Category: Uncategorized

Photo Package: Solar System

I chose this package because I’ve always been fascinated by outer space and the solar systems, and new detailed photos of such are really exciting to me. I really liked the format of the photos in the package and how the slideshow was seamless with short and detailed captions. I also thoroughly enjoyed the crispness of a lot of the photos. However, where I feel like it fell short was in the overall abundant quantity. With 73 photos and a lack of real structured organization, it was hard to get the most out of the photo experience.

Photopackage Syria

http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/syrias-unraveling-truce?articleId=USRTSOT29

I really liked this photo gallery because it focused on the conflict and atmosphere in Syria. The images are haunting and unlike news on the radio or written news, it’s a lot more emotional. It’s hard not to have some kind of reaction. The photograph of the Syrian school is one of my favorites. There’s very much a “before” and “after” feel to it and it reminds us that Syria is not just a warzone, for many children, it is home. The once brightly colored mural of the school is full of bullet holes, and I think this particular image really highlights how devastating war is for the children and civilians living in Syria.

Infographic

bloomberg

I chose this infographic because it’s so easy to grasp the main message being carried across. The differences in color and the scale of the graph makes it easy for readers to see the difference in the data. In addition, the lines are labeled in an easy to read font size. There’s not so much going on that the reader becomes overwhelmed which I feel is very important.

This infographic is a good example of the principle: encourage eyes to compare data. The creator of the infographic did a good job showing the differences through contrasting colors and by plotting the data on the same graph.

Freakonomics: Does Early Education Come Too Late?

Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late? A New Freakonomics Radio Podcast

What I really liked about this particular freakonomics podcast is that it pairs a newer concern with the age-old problem with poverty. In the United States we are becoming more and more concerned with education, and more specifically, keeping up with the standard of education to get a good job. From the last generation to this generation, the standard of education has changed. A high school graduation is no longer enough, and bachelor’s degrees are becoming a necessity for children of the millennial generation. At the same time, we’ve become extremely concerned with money since the 2008 financial crisis. Though we’re on the road to financial recovery, not everyone is feeling the benefits. The issue of poverty has always been on our radar, but the wealth gap has grown wider between the richest of the rich and the average American.

This podcast ties in the problem of poverty with the growing demand for higher education. In addition, it took a fresh new look at the issue by looking at hard data and speaking to professional, which I thought was absolutely brilliant. It made numbers seem interesting and relevant to our lives. We heard the voices of mothers and teachers over the podcast which made the people being affected by the issues real to the listener.

Budget Critiques

  1. I understand that the budget is probably about trends, but beyond that, I fail to see a connection between the stories. It would be more helpful to focus in a little more to be able to form a few good contacts that can be reused for multiple stories– someone to ask about social media, someone to ask about the trend in the community, someone to ask about the trend itself, etc.
  2. Some of the story ideas like the Barre fitness and wedding story fail to provide source ideas. How would the writer be able to find sources to interview about each? Perhaps narrowing the focus and establishing more specific ideas for an angle would help the writer establish better contacts who would be able to answer more tailored interview questions and put out a better story in general.
  3. Finally, I believe the first story idea is the most fleshed out and it is revealed to be the writer’s forte of sorts. Perhaps the theme of the first story, the connection of physical and mental fitness, is the theme through which to establish a connection between stories. This theme can be applied as a more specific angle for the Barre story and the CAPS story– create an underlying connective theme of the effect of physical activity on mental wellness and I believe the stories would more easily connect and shape themselves.

5 Organization Sources

The University of Illinois at Chicago hosts the Urban Forum, a national event designed to advance the dialogue about the future of urban communities. It is run by Howard Wial who is an expert on gentrification and a professor at UIC.

The MacArthur Foundation does lots of different kinds of work to “make the world better,” but they have lots of great information available about gentrification.

The Urban Democracy Lab promotes sustainable forms of urbanism.

Athens for Everyone is a grassroots organization that promotes equality and social justice, and that works toward reducing poverty in Athens. They have hosted several panels about gentrification in Athens.

Athens Land Trust

The Athens Land Trust helps stop gentrification into culturally significant areas in Athens-Clarke County, such as the Hancock Neighborhood in East Athens.