you should always sign out

because mean people can do mean things. good thing i am nice. have a great holiday break!!

coverage spotlight: Pats still undefeated

This is an article that they have to continue writing about every week as this historic moment in sports history reaches its climax. My problem with the article is that they don't do anything to freshen it up, as the weeks go on.

In my opinion at this point you might want to start focusing on individual players on the team. Knowing that this team might go down in history as one of the great NFL teams, it's important that we become intimate with all players that are involved.

news clippings: 12/3-12/9

1. Student arrested after making threats on campus (Local)
2. Mudlsides looming in California (Local)
3. Grammy nominations are announced (National)
4. NATO operations kills 14 (International)
5. Germany attempts to ban scientology (International)
6. Coalition moves against Taliban (International)
7. Oprah backs Obama in election (National)
8. Writers strike hits big stump (National)
9. Vick gets 23 months in prison (National)
10. Pats keep ball rolling on undefeated season (National, Sports)

coverage spotlight: USC smelling roses

I love the passion that these Southern California fans display. When you think of real football fans, you look to the 'SC fans as the ones who really care about their team.

It's so important as a writer to try and capture this accelerated passion for a team in words. I like the way this writer put together his article because it was informative and to the point. However, he failed to reach into the archives and bring up the history for both teams, which I feel would have made the article more strong.

neww clippings 11/27-12/2

1. Football star Sean Taylor dead at 24 (National)

2. Bush moves the peace process along (International)

3. Palestinians skeptical of authenticity of Bush's speech (International)

4. Evil Knievel dies at 69 (National)

5. Rodney King wounded in shooting (Local)

6. Spice Girls kick off reunion tour (National)

7. Quiet Riot lead singer dead (National)

8. Search for wildfire starters begins (Local)

9. Ohio State to play LSU in the BCS title game (Sports, National)

10. USC smelling roses again (Sports, Local)

neww clippings 11-27/

Coverage Spotlight: Ladainian Tomlinson

This is an amazing challenge that this talented young running back accomplished. He's already seen as an elite player in the league, and there's talks he will be in the Hall of Fame. This just adds to his slew of accomplishments and shows that he is truly dominant.

The article itself was mediocre at best. They didn't even say who had the most career yards or indulge further on what the record meant. They didn't discuss any of L.T.'s big accomplishments or the atmosphere of the moment in which he broke the record.

news clippings from 11/20-11/26

1. 30+ dead in blast near Pakistan (International)

2. Somalion president names new prime minister (International)

3. Plan to reduce some L.A. traffic (Local)

4. Blast in baghdad kills 13 (International)

5. Famous actors newborn twins overoses on medication by hospital (National)

6. Malibu fires under control (Local)

7. Redskins football player in critical condition after shooting (National)

8. Lebanon claims 'State of Emergency' (International)

9. Ladainian Tomlinson reaches 10,000 yards rushing (Local, Sports)

10. Pats keep rolling to 11-0 (Sports, National)

coverage spotlight: Patriots roll to 10-0

I love this article because it focuses on the various talented members of this undefeated team. It gives the stats for each player and comments on personal attitudes and strengths of the team players.

I do have a problem with how they failed to mention much information about the 72' Dolphins who are the only team to go completely undefeated. They also fail to compare this team to such dynasties as the 49ers in the 80's and the Cowboys in the 90's. Overall a very informative article.

news clippings 11/12-11/18

1. Bonds indicted on federal charges (National)
2. Major flaws in airport security (National)
3. Bangladesh cyclone kills 1,000+ (International)
4. Kanye West's mother dies (National)
5. 10-year-old won't face charges for starting fires (Local)
6. Polls suggest Nevada could be a swing state in 08' election (National)
7. Rescuers still battling to save mine victims (International)
8. Coen Brothers new movie a huge success (Local)
9. Long time Michigan coach steps down (Sports, National)
10. Tom Brady continues record breaking season(Sports, National)

coverage spotlight: Peterson breaks rushing record

The story wasn't very good in my eyes. This young man , Adrian Peterson just broke a coveted NFL record. In my opinion the entire story should focus on Peterson and his accomplishment. Instead, the story strays away from Peterson and talks about other players that were in the game.

