The News About The News

Pay to Read the News?

Sunday, September 13, 2009

By Ryan Franker

Four big companies sat down with the Newspaper Association of America. They are trying to find a way on how the online newspapers can get money from their online articles. But charging the readers is the biggest concern the newspapers have. The reason the newspapers are wanting to start charging their readers is because the journalism business is struggling really bad right now with trying to keep up with the technology and their readers. Making their readers pay to read articles online would be one way to make sure that they are getting some money in from the articles that are being written.

If you think about it, you have to pay to read a hard copy of the newspaper, so why not charge that same amount online, and you can read the paper for a whole day?

Google has come up with a way to charge people for reading the articles on Google News. Google like the idea of having an open media source, but they don't want it to be free. They have proposed a idea of Google Checkout. The reader would have to sign in to access the newspaper or articles. The payments that could be done is a basic subscription to the newspaper, or a micropayments, which is you pay per article that you would like read.

Advertising on Twitter?

By Michelle Zimmerman

Twitter is becoming increasingly more and more popular around the world and as any other company it would make sense that the owners would like to make a profit. Therefore to remain free for the members they needed to look into other options such as advertising.

It is important to Twitter that they remain a site that is merely focused on members communicating being that communications between members is the entire purpose of the site. If there is any type of advertising it will remain in small quantities and not override the motive of the company.

Facebook and Myspace are prime examples of other social networks that use advertising to maintain free memberships. Being a member of both of those networks I among other users dislike the amount of advertising that occurs all over the sites. There is constantly something flying across the screen and almost retracts me from continuing the use of the site.

Hopefully Twitter continues to keep their objective in mind and does not overflow the community of the site with advertisements because it possible they will lose supporters.

'Tis The Season To Stay Healthy!

By Keri Waterhouse

Things as simple as a hand shake, a small peck on the cheek, or a friendly hug can help get one into trouble during this terrible flu season. The scary "swine flu" or known now as H1N1 has traveled it's way around the world and infected more than a quarter-million people and has caused more than 2,800 deaths.It's a scary thing to think about. We all get that nasty bug called the flu, so no one really thinks about it.

I remember when I first heard about the swine flu last May. Everyone was freaking out about it. It was in Texas and out of the U.S. Some people even cancelled their flights to go on vacations. To me it wasn't that big of a deal. I never thought it would actually get near me. When reading about the synptoms you would think you just had the common flu. The symptoms include; fever (100F/37.8C) or greater, sore throat, cough, headache, body aches, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. The way things are spreading is by washing your hands after sneezing or coughing, touching your eyes or mouth, kissing, touching others that are sick, or just not taking care of yourself.

I never really thought anything of this sickness until I came back to campus this fall and we were told that students at neighboring colleges had confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, and told us that it probably wouldn't be long and that virus would find its way onto our campus. Sure enough, a week later it did. Simpson had its first case of the H1N1 virus last week.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/13/france.kiss/index.html

Soldier detained in contractor's shooting death

As far as this one goes a civilian contractor was killed at a military base in Tikrit, Iraq. Apparently a U.S. soldier was detained in connection with the death of the contractor but so far no names have been given out. This one kind of makes you think about how well trained the military really is. Discipline is key for the army so you would think that if something like this happens it would be an accident. however when they say that they detained a soldier it really begs the question about how our soldiers morale and discipline could be waning when there is no end to the militaries occupation of Iraq. Check it out here http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/13/contractor.death.soldier.held/index.html and tell me what you think on the topic.

Ryan Fuerstenau

Cronkite Remembered, Media Critiqued By Obama

By: Amy Johnson

Walter Cronkite was one of the most influential people in the realm of media. An anchorman for the CBS Evening News, he was often called “the most trusted man in America." The media and world of journalism has come a long way from having a journalist that America can trust.

President Obama paid respect to the late Cronkite recently, who died this past July.

He stated that “ 'the most trusted man in America' -- wasn't bestowed upon him by a network or advertising agency, but earned through decades of painstaking effort."

It's true. Many Americans that were fortunate enough to watch Cronkite nightly had a voice they could trust. He told the news exactly like it was. In comparison of the serious news that Cronkite reported on in years past, today's journalism has gone soft. Celebrity scandals and reports on the intimate, personal lives of people through the United States have taken over the front lines of the news.

