815 Discussion discussion

Tonight, I want you to have a more thoughtful lens in your reading. Think about any potential bias(es) that your author may have had when writing your article. Was the writing fair and objective?

Your article should be a MINIMUM of six paragraphs. If you are struggling to find one, check a website--www.cnn.com, www.nytimes.com, www.npr.org, etc. You may even go on Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, etc. Don't avoid longer stories--they are usually the most thorough and interesting. Just be a smart, wary reader!

1.) What was the purpose of the article?

2.) What audience was the writer addressing?

3.) Did the writer provide fair information?

4.) Did you bring any biases to your reading?

i just read an article in Rolling Stone about Louis C.K called The Man who Loves to Hate Himself by Jonah Weiner. It's an interview with C.K about his upbringing and career. I found it very interesting. I went in with a bias about all comedians; that they all had bad childhoods. Well, in this case I was correct. Louis's dad left his family when he was 10. Then he became extremely depressed. So, he turned to drugs in his 6th grade year. He was sober by his 2nd year in high school. I think that the purpose of the article was to inform the readers that though his comedy may be very dark and mean, he's a very kind person. I think that the writer was addressing everyone who enjoys comedy. The writer provided fair information. I know that it was fair because it came from the source, C.K himself. I think it was a great article.

I just read in NEWSWEEK in a section called Queens News. The article was about an Elmhurst Library being torn down. The purpose of the article was to inform readers about this "historic" being tore down and wanting to show readers how this is a tragedy. I think the this referring to anyone who cares about landmarks that are in their community that is very important. He tried to quote people about the matter but could have tried harder with getting opinions of the other side of the situation, the people who thinks that the library should be tore down. Variety of opinions about the matter. I would say I did bring biases to the reading because the way the writer brought out the situation it made be on the side of writer because it showed background information and it persuaded me that this library should not be tore down.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/art...

This article is to inform about Drake, the rapper. It's a review and description of him and his songs. The audience that the writer was addressing was probably an audience that likes rap music, or just any kind of music at all. If I saw this article and I didn't like music, I would automatically skip right past it because I wouldn't be interested. But since I like drake, his music, and just music in general, I was intrigued by it. The writer did provide fair information. He did bring in some of his personal opinions about Drake, but he ended it with a non-biased conclusion. Coming into this article, I know I love Drake. Therefore, if anything bad is said about Drake, then I'm going to think the person who wrote the article is crazy. If anything good is said about Drake, then I'm going to love the article and automatically agree with what it says.

I just finished reading an article about Kepler F and Kepler E, the two new earth sized planets discovered in the range of the Kepler Spacecraft. The purpose of this article is to inform people of two new fascinating discoveries in astronomy.

This article is for an audiences that are interested in science and space exploration. This article states that some planets in a different galaxy may be close to be inhabited by human beings. The writer brought fair information with fascinating diagrams of locations of the planets around the sun- like star, as well as quotes from scientists. I brought biases into this article because I believed all planets have no possibilities of inhabitance besides earth, but this article is almost close to proving me wrong. If you wish to read this article, go here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/sci...

I just read an article from a magazine called "Skateboard Mag" the article i read was about the Winchester skatepark being taken down in CampBell, California. It talked about how the people said it was like there other home and what a couple of people did to keep the park living from another couple of years. I think that the purpose of this article was to inform the reader about The Winchester Skatepark and it being taken down and what people did to try to help it. I don't think that the Author was addressing this article to anybody specific or it could be for people that skateboard and enjoy skateparks. i think the writer did give good information by saying things like at the closing ceremony these people came and then there was a list of people who came. I did not bring any biases in when i did the reading but i think that the author was a little biases because he said the skatepark has a perfect key hole pool. he talks about the park like it was a legend.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/wor...

In this article Kim Jong-il is the leader of North korea and he is dead. Kim Jong-il died on Saturday of a heart attack caused by overwork and stress at the age of 69, state media said. He will be buried on 28 December of 2011. What the people there are worried about is the son who takes over the spot will not be such a good leader because he is a bit dumb. The article had said he did not even know what he looked like until last year and he is the age of 20. I mean I think the article provided fair information because it kind of seems like the people in that part of North Korea do not want him leader because of the cirumstances that they can have. I do think they are bias in a way because there trying to have the reader think the son unreliable and cannot help himself but also at the same time it is kind of true since people want to vote him out of being leader.

