Searchlights and Sunglasses Assignment

1. Mark Twain meant that there are only two things than change expose, and share aspects of life. The sun is one because it is the only thing that is in all parts of the world, every day. The press is the second because people can receive news whenever, wherever, and however in today's day and age due to cellphones, the internet, and widespread newspapers.
2. A honest search engine I have used mostly in the first quarter is Google. The information that I have found using Google has all been accurate. Partially due to the sites I view, but Google typically supplies credible sources. I have learned to not trust wikipedia because the information can be changed by anyone.
3. An example of the entire world reacting instantly is the use of social media. A vast majority of people have cell phones with internet access. By having access to the internet at the tip of their fingers, (pun intended), people can see what is happening in Afghanistan within a matter of a couple of key stokes.
4. Yes, I consider myself a journalist. First, in the very first line it states that anyone can be a journalist. Second because I do cover stories of different mediums. Some are more interesting to me than others but I still handle them. Finally, I can take commentary from the world around me by using storify and include it in my stories.
5. One contribution to the evolution of mass media is smart phones. Smart phones allow people to access a world of news in a matter of seconds. In the old days, people would use typewriters and print hot papers for the next day. Now, we can write on a computer and publish our stories online. Also, digital media has allowed us to present information and stories in a brand new way. We can make presentations or videos to get the news out.
6. The ascendant in my generation would have to be the cell phone with internet access. So many teenagers and young adults are using Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and Pinterest to share their thoughts and opinions for anyone to see and save. The liabilities are that whatever you put out on the internet is there forever. Even if you delete it, someone may have it saved away on a ghost site. My generation would be classified as millennial. Some parts to this category are accurate but some are not. Young adults my age are not selfless or reflexive.
7. I consider myself a digital native because of the generation I was born into. I do use the internet for a plethora of things, but I do not solely rely on it, nor do I prefer it. I like to consider myself old-fashioned to some degree, where I like to have a physical textbook to take notes in and to carry around. 
8. The Hutchins Commission came to a decision that media comes in to effect a great deal in how the world and society turn out. The media can sway people's opinions. They say that the media is responsible and should be considerate of what they talk about, and how they shape their stories.
9. Kerner and Carnegie say that the media should not target all of the people in the world. They should have a specific group that they want to appeal to. Hutchins says that the news systems need to improve and target more people and get as much information out to as many people as possible. 
10. These graphs are saying that the overall amount of people being employed are remaining the same. By gaining a bachelor's degree, you are not to be guaranteed a job in the future. 
11. He compares society and the internet to a frog on boiling water. I can understand how this is an accurate analysis. He says that we are so clueless to what is really happening to us when we view the media that we will eventually become so deep in the media and what they want us to think, that we will be overtaken. Kaiser says that the Post will try and design the electronics classified and design the first online newspaper. In Kaiser's memo, he is reported to have hinted to how hard these tasks would be for the Post. He says that the Post should try and postpone information until they are confident. 
12. Some advantages are that writers can be independent, creative, and innovative in their work. The writers will be guided by people who know what they are doing. A disadvantage is that journalism schools will be threatened. 
13. You can make the inference that television will remain the highest and best way to get news out to the people. Also, newspaper sales will continue to go down, and possibly become non-existent.
14. I do not think that philanthrojournalism is a viable business model. This model is suppose to pay for non-profit journalism. To me, that seems contradictory. Also, if someone is doing work for "no profit", it truly should be for no profit.
15. Anytime a journalist puts a story out for the public to view, they should want all of their information to be their own words. They should not feel the need to copy or have similar information on the same story. If the story has certain aspects that need to be in it, of course, but if the story is about a person that you can get your own interviews with or find out new information, I think they should totally go that route. The public does not want to read recycled, old stories. They want all of the new, current, and juicy stories. 
16. I would suggest that they make their products simpler. Some of the links to the site did not work, but the ones that did seemed complicated. I did not know exactly I was looking at, such as if it was a product to sell? The layout was sort of confusing and uncertain as to what was going on.
17. I would present this information as a place of interest and need. These people in these locations need help and they can not pay for it in certain circumstances. The layer cake narrative I would choose would be under political reporting. 
18. No, not at all! I do not feel that the journalist is responsible to ensure that the murder goes to prison. As a journalist you are suppose to report an unbiased story and should not get personally involved. When a story becomes personal, it can be compromised by emotions. This is not a path that a credible journalist should take. They should just report the story, and possibly the outcome of the case.