What will it take to get back to the investigative journalism that Cronkite so skillfully mastered? It is tough to say. Perhaps getting back to a way of journalism where reporters don't have to stay neutral and unbiased because of fear they'll be fired. Or maybe it is such a thing that the internet and television has taken over, showing more and more soft stories such as the "Jon and Kate Plus 8" scandal over those with more substance; or perhaps it is America the people's own fault, loving the softer stories more than those that actually impact their own lives.

CNN Proves Journalism is Still More Reputable than Internet and T.V. Reporting

By Taylor Finch

Friday morning, Sept. 11, CNN stirred up the news by announcing that the Coast Guard was trying to fend-off a suspicious vessel on the Potomac River. All morning, CNN proceeded to show video clips and make breaking-news reports on what they assumed was an issue, as well as other news stations, including Fox News, following suit.

Concerns escalated when flights were delayed at the Regan International Airport, due to the story. Washington, D.C. police, officials, and even the Pentagon had no idea of what was going on. Despite this being the anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, CNN presented a story that, once again, had the nation thinking there was an emergency situation about to replay eight years later.

All stories came to a halt when the Coast Guard announced nothing serious was happening. They were just going through a "routine and low-level" Coast Guard exercise. The Coast Guard also said that they felt the need not to notify anyone of their exercise because it was so routine and was not intended to affect anyone. And, when CNN did call them to confirm the story, the Coast Guard told them there was no need to report anything.

CNN realized they were wrong, but ended up blaming it on the Coast Guard for performing such exercises on that particular day. CNN also attempted to defend their mishap by saying that it would have been "irresponsible not to report what they were hearing and seeing" on the videos and unencrypted radio chats, that were not meant for the public to hear anyways.

Coast Guard Vice Admiral John Currier says that now they will be more careful with the press. This is just a reflection of how reporting bad or false news is becoming a growing problem in American media, with all of the news stations trying to always be the first to report big news stories. Because of this, Journalism is made to look even better and will hopefully always be a dependable source to come to for the "real" news.

Clean Water Act Violations Lead To Health Problems For West Virginian Citizens

By Meghan Vosberg

Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink, unless you want rotting teeth, skin rashes, burns, and chemicals that can give damage to the kidneys and possibly cancer. Polluted water plagues homes near Charleston, W. VA. Families wonder why they get digital cable and internet connection in their homes, but not clean water. Nearby coal mining industries pollute the water with heavy metals such as lead, and nickel. The tap water has also contained arsenic, manganese, barium, and other assorted chemicals.

But the motif does not only exist in West Virginia. Forty years ago, the Clean Water Act was passed by Congress. This Act was established to make those companies that wrongly dispose of their chemicals have to pay a fine or jailed. Unfortunately in recent news, this Act has been ignored. The Clean Water Act has had violations rise regularly throughout the United States.

Violations to the Clean Water Act have been made more than half a million instances. Manufacturing plants, and other workplaces that involve chemicals have violated this act in the last five years. But when the results of not reporting emissions and dumping poisons into the water are birth defects, cancer, and other health problems, shouldn't we do something else to stop this?

(Photo Credit: Ryan Griffis)

Columnist Offends People With Dugard Article

Friday, September 11, 2009

By Zach Jevne

A sports writer for the Orange County Register, Mark Whicker, recently offended a lot of people with his column about the sports events that Jaycee Dugard missed after being kidnapped and held hostage for 18 years. The column ran in Tuesday's paper.

In the article, Whicker made comments like, "It doesn't sound like Jaycee Dugard got to see a sports page. Box scores were not available from June 10, 1991 until August 31 of this year. She never saw a highlight. Probably hasn't high-fived in a while. Now, that's deprivation."

The most offensive comment, I thought, was the closing remark: "Ballplayers....came up with an expression for a home run that you might appreciate. Congratulations, Jaycee, you left the yard."

Whicker has since apologized for the column. He claims that it was not his intention to outrage readers and the public. He says he "miscalculated" the effect the column would have. He has been the center of a storm of criticism since the article was published. It has been called "the worst sports column ever written" and was referred to as "The Single Most Tasteless Sports Column in Written Language" by the Huffington Post.