Sadie wrote: "http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/art...

This article is to inform about Drake, the rapper. It's a review and description of him and h..."


cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/gallerie...

I have just finished reading the article "Christine O’Donnell, AshleyMadison.com, and More Unwanted Presidential Endorsements" in Newsweek. The purpose of this article was to show us as readers that some supporters of "Can-be-presidents" aren't that great. In fact, it basically tells us that they shouldn't even be part of anything like that [politics]. The audience that the author was trying to reach i think were to those who don't really pay attention to politics that well. The reason why is because if someone doesn't know politics that well won't it be easier to fill their minds up with what they[politicians] have done wrong. Thus changing the minds up the adults. Personally I do not think that the author provided enough fair evidence because in the summaries that tell us about each person it shows us what they did wrong and how they failed at what they did, it doesn't tell us if they had helped in anyway. Well in a way yes and maybe no because I don't anything about these people and from what i have just read about them it has made me think of what terrible people they are; and this is a piece of information that i won't forget about them.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/20/travel/...

In the Article that I have just recently read on CNN.com, i read about a blizzard that makes traveling difficult in the west/mid-west.The purpose of the article was to inform people living in Colorado, Western Arkansas,Oklahoma, and Northern Texas, or traveling to any of those places, about the severe weather conditions so they can be prepared.The article was men't to address travelers and people living in the places listed before.Yes the writer did provide information because he was not sharing any type of bias information and not misleading anyone. Finally i did not bring any biases to my reading because it did not involve someone stating their opinion and there was straight forward information.

I have just finished a reading on the Naismith website for the basketball hall of fame, and I can say that I, even knowing as much as I do, it informed me a great deal on the history of basketball. The purpose of the article was supposed to inform the reader on what basketball was, who created it, and how it started, and how it built up to what it is today. The audience that it was addressing was probably basketball fans everywhere, and of every kind. Anybody that would want to learn more about basketball should check that out. Yes, because it was the Naismith website which The Naismith family founded and wrote 13 original rules about basketball, so yes it was reasonable, non bias info about basketball. I mean how can you be bias about a nationwide sport that has taken over America and most of Europe. It is growing, and very interesting. It is a simple and fun, yet very complicating sport that is taking over the world.

I have just finished reading an article http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kep... that was written to inform me about a new planet that was found in a solar system near to us. It is earth's "twin" and looks like it can be inhabitable. The author was addressing an audience who is interested in the wonders of christmas. It was an informational essay so it provided information about how far away it was and its average temperature. I couldn't find any biast's since it was an informational article.

I just read Marriage Economy:'I couldn't Afford To Get Divorced on npr.org. The purpose of the article was to show that many families cannot afford a divorce and being poor can ruin their relationship and make them want to get a divorce. The writer was addressing it to an audience to people who are in the same situation that can't afford a divorce. The writer did not provide fair information because the writer was not bias they just stated facts like if couples relationship changed because of finances and they did a vote. There was none of the writers opinion so they were not bias.

I finished reading a article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/nyr.... I was written by Matt Flegenheimer to inform other people about what happened during the plane crash. The audience that the writer was addressing is the people who likes to know about what is going out in the world and families who have relatives in New Jersey. The writer provided fair information about the crash. He interviewed many people about what they thought about the accident, but what they said was not bias at all. Therefore there were no biases statements throughout the entire article. I think that the writer did a good job with keeping his opinions away from the article.

I have just finished reading an article about a seventeen year old sentence to prison for 21 years in prison. Brandon Mclinerney will spend the next 21 years in prison for killing a gay student. The purpose of this article was to inform the reader, on what happen to the victim, what will happen to the suspect what happened on trial, and how long will the suspect stay in jail. The audience that it was addressing to was the victims relatives, and others who were following the story. the author did provide fair information in the article, it explained everything that had happened during the crime scene and what had happened in trail. I did bring bias to the reading because many people committed suicide or killed because they were gay and weren't treated very well. This isn't the first time a gay student had died. Something should be done.

