Blago!

Part 1

I am a very opinionated person. While this has its advantages, it has a great deal of disadvantages as well. In the world of journalism, it would cause me to be a very biased journalist. A few of these topics would include: politics, sports, cars, and music. Politically, I lean pretty heavily to the right. Often times, this prevents me from finding any valuable information on what the Democratic Party's leaders have to say. I don't think I would be able to report a fair and balanced review of anything involving the two parties. I would be inclined to side with the group I agree with and heavily favor them in the piece. As far as sports go, I am a very loyal fan--especially in basketball. I am a die-hard Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers fan. If I were asked to work on a piece about any other NBA team and an accomplishment they have had, I would have a difficult time pointing out anything good about the team or its players. I also am a big fan of cars. However, this is limited to German cars. I personally believed that we should have let GM shut down, and would have struggled in reporting anything other than that. Lastly, I listen to quite a bit of music--but only a few genres. My least favorite is country. If asked to do a piece on a country artist or award show, I would have to respectfully decline.

If asked to work on something regarding the topics above, I would be hard pressed to accept. It is not because I wouldn't be able to, but it is solely based on the fact that I don't feel I would be able to provide a fair and balanced view. My personal opinions are very strong, and I would have a difficult time putting them aside while working on the piece. Obviously, I mentioned a few of my favorite things. I feel I would be able to do an adequate job covering anything else, as I am not extremely passionate on the subject. I am passionate on a number of issues, as most are, but I feel that I would be able to put my opinions and personal views aside on all other subjects.

I feel the media is extremely biased--especially politically. During this past election, this was illustrated quite well. You had one station who was pretty far to the right, three or four who were pretty far to the left, and a few that actually report fair and balanced news. The style of reporting has gotten away from what it was intended to be. It's hard to open a newspaper or turn on a news show today without hearing the anchor's personal opinion latched on to the article. I feel there is a remedy, however. I think the current media is presenting way to much information on certain topics which further leads to them sharing their opinions. For example, during the past election it was not important that Barack Obama was in Hawaii with his family with his shirt off on the beach. This is not news. It is important, however, how he feels on certain issues and how those views will lead to the betterment of our country. Stick to the basics is my best advice.

Part 2

I, personally, do not feel that the Tribune covered this story fairly. Do I agree with their view point of him? Absolutely. But is it a fair and balanced report of a speech? Absolutely not. It is the media's job to cover news and tell what happened. They partly did this, but couldn't separate their own personal feelings from a fair and balanced report of the event. I think this because of all the snubs that were put into the article. Also, based on the comments on the article, it doesn't seem that the Journalist's writing is even accurate.

I feel the two parts of the SPJ code of ethics that this violated were the Seek Truth and Report it and Be Accountable sections. Based on other stories regarding the speech and the comments on the article, the journalist did not tell the truth. People did laugh at his jokes, and not ALL people hated him throughout. I don't feel that she was telling the truth and I feel that she may have over exaggerated much of the story to paint the former governor to be what she thought he should be. I also feel she violated the Be Accountable section of the SPJ code of ethics because I don't feel she abided by the same high standards she holds others. She criticized the Blagojevich the entire story, showing that she may be upset with how he let down our state and broke many rules. In reality, she let down her fellow journalists and people in her profession. She acted very pettily. I do feel there is a potential for libel as well. It is said that she has lied about certain things and painted an evil picture of the former governor, which may tarnish his image--even more than it is now!

If I were to write this article, I would present a fair and balanced report. Although I greatly dislike Blagojevich, I feel the public deserves a fair and accurate story of what actually happened. I would just mention the facts: Why he was there, what he said, a brief history, and both sides of the audience's views. I feel the Tribune ran this story in this way because they knew they would be able to get away with it. The fact of the matter is that most people in Illinois don't like Rod Blagojevich and are disappointed in his actions. The tribune is confident that most people would agree with them and not challenge the story in any way. I feel this is wrong.

Extra Credit 3

1. A) Over the course of dinner, my friends and I talked about the Chicago Cubs and how they are getting ready for their season.

