meredith pollack - new food stamp edits

Meredith Pollack
Intro To Journalism
Food Stamp Edits

There is no better example of the disparity between the rich and poor than in New York City, where the homeless and hungry sleep right on the sidewalks. In reality however, most New Yorkers cannot even process what a million dollars looks like, and are more concerned with putting dinner on the table.
New Yorkers have slowed their rate of descent into poverty and unemployment. Rates for unemployment in the state are at 8.0%, only one percent lower than the national average. In New York City however, the rates are at 8.6%. The gap between the poor and rich still exists, and when looking at average income levels for New Yorkers, the people on the lower half of the wealth spectrum still are in need of aide.

According to Forbes and the NYC Coalition Against Hunger, 57 New York City billionaires have as much money as 13 million minimum wage workers. Now, it is curious to think of how all of the money that funds a billionaires lavish, albeit unnecessary lifestyle, could be put to much better use in aiding the one million New Yorkers who will need to access emergency food stamps this year. Because while it may not be a steaming plate of fillet mignon, everyone still needs to eat. ]

Whether it is working three jobs to support their families or not being able to qualify for food stamps, there are still major problems that need to be addressed to help the hungry and homeless. While there is no longer an increase in poverty in New York City, the real problem lies in the fact that bigger things need to change. The poor are still poor, the rich are still too rich, and Cuomo’s state budget of $30 million to aid hunger programs is exactly the same as it was last year. Triada Stampas, Director of Government Relations and Food Bank NYC says, "Quite too often, people make it about politics, taking partisan business into consideration. But these are lives and livelihoods at stake. And the best way to meet these goals is to ensure quality from all angles--government, organizations, citizen involvement. By working together through all these approaches, we have no choice but to help the food banks and poverty programs to prosper."
There has been a lot of citizen involvement in New York City to raise money for the hungry. But in reality, a bake sale shouldn’t be needed to raise money for the food banks. It is something that the government should be on top of, seeing as how this is in reference to a bake sale held in Grand Central that raised $50,000. The sale was held by Sara Lee, a Food Network personality, but more importantly, Andrew Cuomo’s girlfriend.
This unfortunate disparity of wealth does not only exist in New York, but in other major cities across the country as well. In Houston, Texas for example, the city’s unemployment rate is higher than the states as a hole, with 8.8% in Houston and 8.3% in the rest of state. Also, incomes below the poverty level in Houston are at 20.6% versus only 17.2% in the whole state. Of course these disparities have a lot to do with the breakdown of age, gender, family size, and race. However, a city like Los Angeles, with an extremely low city unemployment rate of 11.5%, is doing great with the wealth gaps, with their median income at $48,617. While all of the states have high hopes for the end of the recession, there still is no clear solution to problems such as feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, and pulling state residents out of poverty in general. Steve Murdock of Rice University and a former state demographer for Texas said, "It is very clear how extensive the economic difficulties are. Health insurance. Job hours worked. Poverty rates. Income. Those are all in the wrong direction in terms of what we'd like to see for America.”
So while statistics are showing extremely small but fortunate declines in people living below the poverty line in New York City, those numbers are still hungry people, making the improvements seem very small indeed. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitatlity Group, a donor to food banks puts it, “There are still families, hard-working families, I meet in this city who have no idea what fullness is. That’s something that has always come off as crazy to me. As fortunate as I am personally, I have this intense gut feeling that there is still so much that has to be done here... “ and there is.

EDIT: Organizations and Citizens Work To Fill In The Gaps of Hunger

By Harrison Golden

For Amanda Woods, the weeks are more than just days crossed off on her pocket-sized calendar. They are moments filled with sharing, engaging, and interacting with the world around her. Whether she is walking her six-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter to and from school, packing their lunches, or cooking them dinner, she sees how food unites people and develops foundations for the future. Every Saturday morning, she wakes up, makes herself and her family a quick breakfast before riding the subway from her West Village home to the soup kitchen at the Bowery Mission, where she shares her time, handing out food to anyone hoping for a quality meal.

“It’s such a routine I have,” Woods said, in between handing out helpings of potatoes and chicken soup to those standing on line. “Without even thinking, we base our lives around meals. It drives us to connect in ways that nothing else can, which is why there is no reason not to get involved. It strengthens the ties between so many people.”

While these ties are adding up within smaller urban communities, efforts are being made to establish stronger connections with not only government anti-hunger initiatives, but also with other city and state poverty programs.

According to Joel Berg of the New York Coalition Against Hunger, 700,000 more New Yorkers are accessing food stamps than did so five years ago. While he acknowledges that federal initiatives such as the 2008 Economic Recovery Rebate and stimulus funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have allowed for a continuation of citywide anti-poverty, anti-hunger programs, these efforts are still under much daily strain. Minimum wage in the city is currently $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal rate.

Last week, members of the New York State Legislature and newly elected Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed to provide $300 million to hunger programs throughout the state, the same amount as last year. However, state lawmakers also consented to halt the planned increase in basic welfare grants despite a $1.3 billion donation from the federal government. Officials from the Hunger Action Network condemn the move, calling it an act of fiscal regression during a time that should be marked by progress and unity.

“Lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves,” said Mark Dunlea, executive director of the Hunger Action Network, in a statement. “This was the one issue where money goes directly into the pockets of the poorest of the poor. Almost every other program has someone other than the poor that gets a cut of the funding stream. The poor just don’t have the campaign contributions to get legislators to do what is right.”

In an effort to move forward on the city’s fight against hunger without overloading the demand for government-issued food stamps, food banks such as City Harvest and the Food Bank For New York City, as well as activist networks like the New York Coalition Against Hunger, have collectively encouraged everyday citizens and businesspeople to donate increased amounts of time and effort to their cause, regardless of organizational or political preferences.

“Quite too often, people make it about politics, taking partisan business into consideration,” said Triada Stampas, Director of Government Relations, Policy, and Public Education at the Food Bank For New York City. “But these are lives and livelihoods at stake. And the best way to meet these goals is to ensure quality from all angles—government, organizations, citizen involvement. By working together through all these approaches, we have no choice but to help the food banks and poverty programs prosper.”

