Media and Politics

The media is everywhere and can come in many forms. No matter what form of media is most influential to you; it does have an impact on how you make decisions and what your beliefs are. In the 2012 election, the use of social media and the internet was larger than ever before in previous elections. Information is easily available to you in seconds depending on which medium you prefer to use. There are multiple advantages of the media in political and civic affairs, but can also cause some problems when choosing who to vote for.


The media is largely responsible for the spread of information and the enhancement of civic affairs. The benefit of the media is that it makes information easily accessible and enables you to have a diverse amount of sources in which you can get information from. There are so many different forms of technology and sources from which people get their information from in the present age. Everyone has their preference on where they decide to get information and in some situations, the more sources you use, the more educated and different perspectives you will get out of it. Social media sites allow individuals to be open and voice their opinions about politics and other civic affairs.

Blogging websites allows you to also voice your opinion and participate in politics. Websites like YouTube enable people to watch coverage such as debates and other newsworthy videos very easily after they have happened if they were to miss them when they originally aired. People can also use multiple sources at one time to get multiple perspectives on debates or other political programs. When polling ISU students, multiple students said they used more than one source such as watching a debate on TV while also looking at the Twitter feed on the debates. Social media also played a large role in encouraging people to vote and to also show pride when they did vote. People could check in at polling stations on Facebook and post pictures on Instagram of their “I voted” sticker.

Although the media can be very helpful and beneficial in enhancing political and civic affairs, there are some disadvantages. Some people take their freedom of speech to the extreme and post very controversial posts on the internet and new sources. It is very important to keep in mind which sources are credible and reliable. Many people believe everything they hear about a candidate or politics instead of looking into the credibility of the information reported. Sources try to be the first to report information and do not take the time to make sure information is credible before printing it. The media may also create a bias that may sway different people on how they choose to vote or if they will even vote at all. A perfect example of this is the state of Illinois. The media always focuses on that Democrats always take the state of Illinois, therefore people think that their vote is a waste of time and do not vote. The entertainment factor of the news is very popular and can take away from the hard news pertaining to the election. Many television shows and late night talk shows like to make fun of and spoof different political candidates which may negatively influence someone’s opinion on who someone decides to vote for. According to Robert Entman, “Journalism falls short of the free press ideal; too much of the public remains ignorant and disconnected from politics; and elites compulsively and often successfully manage the news to foil accountability”.

I think it is very crucial for the media takes steps that encourages and better connects citizens to politics and the workings of the government. I think it is important to make information easily accessible and easily understandable. Credibility is also huge when it comes to connecting people to information. If the media publishes untrue information, then it discourages people and makes them question the information and the source from which that information came from. People want short, simple explanations because not everyone has the time to do a lot of research. The media can have such a large influence on how people make decisions so I believe that the media has the job of being fair and balanced in its reporting. I think that ISU did a great job of encouraging and connecting students to the election by having the watch parties for each debate and also the night of the election. It gave students an opportunity to come together and learn from each other. The media needs to present information about politics and other topics that are not as glamorous in a way that sucks readers in and should also work to take a human interest twist on the topic.

Overall, the media’s role in shaping a person’s opinion and informing them on important issues such as civic affairs and politics can be very influential. The media is responsible for publishing true and credible information as soon as something happens, but it does not always work out that way. People need to realize what sources are credible and which sources are not. Our job as an American citizen is to be informed on political matters and actively participate in politics. In a poll of ISU students, a lot of people did not think they were going to vote in the election this year because of different reasons. It is in the media’s best interest to take the reasons of why people did not vote in this election and come up with different tactics for the next election to capture these voter’s opinions. The use of social media in this election was bigger than ever before and I think that the use of social media and the different forms of it will continue to grow.

Journalists and the media need to work to educate American citizens on important issues on what is going on in the world in order for people to make informed, educated decisions in all aspects of politics and civic affairs.

Election Poll

As the election is coming next week, it was very interesting to see which candidates ISU students were planning to vote for and if they plan on voting in the upcoming election. In a poll of 20 students, the results were very scattered and pretty surprising.