In a story like this, a reader doesn't care as much about what happened in the game as the individual record that was broken. The journalist could have given more background information on Peterson's college career. Also the record itself could have been discussed in more detail.

news clippings 10/29-11/4

1. Pakistan declares martial law (International)

2. Flooding in mexico (International)

3. Hollywood writers set to go on strike (Local)

4. Bathroom fires in Senate building (National)

5. Turkey attacks Kurd rebels (International)

6. Refunds for Million Little Pieces only claimed by 1500 (National)

7. N. Korea to shutdown nuclear facilities (International)

8. playing with matches caused L.A. wildfires (Local)

9. Torre to be Dodgers coach (Local, Sports)

10. Peterson breaks single game rushing record (Sports)

coverage spotlight: Schwarzenegger says weed is not a drug

I think this article was the most interesting out of all the top stories this week. It had a headline that was very eye catching. However, once you actually start reading the article you find out that he was actually just kidding around.

I find that the journalist leads you on into thinking this statement was said and that it's solid. You get hooked in but then you realize it's not a 100 percent true.

News clippings 10/22-10-28

1. 8 dead in Iraq (International)

2. People arrested in Vietnemase sex tape scandal (International)

3. Obama calls out Clinton on social security(National)

4. Illegal immigrant law being challenged (National)

5. Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug(National)

6. Music stars slowly starting to drop record labels(National)

7. Governor vows to hunt down arsonists(Local)

9. New theatre part of downtown revival(Local)

10. Ohio State has tough matches ahead (National, Sports)

Coverage Spotlight: T.I. staying in jail

In this article it is highlighted that rapper T.I. cannot be released due to his criminal history. It's interesting that he is facing such charges and that his release is being postponed. I'd like it better if the journalist could delve further into the charges that are on his record, instead of the brief mentioning of cocaine charges stemming from '97.

The article is well-written and shows the atmosphere in court as T.I.'s family and friends and business associates showed up to give him support in this hard time. I like the picture that is painted here, but I'd enjoy it more if I could have been made more aware of body language and subtle facial expressions that took place.

News clippings 10/15-10-21

1. Wildfires rage on in Malibu (Local)

2. Turkey OK's moves against Iraq rebels (International)

3. Bush criticizes congress (National)

4. Colbert to run for president (National)

5. T.I. still in jail (National)

6. Irans chief nuclear head resigns (International)

7. Gang violence in LA (Local)

8. Phone tax on ballot in LA (Local)

9. George Lucas plans star wars T.V. show (National)

10. Boston going to World Series (National, Sports)

coverage spotlight: Cal loses spot

It was an interesting article that highlighted the woes of a Cal team that couldn't get it done when it counted the most. He used excellent quotes from the playerts and coaches that were most directly involved in the last minutes of a game that will go down in the history books.

The journalist uses excellent comparitive facts that show how the Cal game effected other colleges as well as themselves. It gave a nice recap of the game and really brought you into the emotions of what went on that day.

news from 10/8-10/14

1. Hospital Bug kills 90 in UK (International)

2. Gore wins Nobel Peace Award (National)

3. Democrats no longer pushing for troops withdrawl (International)

4. Rapper T.I. arrested(National)

5. Rice warns Israel(International)

6. Traffic to increase after tunnel pile-up(Local)

7. Cal loses chance at No. 1 spot (Local, Sports)

8. LSU loses but stays alive in title hunt(Sports)

9. Lohan focused on sobriety(National)

10. Superbowl could possibley be in London(International)

1. Hospital Bug kills 90 in UK (International)

Coverage Spotlight: USC falls to Stanford

I think this article was well-written. The journalist obviously favored neither team, which is a crucial dynamic in writing about sports. He was able to capture the elctrifying magnitude of the game and report with enthusiasm.