In light of ongoing statements from Congressional leaders threatening the future of federal funding for food banks and soup kitchens, cities across the nation are also working to find ways of decreasing poverty.

In Los Angeles County, over 1.7 million residents were reported to have struggled with hunger in 2009, the most recent year in which information was available, according to a study from Feeding America, the country’s largest network of food banks.

However, participation for food stamps in California is close to an all-time low. Last year, over fifty percent of the state’s households missed the cutoff for food stamp qualification, earning more than 130 percent of the poverty level. But members of the California Food Policy Advocates group, as well as officials from the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, insist that people and organizations both remain active in the fight against hunger, supporting all citizens facing hunger, regardless of qualifications.

“Over the last two years of this economic recession we’ve seen an enormous increase in demand for food assistance throughout the county,” Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, told the Associated Press.

During the past few years, the food bank has successfully increased its range of impact, distributing food to more than one million people last year, compared to about 600,000 in 2006. Flood attributes the progress to volunteer involvement. In 2010, approximately 24,000 citizens participated in their efforts to decrease food insecurity. In addition, the organization currently comprises of 600 member agencies, which primarily include soup kitchens and food pantries throughout the region.

“With food and fuel prices rising and an unemployment rate in the county at nearly 13 percent, we expect 2011 to be another demanding year,” Flood added, noting the importance of consistent, well-rounded commitment from member agencies, activist organizations, and volunteers alike in fighting to decrease hunger.

In Houston, groups such as Volunteer Houston and the Houston Food Bank are aiming to widen their resources and recruit more volunteers, hoping that doing so will more adequately balance demand for both government food stamps and non-government organizations, or NGOs.

According to a 2009 study from Feeding America, about one in five children in the state experience hunger, higher than any other state in the country. In addition to an 8.8 unemployment rate, over 17 percent of Texans live below the poverty line, including nearly 26 percent of children, leading poverty activists in both Houston and the state as a whole to treat the issue with increased alarm.

“Loss of jobs and lower wages mean more families and individuals need help keeping food on the table,” said Brian Greene, President of the Houston Food Bank, the largest of its kind in the region. “We must count even more on our donors, volunteers, and other community partners to stand with us in alleviating the suffering caused by hunger.”

In 2010, 65 million pounds of food were donated to the bank, up about 40 percent from two years ago. Through its nearly 500 hunger relief agencies, including church food pantries, homeless shelters, and nutrition sites for the youth and elderly, the Houston Food Bank has fed an annual rate of 865,000 people. Public advocates and political analysts attribute this to a rise in volunteerism, as roughly 260,000 hours are spent per year assisting the food bank in meeting demand. With continued involvement, they not only hope to gradually give more opportunities to those dealing with hunger, but to also ease the burdens of unemployment.

“I think Texas is on the comeback, faster than other states,” said Talmadge Heflin, Director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Fiscal Policy. “Obviously we got hit by the recession. People are feeling that, but we are coming out of it sooner.”

Meanwhile, as the sun tries to peak its way above the Bowery Mission, Woods hands out her final helping of the day’s lunch and gets ready to pick up her daughter from a friend’s house. Her manner is not in a way that seems rushed or blindly obligated, but rather careful and savory of all that the moments seem to offer her. She makes her way out the front door, holding it open for an elderly couple making their way through.

“Above all, getting rid of poverty involves looking around and realizing the beauty of all that we tend to overlook,” she adds. “The hours, the meals, and meeting the people is crucial, but once you find those small moments, you really see the picture and what it’s worth.”

Meredith Pollack - Feature RJ

A new feature article by Janny Scott of New York Times Magazine is an in depth look at the mother of President Barack Obama, Stanley Ann Dunham. The article opened in a very standard feature style, but not by honing in on a moment or interview with the subject, but rather a photograph. Since this is a very long profile, it is understandable that the introduction describing the photograph went on for quite a long time. The photo opened each paragraph for the first page, and then the reporter went off in some very clever directions. She went on to describe all the aspects of her. The best part was when the reporter described the way other people saw her, whose points of view were completely off.
The reporter also used Obama’s memoir “Dreams From My Father” as a reference for her article. Most of the meat of the article is really just retelling events that also included Obama’s mother, but it is quite eye opening at the same time. It focuses on her time in Indonesia and her teaching of worldliness to her son.
I think the timeliness of this feature is very interesting, because the American citizenship of Barack Obama is always a hot topic that seems to resurface every few months. The reporter highlights the falseness of these rumors, and alludes to the irony that having a worldly president isn’t preferred by the American people. However, all in all, this feature article lacked an edge that could have made it a little more interesting to read.

The second feature that really caught my eye was from the Washington Post, called Commando Performance by Laura Wexler. It started off very well, offering a profile of a student at a liberal arts college north of Baltimore. This student was one man in a big on campus game called Humans vs. Zombies. When he described the game, it reminded me of an old game that I played in high school, and is actually very popular in schools across the country. I was intrigued that a reporter had ventured in on a week long school game. Unfortunately, this was not the turn that the article took. It mostly focused on the intimate dramas of this one schools student activity, and it became some personal to that story that it wasn’t relateable to the audience.The meat of this article was a lot of “he said” “she said” and it didn’t really go anywhere else except the one student spotlight. This feature should have branched out and shone light on every possible aspect of the story.

Journal #4 - Feature Story

Mazen Hassan

Intro to Journalism

Reading Journal: Features

4/25/2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/movies/mark-ruffalo-and-christopher-thornton-in-sympathy-for-delicious.html?src=me&ref=movies

The reason I chose this article was because it is something that has always been of great interest to me : a profile (almost a behind the scenes look) of how two well-known actors started out their career in Los Angeles, how they got to where they are now, and why they chose to reunite now on the set of a much-delayed film almost 20 years later.