            The first question I asked people was if they planned on voting. It was very alarming to see how many people said they did not plan to vote next Tuesday.  7 out of 20 people said they were not registered and did not plan to vote in the election. Some people said they just forgot to register, while others said they just did not want to or did not know who to vote for. The rest of the people I asked did plan on voting and knew they wanted to vote for. The 13 people who planned on voting said it was very easy to register and that they knew where to go to vote.

It was very surprising to see how many people were not registered and did not plan on voting. I think it is very important to try to persuade more young people to vote and to educate them on the candidates and what they stand for. Some people did not have any idea about who they would vote for and the policies they stand for.

            My next question for the people who said that they voting was who they planned on voting for. The results were split and it was a very close margin between the two candidates.  Out of the 13 people who planned on voting, seven people planned to vote for Obama and six people planned to vote for Romney.  I thought it was interesting to see how close it was between the two candidates.  I was expecting a clear win from a candidate, but the results were very close. I think that the ISU campus is divided, and there is not one candidate that is far ahead of the other.

The most common issues that people thought were the most important were healthcare and education. There were diverse answers but the most common that most 15 out of 20 mentioned was the issues of healthcare and education which included student loans.  Students were basing their votes on who they thought had the best solutions to these problems.

My next question focused on where students got the information to base their decisions on the election and the two candidates. The majority, 14 out of 20 people said they think television is the most important and most watched source because of all of the news coverage and debates. The second source was the internet and social media sites. Many students said they followed Facebook posts and Twitter to get information about the election. One student said “I like watching the debates on TV while following it on Twitter”. Most students said they used multiple sources to get their information. It was very common for a student to say that they liked to watch coverage on TV while also being online or Facebook at the same time looking at other election related information. I think it is important to note how much of an impact social media is having on this election and I think that social media is only going to get bigger and more people are going to rely on it for information.

It will be very interesting to see the results of the election next week. Although I only talked to 20 people, I think it informed me a lot about who people are going to vote for and how they got the information they needed to make their decision. I also think it is important to try to find a way to reach the undecided or unknowledgeable people who do not want to vote so that they will vote in the next election.

“How the Public Perceives Community Information Systems”

         This study looked at the comparison of if the government shares information well then people more likely to say that average citizens can make an impact in the government and also feel good about the town and its civic institutions.  

       This study took place over an eight month period in the three cities of Philadelphia, San Jose, and Macon. Participants were given a survey using multiple research methods. Studies in these three cities show that if people believe that their local government shares information well, they feel good about their town and civic institutions such as the government. Also, those who were consumers of the news media online were more likely to be involved and feel they have an impact where they live. Some of the results of the survey given to the participants were very surprising. According to the study, some of the results that were found included: broadband users are sometimes less satisfied than others with community life, social media like Facebook and Twitter are emerging as key parts of the civic landscape and mobile connectivity is beginning to affect people’s interactions with civic life, and those who believe they can impact their community are more likely to be engaged in civic activities and more satisfied with theirs. Overall, participants in the study were happy about the information they were given and how they were given their information.
       A major weakness in this study was that the survey and feedback was only given in three cities. I think that is too small of a sample to base results off of.  Also, the three cities were very similar in population and I think there should be several cities with different populations instead of just three. Only using three cities with smaller population limits the diverseness of the results and it might not even be reliable because of the narrowness of the populations tested.
       This study is very important because the results show that effective communication and information flow can have a huge impact on if people feel like they can make an impact where they live. It was very interesting to see the results of this study and that overall, people were happy with the sources from with they receive their information. I think it is important for journalists to try to put out easily understandable information that will reach the most amounts of people. From my own experience, I tend to skip reading something if I feel like I do not understand the language or information in it. If people feel like they can make an impact and feel important by the information they receive, then it should be very important for journalists to make news easily accessible and from multiple sources. People want to feel included and I think if the place in which a person lives provides a lot of information and sources of this information then people will feel more positively than if they did not have a way of finding out information on what is going on around them.