In-class Assignment 2/20 Russia

Punk rock is about all three classifications.The three classifications are: art performance, the music itself, and political protest.

Punk rock is an art performance because the singers are getting into the music. They are expressing their emotions and are showing them on stage. It is also a performance because of how the performers act. They are typically dancing, swinging their head, and embracing the music.

This genre is music itself because they are writing songs and playing them. The songs are lyrical and have musical aspect.

Finally, punk rock is a music protest because of what the songs are typically about. They generally are going against someone or something in authority with power. The music is saying their opinion and how they do not agree with what the government is doing. The singers are also rebels. They do not tend to be your shy, small child who sits alone at lunch. They tend to be outspoken and vocal about their opinion.

In-class Assignment 2/20 2014 Cadillac

1) The micro-texts are how he uses the words specifically. He uses the words "bored", "Paul", and  "Ali" to try and accent his product. By using these words he can amplify what he is talking about and make himself seem larger than he is.

2) The discourses are that the man talks about other countries and how they take of. He is saying how his country is better and that they work harder. He is very casual and arrogant. The man also says that you can create your own luck.

3) The man has his house remolded for show, not to actually cook in. Also, he parks his electric car outside on his grass. This shows how he does not really care about his grass and it is more about the car. In his living room he has a DNA figurine to try and show off how smart his family is.

3 Biggest Surprises for 2014 MLB

1) After this year there will only be one team to never have been to a World Series (Seattle Mariners). That is right, the Washington Nationals will make their first ever World Series. They have the pitching, offense, defense, and smarts. Look for them to make a strong run for the title as October approaches.

2) Miguel Cabrera will win his third American League MVP in a row. That's not the surprise though. If Miguel wins, he will be only the SECOND, yes, SECOND player ever to win three MVPs in a row. The only other player was Barry Bonds (01'-04'), who actually won this award in four consecutive seasons.

3) Finally, the biggest surprise for everyone outside of Arlington Texas, the Texas Rangers will win the 2014 Fall Classic. This team has put together a lineup that is balanced, speedy, powerful, and can straight up deal off the mound. Prince Fielder's bat will hand out forty plus baseballs to fans in the seats behind the outfielders. Also, Jurickson Profar will fill the void of Ian Kinsler perfectly. He can wheel around the bases and his bat has a great deal of power for a second baseman. This team will square off with the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship series, and I believe the winner of this series will win the World Series.

Sports Journalism Exercise

1) This story is a sports story, but so much more at the same time. This story is about a girl who lives on a reservation and decides she wants more than what those before her had. She wants to play basketball and make something for herself. This story is how she gets out of the reservation and makes it big on the court.

2) In any sports case the reader has to be interested. It is very hard for some people to become attached to sports because their interest level is small. For me personally, very hard to get focused in on the Olympics. So for human interest to be the main focus, you might only get a small amount of people. Sometimes there has to be an underlying message or greater story.

3) She does play on the court how she lives off the court. On the court she is a rough and tough girl. She has the, "try and stop me, if not get out of my way" mentality. Her drive is unreal and it pushes success for her. Off the court, she has a tough life and has always been striving for more. She uses this as motivation to become better at basketball.

4) Shoni was not being sincere in this interview after the game. The shot she was questioned about was one of the biggest shots of her life. She should be able to recreate verbally precisely, to the breathe, what occurred. She may not physically be able to recreate this event, due to difficulty, but she should be able to visualize it.

5) College basketball has become more about each player individually. If you have skill, you get more attention. The team aspect is more towards working together to winning for the school. Not every athlete makes the professional level. College sports are gearing towards making superstars for the NBA.

6) This is a story because the media jumps on any case they think is big. The story should not be because she is female and Native American. She happens to be both of these. She is also a sport star which amplifies the audience. She is speaking on an issue she feels strongly about and should not be made a story because she is solely a female, but rather a person with an opinion.

Detroit Tigers: Past, Present, Future

Did the wizards in the "D" finally concoct the perfect recipe in their cauldron? Mike Ilitch has been at the helm for 22 years, and counting. He has seen the cake, but never actually tasted it. Will the newest offseason investments be enough to put the Tigers on top of the baseball world? They have multiple new faces in the dugout this year. The Tigs have been revamped with a new coach, new infield and outfielders, a few young hurlers, and healthy returning players. What will be the most important part of this new team; will the Tigers be able to deliver a Championship Ilitch has long been waiting for?

