This article is both newsworthy and alarming. The author took on a very necessary topic and showed the true feelings of this school district board member, Clint MCance. The article was very informative and provided a clear picture into one of the reasons that our day and lesbian teens today are facing bullying in our schools. Any child with a parent like this is bound to be hateful and cruel to a gay or lesbian teen. This kind of nightmarish attitude is something many of us don't realize is real and so close to our children.

I appreciated this article because it provides a call to action to what the author calls "snipers and cynics". I can say however, that as the article was a reference to another article previously written, it perhaps missed some of the pertinent details of a well-rounded story. The author did provide the reader enough information for us to know that there were two very different views on the same issue, with a number of the population feeling that these children were a complete waste of time. Although the author did provide some information as to why these "baby thugs" are an issue, with specific cases of related deaths, this article failed to really highlight the conditions, situations, and environment in which these children ... More »

This article is very well written and sources very effectively. The writer provides statistics and well- rounded information pertaining to several voting counties that presented both declining voter numbers since 2008, and non-declining voter numbers. The author also touched on the methods used in non declining cities to encourage voting turn out. The story was relevant, the sourcing necessary for credibility, and the topic interesting.

The author was able to provide the reader with some authentic quotations from an unknown source regarding Osama Bin Laden and his deputy's whereabouts. Although the information was intriguing, the author clearly added several valid sides as to the validity of the claim, and therefore, made her story far more credible. I would imagine that getting someone on the inside of the operation to provide you with information would have been difficult. This article carries somewhat of a "Deep Throat" feel, I wonder whether the reporter attempted to coerce the source to give their name for the sake of her credibility, or if she did not out of fear that she may have scared them off altogether.

The author of this article may have encountered difficulty traveling to the Phillipines to get the story after the typhoon. The author was able to get good sources and obviously made ample effort to get as many as possible. Lnaguage barriers could have also created barriers for the reporter but plenty of background information gave the reader a clear picture of the weather issues facing the country and the trauma that Phillipino citizens are encountering. The author provides a pulse to the story.

This article touches on the face of news media as it appears in social networking, a medium that is responsible for circulating much of the news today. Unfortunately, because social networks such as Twitter etc., limit the use of character use, news is often misrepresented and/or shortened and does not convey the entire truth. Hirschorn chooses to focus on the immoral news altering actions of journalist members of the Republican party more than anything else. This could be due the fact that the Republican party has behaved far more inappropriately than the left or, it could mean that the author simply chose to focus there due to his own political convictions. Apart from his questionable bias, he strayed away from ... More »

The "Don't Ask Don't Tell" law, activates stereotypes and encourages discrimination. The law prohibited military officials from asking a recruit's sexual orientation, but threatened to release soldiers whose homosexual orientation was exposed. What stereotypical expectations did the military hold about a homosexual person's behavior in the military? And, while Judge Phillips issued injunction against the law, the author writes that "the government is expected to appeal the injunction to the Court of Appeals...". Although she didn't state any evidence to that effect, she may have had evidence that suggested it. One could question however, whether that statement was derived from information that she received or her own ... More »

While this article is well written and clearly represents the drama that is unfolding between Whitman and Brown, it is possible that it could have been written with a focus on the impact that the allegations against Whitman has had on the Hispanic community. There was mention to the negative political impact that this scandal has had on Whitman's campaign within the Latino community, but the intense impact that this issue is having on that community in regards to deportation and the cultural alienation that they must endure..again, was not given voice to.

This is an excellently written and very in depth story. It would be interesting to know how these same injuries affect soldiers of minority groups and the success rate of health care given the same circumstances. I would hope that soldiers of all elasticities are given the same quality of health care at the same VA hospitals and clinics in America. Culturally however, this article brings about the question of whether these individuals can survive and flourish outside of their hospital rooms once placed and out in the care of family members that may not have the means to care for them at home. Would the social pressures of being a minority cause extra strain on the patient? Would more be expected of him/her?

This article gives a fairly in depth account of the the victim, Cesar Mercado's life, and his UN job with the Nicaraguan government. This was a good example of straight reporting with good support and a feel for the victim with the interviews of friends and contacts.

This article provides a clear, concise view of the life of Sarah Shourd after her release from Iranian prison. This article provides to the public, an up close and personal account as to what is really taking place for these 3 American prisoners in Iranian. The writing was written well, very straight forward and to the point, and I felt this topic to be among the most relevant and newsworthy in all journalism right now because it calls the reader closer to the issue as opposed to distancing them from this very real tragedy.

This article represents a glimpse into the mindset of tea party hot ticket Sarah Palin, in her public relations advice to GOP Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell in the light of O'Donnell's recent "scandal" in the media. Although the article does not provide much in the way of informative and pertinent news, it does provide the reader and the rest of the media with a strong taste of Palin's views on the public opinions and personal lives of politicians in America. The article is factual in the way that it provides actual statements made by Sarah Palin but lacks relevance and newsworthiness in other areas.