A Royal Occasion

The beginning segment of the evening news shows the leading anchor in front of Westminster Abbey. Katie Couric provides a thorough overview of the royal wedding. She begins with several brief statistics on the amount of people estimated to watch the wedding on television, and begins to elaborate on actual wedding guests. Mark Philips another CBS news anchor serves as the narrating voice as footage of the palace, and previous weddings, including princess Diana’s wedding, is shown. Philips continues to relay important facts on the eminent occasion. In addition to this, several individual commentators’ exclaim their excitement to be guests at the event, as well as provide a brief interview on their connection to the royal family.

             The major contributors to the story are the two news anchors reporting: Katie Couric, and Mark Philips. In addition to the anchors, several individuals speak, including several “commoners” who know Kate such as: Martin Findler a butcher, Nash Shingadia a storeowner, and John Haley a Pub owner. These three people provide brief interviews, as well as voice their excitement concerning the upcoming wedding. In addition to this, two professionals including: Lieutenant colonel Sir Malcom Ross, and Lady Elizabeth Anson explain their professional involvement in the wedding, and assure viewers that the six hundred guests are not hard to accommodate, in comparison to larger guests lists of the past. The newscast doesn’t give direct sources for the basic information provided by the anchors, however, it cites the many individuals speaking throughout the video.

The evening newscast was particularly bland. While the approaching royal wedding is an exciting milestone, the newscast could have found a more intriguing way to report on it. Likewise, the story was generally vague, with the exception of a few testimonies of specific guests and personnel involved in the planning of wedding. Also, the video appeared to be heavily reliant on wedding guests speaking and failed to include other sources or strategic methods to relay the information. Thus, the newscast can continue to report in a more in-depth fashion on the issue and provide more variety throughout the newscast to benefit future newscasts related to the Royal Wedding. 

Tracking devices found in Iphones

The evening news broadcast introduces several critical stories that will be explained later on in the show. One of the last stories reported on describes a shocking new discovery made by two researchers studying the Iphone. The supporting news anchor provides some essential points that argue the benefits, as well as the potential drawbacks to having an Iphone. This is accompanied with footage of these complex devices, which leads into a personal testimony from one of the researchers. The researchers elaborate on this new discovery, saying that this phone allows the company to “keep track of users every move”. Likewise, a background map is displayed to provide an example of the route taken on a Train from New York to Washington by an Iphone user, and thus, showing consumers how easy it is to access ones directional steps made throughout the day. The story ends with a technology expert who provides his professional opinion on the issue.

The newscast offers few sources. Most of the information reported on is disbursed by the leading anchor: Katie Couric, as well as the supporting anchor for the day: John Blaxstone. Both anchors offer a generalized overview of the tracking file present in Iphones, which is elaborated on by the two researchers who discovered the file: Alaster Alan, and Pete Warden. The concluding source is a location technology expert Brady Forrest who gives a professional perspective on this new discovery.

The story was very interesting, simply because it relates to the majority of the student population at Samford University. Despite its intriguing appeal, I wasn’t surprised by this newfound breakthrough. The Iphone was originally created for a business purpose, as it simultaneously allowed one to communicate and have the benefits of a basic phone, as well as serve as an organizer, or business device. Thus, the Iphone was generally geared for powerful members of society. Therefore, one can estimate that this phone would contain a tracking device to adhere to its powerful, and influential users, and ensure their safety. Today, the Iphone is universally used for reasons other then business, however it continues to contain a tracking appliance. While I enjoyed the story, I noted that the story lacked sufficient sources, which would have increased the credibility of the evening news, as well as contributed to the story as a whole.

            

Liquid Tragedy

The CBS newscast opens with the leading anchor: Katie Couric who provides an overall view of the four biggest news stories of the day. Couric proceeds into the shocking news of a woman who drove herself, and her four kids into the Hudson River. A map is shown that displays the location of the tragic incident, as well as several pictures of the mother and her children. Following this brief beginning information on the issue a deputy chief from the Newburg Police department elaborates on the only redeeming factor involved: the oldest ten year old son in the car managed to escape the mini van, and survived the accident. The deputy provides an in-depth illustration of the boys escape. Following this, another individual commenter addresses the issue with a brief statement, which leads into a personal statement from the niece of the killer, as well as a brief encounter with a neighbor of the deceased. The case is said to be reminiscent of several previous cases, which are elaborated on, and end with a doctor of psychology who gives a professional explanation for this “psychotic mother”. The newscast ends with several imperative details given by a reporter at the scene, as well as the main news anchor associated with CBS news. Generally, footage consists mostly of the people commenting on the issue, as well as a view pictures showing where the events occurred, and the people involved.

