TO: Burnis Morris
FROM: Katie Quinonez
March 31, 2011
RE: Story Outline: Tri-State Transit Ridership Increase
Subject: TTA ridership increased due to high gas prices.
Scope: I can look at TTA ridership for the past five years and see how it has fluctuated.
Need: High gas prices affect everyone in the country, particularly people who live in remote areas, such as various towns in the state of West Virginia, and have to travel great distances to get to work or school.
Methods: I can compare TTA ridership over the last five years and see how it has fluctuated with gas prices.
Sources: I can talk to Paul Davis, the CEO of TTA, to get information about TTA funding and get ridership statistics. I can also talk to people who ride the TTA and learn about their experiences, as well as bus drivers.
Presentation: This can be a two-part presentation. It first can be about the testimonials of individuals who ride the bus and the bus drivers. The second could be about TTA funding and what a lack of funding could mean for TTA riders.
Follow-up: When the continuing resolutions that fund the TTA after the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act expired in fiscal year 2009, I can talk to Davis about TTA funding. I can talk to him about potential layoffs and contingency plans. Davis has already said layoffs will occur as a last resort after higher bus fares and cut routes, which clearly affects TTA riders.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Mayor's proposed budget revised
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
With the current state of the economy, it is particularly difficult for local governments to fathom even a minor increase in revenue to fund the most basic of necessities such as infrastructure upkeep and filling law enforcement positions.
Huntington Mayor Kim Wolfe’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 shows a projected $2 million decrease in revenue from the previous fiscal year with grants included, with a total of $41.8 million. Expenditures are expected to be the same amount.
City revenues through June 30, 2011 are expected to be about $41.6 million with grants. Expenditures are expected to be about $1 million less than that.
City expenditures for fiscal year 2009-2010 were budgeted for $44.9 million, but actual expenditures were $4.2 million less than that. Revenues were budgeted for the same amount as expenditures and were about $4.4 million less.
The business and occupation tax have been the city's highest sources of revenue for the past three fiscal years. The current budget has allowed $15.8 million in B&O tax revenues while the proposed budget for the next fiscal year projects $16.3 million in revenues.
The Huntington Police Department accounts for the highest expected expenditure in the proposed budget. The department’s proposed budget is $10.9 million, an approximate $400,000 decrease from the current budget.
The police department will be receiving four new high definition surveillance cameras, which will bring the total number of surveillance cameras used in the city to 21, said Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
“This is an industry standard that law enforcement has moved to that basically allows us to provide a higher level service in the absence of personnel,” Holbrook said. “When people know there is a camera monitoring them, it tends to curtail some of the activity that if the cameras weren’t there might take place.
Administration and Finance director Brandi Jacobs-Jones said the successful bidder to furnish the cameras is McDaniel Electric of Huntington. The total cost will be $52,000 and Homeland Security grant monies will cover $51,000 of the costs.
Holbrook said the police department relies on grant money to supplement city money received in previous fiscal years.
The police and fire department were both asked by the city to give up money in their budgets to go toward the paving of roads in the city. The police department gave up about $70,000 and the fire department gave up about $200,000, according to the finalized budget.
An issue that perplexes most people is how city officials determine total revenue and expenditures for each fiscal year.
The city’s finance director, Deron Runyan, said the first thing city officials do is look at the current year and estimate where the city’s finances will total. From there they make adjustments.
Runyan said from there each department in January submits expected expenditures for the following fiscal year. He said items such as gas and utilities were in particular budgeted too low.
“Each department puts their list of all their employees and what the expected costs are and then we give them a baseline of what they submitted,” Runyan said. “Outside of that, they submitted a list of capital improvements they would like to make.”
Runyan said he has been the city’s finance director for three years, and every year departments are given a budget lower than their initial request.
With the current state of the economy, it is particularly difficult for local governments to fathom even a minor increase in revenue to fund the most basic of necessities such as infrastructure upkeep and filling law enforcement positions.
Huntington Mayor Kim Wolfe’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 shows a projected $2 million decrease in revenue from the previous fiscal year with grants included, with a total of $41.8 million. Expenditures are expected to be the same amount.
City revenues through June 30, 2011 are expected to be about $41.6 million with grants. Expenditures are expected to be about $1 million less than that.
City expenditures for fiscal year 2009-2010 were budgeted for $44.9 million, but actual expenditures were $4.2 million less than that. Revenues were budgeted for the same amount as expenditures and were about $4.4 million less.
The business and occupation tax have been the city's highest sources of revenue for the past three fiscal years. The current budget has allowed $15.8 million in B&O tax revenues while the proposed budget for the next fiscal year projects $16.3 million in revenues.
The Huntington Police Department accounts for the highest expected expenditure in the proposed budget. The department’s proposed budget is $10.9 million, an approximate $400,000 decrease from the current budget.
The police department will be receiving four new high definition surveillance cameras, which will bring the total number of surveillance cameras used in the city to 21, said Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
“This is an industry standard that law enforcement has moved to that basically allows us to provide a higher level service in the absence of personnel,” Holbrook said. “When people know there is a camera monitoring them, it tends to curtail some of the activity that if the cameras weren’t there might take place.
Administration and Finance director Brandi Jacobs-Jones said the successful bidder to furnish the cameras is McDaniel Electric of Huntington. The total cost will be $52,000 and Homeland Security grant monies will cover $51,000 of the costs.
Holbrook said the police department relies on grant money to supplement city money received in previous fiscal years.
The police and fire department were both asked by the city to give up money in their budgets to go toward the paving of roads in the city. The police department gave up about $70,000 and the fire department gave up about $200,000, according to the finalized budget.
An issue that perplexes most people is how city officials determine total revenue and expenditures for each fiscal year.
The city’s finance director, Deron Runyan, said the first thing city officials do is look at the current year and estimate where the city’s finances will total. From there they make adjustments.
Runyan said from there each department in January submits expected expenditures for the following fiscal year. He said items such as gas and utilities were in particular budgeted too low.
“Each department puts their list of all their employees and what the expected costs are and then we give them a baseline of what they submitted,” Runyan said. “Outside of that, they submitted a list of capital improvements they would like to make.”
Runyan said he has been the city’s finance director for three years, and every year departments are given a budget lower than their initial request.
Sidebar: Police and Fire
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
The Huntington Fire Department‘s proposed FY 2011-2012 budget decreased by $10,000, according to Mayor Kim Wolfe’s proposed budget. The current estimated budget through June 30, 2011 is $10.3 million and the proposed budget allows $10.3 million for expenditures. The fire department’s budget has decreased by one percent since 2009.
The Huntington Police Department’s proposed FY 2011-2012 budget has decreased by more than $93,000 from the current budget, according to Wolfe’s proposed budget. The current estimated budget through June 30, 2011 is $11 million and the proposed budget allows $10.9 million. The proposed budget has decreased by five percent since 2009.
Table 1
Fire and Police Expenditures
Department FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 (Est. through 6/30/11) FY 2011-2012 (Proposed)
Fire $10,396,405 $10,372,117 $10,362,836
Police $10,839,725 $11,070,353 $10,977,181
Source: Proposed 2012 Budget
Table 2
Proposed 2011 Budget Highlights
Department FY 2010-2011 FY 2011-2012
Fire $11,004,524 $10,362,836
Police $10,252,681 $10,977,181
Source: Proposed 2012 Budget
The Huntington Fire Department‘s proposed FY 2011-2012 budget decreased by $10,000, according to Mayor Kim Wolfe’s proposed budget. The current estimated budget through June 30, 2011 is $10.3 million and the proposed budget allows $10.3 million for expenditures. The fire department’s budget has decreased by one percent since 2009.
The Huntington Police Department’s proposed FY 2011-2012 budget has decreased by more than $93,000 from the current budget, according to Wolfe’s proposed budget. The current estimated budget through June 30, 2011 is $11 million and the proposed budget allows $10.9 million. The proposed budget has decreased by five percent since 2009.
Table 1
Fire and Police Expenditures
Department FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 (Est. through 6/30/11) FY 2011-2012 (Proposed)
Fire $10,396,405 $10,372,117 $10,362,836
Police $10,839,725 $11,070,353 $10,977,181
Source: Proposed 2012 Budget
Table 2
Proposed 2011 Budget Highlights
Department FY 2010-2011 FY 2011-2012
Fire $11,004,524 $10,362,836
Police $10,252,681 $10,977,181
Source: Proposed 2012 Budget
Huntington City Council adopts several ordinances
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
The Huntington City Council adopted several ordinances Monday evening during a city council meeting.
The council adopted an ordinance to amend the current zoning ordinance of the city, 1998 and the zone map. Administration and Finance Director Brandi Jacobs Jones said the ordinance received unanimous favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission.
The council also adopted an ordinance recommending the mayor to enter into a contract to provide the Huntington Police Department with a video surveillance network. The network will consist of four additional cameras, which will bring the total of surveillance cameras in use to 21, said Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
Jones said the successful bidder to furnish the cameras is McDaniel Electric of Huntington. The total cost will be $52,000. Homeland Security grant monies will be used to cover over $51,000 of the costs.
A Huntington citizen who attended the meeting became outraged at the council for adopting the ordinance, at which point he became belligerent and refused to let the meeting continue. He said an alternative to a video surveillance network would be to have local church pastors go with police officers to houses and check in on citizens.
The council also referred an ordinance for the mayor to enter into a contract to furnish the Huntington Fire Department with one new 2011 Ford Expedition to the Committee on Finance. Jones said the successful bidder was Stephens Auto of Danville, W.Va. The total cost is $27,196.
The council appointed James Hensley to his first term on the Huntington Municipal Development Authority and James F. Duke, Jr. to his first term on the Urban Forestry Committee.
The Huntington City Council adopted several ordinances Monday evening during a city council meeting.
The council adopted an ordinance to amend the current zoning ordinance of the city, 1998 and the zone map. Administration and Finance Director Brandi Jacobs Jones said the ordinance received unanimous favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission.