I recently finished reading an article on pbskids about bullying. The purpose of the article was to inform kids the different types of bullying and why some bullies bully. The audience they were addressing were the victims of bullies because mostly kids are bullied. The writer provided fair information because of hoe the author of the article depicted different examples of the types of bullying. A bias that i brought to my reading was that maybe the author was bullied as a child and that most likely inflicted on the article.

http://www.damninteresting.com/rider-...

I just read a very long article named Rider on the Storm, posted by Alan Bellows on 06 October 2011. I thought the article was fascinating. The purpose of the article was to just get this amazing miracle out there for the world to know. I think Alan Bellows was addressing EVERYBODY in the world. I think this because the whole point of the article is kind of announcing this miracles miracle that happened. Maybe if this was an essay the thesis would be, never lose hope, always believe in miracles. The writer indeed gave fair information. Alan Bellows was not bias at all in this article, he only told the facts. I did not bring any biases to this article when I was reading it. I think the only slightly bias thing I thought was how NOBODY would be able to do that every again AND live!

I just finished reading an article on the "Rolling Stones," that is about an oil pipeline that runs from Canad all the way to the Gulf. This 17 mile long pipeline causes so many "green" protesters, to crowd around Obama's house. This article was in favor of the protester's point of view and complemented on Obama's decision with the problem. Instead of handling it , Obama simply postponed it to make it an election problem. Plus this article is biased in the fact that they give more reasons to support the "green" side and not the oil companies side. But, this article was not completely biased. Instead of just supporting the "green" side, they did have some reasons why the pipe line should be continued. For example, they state that it creates more jobs at each station, making it better for the economy. The author was probably in a state of, "eh I don't care I just wan't to get this over with." Probably proving why the article wasn't so biased at all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/wor...

This article, “Mass March by Cairo Women in Protest Over Abuse by Soldiers”, is overall biased. The purpose of this article was to inform readers on how Cairo women protested over abuse by soldiers, as stated in the title. It gave a perspective that left me thinking (my bias) that the beating of the soldiers was a negative thing. The author was addressing to the people that agree with the protesting Cairo women because of their bias. You could obviously tell that this person was not supporting the beating of the soldiers. The article gave information about each side of the situation, but, then again, leaned a bit over to the Cairo women. The example that stood out to me the most that proved the article’s bias was the first line in the sixth paragraph when it states, “The march ABRUPTLY pushed women to the center of Egyptian political life after they had been LEFT OUT ALMOST COMPLELTELY.”

And in the end, although, anyone would feel more empathy for the Cairo women protesting for the beating of soldiers, the article could have shared information on each side of the situation, INCLUDING the opposing side (in this case, the people who beat up the soldiers).

I read an article in People magazine. It was about the divorce between Kim Karadashian and Kris Humphries and what "really" happened between the couple. The audience was people who wanted to know what happened and why the marriage only lasted for 72 days. The writer wrote about the situation but she was bias to Kim Karadashian. I know this because it would say that Kris was a 'bad husband' but that is an opinion which means that the writer thinks that it was Kris's fault for the divorce.

I read an article from cnn.com called "U.S General Brings Baghdad Standard Home”. This article is about how the troops in Baghdad were sent home for the holidays and the war and is over. The war started in March 2003 when U.S. and allied troops who were mostly British, invaded Iraq after accusing their dictator Saddam Hussein of concealing banned stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons to build a nuclear bomb. In 2007, we brought about 30,000 more troops in and the fighting still continued. In 2011, we can finally say goodbye to that war and say “hello” to our brave troops as they make their way home for the holidays. I think the purpose of this article was for the author or reporter to inform Americans about the situation and to try and bring more happiness into the families of the troops who fought in the war. I think that the author was addressing Americans and certain families while he/she wrote this article because this article seems to be nation-wide and refers to our whole country and families within it. I thought that the author provided fair information because he/she explained the situation and then discussed important ceremonies that happened due to the event and also gave quotes by people who were a part of the topic at hand. I do not think I brought any biases into the article because it is basically an article that was very factual about a topic that did not have anything to do with opinions or thoughts on the subject, mostly just to inform.

I looked in the New York Times newspaper and I read an article A.O Scott the movie critic wrote on "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" I didn't notice him being biased in the article very much but the way he wrote the article really showed me his taste in film. He was saying how bleak and brutally violent the film was, but how the lead female role shined. How she really was the best thing in it. It gave me more knowledge on his opinion on films and interested me in him. Now I feel like reading more of his reviews/articles on movies. It also allowed me to make a note to self: do not see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." It's brutally violent! Anyways, interesting article.