 

If I Die

This story is very emotional and it must have been so hard for Dianna Sugg to write this story. This story took over her life for 25 days and she was directly affected by the family and the patient. She was very dedicated to this story and making the story have an impact on other people.

This story was very sad and emotional but I felt at ease when reading it. R.J and his family accepted his fate even through his extreme tragedy. R.J.’s mom was so strong and such an amazing person through the whole story. I think it was very important that this story be published.

I think it was very emotional for the family to hear this poor little boy plan his own funeral and where he wanted to be buried. I cannot even imagine what the family was going through and how they dealt with this sick child. No family should have to go through anyone with cancer but especially a child. No family is prepared when someone they love is diagnosed with cancer.

I think it is very important for hospitals to have programs like the Hopkins Project. I think a dying child should be able to try to stay as positive and happy as possible. I am in full support of the hospital fulfilling a child’s last wish before they die.

I think it was so special that R.J. was able to leave mementos to his family and to the doctors and nurses that helped him. I think that is such a good way to remember someone who has died and they will be able to have these things for the rest of their lives. I like the hand print molds were very interesting a great reminder of the person.

I think R.J.’s mom is so respectable and so admirable. She did everything she could to make her son as comfortable as possible before he died. She was a great mom and should be recognized for what she did for her son.

I know first-hand how hard cancer can be for the person who has it and the person’s family.  I have had two very close grandparents die of cancer. It has been really hard for my family to move on from these deaths. Cancer is such a terrible disease. When I was younger, my mom would hold bikeathons for the St. Jude’s Children’s foundation to raise money for cancer every year. I will always try to do what I can to help support families with children and other family members with cancer.

It was very interesting when they talked about that kids usually know or expect when they are going to die. That was crazy to me but I could definitely believe it. I think children have some kind of special senses or feelings than adults do. I also thought it was so interesting that he was able to describe and talk to what he said were angels.

R.J’s death was exactly 2 days before my grandpa died in the same year. My grandpa died of cancer also. It was very crazy to read that the dates were so close. My grandma, mom, and aunt tried to make my grandpa as comfortable as possible just like R.J.’s mom had done for him. I liked how R.J’s family was prepared and tried to be as calm as possible. I think it is important to make a person’s last days as comfortable and as happy as possible.

Cancer is so horrible and takes so many lives. There are very few success stories with dealing with cancer. One of my good friends was lucky enough to be one of those success stories. My friend’s dad was diagnosed with throat cancer about a year ago. The doctors told his family that he wouldn’t make it through the year and was going to die. Last week, my friend got the best news any family could ever hope for, his dad was going into remission and his body was cured of his cancer. There is no better feeling than that and I am so happy for him and his family that they were so lucky.

In Baltimore, No One’s Left to Press the Police

I think it is very important for reporters to report crimes to the public. People need to be aware of what is happening around them so that they could take the right precautions to keep safe. I like how David Simon had the judge’s number so that he could contact him at anytime to get the crime reports out in the public.

I did not know that crime reports are public and made available to everyone. I think it is important for people to know. I know police do not want people to know that crime is happening in their precinct but I think hiding it makes it even worse.

It is also very interesting to note that a police officer’s name cannot be identified if they shot or killed someone. I also agree that a police officer’s name should be identified if they use their weapons illegally because they should be punished.

The news can be very powerful. It is also very powerful how the news is so open and tells everyone what is going on in the world around them. The news can also be a bad thing. The example of the 2001 case with the person being killed because of the news reporting his name is a good example of how the news can affect someone negatively.

Some newspapers are the not the most truthful and honest. Sometimes, a reporter will choose not to tell the important facts of a story or leave out what is most important. The example with the police women who shot an innocent man is a good example. The paper did not cover the story correctly and did not identify the police woman who shot the innocent man.

It is very important to list these police officers’ names because I think they should be accountable for what they do. It is important to know these things so that they can be evaluated fairly and they must be accountable for their actions. If a police officer’s bad conduct is not reported on then no one will ever know what they are capable of.

