Pulled Quotes

If you are eager enough to search for the article it can be found on USATODAY.com.  Unfortunately, they charge to look at their archives.  However, by simply looking into the Life Section of the January 23rd edition, you will easily find “Hollywood stunned by Ledger’s death,” (page 1 & 4D).

Below I listed ten questions raised during the reading of the Ledger article.

1. How come so many actor’s are considered great talents after they die?
2. Why did most of the article focus on Ledger’s career and not the circumstances of his death?
3. Why does the tone of the article lead the reader to believe that Ledger may have committed suicide, even though the police say otherwise?
4. Why is the sidebar not enough information for the wrap-up of the story?
5. Why was Ledger’s family not contacted for information?
6. Why was Ledger’s publicist not contacted for information?
7. Who was Ledger with when he died?
8. Where did Ledger die?
9. Why is the talent of the deceased questioned?
10. Why did the story not provide coverage of Heath’s ex-girlfriend and child and how the recent event has affected them?

I have found that it is difficult to read an article in USATODAY and find faults, yet as I write positive notes I begin to sound like a press release.  It will be nice when I can find the balance and a story which raises even more questions.

Upon seeing a video at cnn.com on this I wanted to see if I could find an article on it to see what information it focused on.  Of course the biggest difference was that cnn.com (since it was a clip from their broadcast which depends on sensationalism for ratings) focused on how it will be used to distribute cheaper and safer marijuana to those with a perscription for it.  But, CNN did not mention how this is something that has been implemented in other countries–instead they focused on making it exciting instead of informative.  (Apparently the Wall Street Journal did an article on it as well, but I could not access it.)

In comparison, the article at cbsnews.com had a totally different focus.  Its focus was one of the practicality of such a thing and how others have used it or plan on using it.  This article was very informative, but it left out the part about marijuana, interesting.  I guess this just goes to show how news broadcasts cannot be nearly as informative as an article is. 

My only disapointment was that this article still left me with many many more questions than I had when I came into the article with.  My biggest questions were how this technology safe gaurds against hackers, how does this not involve a doctor, how exactly it has been used in other countries, and what kind of personal interaction with Pharmacists are these people looking for?  Cause I do not usually meet incredibly knowledgeable ones (except for in Germany where I think some may have even been nurses). 

Plus there was one phrase that still puzzles me no end, “And though behind-the-counter drugs exist in Europe, some doctors here are skeptical.”  Not a very clear or well-worded sentence from my stand-point.  I think I can understand what they are trying to say, but I do not think my job as the reader should be decipering what the reporter is trying to say–it should be clear.