The council also adopted an ordinance recommending the mayor to enter into a contract to provide the Huntington Police Department with a video surveillance network. The network will consist of four additional cameras, which will bring the total of surveillance cameras in use to 21, said Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
Jones said the successful bidder to furnish the cameras is McDaniel Electric of Huntington. The total cost will be $52,000. Homeland Security grant monies will be used to cover over $51,000 of the costs.
A Huntington citizen who attended the meeting became outraged at the council for adopting the ordinance, at which point he became belligerent and refused to let the meeting continue. He said an alternative to a video surveillance network would be to have local church pastors go with police officers to houses and check in on citizens.
The council also referred an ordinance for the mayor to enter into a contract to furnish the Huntington Fire Department with one new 2011 Ford Expedition to the Committee on Finance. Jones said the successful bidder was Stephens Auto of Danville, W.Va. The total cost is $27,196.
The council appointed James Hensley to his first term on the Huntington Municipal Development Authority and James F. Duke, Jr. to his first term on the Urban Forestry Committee.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
City Council meeting, March 28, 2011
I will be attending the City Council meeting tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
According to the agenda, the council will review the following ordinaces:
According to the agenda, the council will review the following ordinaces:
- amendment of Huntington zoning ordinance
- modification and re-enactment of Article 1357
- council authorization of the mayor to enter into a contract to furnish the Huntington Sanitary Board with polymer
- council authorization of the mayor to enter into a contract to furnish the Huntington Fire Department with a mobile generator set
- council authorization of the mayor to enter into a contract to furnish the Huntington Police Department with a video surveillance system
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
TTA ridership up with higher gas prices
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
The Tri-State Transit Authority's bus ridership is up 17,913 trips for year to date, a .03 percent increase.
Ridership for the month of January 2011 showed an additional 3, 112 customers boarded TTA's buses and Dial-A-Ride vans, according to the performance report. General manager and CEO Paul Davis said the increase in ridership is due to the recent increase in gas and diesel costs.
Davis said TTA continues to remain under the three dollar budget allocated for diesel prices. He said though this may change with increasing gas prices, unless gas prices spike to at least five dollars, TTA will remain under the budget.
Davis recently attended the American Public Transit Association's legislative conference in Washington, D.C. where the following topics were discussed:
During the March board meeting, members briefly discussed layoff contingency plans. Davis said in the event layoffs would occur, they would most likely happen over a three-year period. Davis said layoffs would be a last resort and that the agency would most likely increase bus fares or eliminate less productive bus routes first.
The Tri-State Transit Authority's bus ridership is up 17,913 trips for year to date, a .03 percent increase.
Ridership for the month of January 2011 showed an additional 3, 112 customers boarded TTA's buses and Dial-A-Ride vans, according to the performance report. General manager and CEO Paul Davis said the increase in ridership is due to the recent increase in gas and diesel costs.
Davis said TTA continues to remain under the three dollar budget allocated for diesel prices. He said though this may change with increasing gas prices, unless gas prices spike to at least five dollars, TTA will remain under the budget.
Davis recently attended the American Public Transit Association's legislative conference in Washington, D.C. where the following topics were discussed:
- Re-authorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, the transportation bill that expired in fiscal year 2009. When it expired Congress passed a Continuing Resolutions to fund the program until April 2011. The resolution eliminates the Federal Railroad Administration's program that helps railroads pay for new safety technology, which would cut $6 billion from the current budget.
- TTA's proposition of combining several grant programs to reduce the administrative duties required to manage these grants. This would reduce costs by lessening the burden on transit personnel.
- The urbanized area issue regarding Charleston and Huntington. TTA recommended the two cities be exempted from the Census Bureau's plan to combine the areas.
During the March board meeting, members briefly discussed layoff contingency plans. Davis said in the event layoffs would occur, they would most likely happen over a three-year period. Davis said layoffs would be a last resort and that the agency would most likely increase bus fares or eliminate less productive bus routes first.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Attending TTA board meeting tomorrow
I will be attending the Tri-State Transit Authority's monthly board meeting tomorrow morning. Attending the board meeting and speaking to TTA CEO Paul Davis will give me the information I need to complete my sidebar for the fifth major assignment. I will ask Davis about the budget over the past three fiscal years and whether or not there was an increase/decrease. I will also ask what the major plans are for the TTA over the next fiscal year.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Proposal: Huntington's FY 2012 Proposed Budget
TO: Burnis Morris
FROM: Katie Quinonez
RE: Story Outline: Huntington City Budget
DATE: March 17, 2011
Subject: Proposed FY 2012 Huntington budget.
Scope: This story will be an analysis of the proposed FY 2012 city budget. This story will give information on the implications of the budget and how it would affect every day life in Huntington. I will also analyze the Tri-State Transit Authority’s FY 2012 budget.
Need: The budget affects all aspects of the city. The economy is in shambles, so to speak, and the mayor has proposed cuts in several different departments.
Methods: I will give actual figures proposed in the FY 2012 budget, specify where cuts are to be made and compare it to the FY 2011 city budget.
Sources: The actual budget itself, various members of city council, such as Sandra Clements, the mayor, the director of administration and finance and board members of the Tri-State Transit Authority.
Presentation: A main article about the proposed budget and a sidebar about the TTA and how it’s affected by the budget. Will include two tables, one with the proposed FY 2012 budget, one on the proposed FY 2011 expenditures.
Follow-up: After the city finalizes the budget, I could do a story on the difference between the mayor’s proposed budget and what the city council actually passes.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Bondwoman's Narrative: A Report
When Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard professor and one of the nation’s preeminent black scholars took a chance and purchased a modest “unpublished original manuscript” from the Swann Galleries’ auction catalogue, no one could have imagined he would be changing both black and women’s literature forever. The novel titled The Bondwoman’s Narrative was written by Hannah Crafts, a slave woman during the mid-nineteenth century. The novel was published by Warner Books, located in New York, New York, in 2002. The book is approximately 360 pages, including the appendices and bibliography. The novel was edited by Gates, who has also edited Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black by Harriet E. Wilson. Gates purchased the “Unpublished Original Manuscript” through an auction catalogue. Gates discovered the manuscript was the only known book published by a black slave woman and possibly the first book written by a black woman ever. The novel is preceded by an extensive introduction by Gates, in which he describes his search for the existence of a Hannah Crafts.
The book is an autobiographical novel that depicts Hannah’s struggle for freedom while living in the South during the nineteenth century. One of the first events in the book, and perhaps the most significant when considering the publication, is when Hannah meets an elderly woman whom she later refers to as Aunt Hettie. Aunt Hettie teaches Hannah to read and write which is a major theme in this book. Considering this may be the first novel ever written by a black woman, it is important to note the person responsible for Hannah’s literacy. The overseer of Hannah’s master’s estate discovers Hannah’s secret and banishes Aunt Hettie and her husband from their cottage. Aunt Hettie proves to be my favorite character because she is strong-willed. She condemns slavery and taught a slave girl to read even though it was illegal. She did not let a law interfere with or derail her from doing the right thing.
The next major event in the book is when Hannah’s master marries. A recurring theme in the book is Hannah neglecting to mention the actual names of those who she serves such as her master or mistress. This adds more of the perspective of a slave to the text which gives the reader a better understanding of Hannah’s situation. Hannah’s new mistress arrives at the estate with a companion, a man named Mr. Trappe. Trappe has known Hannah’s mistress since she was a child. He has accompanied her throughout her entire life, blackmailing her and using her fortune to benefit himself. Trappe is the only person who knows that Hannah’s mistress is the daughter of a slave. To keep Trappe silent, Hannah’s mistress pays him. At some point, Hannah’s mistress is unable to meet Trappe’s rate, and he threatens to expose her. Hannah and her mistress flee from the estate. Throughout the entire book, Hannah shows a strong devotion to those who she serves, which is somewhat ironic considering the circumstances of slavery. It is actually Hannah who suggests her and her mistress flee and Hannah refuses to leave her side. At this point, Hannah doesn’t seem terribly concerned with her own freedom, but she does recognize if they escape to the North, she could become free. The very act of fleeing in this book depicts liberation for both women and blacks. Hannah flees from the plantation as a slave, her mistress as a woman escaping from an oppressive man.
Hannah and her mistress become lost in the wilderness after fleeing and are eventually captured by Trappe. Trappe tells Hannah and her mistress he plans to sell them back into slavery. Hannah’s mistress bursts a blood vessel and dies immediately. Hannah, however, is still sold, and while in transit to her new master, is in an accident caused by the horse carriage. The person who purchased Hannah dies in the accident and Hannah is transported the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry is a kind woman who is extremely humane to her slaves. She treats them as friends and humans instead of property and objects. Hannah is an extremely religious woman in the novel and refuses to lie about her condition. Mrs. Henry, upon waking Hannah after the accident, suggests that she may perhaps have been the friend of the man who she was traveling with. Hannah refuses to lie and admits to being a slave. This is a good example of Hannah’s noble character in the novel. Mrs. Henry shelters Hannah for a relatively long period of time until Hannah is sold to one of Mrs. Henry’s friends, Mrs. Wheeler. I somewhat disliked Mrs. Henry at this portion of the book because she refuses to keep Hannah in her home because she doesn’t believe in slavery. She would rather subject Hannah to potentially inhumane and cruel masters than keep her in her home.
Hannah greatly dislikes Mrs. Wheeler due to her vanity and childish behavior. Hannah thinks Mrs. Wheeler, while humane to Hannah, is unbearable to serve. Hannah travels with the Wheelers to Washington, D.C. There Mrs. Wheeler is embarrassed publicly after combining a whitening powder with a particular perfume. Mr. Wheeler asked Mrs. Wheeler to nominate him for a position in the Treasury Department. It was common for wives of politicians to recommend them for various positions in government. Mrs. Wheeler, being vain in nature, assures her husband she will obtain the position for him with her looks alone. The powder she wore turned a shade of black on her face and she was humiliated and forced out the treasury building.