Immediately the article grabbed my attention, as it went back in time to 20 years ago, beginning with an anecdotal lede describing how Actor and Director Mark Ruffalo and fellow Actor and Screenwriter Christopher first met. They regale the reader with a funny story of how Ruffalo would light his shoes on fire while they were performing on stage together at the Stella Adler conservatory just to try and throw off/show up Thornton. I thought it was a very good way to not only intrigue the reader from the opening, but it also set up and established just what kind of relationship these two great friends share with one another. Unlike a hard news story which begins with the most pertinent, factual, and timely information from the beginning, I appreciated getting a little bit of context and history before delving into where they are now.

The author then describes how the two men lived and struggled together in L.A., going to auditions, living in a cramped space, trying to “make it” before a horrible incident occurred. Thornton fell while rock climbing one day, causing him to become a paraplegic. He wanted to give up on his career and his life in general, but Ruffalo intervened and created a play for the both of them, where he could be in his wheelchair – and Thornton fell right back in love with performing.

It also discusses the death of Ruffalo’s brother years later, and how that impacted him to want to leave the industry too; but it was Thornton’s turn to be there for his friend, and reel him back into his passion. I definitely think that sharing such deep, personal, and sad tales makes the story not only infinitely more interesting, but it draws the reader in and really connects them to these men. Eventually the author ties in how these horrible occurrences got them to write, edit, direct, and act in their own film that took over 10 years to make, and was released this past year.

It wasn’t necessarily deeply sourced, but there was definitely a lot of background reporting which gave the story gravity and history. Mainly, for me, it was the human aspect and the story of these two men who have endured so much but have never given up, that inspired me, motivated, and kept me reading until the end.

If this exact story were told in the context of a hard news story, I believe that so much would have been focused on the factual information or details (when/where Thornton had the accident, how long was he in the hospital for, what was the exact damage, how did Ruffalo’s brother die, how much money did the film make, etc.) while in the feature the focus was on the emotional aspect – the bond these two share, and how their resilience and heart got them to where they are today.

Today, with the same minimum wage as the federal Government, New York City’s poverty line still remains higher than that of most other American cities.

It is no secret that New York City is one of the most expensive places to live in America however, the effect these expenses have on the poverty line is significant to that of other cities. Because poverty lines are determined by government agencies, some cities have their own way of calculating these poverty thresholds. The city of New York calculates their poverty line differently from other cities, factoring in things like cell phones, as opposed to just food, clothing, and shelter. Therefore, the poverty line in New York rises above those in other cities because of it’s expensive living.

According to an NPR article, first, the state of New York considers the costs associated with food, clothing shelter and geographic location. The federal poverty measure, on the other hand, is equal to three times the cost of a basic food plan adjusted annually for inflation.

Second, when figuring income, New York takes into consideration a family’s food stamps, housing subsidies, out-of-pocket medical expenses, child-care and transportation costs. It looks at after-tax income, while the U.S. government uses a pre-tax income.

In New York, the average American family receives an income of about $30,000 a year, proving that the residents of New York City have had a chance to bounce back from the recession with more force than other cities in America. In comparison with other American cities, New York’s poverty line yields approximately $10,000 more. With the help from countrywide food banks, those not receiving enough food seek help from food distributing organizations.

Determining the poverty line in the United States is usually found by adding the totally cost of all the essential resources that an average adult consumes in a year. This approach is need-based in that an assessment is made of the minimum expenditure needed to maintain a tolerable life.

Minimum wage in New York City is the same as the federal, $7.25. Though the majority of states in the U.S. decide to match the federal minimum, it is interesting that the state of New York has a lower unemployment rate than the national average. Although the rate has decreased to 8.6% from the nation’s rate of 9.0%, other states within the U.S. have failed to mirror this success.

In Houston, the poverty line for the city has risen dramatically since the recession. The average family living in poverty earns a $22,000 income. Last year, Houston had 8.8% unemployment though the entire stat e was only at 8.3% unemployment. According to the Houston Business Journal, in the past year, the rate in the Houston area has fell to 8.4%. This change is attributed to a statewide gain of 9,600 nonagricultural jobs during the month of April and will stay afloat from the help of the government sector, which added 4,000 jobs.

“It is very clear how extensive the economic difficulties are,” Steve Murdock, the former state demographer who now is on the faculty of Rice University said about the economic standing in Houston. “Health insurance. Job hours worked. Poverty Rates. Income. Thos are all in the wrong direction in terms of what we’d like to see for America.”

New York’s system for determining the poverty threshold was based on recommendations by the National Academy of Sciences. However this still leaves some families struggling to make ends meet. Back in the 60s when poverty lines were created, Americans spent about a third of their income on food. Therefore the government took the cost of a basic food plan and multiplied it by three. Since then, the poverty line has been adjusted for inflation but does not take anything else into consideration. Perhaps this is why New York invented their own way to calculate. Even though Americans today spend far less of their income on food, and much more on things like heath care.

In the state of New York, the cost of cell phones, as well as other utilities is considered while calculating the poverty line, as well as including the basic housing, clothing and food costs. The system then compares that amount to a family’s post-tax income. This is all added to the value of any government benefits, such as food stamps or housing that a family may need.

In an effort to aid those still in need of food, cities have developed food banks across the country. Food banks disperse millions of pounds of food to the need each year. Although the term “food bank” is sometimes used for originations that deliver food directly, most often the banks act as nonprofit wholesalers, donating or selling food at discounted prices to the soup kitchens or food pantries that distribute the food.

The Joel Berg of the Coalition Against Hunger, 700,000 more people get food stamps than did so five years ago. Therefore, food pantries have responded to the recession by opening its door to a new level of people.

“This ever-widening group of people expands to child-care workers, nurse’s aides, real estate agents and secretaries who are facing financial crisis for the first time” Triada Stampas, director of Government Relations, Policy and Public Education for the Food Bank of NYC said.

