these questions: Clue: Check the National Hurricane Center.
Answer 1: The costliest hurricane since 1900 was hurricane Katrina in 2005. Katrina struck and caused extensive damages in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and south east Florida. The estimated damages are over $80,000,000,000.
Snagged this information through the National Hurricane Center at this url... http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/damage.asp
Question 2:
This site offers great tips for earthquake preparedness... http://earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare/
Question 3:
In the past year (since last January 28th), there have been two fatal plane crashes in the state of Colorado. There have been 42 non-fatal crashes in this same year.
Found all this through the query at this url...http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/Response2.asp?spage=1&x_page_size=10&sql=Y&p1=1%2F28%2F2009&p2=1%2F28%2F2010&p3=&p4=CO&p5=&p6=&p7=&p8=&p9=&p10=&p11=&p12=&p13=&p14=&p15=&p16=ev%5Fdate&p17=Desc&p18=&p19=&p20=United+States&p21=&p22=&p23=&p24=
In 2000 the NTSB conducted a major investigation of Alaska Airlines.
In 2006, 49 people died in the plane crash in Lexington, KY.
Thats all she wrote.
You are writing a weather story about a hurricane, and you want to put it in perspective. Find a site that offers a list of hurricanes, and write the name of the site and the URL; then answer these questions: Clue: Check the National Hurricane Center.
Answer 1: The costliest hurricane since 1900 was hurricane Katrina in 2005. Katrina struck and caused extensive damages in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and south east Florida. The estimated damages are over $80,000,000,000.
Snagged this information through the National Hurricane Center at this url... http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/damage.asp
Question 2:
This site offers great tips for earthquake preparedness... http://earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare/
Question 3:
In the past year (since last January 28th), there have been two fatal plane crashes in the state of Colorado. There have been 42 non-fatal crashes in this same year.
Found all this through the query at this url...http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/Response2.asp?spage=1&x_page_size=10&sql=Y&p1=1%2F28%2F2009&p2=1%2F28%2F2010&p3=&p4=CO&p5=&p6=&p7=&p8=&p9=&p10=&p11=&p12=&p13=&p14=&p15=&p16=ev%5Fdate&p17=Desc&p18=&p19=&p20=United+States&p21=&p22=&p23=&p24=
In 2000 the NTSB conducted a major investigation of Alaska Airlines.
In 2006, 49 people died in the plane crash in Lexington, KY.
Thats all she wrote.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Rathergate
When it comes to having outstanding credentials in the journalism industry, few are on par with the former anchor of CBS Evening News Dan Rather. This is why it came as such a shock when a report on W.'s service in the national guard prompted a Marie Antoinette styled beheading of three CBS executives including Rather himself. In the contemporary news media, not even 24 years of rock star like notoriety can save you from the clutches of blogosphere speculation.
As far as the controversy of the actual report goes, Rather could have stated that Bush was spotted in a XXX theatre next to Pee Wee Herman and it would have only improved my opinion of our former president. The interesting part for me was not derived from the speculation that the documents suggesting Mr. Bush disobeyed an order to appear for a physical examination were fraudulent. The interesting part was the corporate and public reaction to the mere blogosphere supposition that the documents were fraudulent.
In a modern day David vs. Goliath, Rather and CBS initially defended the story's credibility against some partisan blogger's claims that the memos were forgeries, initiating a week long 'he said she said' dispute that to this day has not come to a satisfactory resolution.
The counterintuitive part of this whole story comes in when considering the public's reaction to the controversy. After CBS conducted a PR stunt aimed at finding out who the public sided with, it became apparent that the blogosphere's version of reality was coming out on top and so Rather was subsequently asked to step down.
This unimaginable turn of events signals a dramatic shift in the public's perception of what reliable journalism means today. The public looked at Dan Rather's 24 years of service as a prominent news anchor and decided that it was not as reliable as a small group of relatively unknown 'bathrobe journalists' who were slinging their stones at the giant from a personal computer.