Later, when the Wheelers travel to their plantation in North Carolina, Mrs. Wheeler accuses Hannah, wrongfully, of exposing her humiliating secret. It is at this point in the book that Hannah is forced to do strenuous manual labor. Hannah is forced to work in the fields and at this point Hannah resorts to fleeing from the plantation. It is odd that a book about the hardships of slavery only contains about a page or so of the actual forced and inhumane labor slaves were subjected to. Hannah’s case seems unique from the accounts of other slaves. She successfully escapes numerous masters, learns to read at a young age, and only has one master who forces her to do manual labor.
Hannah disguises herself as a man and meets a brother and sister, both of whom are also escaped slaves and die while in the company of Hannah. Hannah is reunited with her beloved Aunt Hettie who she has not seen since childhood. Hannah stays with Aunt Hettie until she is well enough to travel further north. Hannah eventually makes it to New Jersey where she is reunited with her birth mother, marries, and becomes a teacher.
Hannah’s story is unique to slave literature. While she suffered tremendously by being a slave, she seemed to evade the physical hardships of slavery, with the exception of fleeing for freedom, in which case she was malnourished and suffered from exposure. It is unfortunate that given the author’s circumstance, she could not reveal her true identity. It would have been extremely interesting to find out more about the author and learn whether or not most of the events depicted in the book were based on the author’s actual experiences. I would recommend this book to this others. If it is true that this was the first book ever written by a black woman, it is a tremendous literary find on the part of Gates and plays an important role in the depiction of slave history. It should be considered a major piece of literature in the realm of black literature, as well as women’s literature. The author utilized certain vivid situations to relate to the social aspect of slavery in the realm of interracial relationships that occurred between slaves and their owners, such as the two chapters in the book dedicated to Lizzy’s story. The author also describes the despicable business of slave trade, such as the section of the book when Trappe sells Hannah back into slavery and barters with the potential buyer.. The book is essential to read to further one’s knowledge of black history.
The book is an autobiographical novel that depicts Hannah’s struggle for freedom while living in the South during the nineteenth century. One of the first events in the book, and perhaps the most significant when considering the publication, is when Hannah meets an elderly woman whom she later refers to as Aunt Hettie. Aunt Hettie teaches Hannah to read and write which is a major theme in this book. Considering this may be the first novel ever written by a black woman, it is important to note the person responsible for Hannah’s literacy. The overseer of Hannah’s master’s estate discovers Hannah’s secret and banishes Aunt Hettie and her husband from their cottage. Aunt Hettie proves to be my favorite character because she is strong-willed. She condemns slavery and taught a slave girl to read even though it was illegal. She did not let a law interfere with or derail her from doing the right thing.
The next major event in the book is when Hannah’s master marries. A recurring theme in the book is Hannah neglecting to mention the actual names of those who she serves such as her master or mistress. This adds more of the perspective of a slave to the text which gives the reader a better understanding of Hannah’s situation. Hannah’s new mistress arrives at the estate with a companion, a man named Mr. Trappe. Trappe has known Hannah’s mistress since she was a child. He has accompanied her throughout her entire life, blackmailing her and using her fortune to benefit himself. Trappe is the only person who knows that Hannah’s mistress is the daughter of a slave. To keep Trappe silent, Hannah’s mistress pays him. At some point, Hannah’s mistress is unable to meet Trappe’s rate, and he threatens to expose her. Hannah and her mistress flee from the estate. Throughout the entire book, Hannah shows a strong devotion to those who she serves, which is somewhat ironic considering the circumstances of slavery. It is actually Hannah who suggests her and her mistress flee and Hannah refuses to leave her side. At this point, Hannah doesn’t seem terribly concerned with her own freedom, but she does recognize if they escape to the North, she could become free. The very act of fleeing in this book depicts liberation for both women and blacks. Hannah flees from the plantation as a slave, her mistress as a woman escaping from an oppressive man.
Hannah and her mistress become lost in the wilderness after fleeing and are eventually captured by Trappe. Trappe tells Hannah and her mistress he plans to sell them back into slavery. Hannah’s mistress bursts a blood vessel and dies immediately. Hannah, however, is still sold, and while in transit to her new master, is in an accident caused by the horse carriage. The person who purchased Hannah dies in the accident and Hannah is transported the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry is a kind woman who is extremely humane to her slaves. She treats them as friends and humans instead of property and objects. Hannah is an extremely religious woman in the novel and refuses to lie about her condition. Mrs. Henry, upon waking Hannah after the accident, suggests that she may perhaps have been the friend of the man who she was traveling with. Hannah refuses to lie and admits to being a slave. This is a good example of Hannah’s noble character in the novel. Mrs. Henry shelters Hannah for a relatively long period of time until Hannah is sold to one of Mrs. Henry’s friends, Mrs. Wheeler. I somewhat disliked Mrs. Henry at this portion of the book because she refuses to keep Hannah in her home because she doesn’t believe in slavery. She would rather subject Hannah to potentially inhumane and cruel masters than keep her in her home.
Hannah greatly dislikes Mrs. Wheeler due to her vanity and childish behavior. Hannah thinks Mrs. Wheeler, while humane to Hannah, is unbearable to serve. Hannah travels with the Wheelers to Washington, D.C. There Mrs. Wheeler is embarrassed publicly after combining a whitening powder with a particular perfume. Mr. Wheeler asked Mrs. Wheeler to nominate him for a position in the Treasury Department. It was common for wives of politicians to recommend them for various positions in government. Mrs. Wheeler, being vain in nature, assures her husband she will obtain the position for him with her looks alone. The powder she wore turned a shade of black on her face and she was humiliated and forced out the treasury building.
Later, when the Wheelers travel to their plantation in North Carolina, Mrs. Wheeler accuses Hannah, wrongfully, of exposing her humiliating secret. It is at this point in the book that Hannah is forced to do strenuous manual labor. Hannah is forced to work in the fields and at this point Hannah resorts to fleeing from the plantation. It is odd that a book about the hardships of slavery only contains about a page or so of the actual forced and inhumane labor slaves were subjected to. Hannah’s case seems unique from the accounts of other slaves. She successfully escapes numerous masters, learns to read at a young age, and only has one master who forces her to do manual labor.
Hannah disguises herself as a man and meets a brother and sister, both of whom are also escaped slaves and die while in the company of Hannah. Hannah is reunited with her beloved Aunt Hettie who she has not seen since childhood. Hannah stays with Aunt Hettie until she is well enough to travel further north. Hannah eventually makes it to New Jersey where she is reunited with her birth mother, marries, and becomes a teacher.
Hannah’s story is unique to slave literature. While she suffered tremendously by being a slave, she seemed to evade the physical hardships of slavery, with the exception of fleeing for freedom, in which case she was malnourished and suffered from exposure. It is unfortunate that given the author’s circumstance, she could not reveal her true identity. It would have been extremely interesting to find out more about the author and learn whether or not most of the events depicted in the book were based on the author’s actual experiences. I would recommend this book to this others. If it is true that this was the first book ever written by a black woman, it is a tremendous literary find on the part of Gates and plays an important role in the depiction of slave history. It should be considered a major piece of literature in the realm of black literature, as well as women’s literature. The author utilized certain vivid situations to relate to the social aspect of slavery in the realm of interracial relationships that occurred between slaves and their owners, such as the two chapters in the book dedicated to Lizzy’s story. The author also describes the despicable business of slave trade, such as the section of the book when Trappe sells Hannah back into slavery and barters with the potential buyer.. The book is essential to read to further one’s knowledge of black history.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tri-State Literacy Council maintained revenue in 2009 fiscal year
The Tri-State Literacy Council maintained its revenue of $51,423 in the 2009 fiscal year, according to the council's most recent 990 form.
The council's revenue from 2009 was identical to the one in 2008. The council's 990 form for the 2010 fiscal year has not been released yet.
The total expenses of the council were $56,096, creating a deficit of $4,673. The net assets of the council were $8,089.
The directors of the council are Denise Pittenger and Lynn Ormiston. Pittenger earned $15,350 in 2009 and Ormiston earned $3,300.
The council's address is:
Tri-State Literacy Council
455 9th Street Plaza
Huntington, WV 25701
The council can be reached at (304) 528-5700. Its website address is http://cabell.lib.wv.us/pages/aa-literacy.html.
I have an appointment to meet with Ormiston on February 7 at 9:30 a.m. I plan to get a brief history of the council. The focus of this assignment is to learn how various nonprofits are surviving in the nation's economic climate. Literacy tutoring is something that could potentially take a backseat to another nonprofit organization such as the Salvation Army. I will ask Ormiston to refer me to some clients who have utilized the council's tutoring program.
The Secretary of State's website was not very helpful in giving any information about the council in particular. The United Way of the River Cities was listed along with some nonprofits that it funds, but the council was not listed with it. GuideStar was much more helpful because it had the council's 990's from 2006 to 2009.
The council's revenue from 2009 was identical to the one in 2008. The council's 990 form for the 2010 fiscal year has not been released yet.
The total expenses of the council were $56,096, creating a deficit of $4,673. The net assets of the council were $8,089.
The directors of the council are Denise Pittenger and Lynn Ormiston. Pittenger earned $15,350 in 2009 and Ormiston earned $3,300.
The council's address is:
Tri-State Literacy Council
455 9th Street Plaza
Huntington, WV 25701
The council can be reached at (304) 528-5700. Its website address is http://cabell.lib.wv.us/pages/aa-literacy.html.
I have an appointment to meet with Ormiston on February 7 at 9:30 a.m. I plan to get a brief history of the council. The focus of this assignment is to learn how various nonprofits are surviving in the nation's economic climate. Literacy tutoring is something that could potentially take a backseat to another nonprofit organization such as the Salvation Army. I will ask Ormiston to refer me to some clients who have utilized the council's tutoring program.