In 2009, the nation’s food banks received $100 million windfall to purchase more food as part of the stimulus law. This grant was a large boost for the food bank program, which usually receives $250 million a year from Washington. This increase in the amount of food seems huge even for an organization that measures servings by the millions of pounds.

"Quite too often, people make it about politics, taking partisan business into consideration,” Triada Stampas, said. “But these are lives and livelihoods at stake. And the best way to meet these goals is to ensure quality from all angles--government, organizations, and citizen involvement. By working together through all these approaches, we have no choice but to help the food banks and poverty prog

Reading Journal - Feature Stories

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/science/space/24astronaut.html?_r=2&ref=global-home

'Coolest Job Ever' Ending, Astronauts Seeking Frontier

Kenneth Chang at the New York Times writes about how astronaut positions at NASA are winding down, partly due to Obama's budget cuts for the Aeronautics Administration.

Two things attracted me to the article: first, the headline.

The headline is divided in two parts; the first part is pretty casual and 'coolest job ever' is purposely in single quotes. The second part of the headline is a bit more serious, but still a tad ambiguous (my thought process was around the lines of: "'seeking a frontier'? you mean physically?").

The second thing that drew me to this article was the lede, or lack thereof. There is a feature lede, but it is placed after the first line of the article, a 'rhetorical' question: "What happens when you have the right stuff at the wrong time?" Again, at this point reading the article you're not really sure what it's exactly about; perhaps this question would make sense to someone who has been following the stories about used space shuttles becoming museum pieces. After the question, the writer compacts the feature in a ''nut graph":

Members of NASA’s astronaut corps have been asking just that, now that the space shuttle program is ending and their odds of flying anywhere good anytime soon are getting smaller. The Endeavour is scheduled to launch this week, and the Atlantis is supposed to fly the last shuttle mission in June — and all the seats are spoken for.

Then, the writer puts this story into political/economic context by bringing up the fact that funding for NASA's human spaceflight has been "curtailed" or cut. This is a very minor critique, but i think the word "curtailed" does not fit into such a casually-toned article; or am I just reading too much into it?

The writer then continues the article with snippets of interviews to astronauts about the change in the industry--that works, gives the second part of the article a 'face', a more human side.

However, to be completely honest, I look at the end of the article, and back at the initial question and I can't seem to make the connection.

This article is certainly timely and attempts to put things into perspective: the fate of the NASA and aspiring astronauts/veteran astronauts. However, it is missing a little bit more clarity in terms of content, why exactly the budget cuts by Obama's Administration? There is no linked story when the president is mentioned. But overall it is a cohesive story that starts out with a general claim and then zooms in on individuals.

Julia

Meredith Pollack
Intro To Journalism
Food Stamp Edits

There is no better example of the disparity between the rich and poor than in New York City, with the homeless and hungry sleeping right on the sidewalks below the buildings housing some of the worlds richest people. In reality however, most New Yorkers cannot even process what a million dollars looks like, and are just concerned with putting dinner on the table.
As it shows on paper compared at a national level, New Yorkers have slowed their rate of descent into poverty and unemployment. Rates for unemployment in the state are at 8.0%, only one percent lower than the national average. In New York City however, the rates are at 8.6%. The gap between the poor and rich still exists, and when looking at average income levels for New Yorkers, the people on the lower half of the wealth spectrum still are in need of aide.

Possibly remove this entire paragraph?

[ The 18.7% of New Yorkers living below the poverty line falls slightly below the $30,000 mark, with the entire spectrum of wealth crushing them from overhead. The people at the top of the wealth spectrum, hold amounts of money unimaginable to the average worker. According to Forbes and the NYC Coalition Against Hunger, 57 New York City billionaires have as much money as 13 million minimum wage workers. Now, it is curious to think of how all of the money that funds a billionaires lavish, albeit unnecessary lifestyle, could be put to much better use in aiding the one million New Yorkers who will need to access emergency food stamps this year. Because while it may not be a steaming plate of fillet mignon, everyone still needs to eat. ]

Whether it is working three jobs to support their families or not being able to qualify for food stamps, there are still major problems that need to be addressed to help these people. While there is no longer an increase in poverty in New York City, the real problem lies in the fact that bigger things need to change. The poor are still poor, the rich are still too rich, and Cuomo’s state budget of $30 million to aid hunger programs is exactly the same as it was last year. Triada Stampas, Director of Government Relations and Food Bank NYC says, "Quite too often, people make it about politics, taking partisan business into consideration. But these are lives and livelihoods at stake. And the best way to meet these goals is to ensure quality from all angles--government, organizations, citizen involvement. By working together through all these approaches, we have no choice but to help the food banks and poverty programs to prosper."
There has been a lot of citizen involvement in New York City to raise money for the hungry. But in reality, a bake sale shouldn’t be needed to raise money for the food banks. It is something that the government should be on top of, seeing as how this is in reference to a bake sale held in Grand Central that raised $50,000. The sale was held by Sara Lee, a Food Network personality, but more importantly, Andrew Cuomo’s girlfriend.
This unfortunate breakdown of wealth does not only exist in New York, but in other major cities across the country as well. In Houston, Texas for example, the city’s unemployment rate is higher than the states as a hole, with 8.8% in Houston and 8.3% in the rest of state. Also, incomes below the poverty level in Houston are at 20.6% versus only 17.2% in the whole state. Of course these disparities have a lot to do with the breakdown of age, gender, family size, and race. However, a city like Los Angeles, with an extremely low city unemployment rate of 11.5%, is doing great with the wealth gaps, with their median income at $48,617. While all of the states have high hopes for the end of the recession, there still is no clear solution to problems such as feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, and pulling state residents out of poverty in general. Steve Murdock of Rice University and a former state demographer for Texas said, "It is very clear how extensive the economic difficulties are. Health insurance. Job hours worked. Poverty rates. Income. Those are all in the wrong direction in terms of what we'd like to see for America.”
So while statistics are showing extremely small but fortunate declines in people below the poverty line, those numbers are still hungry people, making the improvements seem very small indeed. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitatlity Group, a donor to food banks puts it, “There are still families, hard-working families, I meet in this city who have no idea what fullness is. That’s something that has always come off as crazy to me. As fortunate as I am personally, I have this intense gut feeling that there is still so much that has to be done here... “ and there is.

