Second day lead

Four-year-old is still missing after 24 hours despite the search efforts of police; while her mother, Maria L. Norton, pleas for information about the whereabouts of her daughter.

On Sept. 12, 2009 the Washington State University (WSU) Cougars hosted its seventh annual Cougar Gridiron Classic home game at Seattle’s Qwest Field, against the University of Hawaii Warriors.
Since its inception in 2002, the Seattle game has become a hugely anticipated event, not only by university students, but alumni across the state. Attendees come not just to see the game, but to also meet with alumni and students as they celebrate all of WSU’s achievements and being a Cougar.
Many alumni who live in the Seattle area agree that the game is a great way to reconnect with the school.
“I love coming to the Seattle game,” WSU alumni Lindsey Emert said. “I can’t make it to Pullman to see the games very often, so it’s really nice that I can see the Cougs play close to home.”
However, since the Seattle game’s premier, attendance has steadily declined.
“The first game at Qwest, against Nevada in 2002, drew 63,588,” The Seattle Times says. “…42,912 fans populated Qwest in 2009.”
Even though ticket sales have dropped, this has become a tradition for many students at WSU to travel to Seattle for the weekend.
WSU senior Kayla Wagner agrees, “I think the game has become a tradition for both students and alumni and I think the game should continue,” she said. “I see it as a weekend where alumni and students can get together, party and watch the game. I get a chance to see a lot of my friends that have graduated and otherwise wouldn’t normally see.”
Even though many people share the same opinion, at this point in time, it is uncertain whether the Seattle game will continue with the tradition that many students and alumni have come to enjoy.
“There probably won’t be a game next year because this is the last year on our contract.” WSU Athletic Department Promotions Coordinator, and WSU Alumni Nicole Early said. “We only signed a contract for seven years.”
Now that the seven year contract is over, WSU will need to renegotiate with Qwest whether they will continue the Cougar Gridiron Classic.
Although the future of the Seattle game is still in question, for the time being the university is trying to make the game as safe as possible for all spectators.
Tailgating is one of the most common activities for students and alumni alike, and it is one of the appealing aspects of the game. Wagner agrees that tailgating is a common activity among attendees.
“Everyone drinks before the game, it’s just a good time for everyone,” she said.
WSU is trying to make a difference on how people party before the game, so those who are drinking do not get out of hand. Before the 2009 game, WSU sent out an email to all students linked to wsucougars.com that stated newly implemented tailgating rules.
Some of the rules mentioned in the linked email were “no glass bottles or cans permitted-please pour drinks into plastic cups,” wsucougars.com says. “[and] Consuming alcoholic beverages in public is a violation of city and state law.”
This is a way WSU is trying to make sure the Seattle game is safe, and ensures a positive reflection on the university.
Some believe that this is no different than any other football weekend, and regardless of the partying that takes place, WSU is still recognized as a good school.
“I don’t think that the Seattle game is seen as a drunk-fest,” Early said. “I think there is more tailgating at the Seattle game because there is an opportunity for many students to do so. However, being a student, and alumni, and now an employee for the Athletic Department, I don’t see it being any crazier than any other game and portraying a negative image of the school.”
Emert agreed.
“Now on the other side of things, I think it is great that WSU makes it all the way to Seattle,” she said. “That act alone shows the school in such a positive light and it shows the rest of Seattle that WSU really cares about its alumni.”
For more information please visit www.wsucougars.com and http://www.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2009854995_withers/3.html

Al Jazeera

At first I didn't notice too much of a difference than any other international news, but the more I watched the more I began to see a difference.
I think that Al Jazeera is trying to attempt to reach an America audience by selecting an American-friendly type of reporter. All of the reporters that I saw were women with British accents, I wonder if this was done on purpose.
I did not see anything that was very obvious that would not allow it to broadcast in the US. Much of it was political based, in all parts of the world, not just centered to the assumed Middle East. I think the news cast was balanced between many different stories.
One of the things that is different than the way the US is is spend a lot of time on international issues compared to America just focusing on only American news.I feel as though the US only cares about our issues, even our international news always relates back to America in some way. This seemed less censored and less focused on one region.
I felt as though the Code of Ethics they published fit exactly what I saw. I cannot say for sure if it is the entire truth, but I felt as though they were fair to all cultures and were not holding back on what they did broadcast.

Summary Lead

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8259319.stm

A US judge in Virginia has set a 10 November execution date for the man behind the 2002 sniper attacks on the Washington DC area.

This article covers the execution date set for the sniper in Washington D.C. The reason this is a summary lead is because it contains that who, what, when and where that are necessary for this style of lead. It covers who the person is, the Washington D.C. sniper; the what, an execution date was set; the when, November 10; and the where, Virginia. These components make an effective summary lead.

3 pitches

Pitch 1: H1N1 from a healthcare professional’s standpoint. Is all the hype necessary?

Summary:

I want to see from a healthcare professional if the media’s portrayal of the Swine flu (H1N1) is accurate, or if it is being blown out of proportion. I know this is going to be a popular topic, but I think my sources will help this piece stand out. This is an important topic because it is on a lot of people’s minds right now, students and staff people at WSU.

Sources:

1.Brian Beason

Whitman County Health Dept.

2.Employee of Lab Of Pathology

Microbiology Lab

Intended Media Outlet: The Evergreen, MyWSU newsfeed

Pitch 2: Is the WSU Seattle game a good idea for the school?

Summary:

After the first year at Qwest field, attendance has declined from 65,000 to about 40,000. Is it financially feasible to continue having the Seattle game? Also, this is a time when many students are very intoxicated, does this show the WSU in a positive light or does it just reinforce the perception of a party school? This is an important topic because as the Seattle game was just last weekend, it would be interesting to seen how we are seen as a school.

Sources:

1.Kayla Wagner

Current WSU Senior

2.Lindsey Emert

WSU Alumni

Intended Media Outlet: The Evergreen, WSU alumni correspondence or newsletter

Pitch 3: Is the media’s obsession with the Obama’s family life necessary? Does it really have any say in how he will do in his presidency?

Summary:

Lately it seems as though there is more emphasis on the Obama’s family life than on how Barak is doing as our president. It is interesting how intrigued many people are with the fact that Michelle Obama will wear shorts on a family vacation. How does this have anything to do with Barak Obama’s ability to be the President. Why is the media consumed with their personal life? I am curious to see whether what the media says actually has an effect on how people view the President and first family.

Sources:

Intended Media Outlet: The Evergreen

href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLEIGH-%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml">