Recently, we studied how the media affects our political culture and why it is sometimes called the fourth branch of government. The media's influence on politics has always affected how we view our politicians; from the times of the penny press, FDR's fireside chats and the televised Kennedy/Nixon debates. However, it is now possible that some major cities will soon no longer have a newspaper.
In a recent cover story, Times author Walter Issacon notes that although readership is on the rise, fewer consumers are paying. According to a Pew Research study, more people got their news online for free last year, than paid for it by buying newspapers and magazines. The newspapers, which traditionally have counted on sales from subscriptions and newsstands are now only relying on advertising dollars, thus making the content beholden to the advertisers themselves.
Walter Issacon makes a case for charging for the news we access. Whether we pay an online subscription fee for the newspaper of our choice, or we are simply charged a "user fee" for each article we access, Issacon stresses that charging for content might just be the only way to save our newspapers.
You are all creative students, who produce artistic content that I am sure you would like to get paid for, yet at the same time, I am sure many of your access news for free off of the Internet. So my question to you this week is, "Do you think we should be charged for the news we access, and if so, with what kind of fee?". Answers are due Sunday, June 6th, 2010.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Celebrating a 3-Day Weekend? Thank a Veteran!
I have been looking forward to the three-day weekend coming up for a long time. We always get together as a family and have a big cook-out. The pools re-open, I get a free day off of work and more importantly, summer begins!
It dawned on me as I sat down to write this post, that the true meaning of Memorial day is often lost. Most people know that Memorial Day is to honor soldiers who have died in combat, but did you know that a national moment of remembrance, in the form of a moment of silence, takes place at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time? Another tradition is to fly the flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Many people observe the holiday by visiting graves and cemeteries to honor family members who have died. Hundreds of volunteers place American flags on veteran grave sites across the country.
Both of my grandpa's are WWII veterans. I remember how seriously my grandma took Memorial Day and her responsibilities to honor my grandpa, the flag and our country. I realize that those duties have been lost on my generation, in lieu of BBQ, beer and the Indy 500. It made me realize that it is time to step up to the plate. So, this weekend, I pledge to do something to honor my grandpa's and others who have died in service of this country. My question to you this week is "How do you celebrate Memorial Day? Do you do anything to honor it's true meaning?" Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 30th, 2010. To those of you that have volunteered to serve our country so that life is better for all of us - I honor and salute you! Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!
It dawned on me as I sat down to write this post, that the true meaning of Memorial day is often lost. Most people know that Memorial Day is to honor soldiers who have died in combat, but did you know that a national moment of remembrance, in the form of a moment of silence, takes place at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time? Another tradition is to fly the flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Many people observe the holiday by visiting graves and cemeteries to honor family members who have died. Hundreds of volunteers place American flags on veteran grave sites across the country.
Both of my grandpa's are WWII veterans. I remember how seriously my grandma took Memorial Day and her responsibilities to honor my grandpa, the flag and our country. I realize that those duties have been lost on my generation, in lieu of BBQ, beer and the Indy 500. It made me realize that it is time to step up to the plate. So, this weekend, I pledge to do something to honor my grandpa's and others who have died in service of this country. My question to you this week is "How do you celebrate Memorial Day? Do you do anything to honor it's true meaning?" Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 30th, 2010. To those of you that have volunteered to serve our country so that life is better for all of us - I honor and salute you! Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!
Monday, May 17, 2010
What's Been Happening in Arizona and Could It Happen Here?
Last month, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer passed the strictest immigration law in the country, which will go into effect July 29, 2010. The act makes it a misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying legal documents. It obligates police to, when practicable; determine a person’s immigration status if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is an illegal alien. Police may arrest a person if there is probable cause that the person is an alien not in possession of required registration documents. This legislation has started a national debate on illegal immigration. The ACLU, National Immigration Law Center, NAACP and other civil-rights groups say the law, “encourages racial profiling, endangers public safety and betrays American values”. The mayor of Los Angeles has called for a boycott of Arizona businesses. Supporters of the law say that the law is simply enforcing federal law, and that it is necessary to crack down on illegal immigrants crossing our borders.