Feature Writing Journal Entry

In the article "Journalists Killed in Libya, News Breaks on Facebook," featured in Wired, writer Pete Brook incorporates the role of social media in reporting the deaths of photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros. Specifically, he describes the confusion often associated with reporting deaths online without or prior to confirmation. In the cases of Hetherington and Hondros, as well as many other situations like it, readers are left without official knowledge of injuries and/or deaths for hours before they are able to make sense of events. Despite the inevitable ambiguity, social media still provides, and will continue to provide, Brook writes, a method of gathering, both for ideas and for people. Furthermore, he mentions the roles of websites such as Facebook and Twitter to become memorials for the deceased, allowing friends to still have access to the person’s profile as well as the ability to post memorial comments to the person’s wall.

Although Brook could have potentially focused more on characterization, he does do an intriguing and high-quality job of intriguing readers about the ambiguities and securities that social media provide. Given both the rising conflict in Libya and the ever-changing realms of Facebook and Twitter, he writes his story in a way that is relevant to his audience. His details regarding Facebook memorial wall posts, including examples from Hetherington’s profile on the site, connects with readers and, more importantly, asks them to understand the ever-developing connections within social media in an active, yet still personal, way. Because of its relevance and its layered connection with readers, encouraging them to see the greater picture of modern interaction, the article was extremely provocative.

4.22.2011 gg

"An abortion ruling that puts the privacy of women at risk"

Kate Smurthwaite
The Guardian, April 22nd

Hey, I'm just at work getting started on this. Don't know how far I will get. I have a flight to catch at 6pm so I will do as much as possible. May have to finish when I get in tonight.


This "news" behind this article is a recent legal ruling that will publish figures on late abortions to be released. Smurthwaite takes that bit of news and expands upon it, examining the implications for individual privacy, experiences of real women and taking a closer look at how each of the opinions in the decision is substantiated. Her article does contain quite a bit of opinion, though. Smurthwaite's article is both a feature and opinion piece, and necessarily so.


Smurthwaite begins her article with the bit of news, that the figures will be released, and a briefing on the implications of that decision, that parents and clinicians are "at risk" of being harassed and/or forced into court. This provides a solid grounding for the rest of her article. In the next few paragraphs, she explains what the DH policy had been before (and why) and the reason that she says parents and clinicians are at risk.


With her perspective in place, Smurthwaite introduces her first character, Harriet S, a woman in her 30s. She uses a really big, long quote to basically illustrate that having a late term abortion is not something that a woman plans on, that they are forced into occurrence mainly because of serious health conditions. In Harriet's case, "it wasn't a question of if the baby survived but of when it died." 


I would identify the author's nut graph as the paragraph following the two about Harriet. It contains data on late-term abortions in the UK as well as alternative reasons for abortions, such as the presence of foetal abnormalities. Well, maybe this isn't the nut graph. It just has a bunch of numbers in it. My bad.

I think it's interesting that the author chooses to feature a court case in regards to doctors performing late-term abortions on the grounds of cleft lip and palate. In these cases, the national media was not involved.  Smurthwaite uses this case and ones like it to illustrate that there's an unnecessary relationship between the media and the patients that puts pressure on the patient or the doctor to justify their decisions. Which is unnecessary. Seriously unnecessary. Did I mention that it's unnecessary? Because it's unnecessary? 


I like this article because the author illustrates her points in a subtle manner that demonstrates that she understands the nuances of the situations that she is describing. Smurthwaite understands that requiring data regarding late-term abortions could compel doctors and patients to feel they have to justify their decisions to the national media because that data would make personal information about those doctors and patients public. If the information goes public, the media is such that it puts pressure on individuals to justify past decisions. As Smurthwaite demonstrates with the story of Harriet S, it is often the case that the would be mothers aren't total demons or heathens, as most of the media would have us believe. Most national medias are all too quick to demonize women who undergo abortions, Smurthwaite unpacks the nuanced reasons why. The news is that the law was passed that would allow the data to be published, requiring it to be reported. Smurthwaite's feature is written on why that is a bad thing.

Feature Writing Reading Journal (Emily Katz)

Emily Katz

April 21, 2011

From reading the examples, I’ve learned that successful feature writing lies in the vivid descriptions and imagery the writer uses, artful organization of the information and smooth transitions, a variety of sources and perspectives to add dimension, and an ending that leaves the reader with something. I’ve learned the importance to have an engaging lede. The writer needs a hook that will pull the reader in. It helps if the lede portrays some aspect of the title. For example, the piece titled “Trial by Fire” has a lede with the description of the fire scene. The style of the lede will largely depend on the writer’s angle into the story. The characterization (utilizing a lot of imagery) of Frank Sinatra is used as the lede to the piece “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” and it is fitting because the piece is about him as a legendary figure.

In the article, “Is Urban Loneliness a Myth,” the nut graph, or the justification for why the story is relevant now, appears right after the lede. The narrative lede is told through the first person (the journalist’s own perspective, which is also used by the journalist who wrote “Insane Clown Posse”) and is supported by the nut graph that contains statistics about how New York City has the highest number of single dwellers.

Profiles of the main characters are helpful with telling the story, as it gives the reader background and context. For example, the profile of Todd Willingham in “Trial by Fire” helps portray his character and establish ambiguity around his guiltiness. Quotes from minor characters further help with telling the story. Elizabeth Gilbert’s account of Todd Willingham further sheds light on how perhaps he is wrongfully convicted. I’ve also learned of the importance of incorporating essential sources. In “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” the journalist incorporates quotes from Sinatra’s close friends, press agent, his first wife, his daughter, and his son—each helping to paint a more complete picture of Frank Sinatra. In “Fatal Distraction,” the journalist incorporates experts on the justice system, an expert on human memory, several parents who have left their child in the car, and an advocate from Kids and Cars. These multiple perspectives add dimensions to an otherwise bland story.

