I thought the conversational tone of this Q and A was unique to newspaper writing. It reminded me of reading a magazine. The article was interesting in that it started by covering how the company got their start and how they run their business (building a customer-specific planogram for vending machines, just like they would for a shopping center). I think the story would have been more relevant if these vending machines were more widely available in Maryland. Also, it would have been interesting to include comments from consumers and everyday people on whether they'd be willing to purchase $2 cheese from a school vending machine, for example.

I liked how the article included many of the benefits of biking, like reducing traffic congestion, lowering obesity rates, encouraging new businesses, and increasing home values. It would have been interesting to include the down side of building bike paths. Surely, if it was all good, every city would build them! Another way to better balance this article would be to include quotes from elected officials and residents. What do they perceive the positives and negatives to be?

I feel that this article provided a helpful overview of O'Malley's state of the state. The reporter appears to be very knowledgeable on the topic, even citing issues that were believed to be omitted from the speech. I thought a diverse perspective was provided, posing both positive and negative effects of wind energy produced in Maryland, for example. However, I believe that the article could have been better balanced with quotes from more sources than public officials, like advocacy groups and residents.

To an outsider, this story may have little relevance; however, to those of us who are interested in the topic of urban sprawl or for those who live in northern Baltimore County, this story rings true. Call it a vignette of the bigger picture of keeping rural places rural and urban life contained. This article has all the qualities of local news: names of local roads, residents, and community organizations. While short, I believe the article serves its purpose of keeping a larger, front-page story alive in the news. Preventing urban sprawl in northern Baltimore County is a hot topic for residents, and it's important for news sources to report stories that affect the lives of their audience.

While this article is relatively short, it is clear, concise, and to the point. The author reported the facts and cited many sources in limited space, including community activists, county council, and residents. Not every article can be in-depth, headline news. I thought this one served its purpose well. This article is one piece to the puzzle of preventing urban sprawl in northern Baltimore County. It's good to know that the topic is frequently addressed. I also appreciated that the reporter defined a technical term in the article for clarity ("downzoning").

This article covers the community input meeting held to discuss the building of a Loyola retreat center in northern Baltimore County. It is clear that the reporter was actually at the meeting and not just regurgitating meeting minutes. I thought the voice was professional, yet conversational. The article was detailed with facts and figures and included multiple sources, including the assistant to Loyola's president, residents, community activist groups, and county planners. This article shows one specific example of the fight against urban sprawl in northern Baltimore County.

This article published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is very in-depth and factual. Its purpose is to report whether Maryland's innovative land use policies are effective or not. The primary sources are studies, rather than quotes from officials, agencies, and residents. For its function, I feel that the article works; however, it would be better balanced with some quotes and emotion. It's a great resource for students investigating the topic of urban sprawl.

This is an excellent "state of the union" or "is it working?" article. Rein incorporated a wide variety of sources, including Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, Governor Glendening, state planning officials, and environmental activists. The story was well-researched and supported with specific facts and figures. As a student, this article provides me with great direction, namely the study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association. I believe that the addition of interviews with local residents would have helped to round out the story by adding another angle.

Yes, I feel that this is good journalism. There is an excellent balance of emotion and facts. It kept me interested and well-informed. The number of sources is impressive, spanning from the homeowner to local alliances and community groups, city officials, and the housing department. Facts were cited, and specific data were provided. I trust this article.

To be better journalism, this article could have included more unique sources - more than other newspapers and online sources. (Is an anonymous posting credible?) I would encourage more watchdog journalism tactics, rather than lapdog. Be more active; dig up new news! What's the big ah-ha here? What are next steps?