I think it is very hard to trust the police if they refuse to give people the real facts about what is happening. If they fail to report crimes, then one can think about what else they can be hiding from people. I think this why a lot of people have a bad attitude towards the police. Reading this makes their reputation even worse.

It is disappointing that the only newspaper that can report on crimes in Baltimore does not have the manpower or the expertise to challenge the police. I like how David Simon is very persistent and pushes for these stories to be published and that they have real facts. He used all of his resources and I applaud him for his efforts.

It is very displeasing to know that he was refused the papers when asked about them. It is very interesting how the time changed from the beginning of the story to the end when instead of gladly being able to have the public papers to being refused to see them.

I think David Simon was very admirable. He fought for the truth and wanted to make sure that the crimes that were occurring were reported on and made public. He is a very talented and interesting man. I am very interesting to watch one of his tv shows.

The 12-Step Program to Good Writing

Michael Gartner used his writing experience to come up with a list of twelve steps that you must have in order to be a good writer. I think these twelve steps are a great reference to have. I think every news reporter should be familiar with these and keep them in mind when writing a story.
Writing is not always fun and I often have trouble when writing. I do not like writing research paper or anything longer than three pages. I often lose focus and get bored while writing. I like writing news stories and media stories but hate writing research papers. Writing is no fun but a part of life and everyone should try to improve their writing skills.
I think the first three steps are the basics for all writing. Without these three steps, it would be very hard to be a good writer. Report, read, and listen are all very important when trying to put a good story together. No matter what type of story you are writing, it is crucial to listen and then report because you might hear something that will make your story great that someone else might not have heard.
The fourth step: simplify is also very important. A lot of writers try to use big words and difficult language to make them sound intelligent but I think it is important to keep your stories simple and to the point you are trying to make. Simple stories will be easily understood by everyone and therefore have a wide variety of readers.
I think a good writer should try to fulfill these twelve steps but also go above and beyond. Having good writing skills are such an important life skill to have. Being a good writer will help you in any job and especially in the public relations field, my major. Good writing is crucial because in most public relations job, writing is all you do especially in press releases and stuff like that.
I think it is important for a good writer to truly love writing and what they do. Writers do not always get paid the best and I think if they can achieve the 12 steps and truly love what they do then there is no doubt that they will be a great writer and one to remember.
Writers must be able to cover a wide variety of topics and deal with controversial topics. I think it is important for writers to try to stay as neutral as possible. I think this goes along with step 12: balance. Stories should try to be balanced and fair. Stories that are unfair negatively affect the credibility of the writer.
Step 2: read is also an important aspect of writing. Reading a wide variety of stories and books enhances our word selection and also our imagination. I read a lot when I was younger and have slacked in reading but I would really like to get back into reading more. It is very important in my opinion, for kids to read and like reading because I think it will help them so much in the future especially their writing skills.
It was very creative for Michael Gartner to come up with this list for people to enhance their writing skills. These steps are very informational and helpful. I think every writer can learn from this list. I will definitely take them into consideration when writing in the future.
The 12 step process to become a better writer is a great resource to have. Everyone should try to enhance their writing skills. Writing is so important and being a good writer can help you in so many different areas. I hope that I can keep improving my writing and become a better writer in the future.

Why Do We Speed?

This story by Rick Hampton and Paul Overberg is extremely relevant all around the United States and even the world. Speeding is very common and can be very dangerous. Although many people do not think about the consequences of speeding, it has caused many accidents and even deaths.

I like how this story was organized into sub sections with the different reasons people give for speeding. I think all the reasons listed are very relevant. People have all kinds of excuses when they get pulled over for speeding and I think that many people think that speeding is not a bad thing and many people get a rush from speeding.

This story was very informational and the authors took a different approach than most stories. It was an actual news story published in a newspaper after research was conducted. I like how the story included real life examples of how speeding can have a huge impact on someone’s life and even end it.

The different statistics and facts about speeding were very interesting to me. I think it is crazy that the percentage of people getting pulled over for going over 90 has risen from 2% in 1991 to 10% in 2002. Cars driving over 100 mph are not acceptable because of the dangerous conditions it can cause especially if the car were to hit something. Cops should try to work harder to stop and prevent the cars driving at these high speeds.