I also feel that with a feature piece, the writer has certain liberties to also tap into novel writing. The writer can structure the piece in a way that creates suspense (such as “Trial by Fire), or utilize imagery to make it dramatic (“Fatal Distraction” and the descriptions of the dead children) or humorous (Frank Sinatra).

The icing on the cake for feature writing is the ending, where the writer can leave a lasting image in the reader’s mind. In “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” the last image the reader pictures is Sinatra having a brief connection with a young girl while he is in his car. He thought she might not recognize him because of their generational differences, but she does! The ending image helped portray Sinatra as a true legend in American music. The endings to “Trial by Fire” and “Fatal Distraction” leave the reader with some ambiguity about the issue. One questions the “justice” of our legal system while the other questions whether parents who accidentally killed their kids should be given a second chance in being a parent. Both stir emotions within the reader.

Feature Article Reading Journal

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/business/21marketing.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Title: “In Online Games, a Path to Young Consumers”

Author: Matt Richtel

Nytimes.com

I chose this story because right away, it is easy to tell that it is a feature. Starting with an anecdote, the article describes a 10-year-old at work on an interactive website. Lesly creates comic strips online, and then sends them to her friends and family all over the country. Because these online games are created by General Mills however, Lesly becomes an advertiser without realizing it.

The sources in the article were also very believable. The first was a psychologist at Harvard Medical School who explains the trouble marketers has with accessing the children and bypassing the parents successfully. This is an interesting observation. Now that advertisers have a way to reach the children without the parents intercepting, is brings to question all the reasons parents shelter children from these articles. To remedy this, the second source was the director of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative who said that they would only advertise foods that are better for you. I was glad that the author included this second source because the first source almost made me uneasy. The article discusses child obesity rates as well and the fact that the second source is trying to advertise healthy foods settles that.

At the end of the article, it circles back to the story of Lesly Lopez, this time focusing on her mother’s concerns. Mrs. Huerta is concerned about her daughters diet and he teeth as well. She blames the advertisers for her daughter’s “love of sugar,” and the games they create to get children involved. Mrs. Huerta tells the author that her daughter is obsessed with sugar do to the interactive game sites she plays, made by the makers of “Baby Bottle Pops.” I really enjoyed this feature because the sources and the anecdotes grounded the piece and made it believable and interesting.

Food Stamps Article (Draft 2) Emily Katz

Food Stamps Replacing Meal Plans for Some Students

Emily Katz

April 20, 2011

One-dollar pizza slices, $2 falafel sandwiches, $1 dumplings—these are what Peter*, a 23-year old college student, used to eat before receiving monthly food stamps from the New York State Unemployment Insurance Benefits.

Students typically don’t qualify to receive aid from the Food Stamp program, as it is largely designed to help low-income families with children and the elderly. In order to qualify for food stamp aid, students have to meet certain eligibility rules that vary from state to state; however, it has increasingly become more common for degree-seeking New Yorkers like Peter to be living off of food stamps.

As the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity Poverty Measure 2005-2009 report shows, the likelihood of an individual falling into poverty decreases as his or her level of education rises. Compared with the 30.4 percent poverty rate for individuals with less than a high school degree and the 21.7 percent for those with a high school degree, New Yorkers with some college degree experienced a 14.9 percent poverty rate in 2009.

“It’s not as uncommon as you may think. About 3% of our students are using food stamps,” said Claire Davis, a Psychologist at the NYU Health Center.

In New York State, a person with a monthly income of less than $1174 may be eligible for food stamps or other tax aid. “The Food Stamps program is one of the most important income support programs in the United States,” said Daniel Scheer, a City Research Scientist at the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity and the co-author of the Poverty Measure 2005-2009 report published in March.

According to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistant, most students between the ages of 18 and 49 are not eligible for food stamps unless they qualify under circumstances such as coming from single-parent families or are taking care of a person with disabilities. Students also have to meet a work requirement of at least 20 hours a week or take part in a work-study program. In addition, there are restrictions on what aid, how much, and how long an able-boded person can be on food stamps.

Interestingly enough, Peter did not finding it difficult to go on food stamps despite the many eligibility restrictions. Peter recounts his process of getting his EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card as one that was “actually quite simple.” He recounted his trip the benefit card office in his district and how he had to provide the necessary documents such as proof of New York State residency, proof of U.S. citizenship, and proof of current income (or the lack there of, as he was unemployed at the time). He was on food stamps by the end of the day.

“I receive roughly $200 a month, which helps me pay for the majority of my essential groceries,” said Peter.

The question then arises as to whether one can realistically live off of $200 a month on food stamp aid. According to Mr. Scheer, the food stamp budget is calculated by the United States Department of Agriculture based on the price of food in the market place and the lowest cost for a nutritious diet.

However, eating healthily is very time consuming. “So much planning and cooking goes into eating healthily,” said Rachel Knopf, a Health Educator at the New School. Ms. Knopf was the supervisor for a documentary Food Stamped, produced by four New School students as part of the Public Health Challenges program. The two undergraduate and two graduate student participants volunteered to try live off a food stamp budget for a week. As the participants discovered, there are other confounding factors to eating a nutritious diet on a food stamp budget such as a person’s skill set and their access. The prices at supermarkets vary depending the location, and shopping near Union Square is not cheap.

Health-care professional are also seeking to address the emotional stress of students on food stamps. Having to live off of $200 a month for food, work 20 hours a week, and attend school at least half-time, students need an outlet. Dr. Suzzane Feinstein, who works in midtown Manhattan in Behavioral Health services, argues that those on food stamps should receive services such as therapy, and at the NYU Health center, those using food stamps can join support groups and attend individual therapy sessions.

As the CEO Poverty Measure report stated, New Yorkers with a Bachelors degree or higher still experienced a 7.5 percent poverty rate in 2009, demonstrating that education does not guarantee anyone with a one-way ticket out of poverty.