The Secretary of State's website was not very helpful in giving any information about the council in particular. The United Way of the River Cities was listed along with some nonprofits that it funds, but the council was not listed with it. GuideStar was much more helpful because it had the council's 990's from 2006 to 2009.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
TTA Board Meeting
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
The Tristate Transit Authority conducted Wednesday its monthly meeting of the board.
Paul Davis, CEO and general manager of the TTA, said ridership for the month of December was down by 582 customers and fare box revenue was down by $1,000.76.
Davis also said Dial-A-Ride ridership was down by 442 customers.
"Considering the weather conditions we have had tis winter, that is not too bad," Davis said.
According to the performance report, bus ridership is up by 10, 163 trips, or .02 percent, and Dial-A-Ride is down by 980 trips, or .1 percent.
The iT bus to Charleston carried an average of 22 people per day during the month of January with a total of 470 passengers.
Board members breathed a sigh of relief when Senate Bill 493 died Wednesday morning. The bill would have allowed the Department of Health and Human Resource to create a request for proposal in order to establish a brokerage system for Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation, said Jennifer Woodall, assistant manager of the TTA.
Operating revenues were about $4,000 more than expected during the month and the 7.4 percent favorable variance was a result of the continued growth of the NEMT revenues, according to the February 2011 chief financials officer's report. Woodall predicts the agency will receive $15,000 or more in NEMT revenue this year.
The 18 transit authorities that make up the West Virginia Public Transit Association were opposed to this bill because it did not allow the participation of WVPTA in the design of the RFP for brokerage services, Woodall said.
TTA received two new Dial-A-Ride vans, both of which exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for lift capacity. The vans can carry three wheelchairs at a time.
TTA board members and transit agencies across the state will attend Transit Day March 7.
Davis and another board member attended the Annual American Public Transportation Association's CEO and General Manager's Seminar in San Diego, Calif. in June 2010. Davis said the seminar provided many networking opportunities. The trip caused TTA corporate expenses for Jan. 26 to Feb. 22, 2011 to be $1,616.93.
The Tristate Transit Authority conducted Wednesday its monthly meeting of the board.
Paul Davis, CEO and general manager of the TTA, said ridership for the month of December was down by 582 customers and fare box revenue was down by $1,000.76.
Davis also said Dial-A-Ride ridership was down by 442 customers.
"Considering the weather conditions we have had tis winter, that is not too bad," Davis said.
According to the performance report, bus ridership is up by 10, 163 trips, or .02 percent, and Dial-A-Ride is down by 980 trips, or .1 percent.
The iT bus to Charleston carried an average of 22 people per day during the month of January with a total of 470 passengers.
Board members breathed a sigh of relief when Senate Bill 493 died Wednesday morning. The bill would have allowed the Department of Health and Human Resource to create a request for proposal in order to establish a brokerage system for Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation, said Jennifer Woodall, assistant manager of the TTA.
Operating revenues were about $4,000 more than expected during the month and the 7.4 percent favorable variance was a result of the continued growth of the NEMT revenues, according to the February 2011 chief financials officer's report. Woodall predicts the agency will receive $15,000 or more in NEMT revenue this year.
The 18 transit authorities that make up the West Virginia Public Transit Association were opposed to this bill because it did not allow the participation of WVPTA in the design of the RFP for brokerage services, Woodall said.
TTA received two new Dial-A-Ride vans, both of which exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for lift capacity. The vans can carry three wheelchairs at a time.
TTA board members and transit agencies across the state will attend Transit Day March 7.
Davis and another board member attended the Annual American Public Transportation Association's CEO and General Manager's Seminar in San Diego, Calif. in June 2010. Davis said the seminar provided many networking opportunities. The trip caused TTA corporate expenses for Jan. 26 to Feb. 22, 2011 to be $1,616.93.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tristate Transit Authority board meeting on Wednesday
I will be attending a board meeting for the Tristate Transit Authority Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. I was unable to attain an agenda for the meeting. Paul Davis, the CEO of the TTA, said there have not been any new developments on the horizon for the TTA so I am interested to see what the meeting will consist of and what topics will be discovered. I anticipate them discussing extending the service of the TTA to KineticPark due to the new business that will be opening up there, an orthodontic office.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A report on Lowes Industries
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
Lowe's Industries announced Larry D. Stone would retire from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company June 12, 2011, according to the company's U.S. Security and Exchange Commission 8-K form, which was released Jan. 28, 2011. Stone's decision to retire was not based on a disagreement with the company, according to the 8-K form. According to form E424B2 released Nov. 18, 2010, Lowe's stated its 2.125% notes would mature April 15, 2016 and the 3.750% notes April 15, 2021. The amounts to be registered are $475 million and $525 million respectively. Lowe's stated the use of the net proceeds, totaling at approximately $994 million after deducting estimated offering expenses, will be for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and working capital needs. Lowe's also stated they would use net proceeds to repurchase shares of common stock.
Lowe's Industries announced Larry D. Stone would retire from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company June 12, 2011, according to the company's U.S. Security and Exchange Commission 8-K form, which was released Jan. 28, 2011. Stone's decision to retire was not based on a disagreement with the company, according to the 8-K form. According to form E424B2 released Nov. 18, 2010, Lowe's stated its 2.125% notes would mature April 15, 2016 and the 3.750% notes April 15, 2021. The amounts to be registered are $475 million and $525 million respectively. Lowe's stated the use of the net proceeds, totaling at approximately $994 million after deducting estimated offering expenses, will be for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and working capital needs. Lowe's also stated they would use net proceeds to repurchase shares of common stock.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Latino stereotypes continue to plague society
While many like to believe that the world has made tremendous strides in putting an end to racism, it is still present in the media. But, are these simply isolated incidents or does the media use these stereotypes to perpetuate an image of a certain group?
In an episode of Judge Judy, both the plaintiffs and defendants are Hispanic. Both cases were related to one incident, in which the group was involved in a drunken fight. Some might argue that this perpetuates the stereotype of a "drunken Mexican," but I firmly believe this could have and has happened to every other racial ethnicity. The first set of plaintiffs and defendants were both females. One seemed to be quieter than the other and was either nervous or didn't speak English as well as her adversary. Judge Judy continuously picked on the girl an insulted her intelligence. One thing I found interesting was that Judge Judy did not attack the defendant as much as the plaintiff, but she awarded the plaintiff with $5,000 in settlement money. The defendant had a much lighter complexion than the plaintiff and I think this must be taken into account as well.
In the same episode and in the following case, the plaintiff was a Hispanic woman and the defendant was a Hispanic man. While the previous case showed a great deal of racial stereotypes, this showed some gender stereotypes. While the male defendant was being charged with beating up the female plaintiff, Judge Judy again sided with the defendant and tried to attack the plaintiff. Even when the male defendant spoke out of turn, she didn't scold him as she did the females involved in the case. Judge Judy seemed to favor the lighter-skinned female and the male. However, the entire appeal of Judge Judy's program is that she scolds people who do stupid things. Was it completely random that she scolded the individuals she did or is Judge Judy a closet xenophobe? I think it was the former. Anyone could say that this scenario only strengthens stereotypes of Hispanics, but the same scenario has occurred with any ethnicity.
The two hosts of Top Gear, a UK automotive show, have been pegged as xenophobes after making offensive comments directed at Mexicans and using stereotypes about the race as reasons not to by Mexican-made cars. The host, Richard Hammond, said Mexicans were "lazy, feckless, flatulent and fat." The Mexican ambassador to London Eduardo Medina-More Icaza demanded that Hammond issue an apology after his statement. This is a valid concern on the part of Icaza. The comments blatantly targeted a particular group and insulted them with outrageous remarks. Unlike the case with Judge Judy, in which the scenario could have had any type of ethnicity, Hammond directly targeted Hispanics.
I am fully aware that stereotypes are present in the media I am exposed to every day. However, I don't think these two cases could be considered related. In one instance, it was simply chance that Hispanics were the parties present in the case. They were portrayed as alcoholics and violent, but so is the white male in programs such as Jerry Springer. If the dominant majority perspective is supposed to share these same characteristics, then I don't believe it is a racial stereotype. However, in the case with Hammond, he made regrettable, racist remarks and should issue an apology for them.
In an episode of Judge Judy, both the plaintiffs and defendants are Hispanic. Both cases were related to one incident, in which the group was involved in a drunken fight. Some might argue that this perpetuates the stereotype of a "drunken Mexican," but I firmly believe this could have and has happened to every other racial ethnicity. The first set of plaintiffs and defendants were both females. One seemed to be quieter than the other and was either nervous or didn't speak English as well as her adversary. Judge Judy continuously picked on the girl an insulted her intelligence. One thing I found interesting was that Judge Judy did not attack the defendant as much as the plaintiff, but she awarded the plaintiff with $5,000 in settlement money. The defendant had a much lighter complexion than the plaintiff and I think this must be taken into account as well.
In the same episode and in the following case, the plaintiff was a Hispanic woman and the defendant was a Hispanic man. While the previous case showed a great deal of racial stereotypes, this showed some gender stereotypes. While the male defendant was being charged with beating up the female plaintiff, Judge Judy again sided with the defendant and tried to attack the plaintiff. Even when the male defendant spoke out of turn, she didn't scold him as she did the females involved in the case. Judge Judy seemed to favor the lighter-skinned female and the male. However, the entire appeal of Judge Judy's program is that she scolds people who do stupid things. Was it completely random that she scolded the individuals she did or is Judge Judy a closet xenophobe? I think it was the former. Anyone could say that this scenario only strengthens stereotypes of Hispanics, but the same scenario has occurred with any ethnicity.
The two hosts of Top Gear, a UK automotive show, have been pegged as xenophobes after making offensive comments directed at Mexicans and using stereotypes about the race as reasons not to by Mexican-made cars. The host, Richard Hammond, said Mexicans were "lazy, feckless, flatulent and fat." The Mexican ambassador to London Eduardo Medina-More Icaza demanded that Hammond issue an apology after his statement. This is a valid concern on the part of Icaza. The comments blatantly targeted a particular group and insulted them with outrageous remarks. Unlike the case with Judge Judy, in which the scenario could have had any type of ethnicity, Hammond directly targeted Hispanics.