The CBS corporation sought exoneration by asking Rather to resign his position, but the interesting thing was that the CBS corporation sought exoneration in the first place.
As far as the controversy of the actual report goes, Rather could have stated that Bush was spotted in a XXX theatre next to Pee Wee Herman and it would have only improved my opinion of our former president. The interesting part for me was not derived from the speculation that the documents suggesting Mr. Bush disobeyed an order to appear for a physical examination were fraudulent. The interesting part was the corporate and public reaction to the mere blogosphere supposition that the documents were fraudulent.
In a modern day David vs. Goliath, Rather and CBS initially defended the story's credibility against some partisan blogger's claims that the memos were forgeries, initiating a week long 'he said she said' dispute that to this day has not come to a satisfactory resolution.
The counterintuitive part of this whole story comes in when considering the public's reaction to the controversy. After CBS conducted a PR stunt aimed at finding out who the public sided with, it became apparent that the blogosphere's version of reality was coming out on top and so Rather was subsequently asked to step down.
This unimaginable turn of events signals a dramatic shift in the public's perception of what reliable journalism means today. The public looked at Dan Rather's 24 years of service as a prominent news anchor and decided that it was not as reliable as a small group of relatively unknown 'bathrobe journalists' who were slinging their stones at the giant from a personal computer.
The CBS corporation sought exoneration by asking Rather to resign his position, but the interesting thing was that the CBS corporation sought exoneration in the first place.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Poorer Than You.
Live every day like it will be your last, that's what they tell you, right? Have a good time, and do it all like you're about to meet Ted Bundy in the back of a dark alley somewhere. What 'they' neglect to mention is what your supposed to do when you've been living like that for five years only to find out you have herpes, alcoholism and pertinent financial issues that are as alive as you are and going nowhere just as fast.
This is where the poorer than you blog comes in. When the naivety wears off, and the unavoidable obstacles of life rear their chaotic heads, poorer than you can help bring in the structure that is necessary for survival.
This blog's main purpose appears to be helping the poor youth of today onto more stable grounds financially. Certainly the target demographic for the blog is the college aged person who intends to take control of their own meager financial situation.
As the title of 'Poorer Than You' suggests, nobody from the Fortune 500 will be dissecting this blog for ideas. The main goal of each posting seems to revolve around keeping your head above water. From putting away a gradually increasing fund for 'emergencies' to the posting on how to flip some quick dough online, this site is tailored towards the future oriented college aged individual.
While most of the help this site provides seems almost common sensical, it lays the ground work for becoming a financially responsible member of society. With clearly outlined formulas that a 6th grader could comprehend, (What is my goal? How do I get there? What progress have I made?) the simplicity of the blog is ironically at odds with the complexity of the financial world. This simplicity is refreshing to beginners, and promotes a zen like ability to take life one thing at a time.
Stephanie, the web log's host, has no compunctions about sharing personal information such as her bank statements, and makes it clear that her methods are slow but effective. She insouciantly declares her own situation, and makes it easily relatable to her audience.
Overall, the blog does the job it set out to do admirably. I'm glad I now know where to turn when I have to start living my life like daddy's not sending me money anymore.
This is where the poorer than you blog comes in. When the naivety wears off, and the unavoidable obstacles of life rear their chaotic heads, poorer than you can help bring in the structure that is necessary for survival.
This blog's main purpose appears to be helping the poor youth of today onto more stable grounds financially. Certainly the target demographic for the blog is the college aged person who intends to take control of their own meager financial situation.
As the title of 'Poorer Than You' suggests, nobody from the Fortune 500 will be dissecting this blog for ideas. The main goal of each posting seems to revolve around keeping your head above water. From putting away a gradually increasing fund for 'emergencies' to the posting on how to flip some quick dough online, this site is tailored towards the future oriented college aged individual.
While most of the help this site provides seems almost common sensical, it lays the ground work for becoming a financially responsible member of society. With clearly outlined formulas that a 6th grader could comprehend, (What is my goal? How do I get there? What progress have I made?) the simplicity of the blog is ironically at odds with the complexity of the financial world. This simplicity is refreshing to beginners, and promotes a zen like ability to take life one thing at a time.