Last week, Governor Brewer also signed a bill targeting The Tucson Unified School District's ethnic studies programs. The Tucson Unified School District offers courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native American studies, focusing on history, literature and the influence of a particular ethnic group. The law prohibits classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, are designed for students of a particular race, or promote resentment towards a certain ethnic group. United Nations human rights experts condemned the measure saying in part, “All people should have the right to learn about their own cultural heritage”.
So my question to you this week is “What are your opinions of both piece of legislation? Would you want similar legislation in Indiana? Why or why not?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 23rd, 2010. You must discuss both piece of legislation to earn full credit. I also encourage you to contact the governor and tell her what you think! You can email her at: http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp
Last week, Governor Brewer also signed a bill targeting The Tucson Unified School District's ethnic studies programs. The Tucson Unified School District offers courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native American studies, focusing on history, literature and the influence of a particular ethnic group. The law prohibits classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, are designed for students of a particular race, or promote resentment towards a certain ethnic group. United Nations human rights experts condemned the measure saying in part, “All people should have the right to learn about their own cultural heritage”.
So my question to you this week is “What are your opinions of both piece of legislation? Would you want similar legislation in Indiana? Why or why not?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 23rd, 2010. You must discuss both piece of legislation to earn full credit. I also encourage you to contact the governor and tell her what you think! You can email her at: http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp
Monday, May 10, 2010
Should the United States Torture?
Wow! I leave town for one week and it seems the news wire just went crazy. First, there was the oil spill in the Gulf, which as of this writing is still spilling thousands of gallons of oil into the water. Then, there was the flooding in Tennessee, leaving the town of Nashville under water and eerily reminiscent of New Orleans. Finally, there was the attempted terrorist bombing in Times Square. As I watched all of this from my hotel in Albuquerque, I couldn’t wait to get back and post something on the blog. The attempted bombing got me thinking about something I had previously blogged about and I decided to re-post this week. Now that we have the terrorist suspect in custody – what will happen to him?
In August 2009, the CIA released their 2004 inspector general’s report revealing the full extent of harsh methods used on terror suspects. The report found that CIA investigators routinely staged mock executions, and used power drills, guns, and waterboarding techniques to extract information from the detainees.
These “enhanced interrogation techniques” have caused moral, ethic and legal debates across the country. President Obama has gone so far as to call some of these techniques “torture”. As the debate rages on, many feel is boils down to one question, “Did the harsh methods like waterboarding cause terrorist suspects to give up valuable information?” Like so many things in Washington, it depends on who you ask.
The program’s defenders, most notably former Vice President Dick Cheney have long claimed that the detainees broke down under the coercive techniques and gave up crucial tips. The information they provided helped foil imminent terrorist plots against the United States, and thus saved American lives. One the other hand, the inspector general’s report says it “did not uncover any evidence that these plots were imminent.” The report also raises the fundamental questions of whether the interrogators needed to use enhanced techniques at all. The report states that at least in some instances, they were used “without justification.”
So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the ‘torture’ debate? Should the United States engage in these practices if it means keeping us safe?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 16th, 2009.
In August 2009, the CIA released their 2004 inspector general’s report revealing the full extent of harsh methods used on terror suspects. The report found that CIA investigators routinely staged mock executions, and used power drills, guns, and waterboarding techniques to extract information from the detainees.
These “enhanced interrogation techniques” have caused moral, ethic and legal debates across the country. President Obama has gone so far as to call some of these techniques “torture”. As the debate rages on, many feel is boils down to one question, “Did the harsh methods like waterboarding cause terrorist suspects to give up valuable information?” Like so many things in Washington, it depends on who you ask.
The program’s defenders, most notably former Vice President Dick Cheney have long claimed that the detainees broke down under the coercive techniques and gave up crucial tips. The information they provided helped foil imminent terrorist plots against the United States, and thus saved American lives. One the other hand, the inspector general’s report says it “did not uncover any evidence that these plots were imminent.” The report also raises the fundamental questions of whether the interrogators needed to use enhanced techniques at all. The report states that at least in some instances, they were used “without justification.”
So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the ‘torture’ debate? Should the United States engage in these practices if it means keeping us safe?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, May 16th, 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)