Crime Story Press Release: 21 Internet Predators Arrested in Sting

http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-46849-202010--,00.html

Two sources to interview: Attorney General Agents (specifically Mike Cox, who announced the arrest) and Kent County Sheriff Deputies (specifically Larry Stelma, who also announced the arrest)

Story Analysis: Ex-ACORN Worker: 'I paid the price' for voter registration fraud

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/22/voter.fraud/index.html?iref=newssearch

This article is about Clifton Mitchell, a worker for ACORN who got caught registering non-existent voters. It starts off with a short soft lede with a mysterious twist, explaining who Mitchell is and what he did: "Clifton Mitchell helped register nearly 2,000 for the community group ACORN. But none of them actually existed."

The next two paragraphs are back-up to the lede, providing background about Mitchell's history with ACORN, as well as his family life to explain that he needed money to support his wife and kids.

The nut graph follows in the fourth paragraph, explaining that ACORN pressured Mitchell and his team if they did not meet their quota of registered voters, giving the reader the "so what," in terms of why Mitchell and his team did what they did.

The rest of the article has more quotes from Mitchell about how he carried out the false registration, then quotes from a law professor, giving his opinion on the issue of registration fraud and why workers feel pressured to take part in it. Then the article moves on to the most important issue for readers: how this negatively can affect voters and the outcome of the election.

The kicker is a quote from Mitchell, further expressing his regret for getting involved and claiming that he did not take part in it for election purposes. This provides effective closure for the article, summing up the key topics of Mitchell's incident, as well as its possible negative effects on the election.

Crime Story Analysis: 17-year-old Slain the Night Before Homecoming

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1203084,CST-NWS-shot05.article

The title of the article itself grabbed my attention immediately, drawing me in to find out how and why this young man was killed. The article is a hard-news story, like most first-day stories about death. It begins with a succinct summary lede, giving me the who, what, when, and where, and attribution from authorities and family.

The author uses active voice throughout the article and descriptive sentences that allowed me to somewhat visualize the story taking place, such as: "There was an argument inside the party, which sent everyone running outside." However, the author provides the reader with almost no information about the weapon found near 17-year-old Shaun Brown's body, only telling the reader that Brown was shot after police were informed about shots being heard.

 The use of quotes from eyewitnesses, such as Brown's brother, made the story more interesting and credible. Providing quotes from Brown's mother allowed the reader to question whether or not Brown had been directly involved in the shooting that lead to his death, setting him up as an innocent victim who was a good kid.

The article closes with more information from family members about Brown's plans for school and the future, shedding an innocent light on him once again.

Story Analysis: The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/uspolitics/13martin.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

This article begins with a soft lede that goes on for about four paragraphs, enticing the reader with background on how false rumors began about Barack Obama being a Muslim. The author does not reveal the "man behind the whispers" immediately in the lede, which keeps the reader hooked.

The nut graph follows the lede in the fifth paragraph, showing the reader why Andy Martin's actions are important and necessary to understand. Following the nut graph, the author provides backup information, giving the reader a better idea of who Andy Martin is and what he has done to hurt Obama's image.

The continuation of the article does not seem to have a predictable ABAB structure, but the ideas flow well from one to the next. After the nut graph, the author describes Mr. Martin's history of false accusations and adds in effective quotes that reveal opinions from individuals who have worked with him in the past and who have investigated his actions on the Web.

The author then gives the reader accurate information about Obama's heritage to emphasize Mr. Martin's wrongdoings and talks about how other Web users have fed off of his inaccurate statements, spreading them far and wide.

The portion of the article that impacted me the most was towards the end, where the author uses a handful of quotes and fairly short sentences to not only describe Mr. Martin's outward displays of anti-Semitism, but also to show how he has unknowingly steered many Jews away from Obama by accusing him of being a Muslim.

The article has a strong kicker; the author recalls a statement made by Mr. Martin that finishes off the negative picture that the article paints of him: '"He said he had at least come to "accept" Mr. Obama's word that he had found Jesus Christ. His intent, he said, was only to educate."'

