Hundreds join Walk to Prevent Suicide

I always like to read one article from my local newspaper just to see what's going on in Portsmouth.  Also, it's interesting to see the differences in writing styles between local and national news companies.  There's distinct difference in writing style between the article I read about corruption in Brazil and the one I read from the Portsmouth Herald.  The article from the Economist was more creative in the lead while this article was more traditional, with a summary lead.  I chose this article in particular because it was nice to see that there's a suicide prevention walk going on in Portsmouth because I've never participated in that all the 16 years I've lived in Portsmouth.  This article is also very timely considering a boy from Exeter High School just committed suicide.  I'm glad that the local communities are promoting awareness especially after the sophomore Exeter boy took his own life.  I think suicide is something many people feel uncomfortable talking about but it's something important that people need to be informed about too.  10 points to Portsmouth for hosting such a great event!

Corruption in Brazil: worth the wait

This article was very interesting to read because it showed a completely new way to start an article.  This piece from The Economist started with what seemed to be a delayed lead.  In the second paragraph however, the reader realized it was a more anecdotal lead.  The short story described in the opening paragraph was a traditional story told to Brazilians as an analogy for the corruption in their country.  It was cool to see how leads can be combined and used to draw the reader into the story and make them want to finish the article.

Beyond Harry Potter

I chose this article because it is particularly close to me.  I grew up with Harry Potter, they were the first real books that I read and I still continue to re-read them to this day.  The Harry Potter books were what inspired me to read more books and actually consider writing as a serious career.  Last spring break my friends and I went to Universal to go to the Magical World of Harry Potter and, I kid you not, I cried glorious tears of joy when I saw Hogwarts castle for the first time!  Therefore, when I heard JK Rowling was writing a new book, I pre-ordered it immediately.  I just started reading it today and, although it's not Harry Potter, it's still really good!  It's a little weird to hear my favorite childhood author write about adult topics but  I'm still in awe of her writing ability.  I think this article (although more or a review) definitely hits home for a lot of readers because, whether they have read them or their children have read them, JK Rowling's books have reached so many people.  This article just goes to show that anything can be considered news if ti affects enough people!

Man accused of soliciting prostitution at UNH

I was scanning seacoast online this morning for information about what's going on in Portsmouth and came across this article.  I thought it was interesting that I hadn't heard about this until this morning because, well, I live at UNH and I read about it in the Portsmouth Herald.  Apparently a Dover man was arrested after he solicited two girls for sex at a bus stop last night.  The first thing I thoughts I had when I read this were: where was I when this happened? What bus stop?  What time did this happen?   I wonder if I know the girls?  Why didn't I hear about this until now?!  I found it surprising that I found out about this event from an outside source, like Seacoast Online as opposed to, say, student gossip here on campus.  I'm interested to see how many people actually know this happened and I'm going to keep my ears open for more info. while I'm out and about on campus today!

What's up UNH?!

     Yesterday we hunted campus for news stories.  My group went to the MUB and we found lots of different story ideas!  I'm involved in a lot of clubs which help plan and run events in the MUB so I thought it would be really easy to find some cool stories just by talking to people I work with and see all the time.  However, the most interesting story we came across was one which involved an organization I know virtually nothing about.  The man we talked to at WUNH was super friendly, helpful and willing to tell us a bunch of information about his group.  Apparently WUNH wants to work on promotion this semester and they're in the process of switching from analog to digital versions of all their songs, which I found really interesting.
     It surprised me (in a good way) that there was something so interesting going on in the MUB that I had no idea about!  I guess this just goes tot show that if you just get talking to people and ask them about what they're doing, they'll tell you.  From Monday's activity, I found that people LOVE to talk about what they're doing, what they're involved with and activities they participate in.  Just by being friendly and inquisitive you can learn so much!
     The most interesting story I've come across so far has actually been an obituary.  My grandfather's always talking about how, when he reads obituaries he just wants to see the cause of death.  Well, the obituary I read didn't even mention how he died!  There was a sentence at the beginning saying how old the man was but other than that, the whole article was about this man's amazing life and all the cool and interesting things he did with his 90 years.
     I thought this article was particularly interesting because I had just finished reading the chapter on obituaries and it left me awestruck.  I mean, this man consulted Reagan on how to deal with Mikhail Gorbachev!  The history nerd inside me freaked out a little bit when I read that!  The fact that the cause of death was omitted was pretty irrelevant because this man's death was so insignificant compared with the amazing, inspiring life he led.  Like our book says, "'a good obit is about life, not death'" (96).

http://www.economist.com/node/21562880

Leads to Read

"THE rebel fighters, lolling sleepily in a former police station, are suddenly interrupted by a rocket that crashes into the roof over an unoccupied room. Although the Syrian regime has ceded direct control over this and much of the rest of Idleb, a rural province in the north-west, shelling and other attacks from a distance are a frequent annoyance—and worse. As night falls, behind closed doors, a woman sits guessing which village the distant thud of falling shells is coming from tonight. Her children, meanwhile, are busy describing in detail how the mother of a friend had her limbs torn off by a rocket."