Stephanie, the web log's host, has no compunctions about sharing personal information such as her bank statements, and makes it clear that her methods are slow but effective. She insouciantly declares her own situation, and makes it easily relatable to her audience.
Overall, the blog does the job it set out to do admirably. I'm glad I now know where to turn when I have to start living my life like daddy's not sending me money anymore.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
From morning until night, every individual is subjugated to overwhelming amounts of sensory input. The magnitude of this torrential influx only seems to grow exponentially as the twenty first century dismantles various informational filters that existed in the past. With the sophistication of the internet and other modern technological advancements, the pool of information readily available to the average person now appears infinitely deep. While these changes are liberating, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between the "incredible medley of fact, propaganda, rumor, suspicion, clues, hopes and fears." This medley that Lippmann describes refers specifically to the prototypical news gathering agency of his time period (the newspaper office), but almost one hundred years later it has a more universal application.
Now that advertisements and propaganda have penetrated every viable orifice of American society, the distinction between fact and fiction has become slightly more ambiguous. The responsibility of sorting through this olympus sized pile of shit no longer rests solely in the hands of the newspaper office. Since the informational filters of Walter Lippmann's time have broken down, "the task of selecting and ordering that news" bypasses the professionally trained journalist and becomes the responsibility of the consumer himself (or herself).
This startling change in the balance has uprooted the long held practices of journalism, but the "task of selecting and ordering" information is still one of the "truly sacred and priestly offices in a democracy." Its just that now these priestly offices are filled with media illiterate sheep and not trained professionals. Since the task of selecting and ordering information is a sacred one, and the means of doing so are temporarily out of professional hands, this leads one to hope for an increase in public awareness. This kind of educational directive could potentially empower an entire nation of media savy individuals (an effect with profound implications for the journalistic occupation), but until this ideal is reached the custodial obligations fall upon those with a superlative understanding of how our media works.
This quote from Walter Lippmann's "Liberty and the News" almost seems outdated at first glance, but its basic conclusion is still translatable to contemporary society. While the newspaper offices of Walter Lippmann's era are no longer the means through which varying strands of information are injected into society, the task of ordering this information will forever be a sacred part of this functioning democracy. Without the informational filters of Lippmann's era, the monumental responsibility of sorting this news falls directly onto the heads of the public, and yet another Bono like call to increased public awareness must reverberate through American society.
Now that advertisements and propaganda have penetrated every viable orifice of American society, the distinction between fact and fiction has become slightly more ambiguous. The responsibility of sorting through this olympus sized pile of shit no longer rests solely in the hands of the newspaper office. Since the informational filters of Walter Lippmann's time have broken down, "the task of selecting and ordering that news" bypasses the professionally trained journalist and becomes the responsibility of the consumer himself (or herself).
This startling change in the balance has uprooted the long held practices of journalism, but the "task of selecting and ordering" information is still one of the "truly sacred and priestly offices in a democracy." Its just that now these priestly offices are filled with media illiterate sheep and not trained professionals. Since the task of selecting and ordering information is a sacred one, and the means of doing so are temporarily out of professional hands, this leads one to hope for an increase in public awareness. This kind of educational directive could potentially empower an entire nation of media savy individuals (an effect with profound implications for the journalistic occupation), but until this ideal is reached the custodial obligations fall upon those with a superlative understanding of how our media works.
This quote from Walter Lippmann's "Liberty and the News" almost seems outdated at first glance, but its basic conclusion is still translatable to contemporary society. While the newspaper offices of Walter Lippmann's era are no longer the means through which varying strands of information are injected into society, the task of ordering this information will forever be a sacred part of this functioning democracy. Without the informational filters of Lippmann's era, the monumental responsibility of sorting this news falls directly onto the heads of the public, and yet another Bono like call to increased public awareness must reverberate through American society.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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