I am not going to lie, I speed all the time. I think it is very common to do so. I do not speed more than 10 miles over the limit thought because I know of the consequences. I have never gotten a speeding ticket before. Most of the time, I don’t even know I am speeding until I look down at the speedometer. I am trying to be better about speeding but it is still very hard not to.

Everyone I know speeds. My dad actually has to go to driving school next weekend because of a speeding ticket. My friends drove to Texas for spring break and got two speeding tickets on their way there. I think people just think they will not get taught until they get a speeding ticket and even then I think people just go back to their usual ways. I know there a lot worse crime to deal with but speeding can be a dangerous situation especially if you were to crash. I do know what I would do if any of my family members or friends were to get hurt or even die in a car accident.

I do not consider speeding a crime until a person goes more than 15 over the speed limit because then it becomes dangerous. A person who is traveling at a high speed is way more likely to get hurt in a car accident than a person who was going the speed limit. The example of Michael Hanson is a great example of the extreme damage that could be a result of speeding. He did not only end his life but injured the life of others.

I also think it is very hypocritical when you see a police officer speeding or someone of authority speeding because they think they are entitled to. I think they should follow the rules just like everyone else. They should be the ones setting the example by adhering to the speed limit but they are often the ones speeding because they know they will not get a ticket.

It is very hard to get people to go the speed limit. People are so busy and need to always get somewhere in a hurry. A lot of people with sports cars also feel the need that they have to go fast just to show off their cars. There are a number of reasons why people speed. I think that it is important, especially if you have children to stay safe and try to stick to the speed limit. I know how hard it is sometimes not to speed or not even know you are speeding, but I think people should try to be more cautious when driving.

Enforcing the speed limit is a hard task to accomplish. No matter what it is, people will continue to speed. I think law enforcement should continue to watch for speeders and stop the people who are speeding especially the people going over 15 over the limit. I think speeding will always be a problem. People just do not seem to care that they are going faster than the speed limit.

Always Ed

I loved reading this story. It touched my heart and it makes me happy that true love really exists in the world. It was such a touching and adorable story and had such an effect on me. Kelly Benham was a very lucky woman to write such a great story like this.

I love reading true life stories about true love. It makes me happy to know that there are couples out there who are truly in love with each other and that there is such a thing as love at first sight. I only hope that I will have a love story like that someday. I have someone special in my life that I love very much and can only hope that when I am older I have a similar story to Ed and Judy.

It is so great that a man would be so open about his love for a woman. It is very hard to find someone like that today. Usually boys are very closed off and not open about their relationships. I think it is such a great quality for a man to have and I think any woman who read this story would be very envious of Judy.

I think every boy should read this and realize how truly special it is to be in love with someone. Ed is a good man with a great heart. His wife Judy was a very lucky lady. He did not care who knew how much he loved his wife. Every year for over 30 years he has posted a love note in the newspaper for his wife.

This story makes me think of all Nicholas Spark’s stories especially The Notebook. Ed and Judy’s love story reminds me of the great love story of Noah and Allie from the movie. I love The Notebook and it is the first thing I thought of while reading this story. The structure of the story also reminds me of the movie. The movie starts and ends the same way with their love story in the middle.

Ed and Judy’s love for one another is like a fairytale. It is not just something you see in a movie but it is real life for this couple. They were so in love with each other and had a very long and happy life together. I can only hope I have a marriage like them. They are an inspiration to couples everywhere. I think it was so amazing how he knew he loved her by their second date. It is proof that love at first sight exists.

I really like the structure of how this story is written. I think it is more powerful when the story starts at the present then goes to the past to tell the story and then goes back to the end to see how the love story ends. I think it makes the story more significant and has a lasting effect on the readers. An inverted pyramid story would not do the story justice. I think Kelly Benham wrote the story perfectly and exactly how it should be written.

