This article provided a larger picture of the issue of sexual education in schools. It did not illustrate a single example by interviewing a student or going in depth into one student's life. It was very based in facts and evidence. Also, it provided a research study that showed the benefits of abstinence education. It appears that kids need to be told to simply not have sex, rather than be given the options of safer sex practices. I usually find that episodic articles are more engaging; however, this article grabbed my attention and kept it. As far as it being important to current society, I am sure that people will find articles about the economy and government policies, such as healthcare, to be much more urgent to read. ... More »

This article includes well-cited sources as well as a research study on the relationship between PTSD and the shrinking of the hippocampus. The article begins with the nutgraf as well as a source from a medical journal, thus grabbing the reader's attention early on. It goes on to explain how PTSD is thought to have a dramatic effect on the function of the hippocampus. The only ethical issue that I see is that the study and the article is about children. However, that is more of an issue for the study and not so much for the article.

The introduction to this article catches the reader's attention because everyone either has caught themselves looking at their reflections or know someone who has. Especially in current society where so much importance is placed on physical beauty, this article can be informative for the general population. On the other hand, this kind of attention spent on BDD could cause people to justify excessive plastic surgery or narcissism. The writer had a study to support this article and interviewed the researcher. However, I would have like to see an interview from someone who actually suffers from BDD cited.

The introduction to this article grabbed my attention and held it episodically by explaining about Eugenie Smith's condition and then to Bill Clinton's condition. Especially with the nutgraf, "While it may sound odd to miss the signs of something as monumental as a heart attack, cardiologists say they see it quite often", being at the beginning, it tells the reader exactly what they are reading from the start. However, it lost me when it started listing the possible symptoms that do not apply to everyone. The symptoms apply to certain individuals. With such a wide array of symptoms, I fear an epidemic of hypochondria. The most disturbing part of this article is the conclusion or lack thereof. There is no summation of parts. It ... More »

The main aspect of this article that makes this quality journalism is the timeliness of it. That is, the Haitian earthquake occurred recently, and, as the Haitians are struggling to deal with the aftermath, issues such as psychological effects need to be looked at. The tone of the article makes this article engaging. The writer successfully brings in an urgent tone. Both the choice of words as well as sentence structure illustrate this. The mental wellbeing of the Haitians is an issue of the world. The writer states that the population is prone to a slower recovery due to weak social and economic supports. This means that this situation is not unique only to the Haitians but to any other economically weak country. The article ... More »

This article has to do with the health of the homeless population and what the rest of society can do to help them. The writer did not use many techniques to engage the reader. I wish he had given some statistics about the homeless in the United States or had some quotes from an actual homeless person. The only ethical issue that this article raises for me is that it lacks a voice from the actual population focused on: the homeless. What is it that they think we could do? What is their opinion on how officials say we should act?

This article qualifies as health journalism because it pertains to a current Taco Bell advertisement that leads consumers to believe that their new Fresco menu will help them lose weight. The introduction of the article captures the reader's attention because it has to do with the famous Taco Bell marketing campaigns that the great majority of us can remember. Also, the quotes and the resources that the writer used were not dense so that the reader would lose interest. On the other hand, I wish the writer had gone more in depth with statistics and numbers. The article lacked hard information. As far as I can see, this article does not bring up nany ethical issues.