Anyone Politically Minded??

[schmeichel01]

Whats up guys,

I have this newspaper project for one of my politics courses, I have to chose a current political event and find 10-20 print media sources and examine how different sources report political news.

My problem is I can't think of a good event. I need something a bit controversial so different papers will have different oppinions.

So far I have considered:
Arnie....
UK UNI Topup Fees
UK Yob Culture Bills
EURO Army vs NATO

Anyone got any suggestions or want to discuss any of the above issues just shout....

 

[Elder]

you could probably do the Arnold Schwarzenegger story. I know, at least in the US, there were all sorts of different things being reported in different ways.

For example, major newspapers like the LA Times and New York Times were constantly bashing him. Even though he won with huge numbers, there is debate in this country about how out of touch the news media is with the "average" person on the street.

You could do just about any "hot topic" with American papers.. even just the war with Iraq, and see how the major newspapers editorialize the situation there by stuffing "news" stories with personal opinions. It's rather interesting to be honest. Keep in mind that most "Major" market papers and news channels are almost always different than smaller markets. The bigger, the more out of touch they are. I guess that could go for the BBC as well.

Good luck

 

[xxxFLYERxxx]

I will be majoring in political science at Temple University.

 

[Elder]

Another thing to maybe help you out..

US newspapers to compare:

Washington Times vs Washington Post

New York Times vs New York Post

CNN vs Fox News

Sky News vs BBC?

Look up some of the German newspapers that have english translations, because the Arnie story was big for them and I remember finding one story about how Germans want an "Arnold" of their own for politics.

Reuters vs Associated Press

Anyway, that might help.

 

[schmeichel01]

Yeah I was a bit afraid of doing the arnie thing because I know that so many other ppl will be doing the same topic and that will immediately lower my grade.

 

[Elder]

I've seen a few stories about the Euro Army vs Nato. That might be tougher since it hasn't really happened yet...

Maybe illegal file sharing?? But is that really political?

 

[rhizome17]

Well, the Arnie one might be good to stay away from purely because so much of the coverage was a morph of entertainment and political reporting (although one could make the argument they are almost the same thing in mainstram media these days anyway).

The Euro versus Nato could be interesting, because especially with the British papers you have a mix of pro-euro, anti-euro going on.

What about the tory leadership issue? Thats one where you can guarantee deifferent papers take different stances.

And then of course there is the GM debate, which has had a bit of recent coverage.

And then there is always the Israel/ Palestine issue - again different papers take clearly sifferent stances.

Iraq might be just a little bit too far gone now - it would have been more pertinent in the buildup when newspapers were showing their aces regarding the position they would take.

 

[Elder]

I just thought of another..

How about the EU Constitution debate? I know this is quite big in Britain as well. It's just hard to find differing stories on these subjects since most are all taken from the AP or Reuters nowadays.

 

[rhizome17]

I also thought of the Anglican Church debate (about the homosexual issue) - it may be about religion, but as a global organisation it is political as well.

 

[Bobby]

Rush Limbaugh's drug problem?

It's a big deal, here, atleast.

 

[schmeichel01]

Yeah I did some research earlier for the NATO vs Euro and there is not enough difference betweent the papers to have enough content for the paper.

I am going to do some reading about the tory leadership tonight. Ill get back to yall tommorrow.

 

[Joe]

Originally posted by xxxFLYERxxx
I will be majoring in political science at Temple University.

Haha, I'm majoring in Political Science at University of Minnesota - Duluth (Yeah yeah ) with transfer oppurtunities at University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin - Madison and looking at a few schools out east (including Temple).

 

[xxxFLYERxxx]

How do you like it?

Im not really looking to go into politics, but Temple has a great school of liberal arts. Ill probably transfer my soph. or junior year, maybe apply to pharmacy school. Political science will be good for me to explore my options, thats how i look at it.

 

[Joe]

It's not bad. I actually came in undeclared. But then a journalist from my website who graduated Columbia gave me a list of schools (including Temple) I should check out for Journalism and Political Science. I am still considering other options just in cast though.

I ****ed up in high school (27 ACT, 3.2 GPA) but I told myself I'm going to kick ass in university and so far I'm doing well (I hope. I studied for over five hours the first time in my life last month, hehe) although I did pick up the booze for the first time in my life up here--I think that's natural though. I'm not a believer in "Wasted Wednesdays" or "Thirsty Thursdays" though, don't need alcohol screwing up my chances to move on to a better suited institution for my interests.

It's not bad. I'm interested in it so that's cool. I feel like I'm picking up on more and more. We've got a great teacher up here though, keeps a basic 2.5 hour government class interesting.

 

[schmeichel01]

Im studying Economics Politics and International studies EPAIS at Warwick.

Quite good but between playing football for the uni team, the degree and the constant drunken nights its getting tough to do anything productive.

 

[Joe]

Originally posted by schmeichel01


Quite good but between playing football for the uni team, the degree and the constant drunken nights its getting tough to do anything productive.

Yeah, I'm kind of happy they don't have a competitive school team up here, just intramurals (which I am now suspended from a red card due to a Keane-like incident ). Speaking of school, I need to read.

 

[schmeichel01]

I found a great summary by the BBC for the GM crops debate:

The Times positions its coverage of the great GM debate next to a picture of a toddler bestride a vegetable the size of an over-inflated space hopper.

It is this year's record pumpkin, weighing in at 791lb, which was grown by Mark Raymont from Cornwall.

A monster it may be, but not quite the sort of "Frankenstein Food" the Daily Mail believes should be abandoned following Thursday's report on the harmful effects of some genetically modified crops on the birds and bees.

The paper believes the death knell has sounded for the technology, and it is about time Tony Blair acknowledged it.

'Fear of the new'

The Independent calls the findings a massive blow to the case for GM crops.

But the Daily Telegraph feels those who think the field trials have raised the spectre of an agricultural holocaust are wrong.

It concludes the only motive for anti-GM feeling is the fear of the new.

The Guardian carries a cartoon featuring Eve in the Garden Of Eden.

She is eyeing an apple on a tree. "All right," she's telling the serpent. "As long as it's not GM."



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I think im gonna do this issue as there is differenting oppinons, I have also ready FT, the economist and the irish journal and they all have differing oppinons.


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Joe Keane eh? yeah I don't know if I'm gonna last the season playing football it takes so much time and im already playing on borrowed time.

What texts do you have for your degree?

My core texts are: The globalization of World Politcs- Baylis and Smith and Politics an Introduction- Axford et al

 

[rhizome17]

Excellent. The GM debate in the UK is very similar to the one we are having here, except of course the parameters are usually the extent to which it will affect our 'clean and green' image versus. the potential loss of intellectual capital should scientists pack up and do their work where GM is allowed.