Article Analysis

The lede is a hard news lede because it introduces what the article is about in general.  It is also interesting because it follows up on previous articles written about the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming Secretary of State.  "President-elect Barack Obama called for “a new dawn of American leadership” on Monday as he formally introduced his national security team, led by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his nominee for secretary of state."

The nutgraf is the fourth full paragraph in which the author lists the candidates that Barack Obama has nominated for positions.  This is the most important paragraph in the piece because it contains much of the information that the reader is looking for.

The narrative is an informational narrative in that it tells about the nominees and gives some more background on the nomination of Mrs. Clinton.  The kicker is a quote from a Republican senator agreeing with Obama's choices.  The article is a good solid news story about the choices and how the GOP feels about them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/us/politics/02obama.html?_r=1&hp

Article Summary

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008

/10/28/atf_breaks_up_plot_to_assassinate_obama/

The lede of this article is a hard news article; it answers "who," "what,", and "when."  Much of the appeal of this article comes from the shock value, it's a strange article that has mass appeal, especially as the presidential race nears November 4.

"Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said yesterday."

The first graf talks more about who the convicted men were and what exactly they were planning.  It answers many of the remaining "W's" that the lede did not get to.

The nut graf follow further in the article.  "The court documents say the two men met about a month ago on the Internet and found common ground in their shared "white power" and "skinhead" philosophy. The numbers 14 and 88 are symbols in skinhead culture, referring to a 14-word phrase attributed to an imprisoned white supremacist - "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children" - and to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H. Two "8"s or "H"s stand for "Heil Hitler.""

This gives more detail about the situation and some background about where this idea came from.

The kicker is a quote from Jim Cavanaugh on the impact of such a plot.  "He added: "They seemed determined to do it. Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South.""

Press Release

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/October/08-crt-938.html

Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Crime Story

Convicted Pickpocket Granny Arrested for the 37th Time

CNN Crime

By Mythili Rao

This case deals with an elderly woman who is prone to pick-pocketing.  What makes this article good is the shock value that comes from hearing about a 76-year-old woman getting arrested for stealing the wallet of an undercover police sergeant.  This arrest was the 37th, and she has been convicted 30 times.  She has used many aliases over the years, and the police have known about her since 1981.  She will be charged with grand larceny and is scheduled to be arraigned on November 17.

The lede is a good hard news lede because it answers "Who", "What", "When", and "Where."  All of the characteristics that would draw someone to read this article can be found in the lede.  The first graf talks more about where the event occurred and who was involved.  The narrative speaks about her history with the law and the names she used in the past.  The kicker tells about her upcoming trial.

Religion Scholar Speaks About Historic Court Case

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—US Catholicism scholar Kathleen Hoscher spoke this past Wednesday about the separation between church and state in a New Mexico town during the 1950s and 60s and the national controversy that would follow.

            Reading from a dissertation, Hoscher discussed a town’s anger against the local public school, which was predominantly staffed by catholic nuns.  Concerned Protestants contacted the Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a national organization at the time that sought to keep catholic nuns out of public schools.  This confrontation sparked a series of court cases that have shaped the public school system that exists today.

Speaking with no microphone to a crown of 31, the event took place at 7 p.m. in the Olmstead Room of Mandelle.  Among them was Shreena Gandhi, Religion instructor and friend of Hoscher.  Gandhi opened the speech with an introduction about her friend, repeating how pleased she was to have Hoscher at K.  The room was scattered with rows of couches and chairs brought in from other areas of the building, but the room was only spotted with listeners.

            At the conclusion of the speech, questions were asked, mostly about legislation and court cases that followed the controversy.  Hoscher answered all questions with detailed information, as she was clearly very knowledgeable about the topic.  Many students felt the talk was informative.  “I learned a lot about something I didn’t even know happened,” Kyle Thomas said after the event.  “I was hapy I made the trip.”  The overall consensus was that the event was a success.

            Five LACs remain for the rest of the month.  No LACs remain that involve religion faculty.

—30—

Story Analysis 10/21

The article from the New York Times is titled “More Alzheimer’s Risk for Hispanics, Studies Suggest.”  The link follows: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/us/21alzheimers.html?ref=us

The lede was typical of a soft news story because it focuses on a person instead of discussing an event.  “Antonio Vasquez was just 60 when Alzheimer’s disease derailed him.”

The first graf discusses how this happened in Vasquez’s life and two other victims of the disease.  It sets up the article talking about the horrors of Alzheimer’s and establishes a personal familiarity between the reader and the subjects.

The second graf goes on to talk about the susceptibility of Hispanics to developing Alzheimer’s.

