Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Extra Credit #4

1. As a child, I grew up as a democrat. Therefore, if I ever needed to write an article regarding a political campaign or something of the sort, then my writing would seem slanted towards the Democratic side. For example, if I wrote a paper on John McCain during the presidential election, it would be riddled with bias, despite how hard I may have tried to suppress any feelings.

2. Yes. I would take the story. Even though it may be a side I disagree with, as long as I present sufficient facts supporting both political parties, than I could minimize any bias buried deep inside me. Despite any efforts, still, it would be extremely difficult to eliminate bias completely from the article.

3. The media is biased, depending upon which television channel the viewer watches. Certain channels are known to have certain opinions or viewpoints. To present an article, unbiased, can be done. The most effective way to write an unbiased article is to not take a side, one way or the other. As long as the author has no preconceived feelings about the subject, the article can be written in an unbiased manner.

4. I do not believe that the Tribune covered the story fairly. While everything that the tribune wrote did in fact happen, the entire story was swayed towards presenting him as a fool. Points about how he has spent his time post-impeachment were all stated to make him seem ridiculous. I am sure there must be something noble that he has done since impeachment. Nothing was shown.

5. If I were writing this story, several considerations would come to mind. First, minimize harm. I would show compassion for Blagojevich, a person who has been affected adversely by news coverage. But, it conflicts with one section: Seek Truth and Report it. Some facts would need to be stated to present both sides of the story. Unfortunately, they would not show sensitivity towards his feelings. There is no potential for libel from this article because all facts can be backed up, truthfully.

6. I would have written the story with as much unbiased feelings as possible, the goal of a journalist. Therefore, I would not have included the facts about how he sent his wife to a jungle reality show or that he compared himself to a Greek mythical creature. I would have strived to find out how Blagojevich has spent his time constructively, post-impeachment, to contrast from the other ridiculous acts. But, I understand the Tribune’s strategy. The audience wants to hear about how crazy Blagojevich’s life has been. I get it. But I do not agree with them.

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