This article demonstrates the use of a "scene-setter lead".  It vividly describes a scene, placing the reader at the heart of the action right off the bat.  I really like this type of lead because a) I think it seems fun to write and b) It's like reading a story as opposed to being told what happened.  I can picture it in my head even before I know what exactly happened.  I feel like this type of lead works best for stories about natural disasters because the reader wants to picture the destruction caused and see what occurred instead of just being told "a hurricane happened yesterday".

"IN THE north-eastern town of Yonezawa, Yoichi Funayama, owner of a photo-printing firm, has pinned signs on his shop window decrying both the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as past their sell-by dates. The cheery shopkeeper likens the parties to parents standing outside their burning house arguing about what to do. Only one proposal doing the rounds has Mr Funayama’s support: slashing the 480 lower-house seats in the Diet (parliament) by half."

This lead shows how to begin a news story with an anecdote.  The lead begins with the story of the shop keeper before delving in to the real story here: Japanese politics.  I feel like this type of lead works best for stories where the reader needs to connect with a person in the story.  For example, in this story, not all readers may be able to understand the issues posed on a large scale but when they effect small business owners and local shop owners, readers are more likely to relate to the story on a personal level.

"FOR many Americans the killing of Christopher Stevens, their ambassador to Libya, this week crystallised everything they have come to expect from the Arab world. In a country where the West only last year helped depose a murderous tyrant, a Salafist mob attacked the American consulate in Benghazi, killing Mr Stevens and three colleagues. The trigger for this murder, the riots in neighbouring Egypt and the storming of the American embassy in Yemen? A tacky amateur video about the Prophet Muhammad that the Obama administration had already condemned. Why on earth, many Americans are asking, should the United States try to police a region, when all it gets in return is mindless abuse, blame for things it cannot control, and mob violence?"

I found this lead very effective because it quickly summarized a story I already knew while also reminding me of the "shock factor" of this story.  It's pretty shocking and awful that Christopher Stevens and three colleagues were killed but reminding me of that in the lead sure grabs my attention.  Also, this lead poses a question that many people have been wondering about.  I thought this was very clever because it simultaneously makes the reader wonder about this question while also making the reader want to read more to confirm or deny their answer to this question.

Portsmouth announces the theme for Dec. 1 holiday parade

I also read an article from Seacoast Online to get some local news.  I'm from Portsmouth NH so I wanted to check out what was going on in my town.  While the article I read about Libya was very serious, this article was very light-hearted, and almost fun!  I love going to the holiday parade every year and I usually go with friends.  When I was a kid I used to walk to downtown Portsmouth with my parents and watch the parade (with a cup of hot chocolate, of course!).  That's why this article was so interesting to me, it definitely has an emotional appeal to people who live in the area and remember going to the holiday parade as kids.  It was interesting for me to read this article after reading the article about Libya because it really shows that a news story can be about anything current.  I mean, one article I read was about the attacks on the American embassy in Libya (a very intense subject) while the other was about a local holiday parade (a very non-intense subject!).  All aspects of a news story were in both articles but they were very different stories.  

Libya: Despite everything, it's still a success

I read an article from The Economist about the death of the American ambassador to Libya.  This article was interesting to me because, although it was a news story, it was written unlike many news stories I have read.  The article was on the longer side and didn't use many direct quotes.  The author of the article seemed to prefer to describe the history of why this event happened and how and why things like this might happen again in the future.
I really liked how this article was set up because I've been reading in many places what happened but it was interesting to hear why this happened and how tensions have been building for the past few months, between Westerners and extreme fundamentalist Islams, called Salafists.  Although this story was written unlike other news stories, it was still cool to see the aspects of a news story used throughout the article.  As I was reading, it was clear to see how the author organized what he thought were the most important facts all the way down to what he found the least important facts.  The story shows what we've been learning in action!!!

Thoughts for Food: my news diet

To make sure I stay immersed in current events and what's going on in the world, I set up a (hopefully) foolproof way for me to check multiple sources of news wherever I am!  I downloaded Flipboard and Pulse on to my phone so I can check news sties and blogs (as well as other fun stuff) wherever I am.  I am also now following The New York Times and The Boston Globe on Twitter so I can see up to date news headlines then research them later. Additionally, I signed up for a free online subscription to The Economist so I can even stay updated in international news (which is very fun for an IA student!).
On my Flipboard and Pulse apps I follow everything from major news companies like The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, The NY Times and The Boston Globe to fun humor and fashion blogs, I'm already kind of addicted to these apps so I guess my diet's working!  I chose to use these apps and Twitter and online magazines because I have a smart phone and pretty much have access to the internet all day from the palm of my hand.  Also, if I'm ever waiting around for a class to start or meeting a friend at Hoco, I can check new headlines and news stories instead of playing angry birds or temple run.  The only flaw in my plan is that I have to make sure my phone is charged which, as my friends will say, is a huge struggle for me!

What is News???

News allows people to connect with the World around them.  Whether it is their town or a different continent, news helps people understand current issues by presenting the facts and allowing the reader to come up with his or her own opinion on the subject matter.  News is a way that people gather unbiased facts about what is going on in the world so they can be informed about current issues that affect them.

To sum it up, news is...

• Current
• Interesting
• Enlightening
• A way to understand the World around us
• Informative
• Clarifying
• Unbiased
• Factual
• A way to relate/connect to people and places across the globe