The nut graph is a quote from the president of the Natonal Hispanic Council on Aging. “This is the tip of the iceberg of a huge public health challenge,” said Yanira L. Cruz, president of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. “We really need to do more research in this population to really understand why is it that we’re developing these conditions much earlier.”  This sets up the narrative to give more details about what the causes may be.  Low income or something called “cultural dislocation” puts this group at greater risk for dementia, as well as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and hypertension.

More stories about victims of the disease follow this part of the narrative.  Quotes from them and family paint a grim picture of the effects of the disease.  Following this, the author discusses the actual study and what has been uncovered.  It uses quotes from doctors explaining some of the risk factors and the evidence supporting them.  The kicker is a series of quotes again about the victims and their struggles.

Summary

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/us/07bus.html?ref=us

This story is about a bus accident that occurred in California that killed 8 and injured 35.  The driver was taken into custody under the suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  The bus was on the way to a popular casino and resort when it crashed in Williams, Calif.

This story is a hard story because it is reporting about a factual event that happened recently.  The lede is a summary lede covering most of the 5 “W”s, including who (8 killed and 35 injured), what (a bus accident), and where (a highway north of Sacramento).  The second paragraph is the second graf because it explains who the driver was and what may have caused the crash.  The third paragraph is the nut graf, which begins a discussion into the history of the driver, following into a background/history narrative that talks more about the driver’s history in commercial driving and the upcoming results of his blood test.  More events leading up to the crash follow in chronological order.  The ending is a fizzle ending that discusses other bus accidents.

Palin Surprises as VP Candidates Discuss Economic Crisis, War

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Gov. Sarah Palin surprised last night in her showing at the Presidential Debate at Washington University in St. Louis.

            The Alaskan governor was the focal point entering the debate after a series of interviews done with NBC’s Katie Couric.  The interviews received much attention as Palin, in the eyes of many, failed to impress.  Late night comedies such as Saturday Night Live have parodied these, creating popular skits and adding fuel to the flame.

Avoiding answering directly, Palin read mostly pre-practiced statements.  Palin looked confident and calm in dealing with her opponent, Sen. Joe Biden.  She even managed to correct him, stating the motto of those in favor or drilling within the United States as “drill, baby, drill.”

Biden also performed well, making clear points about the war in Iraq and the economy.  Speaking of the middle class, he stated that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain “wants to add $300 billion in new tax cuts per year for corporate America and the very wealthy while giving virtually nothing to the middle class.”  He also referred to them as “the economic engine of America.”

Biden, instead of targeting Palin, many times took aim at John McCain.  The voting records of both McCain and Barack Obama were called into question on multiple occasions.

Countering Biden’s more traditional style, Palin spoke in very plain speech, using words like “darn” and “doggone.”  Republicans will try to use this “everyman” tactic to appeal to a large range of voters.

Two debates remain featuring both presidential candidates.  The first, scheduled for Oct. 7, takes place at Belmont University while the second and final remaining debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 from Hofstra University.

Pg. 181 #1

By Eddie Barclay

State troopers will no longer carry hand held radar guns due to cancer concerns, a state police spokesperson said.

The ban came yesterday after three municipal police officers filed worker’s compensation claims after being diagnosed with cancer.  Long-term exposure is thought to be a possible cause of cancer.  This move is the first of its kind by a state law enforcement agency.

The ban is a precautionary measure while researchers study the effects of these radar guns.

The ban limits the use of 70 radar guns currently in place.  Police will continue to use car-mounted gun, which are fixed on the exterior of cruisers.

“The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” a state police spokesperson said.  “The whole situation is under review.”

Object Description

By Eddie Barclay

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — On the wood coffee table in front of me is the television remote control.  Made of plastic, the front is a matte silver, while the under side is a glossy black.  Buttons dot the front, a dark grey rubber molded into various shapes including circles, ovals, and rectangles.  Imprinted on the front of these is white lettering and numbering to denote the specific function.  Three oval shaped buttons, forming a horizontal line about two inches from the front, are colored red, green, and blue from left to right.  There is a small, perfectly round red button with a faded white print of the international symbol for power.  On the bottom quarter of the remote is a black silhouette of a crown surrounded by a thin circle.  The under side has four small legs on which the remote can rest.  Running down the middle for about three inches is a rectangular strip of Velcro placed slightly off-center.  At the bottom is a slightly loose rectangular piece of plastic with a clip on the top.  When removed, two Duracell brand AAA batteries are revealed.  On the front face, a rectangular smoky glass plate is embedded into the plastic.

9/26/08 Presidential Debate Lede

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain squared off in what was the first of three presidential debates on Friday.  Both candidates exchanged blows in an event that was marked by controversy.