I read an article in the New York Times(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/tec...) about how Apple is suing HTC about a patent. The purpose of this article was to comment and update people on what is happening in smart phones. The big competitors in smart phones are Apple and Google who makes Android.
Apple thinks that Google used some of Apple's inventions when they made the Android system. But it is easier for Apple to sue HTC and other makers of smart phones that use Android.
They are suing HTC because Apple has a patent over the technology that lets a smart phone user just tap a phone number and have the option of dialing the number, saving the number or sending a text. Apple never gave permission to HTC to use the technology. The decision said that HTC has to change this. They said they would only give the user the choice of dialing. Also, there were some other things that were decided in favor of HTC which are more technical.
The author of the article was addressing anybody who is interested in smart phones. I think that the writer provided a lot of information without putting any point of view in the article. The writer was not biased at all, the writer just stated the facts on what was happening.
I am a little biased in favor of Android since I have an Android phone. But, I can also see that Apple might have a point if their inventions are being used.

A while ago, I read “Notes from a Dragon Mom,” by Emily Rapp from the New York Times on Sunday, October 15, 2011. I printed it out so that I could read it again and again. It is by a mom who has a son with Tay-Sachs Disease. Tay-Sachs Disease is a genetic disease that will probably kill her son by the age of three. I think that Emily Rapp wrote this article to show what moms and families of kids with a deadly disease feel.

I think Emily Rapp was writing to other grown ups, especially parents. She talks about what parents want for regular kids. Emily Rapp says that most parents of regular kids try to make a lot of good choices for their kids’ futures. Then, she writes about what she expects for her son, Ronan. She says that all the decisions that she and her husband make won’t make Ronan live any longer. I think she wants all parents to appreciate their children in the present and not just in the future.

Emily Rapp gives fair information about Tay-Sachs. She writes about what the disease is. It is a rare genetic disorder. Then, she tells what it is like for her and her husband to have Ronan. She plays and cuddles with Ronan. She and her husband take good care of Ronan. They feed him fresh food, brush his teeth, and make sure he is clean and warm and well-rested. Then, she writes about what Ronan will never do. He will never walk or say “Mama.” His brain will shut down. Emily Rapp says that he will become paralyzed, have seizures, and lose all of his senses. She says that there is no treatment or cure. I began to look up Tay-Sachs Disease and almost everything that she said seems accurate about the disease. I don’t know if it is fair when Emily Rapp writes, “my son is 18 months old and will likely die before his third birthday,” because I researched this disease and found out that most kids who have it die by the age of five. Maybe the doctors told her that three was what she could expect for Ronan.

I brought two biases to this article before I read it. There is a picture of Emily Rapp with her son, Ronan. She is cuddling him on her shoulder. His eyes are closed. At first, all I thought was how he was a very cute baby. I did not want to believe that he will die in a short time. The article made me feel queezy. I wrote a short story about a boy with Tay-Sachs and I had him live until at least twelve years old. I hope kids will live longer even though they have Tay-Sachs Disease. Tay-Sachs seems so horrible. My other bias is that I thought that all children would grow to live longer than their parents. I think I don’t want to believe that there is no hope for kids with Tay-Sachs Disease, so I have been doing computer research about it. Maybe, someday, I can help to find an answer to this.

I just finished eading the article called Administration to draw down National Guard troops on Southwest border By Mike M. Ahlers. the purpose of this article is about informing us that the homeland security and the Pentagon will be using less troops from the National Guard due to the budget and they will be using more technology instead of ground troops. The National Guard doesn't have that much control over the border because they only have fourty four percent of it controledwhich is not considered a success. I think the audience that the author is writing to is the public in specific the citizens of the U.S.A becuse citizens would like to know what is happening in their country. I think the author was giving fair information was very neutral and it provided quotes from the politicians that are both pro and con with the decision.

http://www.eutimes.net/2011/04/deadly...

I just read a article about a time vortex over Antarctica. When a weather ballon was sent in it registered 1958! The writer was addressing all the people into conspiracy theories and interesting and weird topics. As far as I can tell the writer provided fair evidence and didn't bring any bias. A bias I brought was against the government hiding this from the public eye.