I am fully aware that stereotypes are present in the media I am exposed to every day. However, I don't think these two cases could be considered related. In one instance, it was simply chance that Hispanics were the parties present in the case. They were portrayed as alcoholics and violent, but so is the white male in programs such as Jerry Springer. If the dominant majority perspective is supposed to share these same characteristics, then I don't believe it is a racial stereotype. However, in the case with Hammond, he made regrettable, racist remarks and should issue an apology for them.
The nation of a minority
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
Maria Shriver's A Woman's Nation Changes Everything is an accurate depiction of the world and its continuous push toward gender equality.
Shriver begins the book with the chapter titled "A Woman's Nation." She begins the chapter with a description of her mother, Eunice Kennedy. A woman who already had a bit of a social background, being a member of the prominent, political family of the Kennedy's, Eunice taught her daughter that she would always have the same opportunity as boys and to never give up. Eunice greatly influenced her daughter's views on women.
One astounding statistic was women are about to account for 50% of the country's payroll for the first time in history. This is a tremendous stride for women. 40% of women were recognized as being the breadwinners of their home in 2009! This is huge in a nation where the picture perfect, all-American family was depicted as a hardworking father and a stay at home mother who never held an occupation, with the exception of clerical work in attempts to meet a husband.
Women now earn 60% of all college degrees and 50% of the Ph D's. In regard to education, the amount of women exceeds the amount of men who earn degrees! This is critical considering women are still considered a minority. If women are becoming more and more equal to men, why do they still feel underrepresented in the media? If this is now a women's nation like the report, why are they not represented?
The report delves into a 1963 report titled American Women. Th report was a product of the Commission on the Status of Women, formed by former president John F. Kennedy, Shriver's uncle. Recommendations of the report consisted of equal pay for equal work for both gender and enhanced educational opportunities for women. While women have received the latter, women still only make 70% of what a man makes. These recommendations were given almost 50 years ago! If this is a woman's nation, why are we still being treated like second-class citizens in a workforce that we make up 50% of?
This book is inspiring to women, with a hopeful message that we are advancing in society. It does however beg many questions regarding our lack of representation and the unfair treatment amongst genders, despite the fact that women account 50% of the workforce population. Women are the largest minority group in the entire world and this is their nation.
Maria Shriver's A Woman's Nation Changes Everything is an accurate depiction of the world and its continuous push toward gender equality.
Shriver begins the book with the chapter titled "A Woman's Nation." She begins the chapter with a description of her mother, Eunice Kennedy. A woman who already had a bit of a social background, being a member of the prominent, political family of the Kennedy's, Eunice taught her daughter that she would always have the same opportunity as boys and to never give up. Eunice greatly influenced her daughter's views on women.
One astounding statistic was women are about to account for 50% of the country's payroll for the first time in history. This is a tremendous stride for women. 40% of women were recognized as being the breadwinners of their home in 2009! This is huge in a nation where the picture perfect, all-American family was depicted as a hardworking father and a stay at home mother who never held an occupation, with the exception of clerical work in attempts to meet a husband.
Women now earn 60% of all college degrees and 50% of the Ph D's. In regard to education, the amount of women exceeds the amount of men who earn degrees! This is critical considering women are still considered a minority. If women are becoming more and more equal to men, why do they still feel underrepresented in the media? If this is now a women's nation like the report, why are they not represented?
The report delves into a 1963 report titled American Women. Th report was a product of the Commission on the Status of Women, formed by former president John F. Kennedy, Shriver's uncle. Recommendations of the report consisted of equal pay for equal work for both gender and enhanced educational opportunities for women. While women have received the latter, women still only make 70% of what a man makes. These recommendations were given almost 50 years ago! If this is a woman's nation, why are we still being treated like second-class citizens in a workforce that we make up 50% of?
This book is inspiring to women, with a hopeful message that we are advancing in society. It does however beg many questions regarding our lack of representation and the unfair treatment amongst genders, despite the fact that women account 50% of the workforce population. Women are the largest minority group in the entire world and this is their nation.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Article Summaries
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
The New York Times article titled "The Ballad of Big Mike" was written by Michael Lewis in 2006. It was adapted from the book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. The article was a bout a teenage left tackle, Michael Oher at Briarcrest Christian School in Mississippi. The was not a study by any means, but rather an in depth human interest piece. If anything, the significance of this article could be how the education system completely failed Oher and allowed him to be so behind. Also, the social context of the story should be noted. A wealthy white, religious, and conservative family takes in the homeless Oher and help him to get his high school degree and attend the University of Mississippi. This story is a human interest piece because it shows the goodness of people. I genuinely enjoyed reading this piece.
The article titled "Virtual Violence: Gender and Aggression in Video Game Advertisements" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Erica Scharrer. The study examined the portrayal of gender and violence in video game advertisements. The major hypotheses of this study were as follows:
H1:Male characters will outnumber female characters.
H2:Female characters will be more attractive than male characters.
H3: Female characters will be more sexualized than male characters.
H4:The number of male characters will be associated with the amount of violence.
H5: There will be more violent content than sexual content.
There were 10 hypotheses total, but I chose the ones that I felt were most relevant to the study. Previous researchers found that video game playing is the most popular form of entertainment for males between the ages of 12 and 25. One researcher found in a content analysis of video games that only 15% of the games sampled had female heroes and 30% had no female characters at all. Scharrer conducted a content analysis of 1,054 advertisements in large circulation video game magazines. Scharrer found that on average, 43% of the magazines' pages are devoted to ad content, with an average of 56 ads and 80 pages per issue. A total of 55.8% of the ads contained at least one act of violence. Male characters outnumbered female characters more than 3:1. The significance of this study is the fact that video games are increasing in popularity every year. An entire demographic, females, are being essentially neglected from this medium. We must consider how the portrayal of women in video games affects that particular age group. I agree with Scharrer in regard to the portrayal of females in video games, but I don't feel the violence in video games has that great of an impact on individuals. One could argue that the violence involved in sports such as football or hockey could have an impact on an individual and make them more violent.
The article titled "How Campus Media Cover Sports: The Gender-Equity Issue" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Suzanne Huffman, C.A. Tuggle and Dana Scott Rosengard. The study focused on the way media frame coverage of women's athletics. The major research questions of the study were as follows: What is the ratio in campus media of stories featuring women's sports to men's sports? What is the ratio in campus media of women interviewed about sports to men interviewed about sports? What is the ratio in campus media of women reporting about sports to men reporting about sports? What is the ratio in campus newscasts regarding coverage of male and female athletes in specific sports? Previous researchers found there was a "continuing failure sports news shows to adequately cover women's sports." In one instance, researchers found that the ratio in which men's sports were reported women's sports was six to one. One piece of information that particularly angered me was in the 2000 Summer Olympics, women made up 40% of the competitors. Men not only received more coverage but were also given more opportunities to be interviewed. This study involved a content analysis of the media of 66 different colleges. The study found that college newspaper devoted 72.7% of sports coverage to men and television devoted 81.5% to men despite the fact that females made up 41% of the college athletes. Male reporters in both print and broadcast greatly outnumbered women, as well. The significance of this study is the fact that women athletes depend on the media to represent the growing number of female athletes. According to this study, journalists are failing female athletes. While I agree with the study in that female athletes are greatly underrepresented, I think certain factors must be considered. There are not as many female sports as there are male sports and this is not the fault of the journalists but the fault of Title IX. Also, journalists must be aware of the season in which they are reporting sports and whether or not female sports are occurring at that time. Overall, college media does a better job of covering women's sports than mainstream media does due to the reduction of sports coverage by mainstream media. College journalists should seize this opportunity to report on female sports.
The article titled "Spreading Global Consumerism: Effect of Mass Media and Advertising on Consumerist Values in China" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Hye-Jin Paek and Zhongdang Pan. The study is about the effect that Western media content related to consumption has on consumerism in China. The major research question in this study is What are the roles of attitudes toward advertising in the relationship between exposure to advertisements via media and the acceptance of the consumerist values? Previous researchers have found that Chinese consumers are acquiring a more positive attitude toward advertisements, a "capitalist message," despite being a communist country. With this trend of consumerism, researchers show that China's consumers are developing not only consumerist values but also increased sophistication in consumption. The study was a an analysis of surveys distributed in 2000 by a marketing research agency in Beijing.
"Sports Model/Sports Mind: The Relationship Between Entertainment and Sports Media Exposure, Sports Participation, and Body Image Distortion in Division I Female Athletes" was written by Kimberly L. Bissell and published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004. This study investigated Division I female athletes' exposure to sports media and entertainment. Bissell looked for possible connections to body image distortion. This study had two primary hypotheses:
H1. Exposure to thin ideal television programming will be positively associated to higher scores on four disordered-eating subscales, independent of participation in sports and independent of interest in
body improvement television.
H2. Exposure to televised sports will be positively associated with lower scores on four disordered-eating subscales, independent of participation in sports and interest in sports media.
Previous researchers found a positive link between body image distortion and girls and young women and television entertainment. The study involved both surveys of college student athletes and content analyses.
The study found that interest in body-improvement television and magazines was positively and significantly correlated to bulimia and drive for thinness, whereas frequency of participating in a competitive sport was positively and significantly correlated to the drive for thinness scale. The significance of this study is, again, the fact that the media has a great influence on viewers in numerous ways. The study showed the power of the media.
The New York Times article titled "The Ballad of Big Mike" was written by Michael Lewis in 2006. It was adapted from the book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. The article was a bout a teenage left tackle, Michael Oher at Briarcrest Christian School in Mississippi. The was not a study by any means, but rather an in depth human interest piece. If anything, the significance of this article could be how the education system completely failed Oher and allowed him to be so behind. Also, the social context of the story should be noted. A wealthy white, religious, and conservative family takes in the homeless Oher and help him to get his high school degree and attend the University of Mississippi. This story is a human interest piece because it shows the goodness of people. I genuinely enjoyed reading this piece.