Whicker said in an email that he was "quite surprised" by the reaction the column recieved. To be surprised by the reaction is surprising. This is an article that shouldn't have even gotten past the editor's desk. The OC Register's deputy sports editor also apologized for the column.

Whicker has been at that paper for over 22 years. With that much experience, it's hard to believe he could misjudge an article so poorly. He also said, "I wasn't insensitive about the fact she was kidnapped. I never made light about the fact that this woman was abducted."

That may be technically true, but the delivery and execution of this article was extremely insensitive to anyone who knows what that woman had been through, especially to Dugard and her family.

I was drawn to this story because, not only was it very newsworthy, I have seen Mark Whicker on television in the past. Everything thing I have seen from him, until this article, had been good. He has been a guest on ESPN's Jim Rome Is Burning, where he would discuss sports topics with Rome and other sports writers.

Hopefully, he has learned from this incident and can prove himself again to the public. It's not going to be an easy road. Maybe some time off is what Whicker needs to re-group. Or maybe he is just, as he put it, "out of touch".

Is Yahoo a Better Friend to Newspapers Than Google?

By Laura Reid

Newspapers are saying that Yahoo has a more deeper relationship with newspapers than Google does. Both groups have links and sites to maps and newspapers, which helps readers when searching through both sites, but for newspapers, the relationship that Yahoo has made with many of the newspaper companies, known as the consortium, has made the companies favor Yahoo more, and use Yahoo's behaviorally focused ads, known as interest-based ads, some getting good results. Newspaper companies also feel that Google is unfairly making money off of their content.

But Google's news and ads drive more viewers to them than to Yahoo. While Google is developing more links and applications on their sites, newspaper owners feel that they are not getting the payoff for what they use.

While newspapers want to transition from paper to web, this competition for clients with these web companies are causing problems with those viewers that use them. While Yahoo is more cooperative to work with newspaper companies, Google is the site that draws more viewers and more money, even if the newspapers are not receiving all the benefits. Being able to make money off of the internet is becoming a problem for many companies, and the fact that a billion dollar company like Google doesn't want to share the wealth is a little daunting to me.

Online Newspapers Charging for Usage

Thursday, September 10, 2009

By Brianna Carlson

According to The New York Times, Google is currently setting up a program which will allow online newspapers to charge users through Google. The charge is in the form of micropayments.

Google's micropayment system will be an addition to Google Checkout. One main competitor of Google Checkout is eBay's PayPal service. Google's micropayment system could have a strong impact on the competitor, eBay's PayPal service.

This micropayment system is in the process of being set up but should be within the next year. It will allow a variation in the amount of payment according to the newspaper.

Many newspapers have been devastated with the economic situation. Since this is a problem, many publishers are looking for new ways to charge users. Google could be the next step.

Are social media that important to some NFL players?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

By Taylor Finch

Has Twitter and Facebook become a problem for some NFL players? Well, the National Football League officials seem to think it has.

This past Monday, the league made the decision to begin to put limits on Tweeting and the use of other social-networking sites for all players, coaches, officials, the media, and anyone else who may be tied to the game. This does not necessarily mean that these social mediums are off limits. But, using during games or within 90 minutes before and after games is forbidden.

The league's reasoning stems from worry that instead of tuning into the actual game, which would boost ratings for that particular game-coverage provider, that fans will instead check recent Tweets and Facebook statuses for score updates and play-by-plays from the players or coaches.

Though this will be very hard for the NFL to monitor, I think it will finally send a reality check to these social butterflies. Social Networking should not be what drives these NFL players. So guys, you are here to play football. It happens to be your job. Let the reporters report and give the game highlights, because that is their job. You just worry about playing football. Thanks.

Ferry sinks in the Philippines

By Brianna Carlson

1000 passengers on the Superferry 9, a Philippine ferry, sank. Alarms went off at 2 AM waking all passengers up from their sleep. It sank about 15 nautical miles from Zamboanga City.

As of now, 926 passengers were rescued. Atleast 9 were killed; 33 were missing.

The cause of the accident is not known yet. Previously, the Superferry has had engine and generator trouble, but the ferry company said the ship was in good shape before it left.

Passengers that were interviewed did not hear any sort of explosion. Weather was not an issue. Most passengers were put onto a navy gunboat and fishing boats.

