Jeff City Capital

After touring the capital building with Phil Brooks, It made me even all the more eager to take the LSAT and apply to law schools.  I love national news and politics so being at the capital was a load of inspiration.  I became very interested in the Lawyer magazine that is near the AP office at the capital.  I think it would be interesting to look into what kind of journalism that magazine puts out.  --- Not to mention, the tour may have been such positive encouragement for my future because it was with Phil Brooks, a journalist but also a fun tour guide.  

Gay Marriage

Gay marriage was just OKed in Maine.  This seems to be an increasing trend.  Is the media playing a role in our changing culture? I must bring up Miss California and the Perez Hilton scandal that bought up much air time last month.  The press really played into that since it is such a controversial topic. The media plays a huge role in influencing the public and when I saw that the governor of Maine just signed the bill legalizing gay marriage I had to question if the media is behind this modernizing change in American culture.

  

Swine Flu Coverage

The press won't get off this Swine Flu coverage.  Is it as big as it is being made out to be?  1,600 plus cases have broken out in Mexico and 40 in the US.  However, only one of those 40 cases have been hospitalized... I am not wanting to belittle this universal spreading of the flu that is going on; however, it has been the only thing the press has cared to talk about for a few days now.  Keep the nation updated and aware, but cover other pressing topics at the same time.  

Zootoo Makeover! update...

The winners were announced! Congratulations to the Central Missouri Humane Society on their win in the million dollar make over competition!  I am sure Amanda Huhman and Libby Burks along with many other volunteers are happy their voting paid off!  However, last year's winners out of St. Louis still haven't seen their reward.  Hopefully this doesn't happen to our local humane society.

Tea Parties

Coverage on the controversial tea parties last week hardly scraped the news. CNN reported it like it was a naughty revolt, while fox reported it like the best thing since Obama went in office.  Either way no one can deny the outrageous live report of one CNN reporter.  A CNN reporter was live and interviewed a man at one of the tea parties. She then interrupted him and started to yell.  It was obvious she let her own political beliefs come out in a very inappropriate and unprofessional way.  This is what is wrong with national news coverage today...no straight forward facts.  Both networks are biased. 

Zootoo Makeover!

For my reporting shift last Friday I got to report on the zootoo competition.  Zootoo has a million dollar makeover contest for animal shelters.  Two young girls, Amanda Huhman and Libby Burks, here in Columbia entered the Central Missouri Humane Society into the contest.  As of Friday the Central Missouri Humane Society was in first place with only three days left of voting.  The last day to vote was yesterday at midnight.  Winners will be announced April 27th on the zootoo website.  Both girls are volunteers at the shelter and say the community has gotten involved and even if the CMHS doesn't win, they know that the community will step up and help out as it has already.

Pirates...

Somalia pirates sure hit the press by taking Captain Richard Phillips hostage.  Pirates are rare to hear about so I think the  never ending coverage was great; however, what coverage I didn't quite get what how Obama was involved with the situation.  I heard from one national network that Obama gave the OK to shoot to kill the pirates, but then I heard on a different network that the Navy was the one who gave the order.  Which is true?  Was the President bound to give the OK to the Navy? The conflicting coverage made me question which sources are talking to what networks and who is the one to blame for mixing up the information.