The article titled "Virtual Violence: Gender and Aggression in Video Game Advertisements" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Erica Scharrer. The study examined the portrayal of gender and violence in video game advertisements. The major hypotheses of this study were as follows:
H1:Male characters will outnumber female characters.
H2:Female characters will be more attractive than male characters.
H3: Female characters will be more sexualized than male characters.
H4:The number of male characters will be associated with the amount of violence.
H5: There will be more violent content than sexual content.
There were 10 hypotheses total, but I chose the ones that I felt were most relevant to the study. Previous researchers found that video game playing is the most popular form of entertainment for males between the ages of 12 and 25. One researcher found in a content analysis of video games that only 15% of the games sampled had female heroes and 30% had no female characters at all. Scharrer conducted a content analysis of 1,054 advertisements in large circulation video game magazines. Scharrer found that on average, 43% of the magazines' pages are devoted to ad content, with an average of 56 ads and 80 pages per issue. A total of 55.8% of the ads contained at least one act of violence. Male characters outnumbered female characters more than 3:1. The significance of this study is the fact that video games are increasing in popularity every year. An entire demographic, females, are being essentially neglected from this medium. We must consider how the portrayal of women in video games affects that particular age group. I agree with Scharrer in regard to the portrayal of females in video games, but I don't feel the violence in video games has that great of an impact on individuals. One could argue that the violence involved in sports such as football or hockey could have an impact on an individual and make them more violent.
The article titled "How Campus Media Cover Sports: The Gender-Equity Issue" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Suzanne Huffman, C.A. Tuggle and Dana Scott Rosengard. The study focused on the way media frame coverage of women's athletics. The major research questions of the study were as follows: What is the ratio in campus media of stories featuring women's sports to men's sports? What is the ratio in campus media of women interviewed about sports to men interviewed about sports? What is the ratio in campus media of women reporting about sports to men reporting about sports? What is the ratio in campus newscasts regarding coverage of male and female athletes in specific sports? Previous researchers found there was a "continuing failure sports news shows to adequately cover women's sports." In one instance, researchers found that the ratio in which men's sports were reported women's sports was six to one. One piece of information that particularly angered me was in the 2000 Summer Olympics, women made up 40% of the competitors. Men not only received more coverage but were also given more opportunities to be interviewed. This study involved a content analysis of the media of 66 different colleges. The study found that college newspaper devoted 72.7% of sports coverage to men and television devoted 81.5% to men despite the fact that females made up 41% of the college athletes. Male reporters in both print and broadcast greatly outnumbered women, as well. The significance of this study is the fact that women athletes depend on the media to represent the growing number of female athletes. According to this study, journalists are failing female athletes. While I agree with the study in that female athletes are greatly underrepresented, I think certain factors must be considered. There are not as many female sports as there are male sports and this is not the fault of the journalists but the fault of Title IX. Also, journalists must be aware of the season in which they are reporting sports and whether or not female sports are occurring at that time. Overall, college media does a better job of covering women's sports than mainstream media does due to the reduction of sports coverage by mainstream media. College journalists should seize this opportunity to report on female sports.
The article titled "Spreading Global Consumerism: Effect of Mass Media and Advertising on Consumerist Values in China" was published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004 and was written by Hye-Jin Paek and Zhongdang Pan. The study is about the effect that Western media content related to consumption has on consumerism in China. The major research question in this study is What are the roles of attitudes toward advertising in the relationship between exposure to advertisements via media and the acceptance of the consumerist values? Previous researchers have found that Chinese consumers are acquiring a more positive attitude toward advertisements, a "capitalist message," despite being a communist country. With this trend of consumerism, researchers show that China's consumers are developing not only consumerist values but also increased sophistication in consumption. The study was a an analysis of surveys distributed in 2000 by a marketing research agency in Beijing.
"Sports Model/Sports Mind: The Relationship Between Entertainment and Sports Media Exposure, Sports Participation, and Body Image Distortion in Division I Female Athletes" was written by Kimberly L. Bissell and published in Mass Communication & Society in 2004. This study investigated Division I female athletes' exposure to sports media and entertainment. Bissell looked for possible connections to body image distortion. This study had two primary hypotheses:
H1. Exposure to thin ideal television programming will be positively associated to higher scores on four disordered-eating subscales, independent of participation in sports and independent of interest in
body improvement television.
H2. Exposure to televised sports will be positively associated with lower scores on four disordered-eating subscales, independent of participation in sports and interest in sports media.
Previous researchers found a positive link between body image distortion and girls and young women and television entertainment. The study involved both surveys of college student athletes and content analyses.
The study found that interest in body-improvement television and magazines was positively and significantly correlated to bulimia and drive for thinness, whereas frequency of participating in a competitive sport was positively and significantly correlated to the drive for thinness scale. The significance of this study is, again, the fact that the media has a great influence on viewers in numerous ways. The study showed the power of the media.
Expired bill brings halt to further development of TTA
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
There are not many new developments on the horizon for the Tristate Transit Authority.
Paul Davis, the general manager and CEO of the TTA, said since the expansion of TTA routes into Lawrence County, Ohio two years ago, there have been no new initiatives. The TTA previously received funding through a transit bill that recently expired. Davis said without the transit bill, there are no opportunities for expansion.
Davis said the TTA is currently supported by a property tax levy, which has provided steady funding.
Davis said there will be new developments at KineticPark, a commercial area that has not seen business developments since 2009, in Huntington, W. Va. Davis said the TTA will be working to enhance its service in order to provide routes that go to Kineticpark.
There are not many new developments on the horizon for the Tristate Transit Authority.
Paul Davis, the general manager and CEO of the TTA, said since the expansion of TTA routes into Lawrence County, Ohio two years ago, there have been no new initiatives. The TTA previously received funding through a transit bill that recently expired. Davis said without the transit bill, there are no opportunities for expansion.
Davis said the TTA is currently supported by a property tax levy, which has provided steady funding.
Davis said there will be new developments at KineticPark, a commercial area that has not seen business developments since 2009, in Huntington, W. Va. Davis said the TTA will be working to enhance its service in order to provide routes that go to Kineticpark.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Obama encourages Americans to reach for the stars in nation's "Sputnik moment"
BY KATIE QUINONEZ
President Barack Obama encouraged Americans to reach for the stars Tuesday evening in his anual State of the Union address.
Obama referred to this era as the nation’s “Sputnik moment,” hinting that this was the nation’s chance to become more competitive internationally in the fields of mathematics and science. Obama incorporated this theme into both education and job creation.
“Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race,” Obama said in his address. “In a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal.”
Obama said there would be investments in biomedical research, information technology and clean energy technology. These investments have the potential to not only make the U.S. competitive against countries such as India and China, but also create countless jobs.
Obama encouraged college graduates to become teachers. This was a smart in his part because job creation methods impact voters strongly. It also perpetuated his agenda of the nation’s competitiveness in science and mathematics.
Obama said his ultimate goal is to add 100,000 new teachers to the education system in fields of mathematics and science. This is ironic considering the high amount of school closings and teacher layoffs.
Obama used clean energy initiatives as a means to bolster the nation’s economy, increase competitiveness and create thousands of new jobs. Some concrete goals the president set were to have one million electric automobiles on the road by 2015 and to have 80% of Americans utilizing clean energy sources such as wind, solar, nuclear and clean coal, by 2035.
“With more research incentives, we can break our dependence on oil biofuels and become the first nation to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015,” the president said. “And to help pay for it, I’m asking Congress to eliminate billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they’re doing just fine on their own.”
It would be interesting to see how the president plans to make electric cars more affordable for the nation. It might be smart to start another “cash for clunkers” initiative like the Car Allowance Rebate System in 2009. The system was a $3 billion program that provided economic incentives for U.S. citizens to drive more fuel-efficient and ecofriendly automobiles.
An important topic that affected every American was the budget deficit, now totaling well over $1 trillion. Obama proposed to freeze domestic spending for the next 10 years and cut extra expenditures such as community action programs. This would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade.
“I’m willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without,” Obama said. “But, let’s make sure that we’re not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.”
The environment and job creation were not the only themes prevalent in Obama’s address. He encouraged unity between Republicans and Democrats and there was an overall message of bipartisanship. As expected, he credited the tragic shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to a heated political agenda between two opposing parties
“There’s a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause,” Obama said. “Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater- something more consequential than party or political preference.”
It was wise of the president not to go too deep into the details of the shootings, as to not pinpoint blame on any one particular party. It was also wise, as well as unexpected, of him not to delve into gun control policies. If he did, he could have further divided Republicans and Democrats, as well as propose a solution to a problem in which there simply is not one. He used the shootings in Tucson to encourage unity, not gun control legislation.
I predicted that Obama would set a time line for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Vice President Joe Biden said a week ago that troops from Afghanistan would be returning home in July. I expected Obama to address the ones in Iraq and he did.
I predicted that Obama would set a time line for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Vice President Joe Biden said a week ago that troops from Afghanistan would be returning home in July. I expected Obama to address the ones in Iraq and he did.
Overall, Obama showed sympathy for the working class, the citizens who have been affected by the recession most. He encouraged Americans to better themselves through means of education and technological advances. Obama recognizes that the U.S. needs to take major steps toward clean energy and protecting the environment. He showed a genuine interest in working with Republicans and Democrats alike to improve the nation.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Errors in The Parthenon: Jan. 19, 2011
There were two stories published on the front page of Marshall University's student-ran newspaper, The Parthenon, regarding basketball. One story focused on the men's team, the other women's. The importance of these stories is that both teams played against arch collegiate rival, West Virginia University. There were numerous errors in the latter ranging from inconsistencies in tense and the excessive use of platitudes.
1. In the lede of the women's basketball story, there is an inconsistency with the noun. The team is later in the lede referred to as "they" and "their."