British Court Convicts Three in Plot to Blow Up Airliners

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

By Laura Reid

Three men were found guilty of planning to blow up seven airliners by concealing hydrogen peroxide in coke cans and using detonation devices powered by AA batteries.

This plan was foiled by the British Intelligence Agencies, along with some US intelligent agencies. The defendants claims were that they were trying to show how security has not improved after 9/11. One of the defendant's also stated that it was a warning for the Americans and British to leave the Muslim lands.

While these men were taken into custody in 2006, it makes me think how unsecure are security really is. Not just in airports, but it seems like the most likely target since so many people travel on a daily basis. As terrorist as this may be, it is an eye-opener to see that terrorists can still blow through our defenses, even with the regulation now in effect about carrying liquids and such.

But I'm also wondering whether the US shouldn't have rushed the British in gaining evidence. Four other people were also convicted of this act of terror which actually would have been second to 9/11 had it gone through, yet they were found not guilty because of the lack of evidence. But then again, if they waited, they would be dealing with the loss of alot of civilian lives. How safe are we? And how far is our government willing to go to protect us?

A "New Age" Candidate

Sunday, September 6, 2009

By Tessa Leone

Zach Tillion, a recent high school graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School in Des Moines Iowa has just announced his candidacy for the upcoming school board election.

" 100: That’s how many days I’ve been out of the school district. I know the perspective of a student better than many other candidates."-Zach Tillion. He plans to offer a fresh set of ideals and values to Des Moines Public Schools. He has spent countless hours volunteering for political candidates, leading local protests, and organizing school related awareness programs.

"84% 74% and 65%: That’s the percentage of our kids that have been graduating recently. If elected to the board, making that percentage go back up would be my number 1 priority."-Zach Tillion. Zach plans to use his age to promote the importance of a high school diploma. Allowing students to identify with a peer rather than listen to an elder might just be the angle that will allow the school board to reach its students and decrease its drop out rates.

Zach and his growing followers have began promoting his campaign on student targeted pages such as facebook and myspace. He has multiple links and groups allowing people to reach him and join his cause.

The election is on Tuesday September 8th. To find voting information for your district click here.
To register click here.

If Zach succeeds he will be the youngest candidate to be elected to the Des Moines School Board.

(Photo Credit: WHO TV)

Multimedia Magazine

By Ryan Franker

An online magazine (FLYP) found a new way of reporting the news, while catching the reader's interest and eye. The magazine is using traditional reporting and writing but then adding animation, audio, video, and interactive graphics to an article.

The company hasn't been putting out articles for a long time, so it is still an experiment. But they believe that the magazine will do well since they are giving the reader the right to choose how they want the news presented to them. You can either turn the page, like it is a real magazine, or listen to an interview from that article. There are numerous ways of getting the news from this web magazine. They are making it easier for people to understand what the writer is trying to say, because they have so many options on how to get the news. The magazine is trying to find new ways of reporting the news. They have to keep up will the readers and how they like their news presented to them.

Boy who cried blood

By: Mallory Tandy

Calvino Inman, a 15-year-old boy from Rockwood, Tennessee, stepped out of the shower and realized something was wrong, he was crying blood! Calvino's mother rushed him to the hospital as soon as she saw what was wrong with him. By the time they got to the hospital the tears had stopped and the Doctors could not see what the family was trying to explain to them. A few days later while Inman was on a camping trip, the bloody tears came back.

Inman had an MRI, a CT scan and an ultrasound, but none of the results came back abnormal. Inman's mother recalls the doctors telling her "We don't know how to stop it" and "It just has to run its course." These are words that no parent wants to hear when their child is sick.

A director of the University of Tennessee's Hamilton Eye Institute whose name is Dr. Barrett G. Haik says the possible answer could be the condition called haemolacria. This condition happens when someone has had a serious head injury or extreme trauma of some sort. There was no obvious cause in Inmans case.

Experts think Inman will undergo many tests from specialists such as opthalmologists and hematologists. He may also need to have a psychological evaluation to see if maybe the bloody tears were actually a hoax. Could the boy have been watching the new, HBO series True Blood, and was inspired by the vampires who cry blood? Or is Calvino Inman an actual medical mystery? In Calvino Inman's case, the cause may never be discovered.

News Applications for Your Location

By: Chris Mars

With more mobile phone users choosing a smartphone as their weapon of choice we are seeing a huge increase in the capabilities of mobile Web and applications available to users. This developing technology opens the door for news organizations to provide even more accurate information to subscribers.