Word Count: 765

Working Poor...or Hardly Working? (DRAFT #2)

Mazen Hassan

Introduction to Journalism

Food Stamp/Welfare Collaboration Project

4/20/2011

Working Poor…Or Hardly Working?

Struggling with finances to live in this expensive city is nothing new to most New Yorkers. Although, having to worry daily about where to obtain your sustenance just to survive is not something most people are forced to think about. For those living off of food stamps and public assistance however, it is not only a day-to-day concern – it is a way of life.

“’Working poor?’ That sounds like name calling, and it is very insulting. It is basically saying that no matter how hard I work to get myself out of my current situation, I will always be looked at as ‘one of them’ – those poor, pathetic bums. I may not be wealthy…but I am rich in spirit– and no one can take that from me.”

Ariashley Pichardo 24, temp employee, has been on the welfare, food stamp, and public assistance program for over three years now, and is one of over two million people in New York City whose very lives depend on the diminutive amount of money they receive each month to survive.

“Do I feel that food stamps actually help me out and benefit my situation? It’s a really hard tossup. I had to go through so much red tape and an overwhelming amount of paper work just to be able to receive the minimal amount of money I collect.”

Many get confused as to the process of obtaining food stamps, as not every person is eligible regardless of how desperate their situation may be. On the Social Security government website (ssa.gov), it does state that anyone can apply for food stamps, but you must meet very specific criteria to actually obtain aid. It is a combined factor of various components - residency, age and birth date, refugee and parolee standing, any allegations of domestic abuse on women and children, immigration status, and financial amount of positions and resources within the home. These are only the first issues prospective applicants have with food stamps, as many of these individuals in need do not know how to go about applying and actually receiving the aid, and it seems that going to the food stamp counselors doesn’t always quell those concerns.

“It’s already an embarrassing enough situation for me to be in, and when they make you jump through so many obstacles, it makes you just want to give up because it is so mentally draining,” Pichardo said. “I feel like I am constantly being judged and looked down upon just to get groceries to feed myself, a basic human necessity…it’s really sad.”

“I would be lying if I said that the measly $180 I receive every month did not help me out, as its $180 I didn’t have before,” Pichardo said, agreeing that although it may be emotionally taxing, it is obviously financially beneficial. “It also allows me to budget myself better to get by for the month. I just wonder how many more years this is going to continue on for…I’m scared every day.”

According to the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity, applicants for food stamps have been rapidly growing over the past few years. In 2008 it was estimated that 773,634 people were on food stamps; in 2009 the number ballooned to 875,458.

Though it may be difficult to fathom that the program is actually working, considering the number of people in need of help has severely increased instead of decreased over the years, so it must mean that the program must be doing something right - right? According to Christine D’Onofrio, senior researcher at The Center for Economic Opportunity, who helped write the report – yes.

“Food stamps serve two purposes from all perspectives,” D’Onofrio said. “The first, very obviously, is combating hunger. The other is that if there are people who are near the poverty line, something like food stamps can make the difference between them not being considered poor because they do have that extra asset in their household.”

D’onofrio detailed what requirements one must meet in order to be deemed “poor.” “The official poverty measure put forth by the Federal Government basically says ‘let’s look at the cost of the most basic meal plan we can define (that provides minimum nutritional support) and we will assume that the cost of that plan is a third of the income needed to survive.’ That basic ‘basket’ of food (bread, water, cheese, meat, fruit, vegetable) is what you would need. If you have less than that you are ‘poor,’ if you have more than that you’re ‘not poor.’” Though D’onofrio admits the system is faulty, and most definitely out of date as to what the current lifestyle and median necessity to live in New York City is.

“The problem is that that measure was developed in the 1960 when most of people’s income would go towards food. Now that’s nowhere near the truth. Now only 8-10% of your income goes to food. So to say that you’re “not poor” just because you have three times what you need for food is not a very useful measure [in 2011].”

D’onofrio points out that although food is obviously a primary concern when it comes to the poor, there are various other factors of living and expenses in general that people often fail to recall. “We need to take into account what people would need to pay for housing, food, utilities, clothing, and things like that. Our ‘what people need’ is a very different poverty line than what the official poverty measure is.”

She ties in the actual meaning of the “working poor”, saying that “that term actually has a very specific meaning...It implies the fact that a person is working, earning a wage that could even be full time. But the amount of money that the person earns does not put him or her above the poverty line. You might work more than one job at minimum wage and you will still be below the official poverty line. So the working poor are people who are working for a living but statistically are classified as “poor”.

Though not everybody agrees with this viewpoint. “To me, the term ‘working poor’ is essentially trying to create a caste system within poverty lines, which is the opposite of what we strive to do here,” said Chantall Ellison, program coordinator at America Works, (a non-for-profit organization that helps to aid people struck by poverty with job positions, food and clothing drives and shelters, etc.). “We believe that the best way to actually aid somebody out of poverty is to educate them, to facilitate positive programs and safe environments for them to come to, and to get them real actual “private sector” jobs.”

And she’s 100% right about the effectiveness of that approach and of the company’s mission, as The New York State Department of Labor concluded in a study that 88% of people placed in job positions by America Works have remained off of welfare three years later.

Ellison herself has seen firsthand what a difference the program makes with her clientele. “I have seen my clients come in here with nothing – no money, clothes, shelter, family/friends, no goals/dreams, no desire, no promise, not even a drive or willingness to change because they have just been beat down so many times.”

Though after a few months within the program, not only receiving food stamps and metro cards, but intensive seminars on building your resume, proper etiquette in a work place, and fundamental counseling, Ellison says “I have seen them change 360 degrees – landing good paying jobs, finding decent apartments. I have seen the growth within themselves, as they come back confident, radiant, and brimming with hope and a new found sense of self.” Still, she feels there is room for improvement to better serve the system and the people. “For example, we only take certain types of clients (I.E. court-mandated, children who get turned away from foster care, people released from prison, etc.,), so I think it would be amazing to open up more, larger facilities to accommodate everyone and anyone who needs help.”