Story Analysis: Drug Samples

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/health/research/06sample.html?ref=us

This article from “The New York Times” talks about a study that showed the harmful effects of free drug samples on children because they typically are the newest drugs that are not fully tested. The study also reports that samples are not as helpful to people with lower income as one may think; the poor generally receive more drug samples than people who are better insured. Doctors and researchers also point out the positive aspects of samples, such as their easy availability at doctors’ offices and the ability to test medications before buying them.

This article is considered “hard-news” because it was published two days ago on October 6th. Therefore, it has immediacy and clearly points out what happened and why. This article has an inverted pyramid structure, starting off with a “summary lead.” This lead gives readers the basic who and what (a survey on drug samples that affects children and does little to help the poor). The second and third paragraphs provide backup to the lead, elaborating on the study and showing its findings. The nut graph is in the fourth paragraph, explaining the main point of the story and why it is newsworthy. In the nut graph, the author discusses how free drug samples negatively affect people by using evidence from the C.D.C.

The remainder of the article features the harmful effects of free samples based on the study, with quotes from doctors and researchers. The article then moves on to quotes that depict the benefits of samples, which makes the article more intriguing for the reader because both points of view are shown. The article finishes off with a quote from a pediatrician, ending the article with one last negative take on free samples: “I’m tired of my patients getting burned by a $40 co-pay." Her quote supports the overall issue that the article raises.

The True V.P. "Maverick" in Missouri

By Allie Jacobs

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- During the highly anticipated Vice Presidential debate Thursday night in St. Louis, Missouri, Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin used different strategies to show that they are suitable for the role of Vice President.

 

Low expectations were foreseen for the so-called hockey mom, while Biden's higher level of experience gave him an advantage. 

 

When asked about managing America's taxes, Palin attacked Obama's plan, asserting her belief that small businesses will receive a blow from higher taxes to the wealthy.

"An increased tax formula that Barack Obama is proposing in addition to a trillion dollars in new spending that he's promoting is the backwards way of trying to grow our economy," Palin said.

 

She also made it a point to show her experience as mayor and governor in regards to effective tax policy, referring to tax reduction for small business and for personal property in her hometown.

 

Senator Biden asserted the notion multiple times that tax breaks should be given to the middle class, supporting Obama's tax plan to raise taxes on people who earn over $250,000 year, calling it "just simple fairness."

 

Biden also strongly opposed Sen. John McCain's health care plan, calling it "the ultimate Bridge to Nowhere."

In terms of a plan for getting out of Iraq, Biden seemed to have a more solid approach that clashed with Palin's response as he discussed the necessity to shift the responsibility to the Iraqis. Biden made it clear that a timeline is key for ending the war.

"For John McCain, there is no end in sight," Biden said.

 

Palin, on the other hand, stuck with McCain's refusal to withdraw early, providing little explanation other than, "We have got to win in Iraq."

 

Biden and Palin used negative statements about the other side to their advantage in this debate, with Biden seeming to come out on top with clearer explanations.

"He has not been a maverick on education, war, things that generally affect people," Biden said, referring to McCain.

 

In contrast, Palin frequently brought up McCain's maverick status. Although Palin suffered from lack of knowledge on certain topics such as foreign policy, as well as a large amount of negative publicity in the media, she was able to show some competency in tonight's debate.

Overall, Biden's superior knowledge and more clear-cut statements set him up for success in this debate.

--XXX--

Radar Guns Banned in Connecticut

By Allie Jacobs

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Connecticut State police agreed yesterday to order a ban of 70 hand-held radar guns because of speculation by researchers that long-term exposure to radiation waves from these devices could be linked to cancer.

"The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue," said Adam Berluti, a state police spokesman. "The whole situation is under review."

The ban is the first of its kind to be created by a state police agency, based on workers' compensation claims filed two months ago by three Connecticut police officers. Workers claim they developed cancer from using the hand-held guns.

State troopers, however, will continue to use radar units with transmitters mounted on the outside of their vehicles.

--XXX--