He added some interestinf facts such as the home winning streak that USC carried going into that game that was snapped by Stanford. He used some interesting quotes from both teams to show the emotions that were being felt in this huge point in the season.

News clippings 10/1-10-7

1. 1.4 million Chinese flee storm(International)
2. Brittney loses custody of children(National)
3. Marion Jones admits steroid use(National)
4. Huge drug bust in Mexico(International)
5. Movie opening delayed to protect actors(National)
6. Shooting at Rialto Mall(Local)
7. Hannah Montana ticket scandal(National)
8. 83 protestors arrested in Denver(National)
9. USC suffers huge loss at home(Local/Sports)
10. Angels of Anaheim get swept(Local/Sports)

Coverage Spotlight: Cal chases USC

I love how this article was written. Facts were put out on the table and strong opinions were voiced. The journalist is able to keep focused by using quotes from individual players from each team. Another strong element the writer used was his ability to put details of the program's history into the article.

The writer highlights Cal's rise to the number 3 position in the country as its highest ranking since 1952. These little details get a reader excited. He's able to capture the excitement Cal fans are feeling in one article

News clippings 9/24-9/30

1. New Prime Minister for Japan(International)

2. Iran President makes homophobic comments (International)

3. Isreal frees 57 Palestinians (International)

4. Memphis University player killed(National)

5. Vick relapses(National)

6. USC student's program to be used at LAX (Local)

7. Halo 3 breaks records(National)

8. Hall of Fame ball(National)

9. new leads in "Notorious B.I.G. murder(Local)

10. Cal chasing USC(Local, Sports)

Coverage spotlight: ACC coverage

I like the way this article was written. The main focus of the article was to educate readers on why this particular division in college football is looking a lot more different in the past years. The journalist is able to put opinion aside and use factual evidence to show that the teams that used to be decent, are now winning th division.
As a big college football fan I love to see a writer get excited about football. He writes a solid, fundamental article, but at the same time he is very passionate about what he is writing. The shift of power in a division is a very interesting thing, and the journalist is able to show what's going on informatively, while showing a lot of energy. It's that balance of raw enthusiasm and professionalism that make this article great.

News clippings 9/10-9/16

U.S. talks with North Korea positive (International)

General Pace speaks out about war in Iraq (International)

UAW, GM labor agreement (National)

Greek election set to take place (International)

Racial slurs get University of Mississippi frat banned for a year (National)

O.J. in criminal trouble(Local/National)

Jail time to be shortened for non-violent prisoners (Local)

Proposed Tommy Lee vs. Kid Rock boxing match (Celebrity)

Positive signs of movement for injured football star (Sports)

Huge game in ACC (Sports)

Coverage spotlight: Vanessa Hudgens

I think that the media coverage of this particular topic was good and bad. It could have been better if they had researched the possible fall-out of nude pictures being released. As a reader I would like to hear quotes from as many people as possible to see where the future of this young actress is headed. It would have been better to have included quotes from Disney, to see where they stand on the issue.

One of the things about the article that I did appreciate was that they opted out of showing the actual photo that surfaced. For most people, after they read an article like this they want to see the photo. CNN, as well as a number of other media outlets decided not to show the photo or even give a link for the photo. This shows class on the part of CNN.

News clippings 9/3-9/9

Portuguese Police calling parents suspects in missing girl case (International)

First lady undergoes surgery (National)

Proposed area code change for the valley (Local)

New plan by Governor to provide health care (State)

BYU student found dead (National)

14 dead in Algeria bombing (International)

Hudgens in nude picture scandal (Celebrity)

Broncos squeak by Bills (Sports)

O'Reilly verbally attacks famous rapper (National)

Chargers prevail in a battle of powerhouse franchise's (Sports)