3/8 Discussion

1. What local issues are getting the most coverage?

In my view, the issues with most coverage are the one's that try to appeal to everyone. Articles that are about a generic and normal conflict may not grab everyone's attention. If the Free Press does not have everyone's attention, then they won't be making much money. Whatever story expands their reader base will be the story with the most attention. For example, there is constant coverage about the updates with Tara Grant's murder. People feel sorry for this occurence. They feel motivated and affected by it's happening. They want to know more about it. This makes them turn to the news, and essentially the Free Press, so why not oversaturate the rest of the news with more of the same.

2. What stands out to you about the coverage on FREEP.com? What concerns do they emphasize/de-emphasize? The "human factor"? The "drama factor"? Just the facts? What?

The coverage on freep.com is very factual, but appealing to both of the mentioned factors. Appealing to the reader draws them in. Drama and unusual events draw in readers. Anything differring from the norm will draw in readers. News appears to be about something that normally does not occur. Sure this statement seems blatantly obvious, but it's something that should be said. Is this where our interests only lie? In everything deterring from our mold of morals and opinions? Is this what news really is? Actually, I believe so. News is something important that we should be told. It could support or deterr our main goal, but whatever it is, it should be known.

3. What's going on in your own backyard? What do you think?

Clinton Twp. doesn't have much drama going on. The news on their main page, broadly entitled Northern Macomb, is basically about smaller events, gatherings, and anniversaries. Right now, the main topic is a review about one local gym in the area. Why do a gym? Gyms don't encorporate everyone within Clinton Twp so why write about it? Because, it's still a place where a large group of people go. Even if certain individuals don't attend to that specific gym, there are still several readers who may be interested in working out or finding a new center to call their own.

Other than that, local news likes to try and bolster the image of that specific community's schools. All the accomplishments they have, academic or athletic, are plastered on the website. In large fonted, bold letters, a title proclaims that the Lancers ended a drought in some sport. Who cares? People of the area, parents, students, former students, etc. Appealing to the sense of past and connection to the location being described.

4. What might you want to research/write about? Why?

Not too sure what I might write about. Asking for a very good topic just seems to make me very picky about what I should choose, which ends up being a bad thing. We're so accustomed to news being extreme and moral-breaking actions that when it comes to local news, they just don't seem to cut it in our minds.

Right now I'm looking for some issues that might be dealing with our school systems. Schools are an integral system to any community and usually have an abundance of problems.