2. The article is littered with platitudes from players and the coach. The worst of it comes in the paragraph preceding the final one. Professor Morris said an easy way to avoid platitudes is to paraphrase. The author did not paraphrase and because of this, the word "atmosphere" is used four times in the paragraph. The coach used the word three times in a two sentence quote and the reporter used it in a sentence preceding the quote. It's annoying and distracts the reader.
3. There are numerous instances in the women's basketball story in which information is not accredited to a source. Paragraphs in general are too long, and quotes are broken at awkward places.
1. In the lede of the women's basketball story, there is an inconsistency with the noun. The team is later in the lede referred to as "they" and "their."
2. The article is littered with platitudes from players and the coach. The worst of it comes in the paragraph preceding the final one. Professor Morris said an easy way to avoid platitudes is to paraphrase. The author did not paraphrase and because of this, the word "atmosphere" is used four times in the paragraph. The coach used the word three times in a two sentence quote and the reporter used it in a sentence preceding the quote. It's annoying and distracts the reader.
3. There are numerous instances in the women's basketball story in which information is not accredited to a source. Paragraphs in general are too long, and quotes are broken at awkward places.
Two Articles: The Washington Post
The newspaper I chose to analyze was The Washington Post. The racial group I decided to analyze was Hispanic. All of the articles I analyzed focused on illegal immigration as well as the often offensive terminology used when describing this particular group, "illegal aliens."
The first article I read, "Mexican cartel violence prompts calls for bigger National Guard deployment along the border," 1,200 Arizona National Guardsmen deployed to the border in an attempt to crackdown on illegal immigration and to give U.S. Customs and Border Protection time to hire more agents. The article pointed out the fact that despite worsened drug cartel violence, illegal immigration and crime have declined. The first person interviewed was Brig. Gen. Jose Salinas of the Arizona National Guard. I think the article sort of winks at the fact that the individual sent to secure the border is in fact Hispanic himself. The article focuses specifically on the drug problem on the border; it doesn't really recognize the number of innocent families who try to make it into the country every year with no affiliation to these cartels. Mexican immigrants in this article are referred to as "illegal immigrants" or illegal migrants" not "illegal aliens." I feel the story is sort of reinforcing the notion that Mexicans only want to migrate into this country to sell drugs. The article did have a diverse range of sources' a Hispanic National Guardsmen, a republican representative and a democrat, female representative.
The first article I read, "Mexican cartel violence prompts calls for bigger National Guard deployment along the border," 1,200 Arizona National Guardsmen deployed to the border in an attempt to crackdown on illegal immigration and to give U.S. Customs and Border Protection time to hire more agents. The article pointed out the fact that despite worsened drug cartel violence, illegal immigration and crime have declined. The first person interviewed was Brig. Gen. Jose Salinas of the Arizona National Guard. I think the article sort of winks at the fact that the individual sent to secure the border is in fact Hispanic himself. The article focuses specifically on the drug problem on the border; it doesn't really recognize the number of innocent families who try to make it into the country every year with no affiliation to these cartels. Mexican immigrants in this article are referred to as "illegal immigrants" or illegal migrants" not "illegal aliens." I feel the story is sort of reinforcing the notion that Mexicans only want to migrate into this country to sell drugs. The article did have a diverse range of sources' a Hispanic National Guardsmen, a republican representative and a democrat, female representative.
"U.S. program to deport criminal illegal immigrants has deported high percentages of noncriminals in some areas" portrayed Hispanics and Latinos very fairly and actually in some cases defended them. The article stated 25% percent of deported immigrants had not in fact been convicted of any sort of crime. There were a wide range of individuals interviewed for the story such as Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, whose comments obviously give depth to the story, Gustavo Andrade, organizing director of an immigrant rights group that is active in the county, who provides a defense and sympathetic view of immigrants and a spokesman for the Prince George's County Department of Corrections. This particular county has a deportation rate that is the second highest in the country so interviewing someone from the county's Department of Corrections was necessary. The article does not use derogatory terminology when referring to illegal Hispanic immigrants. There are two sides to every story and both sides were interviewed for this story.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Obama will address Afghanistan and gun control
President Barack Obama will give his second Sate of the Union Address Tuesday and there are numerous topics he could cover ranging from health care to Afghanistan.
In President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1934 State of the Union address, he said “without regard to party.” This has been a recurring theme with Obama and has been emphasised since the shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. Obama has blamed the shootings on a heated political agenda by two competing parties. FDR used the phrase in an attempt to unite a nation during times of economic hardship and to recognize that everyone was affected by the Depression, regardless of party.
Obama, much like President John F. Kennedy, entered office as a Democrat after eight years of a Republican administration. JFK was also first Catholic president of the U.S. and his loyalties to the country were questioned because of it. Obama's religion has been questioned and greatly factored into many voter's decisions. JFK took office in the middle of a seven-month-long recession. "The present state of our economy is disturbing," JFK said in his first State of the Union address. At the time JFK took office, business bankruptcies had reached their highest levels since the Depression. The economy was in a similar state when Obama took office.
President Richard M. Nixon entered office in the middle of an ongoing war. Much like Obama inherited the war in Iraq, Nixon inherited the Vietnam War from his predecessor. In his first State of the Union address, Nixon said foreign policy would be the nation's top priority. In this particular State of the Unions address, Nixon said that because of the country's military strength, the country had a responsibility to defend newly formed nations or those with weak and vulnerable governments. This is a theme of the war in Iraq. American troops have been in Iraq for about a decade now. Our reasons for staying in Iraq and not fully withdrawing are to ensure the strength of the Iraqi government. Under both presidencies, reasons for remaining in a war were protect the oppressed citizens of distant nations; it was clear in both instances that the war needed to end.
In President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1934 State of the Union address, he said “without regard to party.” This has been a recurring theme with Obama and has been emphasised since the shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. Obama has blamed the shootings on a heated political agenda by two competing parties. FDR used the phrase in an attempt to unite a nation during times of economic hardship and to recognize that everyone was affected by the Depression, regardless of party.
Obama, much like President John F. Kennedy, entered office as a Democrat after eight years of a Republican administration. JFK was also first Catholic president of the U.S. and his loyalties to the country were questioned because of it. Obama's religion has been questioned and greatly factored into many voter's decisions. JFK took office in the middle of a seven-month-long recession. "The present state of our economy is disturbing," JFK said in his first State of the Union address. At the time JFK took office, business bankruptcies had reached their highest levels since the Depression. The economy was in a similar state when Obama took office.
President Richard M. Nixon entered office in the middle of an ongoing war. Much like Obama inherited the war in Iraq, Nixon inherited the Vietnam War from his predecessor. In his first State of the Union address, Nixon said foreign policy would be the nation's top priority. In this particular State of the Unions address, Nixon said that because of the country's military strength, the country had a responsibility to defend newly formed nations or those with weak and vulnerable governments. This is a theme of the war in Iraq. American troops have been in Iraq for about a decade now. Our reasons for staying in Iraq and not fully withdrawing are to ensure the strength of the Iraqi government. Under both presidencies, reasons for remaining in a war were protect the oppressed citizens of distant nations; it was clear in both instances that the war needed to end.
I predict Obama will address the recent and tragic shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. He will most likely attempt to relate it to intense political rivalry. He will encourage the nation to set its political ideologies aside and unite. Like many politicians, Obama will use the shooting to further an agenda. The agenda in this case will be unity in an attempt to alleviate some pressure from the opposing party. His notions of unity will be criticized as they have been in the media by many Republicans recently. He will also address gun control, but not anything in depth. Obviously, there is no clear solution to prevent such atrocities from occurring and no one could have anticipated the shootings in Tuscon. Obama recognizes this.
Obama will undoubtedly address the war in Iraq, as well as the war in Afghanistan. Vice President Joe Biden recently visited Afghanistan and was confident that the country was capable of stability with the help of NATO and the U.S. government. Biden said he and Obama anticipate a reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan beginning July and Obama will undoubtedly bring this up in his State of the Union address. However, this still leaves the matter of complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. If Obama were to give approximate dates of the return of U.S. troops, he would win a lot of support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Martin Luther King , Jr. Holiday Assignment: The New York Times
The New York Times published six articles pertaining to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. The dates these the stories were published spanned from Jan. 14, 2011 to Jan. 17, 2011, King's holiday. I had honestly expected more coverage of the holiday, specifically coverage of various events in New York City which I'm sure were numerous.
The overall tone of the coverage was relatively controversial. As expected, a majority of the stories related the tragic murder of Dr. King to the shooting in Tuscon, Ariz. The holiday itself was not criticized, but many officials were criticized for their actions pertaining to holidays and blacks in general.
The overall tone of the coverage was relatively controversial. As expected, a majority of the stories related the tragic murder of Dr. King to the shooting in Tuscon, Ariz. The holiday itself was not criticized, but many officials were criticized for their actions pertaining to holidays and blacks in general.
"Maine: Governor Clears Schedule for Holiday" was about Maine Gov. Paul LePage changing his schedule to attend a breakfast honoring King after he insulted various N.A.A.C.P. leaders when they questioned why he had failed to attend similar events. LePage said the leaders could "kiss my butt" after he turned down numerous invitations to attend such gatherings. No photo accompanied this article.
"Leaping From 1968 Memphis to 2011 Tucson, and Mind-Reading Dr. King" focused on Brooklyn's 25th annual tribute to King and the overall gloomy mood due to the recent shootings in Tuscon. I feel this was a common theme in coverage of the holiday. The article mostly consisted of predictions of what King would have said in response to the shootings and gun control in general. Some politicians also said King "would have been appalled by the poverty that envelops millions of Americans" and he "would have wanted more Americans to devote themselves to community service." Another said King would have "tackled the home mortgage crisis, deplored the failures of our schools, rallied against gang warfare and other predations and denounced the widening inequities of wealth distribution in America." This particular article was written as an editorial. The photo that accompanied this article was one of attendees of the tribute at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Again, with the focus on gun violence, "At Sharpton’s King Day Forum, a Focus on Gun Violence" was about Rev. Al Sharpton hosting a gathering in Harlem to honor King. The majority of the article and the overall focus of the forum, however, was gun control. It was at this point that I realized many politicians are pushing their agendas through the tragedy that occurred in Tuscon. This year, King's holiday was simply a means of furthering gun control legislation. I was unable to decide whether this was insensitive towards the people of Tuscon affected by these shootings or if this tragic issue is receiving top priority. Perhaps this country was long overdue for a review of our gun policies and the shootings in Tuscon opened the eyes of many politicians. State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said, “Sometimes it takes something big and dramatic to get people’s attention.”
