Article Analysis

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/03/cholera.zimbabwe/index.html

Zimbabweans ill and dying from cholera crossing border

By Nkepile Mabuse

This article focuses on the cholera epidemic that is currently happening in Zimbabwe.  It opens with the personal story of Chipo Matewe, who is eight months pregnant and who had to flee illegally to South Africa to get treatment for her cholera.  She is one of many who 12,000 who are suspected to be affected.  

The lede is very narrative. "Doctors worry about the woman sitting on a bed inside the large tent, an IV in her arm.  Chipo Matewe, 23, is eight months pregnant and stricken with cholera." Words like "stricken" make it dramatic and eye catching.  

The nut graph does not come until the fifth paragraph, when the writer reveals that doctors in Zimbabwe estimate the death tole to be 1000.  While Chipo's case is heartbreaking, it is the extent of the epidemic that will make readers care about the article. 

There was only one quote by Chipo through the entire article. I would have liked to see more from officials, as the information seemed a little source-less without it.

The ending is a wrap up that looks towards the future. It is not a quote.

Elements of Journalism

"Today journalists continue to see the watchdog role as central to their work...As history showed us, it [the watchdog role] properly means watching over the powerful few in society on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny.  The purpose of the watchdog role also extends beyond simply making the management of execution of power transparent, to making known and understood the effects of that power."

I find this quote, and the principle it espouses, to be extremely relevant to our time. With the biggest election of our time, and possible of all time, just recently behind us, the people and workings behind our government are in the lime light in a way they never have been before.  The public has an interest in how Washington runs, and more importantly, how Washington affects them.  It was critical for anyone who voted in November to not only know about the candidates and where they stood, but to understand where they were coming from and what their plans are.  The idea that journalists not only inform but educate in this manner is heartening.  It means that journalists not only guard against abuses of power, but help shape this country in the best way possible.  They help the country make informed decisions.  They help put a background of information in people's minds, so that decisions and action comes from an educated platform rather than an instinctual or less informed one. 

Obit Re-do

Kalamazoo Resident Remembered as Navy Hero, Community Friend

By Rachel Dallman

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Jeffrey Ahson, 79, a decorated war hero, died last night in Kalamazoo of emphysema complications.

"Ahson was a genuine American hero," stated Lt. Cmdr. of the U.S. Navy Jeraldine Fyfe. Ahson was the recipient of Purple Heart and Navy Cross for his bravery shown during World War II. As a petty officer on the USS Emery, he singlehandedly saved four wounded soldiers and the body of a fifth gunned down soldier during the Battle of Midway in 1942.  He returned to his post to take down three enemy planes, according to a statement released by the Naval Public Relations.

Born in Chico, Calif., Ahson moved to Kalamazoo in 1946 to become a firefighter and active community participant.  He enjoyed sharing his firefighting memorabilia with local elementary schools and was frequently seen ushering at John Calvin Presbyterian.  After retiring from firefighting in 1966, Ahson became a car salesman at Don Seelye Ford. He retired fully in 1985.

In addition to his history with the Navy, Ahson was a member of Elks Lodge and the National Checkers Association.  Ahson is survived by his wife, Therese Alpert, and his three children, Richard D of Philipsburg, Kan.; Angela Molino of Omaha, Neb.; and Lela Stalling of Pipe Creek, Texas.  He also leaves behind five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as two sisters, Judith Eaker of Reidsville, N.C., and Shirley Solomon of Newark, N.J. Ahson's brother, Henry, is from San Francisco. 

A viewing will be held on Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and again from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Services will be held on Saturday morning, 10:00 a.m., at Littleton Mortuary.  A burial will immediately follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.   

  

Article Analysis

Minibus Bomb Kills 8 in Restive Russian Region

By Michael Schwirtz

New York Times

Lede - "A powerful explosion tore into a minibus in Russia's tumultuous Caucasus region on Thursday, killing at least eight people in what investigators said might have been an act of terrorism, possibly by a female suicide bomber."

I love this lede. I has active, engaging words like "powerful explosion" and "tore" that really draw me in as a reader. It also answers the what, where, when, who, and attributes the information.

While the article seems to be trying to answer the "so what" question with the fact that it's not clear whether or not this was a terrorist act, it seemed to me the real purpose of this article was revealed in the 10th paragraph, almost at the end of the article. 

"North Ossetia, which also shares borders with Chechnya and Ingushetia, two violence-plagued Russian republics, has been the site of major attacks in the past." I think the whole point of the article is to draw attention to this dangerous area and what is going on there, since people haven't though of Russia until very recently as a very violent place.

I have problems with the article's attempt to bring up the question of whether or not the tragedy was a terrorist attack. One of the few quotes in the piece mentions, after already stating it in the lede, that the theory is the attacker was female. The whole piece seems to be saying, "is it a terrorist attack if it's done by a woman?," which I find offensive and a poorly thought out. I would suggest rethinking that quote, both for its implications as well as the fact that it could easily have been summarized by the author of the piece. It did not need to be direct.   

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/October/08-crm-942.html

A Mexican man who has been tried already here in the United States will be moved to Mexico where he will serve the remained of his US sentence AS WELL AS any addition sentencing by Mexican authorities than has not yet been made.
I would want to talk to the defendant, Granados, to see how he feels about being moved to his country of origin. I would also want to speak with the individual who proposed this new policy as practice in the United Sates/Mexico Extradition Treaty and figure out what purpose it has, how it helps or harms, why it came about.

Crime Article: Chicago Sun Times

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1215212,CST-NWS-bus11.article#

7 cameras caught CTA bus killing

By Annie Sweeney

The article is short and sweet, giving all the information in a punchy manner. Just the headline made me want to read the article. The shock value of a killing, much less a killing on a bus, is attention grabbing. Sweeney writes in an interesting, list-like manner. It gives the piece action and movement. 

Story Analysis

The battle over Coal River Mountain

By Deborah Feyerick

CNN's "American Morning"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/07/coal.river/index.html

This environmental/energy debate piece is a soft news story that starts off with a narrative lede. It tells the story of Lorelei Scarboro, who lives in Appalachia, close to Coal River Mountain.  The story focus' on the process of coal mining, specifically mountaintop removal. The focus on people and how they're being affected by the mining is what makes the story soft. There is an abundance of quotes, starting in the third paragraph with Scarboro. 

The nut graph is in the fourth paragraph, which includes who and what area is being affected, and states why mountaintop removal is used and what its impact is on the environment. The negative impact on the environment answers the "why should I care" question. 

The piece follows an "ABAB" format, going back and forth between local resident's sentiments, to fact based information, to rebuttals from the mining industry, including Massey Energy. The structure is effective in presenting many different points of view, and lending an unbiased stance to the piece. 

The piece ends with a quote kicker that takes us back to Lorelei Scarboro, an apt choice since a good proportion of the story is driven by quotes and people's feelings. The kicker looks to the future and the vigor with which the residents of Coal River Mountain will fight. It gives the piece emotion and power.