The story was fairly balanced between individual commenter’s, and Katie Couric. Professionals speaking on the issue include Deputy: Michael Ferrara, Chief Michael Vatter of the Newburgh Fire Department, Dr. Nicole La Loy the assistant chief for impatient psychiatry, NYU Largone Med. Ctr., and finally, the newscast included Elaine Quijano the field anchor. In addition to this, the neighbor Christine Santos, as well as the niece gave their opinion on the issue, addressing their deep shock and surprise that this “good mother” could engage in such a horrific incident, leaving herself and three of her four children dead. The newscast failed to mention where the two anchors speaking got their information, however there were a lot more individuals commenting, so it made it less apparent that this element was missing. Therefore, the issue was generally backed up with credible sources who either held an authoritative role, or were personally affected or involved with the story.

The story was efficiently reported on. Katie Couric did an excellent job explaining the exact whereabouts of the situation, and rapidly providing imperative details for the audience, to ensure that the news captured the interest of viewers, as well as providing the raw necessary facts for those only able to tune in for the beginning of the newscast. In addition to this, the newscast included information on similar cases. Despite the efficient layout of the newscast, it was a bit short, and only mentioned one theory on the motive. The story could have been more adequately equipped with the inclusion of a bit more information that would answer some main questions posed by viewers. Likewise, sources for the information provided by the anchors would have increased the credibility of the show. 

Government Shutdown

The evening news opens with a shocking headline “Countdown to a Shutdown.” This serves to immediately evoke the interest of viewers who then tune in to hear the aiding statistic, which provides a brief summary on this story. Three other critical pieces of news are also introduced in the beginning part of the newscast, which are combined with video to enhance the message provided. The anchor continues to elaborate on the stories previously mentioned, and begins by explaining the situation that may lead to a government shut down if the two political parties do not agree on a budget by Friday at midnight. The anchor continues to describe the effect this will create, and introduces the congressional correspondent who reports on the issue from Washington. A Speaker of the House also provides commentary on the situation at hand, providing a press statement for the public. Similarly, we hear several other speakers who add to the newscast such as a Senator of Maryland, a Senator of New York, as well as three employees who explain the ramifications that will ensue associated within their work field. The camera eventually shows the President who also explains the critical issue. Video of the many speakers talking is provided, as well as videos and maps that show examples of jobs, and places that will be affected, if the government shuts down. Additionally, the supporting anchor throughout the entire newscast provides statistics. The story concludes with the CBS news political analyst answering several imperative inquiries spectators are likely to ponder.

In today’s newscast, there were many contributors. To begin with, viewers see Nancy Cordes the congressional correspondent, as well as Rep. John Boehner the Speaker of the House. Other political leaders in the newscast include: Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Chip Reid the Chief White House Correspondent, and President Obama. The show is also comprised of several individual commenter’s such as: Rick Sallinger from Denver, Carolyn Long from Kansas City, John Bently from New York. The show wraps up programming with the CBS news political analyst: John Dickerson.

The news broadcast provided a very clear image of the situation. Credible speakers added to the authenticity of the information provided. In addition to this, the newscast thoroughly covered the “who, what, where, when, and why” which are all essential elements for success. The show interviewed individuals from every aspect of the story including: political leaders, as well as common people conveying a meticulous and objective perspective. Therefore, it was an excellent evening news video.

News and Information Response Post

              The news and information group opened their presentation with a brief background on early forms used to distribute news. Among these was the Acta Diuma, which was the first type of news publication originating in about 59 BCE. The group went on to describe that newspapers were the only media outlet until 1920, as well as they mentioned several influential laws passed to increase the credibility and integrity of the newspaper industry. This included: The Stamp Act (1765), as well as the Alien and Seduction law, which served to prohibit publishers from producing fraudulent information. The group went on to specify specific examples of what makes a good news story including the use of clear, precise, efficient, and modest information. Likewise, they also described attributes that make a story “newsworthy” which mandates one take into account the “impact of timeliness, prominence of an issue, as well as identify if there’s a conflict involved, and how current the information is. Consequently, the group identifies the components of a news article as well as displays the Inverted Pyramid, which also explains the typical run-through model for a well-written story.

            Typically the most common theme among early news was that it was aimed to sensationalize audiences. Similarly, current news propaganda serves to inform consumers, but still provides that ‘sensational’ aspect that reels people in. Lastly, the group reported on the future of journalism explaining the “ten reasons for a bright future” including ability to update stories with the advanced technology available today. Additionally, they provided the class with the typical demographics of newspaper readers, and exhibited the skills and knowledge attained from a print journalism degree. The need for technology savvy employees is crucial to match the rapidly changing technology. Despite the benefits available with mass media today, the group explained potential problems that can occur in the future such as: fewer sources for reliable news, and free content available everywhere which could cause problems for those hoping to succeed in the journalism field.

            There were several sources mentioned throughout. Sources such as the LA Times, The New York Times, CNN Health, Google, Alacare, Weekly World News, and Star News were used to show examples of news in a modern day society, versus news originating from an older era. Likewise, other sources mentioned included: AOL, Yahoo, PBS, NBC, USA Today, Essence.com, Media Kit, and CBS news.

            The group provided a very thorough presentation on news media. Numerous examples helped aid in their arguments, which made for a very interesting and informative display of the news and the media used to convey it.

