The feedback I got was really good, since it said that all of my stuff was right on the mark =p.
The two things I will keep an eye on and fix according to the reviews is run through some of my grammar and check for run-ons and explain the significance in all of the paragraphs, not just a few of them ^.^
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Off to see the world....
The main research question that is directing this paper is: What is the current thinking of journalists on the topic of anonymous sources being used in the media? The purpose of this paper is to provide undergraduate students specializing in Communications (as in journalism and news writing) information on how exactly anonymous sources are viewed in the mass media by others like themselves and the main population. Often times it is shown that anonymous sources are useful; that’s why they were invented in the first place after all. However, according to several editors and news writers, anonymous sources aren’t so useful because they tend to expose incorrect information and act as a shield to hide behind.
Throughout the articles I have thus far read, the points made are in controversy with one another with each side arguing for or against anonymous sources. I will cover both sides in my paper to present an objective viewpoint, a must for all journalists, and explain why each side believes what it does, while providing examples of cases in which anonymity has helped or hurt various people. Concluding my paper, I will develop on how anonymous sources does in fact do harm in general, but explain ways of how to still be able to use them sensibly without causing an uproar. I will describe this approach so as to help future Communication majors find a foothold in the vast world of journalism so they might not make the same mistakes countless others before them have.
Throughout the articles I have thus far read, the points made are in controversy with one another with each side arguing for or against anonymous sources. I will cover both sides in my paper to present an objective viewpoint, a must for all journalists, and explain why each side believes what it does, while providing examples of cases in which anonymity has helped or hurt various people. Concluding my paper, I will develop on how anonymous sources does in fact do harm in general, but explain ways of how to still be able to use them sensibly without causing an uproar. I will describe this approach so as to help future Communication majors find a foothold in the vast world of journalism so they might not make the same mistakes countless others before them have.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Look, a hundred dollar bill! Haha, PSYCH! No seriously, this is psych stuff.
Summary of Textbook (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007)
According to Kossyln and Rosenberg (2007), there is no easy way to determine if an individual is gifted or not besides referring to the IQ score, which doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. The term of ‘gifted’ is applied to those who have IQ’s of at least 135, but is more commonly focused on those in the 150-180 range (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.277). The way in which people become gifted is not clear, but it is suggested that the trait can come from heredity as well as the environment. Interestingly enough, girls with higher levels of testosterone and boys with lower amounts are seen as more highly gifted than girls and boys with lower and higher amounts respectively, which preludes to the idea that biological factors could incline some people to become gifted (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.277).
On a higher extreme of giftedness stand the prodigies. These are children that are exceptionally talented in one area (like music, math, or art), but either average or sometimes not gifted at all in other areas. As some researchers agree, average children do the same processing that gifted children do, however, gifted children are able to do it more effectively because of their cognitive processes (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278). Despite gifted children having many talents and well-sought out qualities (like the drive to complete tasks), there can be a downside to such abilities. Gifted children can be ‘socially awkward’ and thus have high rates of emotional and social problems…double that of non-gifted children. Unbefitting labels, such as ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ can be placed upon them and many tend to become introverted (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278).
On the bright side, Kossyln and Rosenberg (2007) share that if an individual wasn’t considered gifted as a child, he can still grow up to be one, just as gifted children can grow to be normal adults. After all, Charles Darwin wasn’t gifted as a child, but with the help of mentors later in life he was able to grow into the world of the gifted and join the masses of teeming intelligence (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278).
According to Kossyln and Rosenberg (2007), there is no easy way to determine if an individual is gifted or not besides referring to the IQ score, which doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. The term of ‘gifted’ is applied to those who have IQ’s of at least 135, but is more commonly focused on those in the 150-180 range (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.277). The way in which people become gifted is not clear, but it is suggested that the trait can come from heredity as well as the environment. Interestingly enough, girls with higher levels of testosterone and boys with lower amounts are seen as more highly gifted than girls and boys with lower and higher amounts respectively, which preludes to the idea that biological factors could incline some people to become gifted (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.277).
On a higher extreme of giftedness stand the prodigies. These are children that are exceptionally talented in one area (like music, math, or art), but either average or sometimes not gifted at all in other areas. As some researchers agree, average children do the same processing that gifted children do, however, gifted children are able to do it more effectively because of their cognitive processes (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278). Despite gifted children having many talents and well-sought out qualities (like the drive to complete tasks), there can be a downside to such abilities. Gifted children can be ‘socially awkward’ and thus have high rates of emotional and social problems…double that of non-gifted children. Unbefitting labels, such as ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ can be placed upon them and many tend to become introverted (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278).