In Class Exercise

In the slides 3 through 11 they are talking about the Winter Olympics, but specifically the woman's hockey game. This game is between Canada and The United States. The girls seem to be very athletic and are scrappy. The pictures keep alternating between the US celebrating and Canada celebrating. At the end of the game, team Canada came out with the victory.

Athletic skills are instinctive and automatic for high end athletes. These are the adjectives I chose because when you are playing sports you are not evening thinking about what you are doing. By that I mean, you are not telling your body to move, jump, flick your wrist, or turn your hips. Those actions are factors of muscle memory from all the work you have put in for your sport. When playing sports, you think about situations and try to predict which way the offense is going to go or what you need to do if you get the ball. A lot of sports are described as "read and react". This is especially true in football, with the read option (an offensive play), and in baseball, with reacting to what pitch is thrown.

For instance, when I step up to the plate I have no idea, well I should not have an idea, of what the pitcher is going to throw. (From playing baseball for some years now you pick up on pitchers or catchers who tip their pitches). When in the box, the pitcher can put various spins on the balls that causes the trajectory to change and the rotation of the ball. From the time the ball leaves his hand, I have to react with my hands to either swing, or let it fly by. It is instinctive and automatic to let a ball over my eyes just sail by or to take a hefty rip at a ball right down the pipe.

Practice can not make perfect. No one can achieve perfection. To achieve perfection would mean that every time you attempt your sport, you never fail. Majority of the world does not even come close to perfection. In the four major sports (in the United States), hockey, football, basketball, and baseball, there are few athletes who even achieve 3/4 perfection. In baseball players would have to bat .750, ridiculous. No player has ever even batted .500 for a whole season. The closet player was Hugh Duffy for the Boston Braves who batted .440 in 1894. Also, a player would has the "athlete DNA", therefore is destined to be a great player does not fit in my vocabulary. Having a parent would use to play sports is helpful because they get hook-ups and they are always around the game, no doubt about that. The player them self has put forth a large amount of work. If you do not practice, you will have no chance of even touching a 70 mph fastball.

Too be good at any sport I believe you have to put forth a large amount of effort and practice. To say someone has the skill set to come into a sport and purely dominate is highly unlikely. In the instance of high jump, you need certain tactics to get over the bar better. Some may be more effective than others, but when it comes down to it, I believe that the Matthew effect is more correct. Therefore, I do think that the Matthew effect is true to some degree, but again, it is not the sole factor that goes into a professional athlete.

I think that athletes have better eyes to see because they have to have their "head on a swivel". In baseball particularly, the ball is moving so fast and the batter has to be able to react and decipher whether or not the pitch will be a strike or ball. Also, the fielders have to be able to track the ball from contact to their glove, then relocate the base they have to make a throw to, all before the runner reaches the base. As a catcher, the hardest play to make is a recovery on a wild pitch. You have to jump out of your crouch from attempting to block the ball, find the ball in the grass in front of the backstop, get to the ball and slide, grip the ball and make an accurate throw to the nail the runner. The video below shows how difficult this play is to make in baseball. The runner in fact is safe and is majority of the time especially at the Major League level due to the backstops being far back.

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31362729/schuerholz-and-wren-share-memories-of-jim-freg

Pardon the Interruption Podcast Summary

In PTI's most recent podcast, (2/10/14), Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon talk about the most recent news in sports from the weekend. The first story they discuss is about the first openly gay prospective draftee Michael Sam. They feel that if Sam is well enough to play and compete at the NFL level, he should be able to. Wilbon and Tony feel that Michael Sam should not be penalized in his draft stock because of his confession. They also talk about how Marcus Smart was suspended in his most recent game for "shoving" a fan who made remarks to him as he fell into the stands on a play. They see this incident as hindering Smart's draft stock because of the liability that he brings to a team at the professional level. Bode Miller was also a topic on this podcast and his failing at the Winter Olympics. Wilbon was not sympathetic for Bode as he felt that Miller was making excuses for his short-comings. The Pistons also fired their head coach and they felt Joe Dumars is on the hot seat due to the lack of skill and success as of the past four seasons of missing the playoffs. This podcast deals daily with all of the news of sports from the previous day.