Society, Culture, and Politics Analysis Post

The society, culture, and politics chapter initially describes, “early media observers felt that an absolute one-to-one relationship existed between what people read, heard, and saw and what people did with their information. They also believed that the effects were the same for everyone” (Biagi, 274).  Evidence of this was shown in the magic-bullet theory as well as the hypodermic needle theory. As more research was investigated, both theories proved to be false and the idea of media effecting people in different ways began to emerge. Consequently, the next major study of media effects occurred after the controversial War of the Worlds podcast aired. Also, The Lasswell model proposed only 9 years later is a model that is still used to show the communication process today. The chapter then describes how media research was prompted as soon as television became popular in the 1950s. Additionally, it reveals several influential figures involved early on including: David M. Potter who discussed the dangers of advertising, as well as Marshall McLuhan who explained that television was creating a “global village of people who use media to communicate” (Biagi). Today, the book illustrates two forms of media research that are apparent today: Media effects research which analyzes the effect media has on people, as well as media content analysis which examines messages presented by the media.

            There were several possible problems mentioned throughout the chapter, however some ruled out to be inaccurate due to unexplained variables that could have also influenced the situation. Some of the problems mentioned were: the idea that TV violence causes aggression among children (this was later found false because research showed TV violence is only a cause of aggressive behavior, not the only cause for violence among media affected users. In addition to this, Joshua Meyrowitz speculated that “television is blurring social distinctions-between children and adults, and between men and women” (Biagi, 285). Other theories include the conjecture that children who watch a lot of TV are less proficient in their studies, as well as the belief that television has the tendency to create stereotypes. (Sometimes derogatory, especially in the case of women)

            Television is having a huge impact on the industry. For one, it has allotted for a very efficient way to reach a large number of people in a small amount of time. Many candidates use television as well as websites and social-networking sites to reach the public in an attempt to persuade them for a vote in their favor. Additionally, the chapter describes how mainstream media including: newspapers, and television networks are mirroring the interests of the mainstream culture (Biagi, 286). With the large amount of people consistently tuning in or reading the media the amount of jobs has the potential to increase, in order to adapt to an increasing population of people wanting access to news and entertainment. Although, there is evidence that suggests the amount of people still steadily invested in newspapers is decreasing. Thus, this would result in a decrease in the amount of jobs available in this field, as they have substantially less people to cater to.

Super Bug Spotted in Alabama Hospitals

The CBS evening newscast begins by providing headlines for the four main stories of the night. It proceeds to the first story, which describes the current situation in Libya with the rebels and their insufficient arms. After reporting on this, it moves onto describe Syria, as well as the current oil prices and Obama’s response to the issue at hand. Likewise, it describes an update on current circumstances in Japan. Following this story is a report on a new super-bug apparent in Alabama hospitals. The newscast begins with a brief overview of this new strain that appears immune to most antibiotics and has killed nine people (while seriously affecting ten others) in Alabama hospitals. The newscast begins with the usual anchor, however it switches to another anchor who provides audio statistics while spectators view numerous images that aid to the presentation of the argument being presented. For instance, a hospital bed is shown being pushed urgently to help convey the message of the urgency involved in the matter. Eventually, the camera cuts to a man affiliated with one of the hospitals experiencing this super bug, who then provides his perspective on the issue at hand. Footage of IV’s as well as the pharmaceutical company involved is shown because both are known causes for the infection that      “ attacks patients with a compromised immune system.” Two other individual commentators contribute as well by providing expert information on how the strain  mutated, and precautionary actions hospitals are taking to prevent it, as well as other statistics involving the deaths associated with this, and other neighboring bugs that are also affecting hospitals everywhere. Consequently, the newscast displays yet another doctor who provides some insight on the subject and ends the newscast by saying, “this super-bug as well as several others are complexly resistant to every FDA approved antibiotic and there is no treatment for these bacteria.”

            The news program consists primarily of individual commenter’s, primarily doctors who supply the public with the majority of the information on the issue. In addition to the main anchor reporting on the issue, Mark Strasman the supporting anchor provides a lot of the specific statistics involved. While the program fails to mention its source for statistics given by the anchor and co-anchor it does supply the show with several credible doctors who assure viewers that all the information given is reliable and accurate. Additionally, we see all the names of the speakers, as well as their specific occupation, which is provided in the sub-heading below their name. The first doctor spectator’s see is Dr. Francois Blandeau the Medical West Hospital physician. We then see Donald Williamson who is involved in the Alabama Department of Health. After several seconds, Dr. Arjun Spinivasan the CDC healthcare associate from the infection prevention program interjects the news with his perspective which is followed up by the last speaker of the night: Dr. Brad Spellberg the infectious disease specialist from the UCLA Medical Center.

            The newscast was very informative and provided a clear depiction of  the situation, addressing every possible aspect consumers would inquire while watching the show. In addition to this, the story consisted of several reliable sources, which added to the stories credibility, and presented an interesting alternative to usual anchor reliant story. Also, it gave more in-depth and specific answers that were provided by people actually experiencing the issues or experts in their field allowing them to professionally address the issue.