I also really liked how the story was personal to Kelly Benham. She was able to see firsthand the love letters from Ed to Judy and how cute and romantic they were. She did not remember what her boyfriend put in the paper but was able to remember what Ed put in the paper for Judy. She was able to piece together the amazing love story.

I understand why it took so long for her to write this story. She did not in any way want to ruin this story and lose how amazing it was. She had a hard task in front of her. Also, I understand how she did not want to discover anything bad and ruin the great story that she thought was so great for so long. I think she did a great job and I am very happy she did write this story. In my opinion, it would be very hard not after learning of this great love story.

All and all, this story is such an amazing example of a true life love story. Ed and Judy’s love for one another was so strong and they were married for over 48 years. I think love is taken for granted in today’s world, especially after the example of Kim Kardashian’s marriage only lasting 72 days. I think it is important to hear these stories and not take love for granted.

Into the Flames

This transition of a news story into a narrative turned out fantastic. I think it was a great way to make the story more personal and show the emotions of the people involved. The narrative about the fire provides an insightful example of how heroic firefighters really are and how dangerous their jobs can be.

I find it very interesting that way that you could change the form of a story and turn the same story into something totally different. This story was first a news story with just the facts and the writers were able to turn it into an intriguing and real narrative. Different readers prefer different types of writing so I think it is a great talent to have to be able to write the same story into different styles and forms.

The narrative approach was a great way to capture this event in another form. I like how the story included all of the essential information such as the: who, what, where, when, and how but I especially like how personal the story felt. It was not a straight news story, but rather a narrative that people could read and really reflect on it.

Firefighters do not always get the credit that they deserve while on the jobs. In my opinions, I think they are heroes. They risk their lives to save others and do not even think twice about it. Their job is so intense that I could not even think how crazy it would be to put out an intense fire. They are lifesavers and should get paid a lot more for what they do. I am truly grateful for firefighters sacrificing their lives to save others and protecting people against fires.

Most firefighters are very humble about their jobs. I think this is an amazing quality to have and it is a very common trait in firefighters. Lt. McGowan was a perfect example of a humble man. He saved the life of a little girl but was upset that he could not go back into the burning fire to save the other life that was lost. A lot of firefighters think of their jobs just as a normal job but I think the men and women are more than just ordinary people, they are heroes. No matter what obstacle they face, they do their best to save the lives of others.

September 11, 2011 will be a day that America will remember forever. It was a tragedy that affected the whole world. The firefighters that went into those falling buildings were true heroes. Many lost their lives that day and many firefighters were seriously injured. They saw the horrific sights of the falling building, yet they went forward into those buildings to save lives. I felt so bad for their families and for the city of New York, but I know those firefighters died doing what they loved. The firefighters of 9/11 reinforced the fact of how important firefighters are and how huge of an impact they have.

I remember watching on TV all of the firefighters running into the two towers and trying to get all the people out. They were all amazing. I could not believe how all of these men and women would enter these buildings after they had just been hit with the planes. I do not think that I could ever imagine what was going through of these firefighters’ heads. I think it is hard to put into words how brave these firefighters were. I will forever think of firefighters as heroes after that horrifying day.

I think it is so crazy how in ten seconds, a firefighter’s life can become so stressful. It is their job to get to a fire as fast as possible no matter what they are doing. I think it is unbelievable how fast they could get ready and leave the station. Their lives could be forever changed in a matter of seconds. I could never imagine jumping up and preparing myself for something as horrible as a fire. They never know what they are in for either. It could be a small fire that could be put out in minutes or a horrible fire that takes the lives of many.

My neighbor is a firefighter and I am very thankful for all of the work he does in our town. I have known him for many years and could not imagine what he has been through. He has put out some very severe fires and has saved lives. He is very humble about his job and thinks of his job just like any other job. He is a father of two very cute little boys and these boys look up and consider him their hero. He is a great role model. He loves his job and would not want to do anything else.

Our world would not be as safe as it was if it were not for firefighters and everything our local fire departments do to protect our lives. I commend each and every person who decides to become a firefighter. They are real life superheroes in my mind.