The development of mobile web-friendly buttons, bookmarks and applications can be created for quick navigation and updates desired by mobile web users. The iPhone offers applications ranging from Pacman to Pet Vet Records, applications useful to all members of the family. On top of these new connection tools the use of GPS and location-based applications makes the information seen by the user even more specific. These location-specific applications can potentially be used to warn of severe weather and news in the area including breaking news.

With a decrease in newspaper readers and news seekers in general, these are new opportunities for news organizations to reconnect with their viewers, readers, and subscribers. Cutting through the clutter and offering shortcuts to news should generate more interest and more availability to users on the go. Hopefully news organizations will catch up with this new media craze and deliver the news people want to the palm of their hand.

Mobilizing for mobile: Are news organizations lagging?

Vander Plaats Announces Official Run for Governor

By: Bethany Christenson

Republican Bob Vander Plaats will announce his official run for Iowa governor on Monday. This is Vander Plaats third run for governor. He feels that current Iowa Governor Chet Culver is leading Iowa into the wrong direction and he can lead Iowa back into a more conservative direction.

He previously campaigned in 2002, when he lost in the GOP primary, and in 2006, when Jim Nussle chose him as a running mate. They were defeated by Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge.

Vander Plaats is ready to deliver his message and says we should return to "Iowa values".

What are "Iowa Values" exactly? Vander Plaats says that they include values of marriage and families. He is obviously referring to the 2009 decision to allow same-sex marriages become legal in Iowa.

Vander Plaats is also opposed to the spending done by Chet Culver in his plan to repair roads damaged by flooding or deterioration from years of use.

Vander Plaats used be a CEO of a nonprofit group, but he now heads a planning and development agency in Sioux City. He also head former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's Iowa headquarters in 2008.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990906005

Internet Advertising World Sees Major Change

By: Amy Johnson

Not long ago, when one thought of advertising for a company, the first thing that would come to mind are television commercials or ads in the margins of a newspaper. Now that the Internet has taken over, even that is seeing changes. According to a new report, one out of five ads shown on the Internet is viewed on a social networking site – a site such as MySpace and Facebook. Those sites symbolize 21 percent of the ads on the Internet in the United States, MySpace and Facebook being more than 80 percent of ads. Before this, major sites such as Yahoo or AOL were the big market advertisers.

Why such a change? First, it is quite useful for more companies to advertise on something as fast and expanding as the Internet. Millions of people all over the world use the Internet more than once a day. It is cost efficient. Companies get their name and product out to a bigger, more broad group of people for much less than advertising through television and/or big city newspapers.

Also, it makes sense that more brand name companies are expanding their advertising to social networking sites. Facebook and MySpace are used daily by millions of people, especially the younger generation who are more apt to look closer at the ads and buy the items being advertised. It is also much cheaper to advertise on a social networking site than on one such as Yahoo or AOL (according to analyst Jeff Lindsay). Why not start putting advertisements on sites where more people visit daily if it is going to cost the company less money? For brand-name mega-companies, it fits.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE5805QX20090901

Forgotten Past Equals Future Problems For Bosnia

By: Meghan Vosberg

In the 1990s the country of Bosnia was plagued with war. Homes were burnt to the ground. Families were separated. And rape was introduced as a fighting tactic. But why should a war from fourteen years ago, in which over 100,000 people killed matter today? Plus does it matter that the majority of those oppressed in this 3 1/2 year war were Muslim?

When you think about it, Bosnia is not near the top of our "Countries we need to worry about list," especially when it's compared with Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Ever since the Dayton accord ended the Bosnian war everyone assumed that the issue was resolved and everything is now peachy keen. This is not the fact in today's Bosnia."The economy has stalled, unemployment is over 27 percent, about 25 percent of the population lives in poverty, and Bosnia remains near the bottom of World Bank rankings for business development."http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65352/patrice-c-mcmahon-and-jon-western/the-death-of-dayton"

Bosnia was a "project" of the 90's. The Clinton's did many services to the country. A street in Sarajevo is even named after Hillary. Over $14 billion dollars was used in international aid. But with our own country in recession, and health care being a subject of issue, should we still try to help other countries in need?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/weekinreview/06kulish.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

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