The only hopeful story regarding King was "String Meets Steel to Build Harmony." The story didn't really focus on King or his holiday. It was about the Haven Street Quartet sharing a stage and bill with St. Luke's Steel Band for a tribute to King.
In the Times' archives, I found countless articles on King. There were several articles published in his lifetime and they didn't cease as much as I expected after his death. Some of the ones published while he was living were about him winning the Nobel Peace Prize and being the youngest to do so, his "I Have a Dream" speech and an article claiming he was the spokesman for blacks. Some published after his death were the student rampage in West Germany prompted by his death, women attempting to bar the showing of a documentary about King's life in 1970 and several editorials both criticizing and praising King. Obviously articles about King during his lifetime were more controversial and he was more likely to receive criticism then from people with differing ideals. Now, coverage of King is limited to remembrance ceremonies. King is highly praised now and is less likely to receive criticism. After 1970 though, the frequency with which articles are published about King dramatically slows.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Five Articles
I analyzed five different articles from various publications. The articles focused on different special interest groups I decided whether the following articles portrayed the groups fairly.
The first article I analyzed was "Coal Grove woman gets three years in prison." The story was published in The Herald-Dispatch Jan. 13, 2011. I did not think the article portrayed the woman fairly or dealt with the information appropriately. The article was actually about three different individuals, two men and one woman, being incarcerated for different crimes. The woman had the most negligible of the crimes. She was sentenced for receiving stole property. The men were sentenced for trafficking and failure to comply with sex offender registration.
The second article I examined was "Ex-chair of civil rights group indicted in Ohio." It was published in The Herald-Dispatch Jan. 12, 2011. The story was about a man from Atlanta being charged with 51 charges of grand theft, forgery, etc. The ex-chair was a black man and the article made no mention of it. The journalist did not use the man's race to stereotype his crimes or involvement with a civil rights group. I think the journalist portrayed the man fairly.
The third article I examined was "Cuban Exile Lied to U.S., Prosecutor Tells Texas Jury." It was published in The New York Times Jan. 12, 2011. The journalist was successful in getting both sides of the story. Luisa Posada Carilles, the Cuban exile, was defended by his lawyer Arturo V. Hernandez in the article. The journalist did mention that most of the jury was Hispanic which I think gave the reader doubt that Carilles was innocent. However, the journalist is responsible for reporting observations.
The fourth article I examined was "Authorities: Woman carried 91 heroin pellets in body." The article was on CNN's website. The Nigerian woman, Sharifat Lamida, swallowed 2 1/2 pounds of heroin ans was caught during a random inspection. Why was she in particular picked out of a security line? The journalist mentioned that her final destination was Detroit. The journalist portrayed the woman fairly; she was smuggling illegal drugs into the U.S. and was caught. Her final destination was Detroit, a city that has been characterized by the amount of illegal drug activity and violence.
The final article I read was also a CNN story, "Rescued Chilean miner goes to Graceland." This is a great, relevant human interest story. It is about a Chilean minor who was trapped for 69 days with his fellow miners. While trapped, he sang many Elvis Costello songs with his fellow miners. The subject of the story was somewhat insulted by the journalists translation of his comments. The journalist included every awkward and unnecessary pause that occurs during a translation. The story was somewhat "Gee Whiz." I would've cleaned up the man's quotes. I would not have changed anythin he said, but I would have eliminated the "ums" and "uhs."
The first article I analyzed was "Coal Grove woman gets three years in prison." The story was published in The Herald-Dispatch Jan. 13, 2011. I did not think the article portrayed the woman fairly or dealt with the information appropriately. The article was actually about three different individuals, two men and one woman, being incarcerated for different crimes. The woman had the most negligible of the crimes. She was sentenced for receiving stole property. The men were sentenced for trafficking and failure to comply with sex offender registration.
The second article I examined was "Ex-chair of civil rights group indicted in Ohio." It was published in The Herald-Dispatch Jan. 12, 2011. The story was about a man from Atlanta being charged with 51 charges of grand theft, forgery, etc. The ex-chair was a black man and the article made no mention of it. The journalist did not use the man's race to stereotype his crimes or involvement with a civil rights group. I think the journalist portrayed the man fairly.
The third article I examined was "Cuban Exile Lied to U.S., Prosecutor Tells Texas Jury." It was published in The New York Times Jan. 12, 2011. The journalist was successful in getting both sides of the story. Luisa Posada Carilles, the Cuban exile, was defended by his lawyer Arturo V. Hernandez in the article. The journalist did mention that most of the jury was Hispanic which I think gave the reader doubt that Carilles was innocent. However, the journalist is responsible for reporting observations.
The fourth article I examined was "Authorities: Woman carried 91 heroin pellets in body." The article was on CNN's website. The Nigerian woman, Sharifat Lamida, swallowed 2 1/2 pounds of heroin ans was caught during a random inspection. Why was she in particular picked out of a security line? The journalist mentioned that her final destination was Detroit. The journalist portrayed the woman fairly; she was smuggling illegal drugs into the U.S. and was caught. Her final destination was Detroit, a city that has been characterized by the amount of illegal drug activity and violence.
The final article I read was also a CNN story, "Rescued Chilean miner goes to Graceland." This is a great, relevant human interest story. It is about a Chilean minor who was trapped for 69 days with his fellow miners. While trapped, he sang many Elvis Costello songs with his fellow miners. The subject of the story was somewhat insulted by the journalists translation of his comments. The journalist included every awkward and unnecessary pause that occurs during a translation. The story was somewhat "Gee Whiz." I would've cleaned up the man's quotes. I would not have changed anythin he said, but I would have eliminated the "ums" and "uhs."
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New York Times Blogs Comments
1. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
I would like to begin by saying that I love the banner for City Room. This blog offers a lot of different information on topics ranging from weather conditions, travel, accidents, etc. The most recent story that received the most comments was New York's mayor fleeing to Bermuda when the "Snow-ocalypse" struck.
2. http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Quad Blog is a sports blog. The panel of bloggers caught my attention because amongst them is Ray Glier, a freelance writer who contributes to numerous major publications and is A West Virginia University graduate.
3. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Lede seems to apply to public affairs the most out of the three blogs. It covers not only national but international current events. Some topics covered are WikiLeaks, Israel's use of tear gas against protesters as well as other Israeli controversy and the Australian flood zone. A majority of the recent posts are about Israel and Pakistan.
I would like to begin by saying that I love the banner for City Room. This blog offers a lot of different information on topics ranging from weather conditions, travel, accidents, etc. The most recent story that received the most comments was New York's mayor fleeing to Bermuda when the "Snow-ocalypse" struck.
2. http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Quad Blog is a sports blog. The panel of bloggers caught my attention because amongst them is Ray Glier, a freelance writer who contributes to numerous major publications and is A West Virginia University graduate.
3. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Lede seems to apply to public affairs the most out of the three blogs. It covers not only national but international current events. Some topics covered are WikiLeaks, Israel's use of tear gas against protesters as well as other Israeli controversy and the Australian flood zone. A majority of the recent posts are about Israel and Pakistan.
Columnist Analysis: Leonard Pitts
The first column I read by Pitts was "Some blacks forgot sting of discrimination." The article was written Nov. 12, 2008, a week after California voters passed an initiative denying recognition to same-sex marriages. I genuinely enjoyed and agreed with almost every point he made. He compared the struggles of African-Americans to those of homosexuals, and he appealed to African-Americans to stop being so hypocritical. He did not understand how African-Americans could disregard the plight of homosexuals even if there were distinct differences between the two.
For the second column I read, I tried to select a different topic to get a more thorough view of his writing style. I read "'Real' American has been here all along." The column was about the nation's outcry against Barack Obama when he ran for president in 2008. Several "reasons" the public gave as to why Obama shouldn't have been elected were:
- He is Muslim, not Christian.
- He mocks the Bible.
- He is not an American citizen.
- He is in fact the anti-Christ.
Despite the fact that all of the claims were proven incredibly false, they "fester instead." Pitts addressed the notion of the perfect cookie-cutter home and family and America's fear that Obama would simply destroy all of this. Pitts spoke out against the conservative bloggers and such that had spread rumors about Obama simply based on his appearance and name. He points out the disregard of the state in which he was born, the fact that all United States citizens are derived from an immigrant and the fact that race is inherited and religion is not.
My favorite column he wrote was actually about Appalachia, West Virginia specifically, and how 20% of West Virginia voters said race was a major factor in how they voted in the 2008 presidential election. He said he was not angry with Appalachia, but he pitied them. His depiction of West Virginia in this particular article can be construed as insulting, but it's mostly accurate.
Pitts is clearly liberal in his views. There is a consistent theme in his columns in which he defends the rights of all minorities. Pitts, himself, is an African-American man, and I feel like that in some way affects his strong social views. Pitts tackles issues concerning equality, race and politics.
Women and Minorities in the Media
I defined diversity as an array of characteristics of peoples including, though not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, ideals, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Professor Morris added a key aspect of diversity- the recognition of different people and not holding it against them, so to speak.
I believe journalists should always consider certain elements when covering topics pertaining to diversity such as choosing the correct terms, avoiding stereotypes and omission.
I believe journalists should always consider certain elements when covering topics pertaining to diversity such as choosing the correct terms, avoiding stereotypes and omission.
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