B) I could turn this story into a piece on the Fighting Illini baseball team and find out how they are getting ready for the season, and possibly ask them about their expectations for the team this year. I would talk to members of the baseball team and the coaching staff.

C) If you've been waiting for a chance to see the new and improved Fighting Illini team, you're in luck. (Direct Address Lede)

D.)The Fighting Illini have worked rigorously for the past month in hopes of being a stronger team this season. The players have been tough on themselves as they set out to win a Big Ten Title. Although it will be tough, the players are confident they have what it takes. They had muh praise for the coaching staff, and felt they were well prepared for for the long road ahead.

2. A)The national news story I read was an article talking about the car brand Hummer. It is being shutting down, after a deal to sell the company fell through in China.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/24/news/companies/hummer_chinese/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

B) I would talk to many people around the campus, preferably those who are very interested in environmental issues. I would then write a story on how people are happy Hummer is being shut down as its absence will be beneficial to the environment.

C.) The door is locked for those trying to get in a Hummer.

D.) Environmentalists around the country are ecstatic. The gas-guzzling Hummer brand is being laid to rest. After a deal which would have sent the car to China fell through, the struggling GM has no other options but to shut down the company. Sales of Hummers tanked after gas prices increased over the past year. It was inevitable.

Edited Extra Credito

Grammatically wrong:
1. Defeated in the house, the Senate now gets to debate the bill.
- Defeated in the House, the bill now has to be debated within the Senate.

Stylistically wrong:
2. The 19-year-old boy got a ticket for jay-walking at 9 p.m. last night.
- The 19-year-old man got a ticket for jaywalking last night.

See if you can catch what's wrong:
3. Meredith ran away from home, she was so angry that night.
- Meredith ran away from home; she was so angry that night.


6. The students said they would "skip class" if Britney made them do more exercises that had to do with grammar punctuation spelling or style.
- The students said they would skip class if Brittney made them do more exercises that had to do with grammar, punctuation, spelling or style.

Entry #2

Grammatically Wrong

1. After being defeated in the house, the bill now goes to the Senate to get debated.

Stylistically wrong
2. The 19-year-old boy got a ticket for jay-walking at nine p.m. last night.

See if you can catch what's wrong.
Meredith was so angry, that she ran away from home that night.

These should be easy:

4. Yes, Brittney, I can figure this one out.

5. Holding their flags high, the veterans marched through town.

6. The students said they would "skip class" if Britney made them do more exercises that had to do with grammar, punctuation, spelling or style.

7. I think most students in this class are a part of the class of 2009.

8. "I wonder if this is how you punctuate this quote," Brittney said.

OK, now that's enough torture. Answer this question for a bonus point:
9. Why is it important for journalists to get these things right?

To establish credibility. The reader must trust the journalism, and the first step in that is to produce accurate, mistake-free story. Also, like all other people journalists need to protect their jobs. By creating mistake-free work, they are taking a big step in the right direction. Lastly, it avoids confusion. Everything must be clear and concise, so a large amount of people can understand it.

My First Post

1.) The first step involved in writing a story is going over the story and making sure it makes sense. If it doesn't, you must then call the appropriate people and try to get some information from them. In addition, you should attempt to put together some data to back up your story. (This may include a lot of research from books, encyclopedias, or databases.) Try to interview people associated with the topic. This may include a wide array of people--anyone who may help your story will suffice. After you've done this, go over it with an editor or colleague and see if it makes sense to them. When this is completed, gather all your notes and thoughts in your report and place it all together. After this, fill in all the missing facts with accurate information and sources. If you do not have enough facts, it is not a legitimate story.

2.) The difficult part of doing the above is simply finding enough facts and making sure that all your information is accurate. You may also struggle to make the deadlines.

3.) Any person, affiliate, or professional associated with your topic or story. Famous quotes may also be useful in overcoming challenges to find ways to put together a story. In reality, you can use anything that is relevant or anything that adds appeal to your story. Also, you should use a voice recorder and/or notebook to make sure that all your information is accurate. Lastly, you can use a calendar to make sure that you are keeping up with the deadline and finishing tasks at the appropriate time.