On the bright side, Kossyln and Rosenberg (2007) share that if an individual wasn’t considered gifted as a child, he can still grow up to be one, just as gifted children can grow to be normal adults. After all, Charles Darwin wasn’t gifted as a child, but with the help of mentors later in life he was able to grow into the world of the gifted and join the masses of teeming intelligence (Kossyln & Rosenberg, 2007, p.278).
Monday, November 5, 2007
Clap, Clap! I O Clap, Clap! I O Clap Clap! And Biblio was his Name-O!
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Friday, October 26, 2007
How exciting; more questions. Please note sarcasm
Synthesizer of Current Best Thinking on a Problem
1. What is the current thinking of journalists on the topic of anonymous sources being used in the media?
2. According to politicians and government officials, why are anonymous sources needed and how do they help to 'protect'?
Reviewer of a Controversy
1. What are the current arguments for and against the use of anonymous sources in media? Why do they matter?
Analytical Thinker Positioned in a Critical Conversation
1. What would be the effect removing anonymous sources from the newspaper and media in terms of the people in general?
1. What is the current thinking of journalists on the topic of anonymous sources being used in the media?
2. According to politicians and government officials, why are anonymous sources needed and how do they help to 'protect'?
Reviewer of a Controversy
1. What are the current arguments for and against the use of anonymous sources in media? Why do they matter?
Analytical Thinker Positioned in a Critical Conversation
1. What would be the effect removing anonymous sources from the newspaper and media in terms of the people in general?
What I have learned so far
So far, I've learned that many people find anonymous sources harmful in the sense that they often rile up trouble and that many don't even exist or can't be traced. Also, many anonymous sources don't actually help in cases and take up valuable time and resources as people follow leads that might not go anywhere. And businessmen often hide behind the term when making comments about competition businesses to avoid getting in trouble or called on an inappropiate comment.
It is also agreed upon by several reporters that the use of anonymous sources decreases the value of a newspaper: it's much more believable and trustworthy if there is a name involved that can be contacted on the basis of the statement.
Overall, I'm still focusing my paper on how anonymous sources are often hurtful to others. Some more things I'd like to find are other cases where the use of anonymous sources harmed someone (Valerie Plame, flushing the Koran, etc.) and more opinions on why anon. sources are bad.
It is also agreed upon by several reporters that the use of anonymous sources decreases the value of a newspaper: it's much more believable and trustworthy if there is a name involved that can be contacted on the basis of the statement.
Overall, I'm still focusing my paper on how anonymous sources are often hurtful to others. Some more things I'd like to find are other cases where the use of anonymous sources harmed someone (Valerie Plame, flushing the Koran, etc.) and more opinions on why anon. sources are bad.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Valid Links
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=106&sid=64449a61-b073-47f9-870b-6e633205a15b%40sessionmgr107 -- Published in a scholarly journal in the year 2006.
http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=6292 -- Published recently (2006) and is of a .org source with the name of the reporter.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bradlee/transcript_sources.html -- Published in 2006 and is of a .org source - is an interview that was broadcasted on pbs
http://www.louise.house.gov/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=871 -- Published less than 2 weeks ago (very recent) and is from a government website.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060117-3.html -- government source from the white house (office of press secratary). Recent (2006).
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3042
http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=3946
Database Articles:
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17692063&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17525976&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17436028&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17115370&site=ehost-live
********** http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=11200502&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9306110131&site=ehost-live
Psych Links:
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20943258&site=ehost-live
http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=6292 -- Published recently (2006) and is of a .org source with the name of the reporter.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bradlee/transcript_sources.html -- Published in 2006 and is of a .org source - is an interview that was broadcasted on pbs
http://www.louise.house.gov/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=871 -- Published less than 2 weeks ago (very recent) and is from a government website.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060117-3.html -- government source from the white house (office of press secratary). Recent (2006).
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3042
http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=3946
Database Articles:
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17692063&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17525976&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17436028&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17115370&site=ehost-live
********** http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=11200502&site=ehost-live
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9306110131&site=ehost-live
Psych Links:
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20943258&site=ehost-live
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