Newspapers: Still the Premier News Source

In my opinion, a news source should be a fair representation of what is going on in the world.  Good sources are as unbiased as possible and accurate.  It is every citizen’s right to have equal access to the news, so news sources should be easily available and inexpensive. 

Currently, print media is the most reliable source for good news.  Newspapers have a very good integrity and the most dedicated and experienced journalists tend to work for major newspaper corporations.  Many markets also have multiple newspapers available to them.  This keeps a fair balance between differing viewpoints and allows the readers to make their own educated decisions about important topics.

While the recent surge of internet and television sources itself is definitely not a bad thing, newspapers are still better at relaying the pure, unaltered news.  Often internet sites tend to focus too heavily on opinion rather than fact.  Also, news broadcasts on television sometimes have their own hidden agenda and can be slanted towards certain political parties or other national factions.

Granted, the newspaper is becoming less and less popular, while alternate news sources, especially online sites, are seeing more and more traffic each month.  While this may seem to be a natural evolution of media forms, the newspaper is far too important to be allowed to disappear.  There are plenty of hardworking people committed to saving the newspaper industry, and their ideas and propositions should be taken seriously.  The newspaper business accounts for various vital segments of America.  From the already ill-fated economy, to the structure of United States’ politics, to the tradition that connects all citizens, the newspaper is entirely essential.  Losing the newspaper industry would clearly be detrimental to the nation as a whole, and must be avoided at all costs.  

 

Extra! Extra! E-Read all about it?

Usually I pick up a copy of the Daily Trojan before class each morning.  I make sure to catch up on the Trojans’ athletic endeavors and the main stories affecting campus.  Then, I read the inside page where the most important local, national, and international stories are summarized.  When checking my AOL e-mail account, I often click on the stories promoted in the “Today on AIM” section.  In these instances I only click on the news stories that interest me most.  This generally consists of major national news, sports-related stories, and articles discussing economics.  I get the rest of my news from conversations with friends and family.  They tend to know what is of interest to me and fill me in on anything that they have heard in recent news.

Although I do not subscribe to a major newspaper, I am addicted to crossword puzzles.  Because of this, I visit USA Today, LA Times, and the Chicago-Sun Times daily to complete their crossword puzzles.  Sometimes a news story on the side of the puzzle applet will catch my attention and I will read the article online.  I never actually purchase hard-copies of these major newspapers, though. 

Living at the Radisson, the front desk offers complimentary copies of USA Today daily and I still choose to get my news from online sources or the Daily Trojan.  Maybe actual major newspaper publications are no longer necessary?

ShamWow: "You know the Germans make good stuff..."

In the now infamous commercial for ShamWow, a super-absorbent cleaning towel, the pitchman Vincent Offer presents various reasons as to why the consumers should buy the ShamWow.  Most of the reasons are based in good logic.  For example, the towel works wet or dry, can be used on various surfaces, and holds twenty times its own weight in liquid.  Then, however, Offer argues something that clearly falls into the category of hasty generalization.  After saying that the ShamWow is made in Germany, he claims, “you know the Germans make good stuff.”  Again, at the end of the commercial the announcer reminds viewers that the ShamWow is made in Germany.  While, Germany may have a reputation for having good engineers and as one of the main hubs of automotive technology, the fact that the ShamWow was made in Germany does not mean that it is a good product.  There are no relevant details or studies offered which would show that the ShamWow itself was built by a successful German company similar to the likes of BMW or Mercedes-Benz.   Clearly, Offer tries to persuade people to buy the ShamWow using the logical fallacy of hasty generalization.  While it may be true that the ShamWow is manufactured in Germany, this information alone has no bearing on the success of the product and is not a credible reason to purchase the ShamWow. 

Watch the ShamWow commercial below:

 

The Need for a US Rowing Museum

Rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport in the United States.  Fewer than ten thousand varsity student-athletes compete in collegiate rowing, however.  Rowing has such a rich history that it is about time a museum be established to preserve and promote rowing awareness.

Rowing is by far one of the most intense and demanding sports in the world.  Oarsmen and coxswains devote countless hours of year-round training in order to maximize boat speed- the goal of any serious crew.  The majority of the United States population, however, has no clue what rowing is all about.  Quite frankly, I did not even know about rowing culture until joining the USC Men’s Crew Team.   A rowing museum would solve this problem.

My proposed museum would be located in Southern California.  The west coast is renowned for its great rowing programs, and the museum could be fully taken advantage of in an environment that is suitable for rowing year-round.  The museum will double as a boat house so that community members (children in particular) can get involved in rowing.  This will help rowing become more popular among the masses, hopefully propelling rowing back into the forefront of college athletics. 

With United States collegiate rowing dating back to the mid nineteenth century, one would think that a rowing museum would already exist.  The only established rowing museum in the world, however, is located on the Thames River in England- site of the world-famous Royal Henley Regatta.  While this is considered a good museum, it does not represent United States rowing well.  A museum in the United States, therefore, would make rowing more accessible to Americans in particular and truly show what a great sport rowing is!  

California ScienCenter

Out of convenience and an interest in the subject matter, I chose to visit the California ScienCenter for my museum trip.  In particular, I visited the Air and Space portion of the museum.  This area included Air and Aircraft, Humans in Space, Mission to the Planets, and Stars and Telescopes. There was also a smaller area in another part of the museum which I did not visit called the Air and Space Discovery Room  which was intended for little children).  The arrangement of the museum was very clever and added to the success of the exhibit.  There were various levels which a shuttle-like elevator took you up through.  The spacecraft and aircraft were also arranged strategically, with the oldest towards the bottom and the newest towards the ceiling.  Each craft had its own placard with information.  There were also various videos and audio clips playing throughout the museum.  Some of the most exciting parts of the Air and Space section were the hands-on activities. This included a wind tunnel in which you could actually enter and learn about drag.  Also, you can board a helicopter and work its controls. Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the Air and Space portion of the California ScienCenter thoroughly.  I have always had an interest in spacecraft and aircraft and the visit simply piqued this interest.  Although the museum is similar to other science centers around the nation, the quality of the artifacts, displays, and hands-on activities make a trip to the California ScienCenter more than worthwhile.