So we now know food stamps do help people, but the system is defective and needs vast and drastic changes and improvements to better serve the public.

Pichardo, who has been on the food stamp program for over three years, believes that more options (i.e. different organizations, requirements, etc.) is a part of it, and also believes that the people she must work and deal with daily to obtain their help is an imperative factor as well. “Hiring better, more professional, and kinder staff is important, as it is obviously a very emotionally charged and sad situation, it would help to work with someone who understands what I’m going through and someone who actually wants to help people in need.”

Ellison, who has been working with a public assistance program for five years, believes more variety (instead of making the requirements so rigid) of programs and better accessibility (in finding and procuring aid) is the key. “I feel that implementing more programs like America Works to not only give people food stamps, but teach them to be self-sufficient, find jobs and create their own destiny will change lives. Also opening up more safe soup kitchens, food banks, and shelters/living accommodations would help a lot.”

She tears up when speaking about her clients, “these are people – human beings. They have nothing to eat, nowhere to live, and no one to turn to. What if that was you? Or someone close to you in that position – wouldn’t you want someone to reach out and help them? It takes such a small effort (and it doesn’t have to be financial) on one person’s behalf that could entirely change another person’s entire life.”

Pichardo, who has been on the food stamp and public assistance program “way longer than I ever expected or wanted to be,” couldn’t agree more. “I don’t want to be seen as another typical NYC statistic of a Dominican girl from the hood on welfare. I don’t have any children, I don’t do drugs, I’m intelligent, educated, and am filled with so many hopes and dreams...but it’s been 3 years since I’ve started being on food stamps, and not much has changed. I don’t think people realize how much this issue of food, hunger, and poverty eats away at you every day, and surrounds your life with a death-hold grip.”

Yet again, a cycle is put into play, as the median is divided between food stamps helping citizens…but not helping out enough. If all of these thoughts, accounts, and ideas from various people involved in the program are heard and implemented, a drastic, positive overhaul and revision could potentially be the cure to end poverty once and for all in New York City.

Until then, participants will just have to eagerly (and humbly) anticipate their checks to survive. “I just have to wait on the $180 every month to get by…and I am grateful for that for the time being,” Pichardo said with a glimmer of hope in her eye. “Hopefully one day, I won’t need it whatsoever…and that amount will seem like chump change to me. God…I can’t wait for that day.”

Food Stamps Edits

It wasn’t difficult for Eric to obtain government aid. He spent less than half a day going to a few government offices in Manhattan until he had an EBT card in his hands. The card subsidizes the twenty-three-year-old’s groceries, while a stipend from New York State Unemployment Insurance Benefits pays for the rest of his living costs.

Before he got the idea from friends who were also on Food Stamps, Eric lived off of dollar slices of pizza and other inexpensive “college kid stuff” as he put it. It may sound surprising that someone so young is in need of government aid, but Eric says he knows at least ten other college age people on some form of government aid.

Eric is not the only one to observe young people on government aid. Those who depend on welfare come from a variety of educational backgrounds and age ranges. New York City’s Center for Economic Opportunity, set up by Mayor Bloomberg, somewhat ironically abbreviated CEO, released a report in March that bolsters claims that welfare programs have helped to keep New Yorkers above the poverty line during the recession. The study indicates that food stamps are one of the most important welfare programs.

“[The Food Stamps program] is one of the most important income support programs in the United States,” says Daniel Scheer, a City Research Scientist at CEO.

CEO’s report, entitled “Policy Affects Poverty: The CEO Poverty Measure, 2005-2009” chronicles how successful welfare policy has been in New York City in keeping citizens out of poverty, which is defined as being 100% below the poverty line.

 “Basically, from my understanding of the recent report on food stamps and tax aid, we have made strides in the correct direction,” said sociological expert Dr. Dave Haines.

According to the CEO report, New York City’s poverty rate actually declined during the recession. In 2007, the overall poverty rate was at 20.7% and fell to 19.6% in 2008 before climbing back up to 19.9% in 2009.

Another expert, Dr. Suzzane Feinstein, Ph.D, working in midtown Manhattan in Behavioral Health Services, draws attention to the fact that simply subsidizing the poor does not fix the problem of poverty or even cover the services provided by the government.

“Tax aid and food stamps may be helping but they are still needing services such as therapy. Transitioning into work and leaning off the government can be very taxing,” said Feinstein.  

CEO chose to establish a different poverty line than the national average because they adjust their standards to accommodate for the high cost of living in New York City. Therefore, the poverty threshold for a two-parent, two-child home in 2009 was an income of $29,477 instead of $21,756 per year, the national definition.

“The Food Stamp program is largely designed for family with children and the elderly, and has restrictions on what aid, how much, and how long an able-bodied person can receive it,” said Daniel Scheer.

Although the system may not be designed for the so-called “working poor,” a huge proportion of people receiving government aid are of working age. A 2007 study by the NYC Food Bank Hunger Safety Net found that 57% of Emergency Food Programs’ recipients are between 18 to 64, known as “working adults.” Twenty four percent of recipients have a college level education.

“In New York State, college students can apply for food stamps if they come from single parent families or are taking care of a person with disabilities. The family’s income also has to be equal or less than 130% of the federal poverty line,” Scheer explained.

Level of education clearly bears some correlation to the likelihood of a person falling below the poverty line, but that does not mean that everyone with a college degree is above the poverty line. Seven point five percent of NYC residents with a bachelor’s degree are living below the poverty line.

“The 7.5 percent may appear high, but compared to the others it is not that bad. Poverty is still more of a factor of people with lower levels of education,” said Scheer.

As compared to those who have finished their degrees, those who have not finished a college degree but have spent some time in college are about twice as likely to be below the poverty line at 14.9%.

When the government characterizes everyone between 18-64 as “working adults,” it suggests that everyone belonging to the demographic should be able to provide for themselves, which is not always the case.

 “In 2009, the poverty rate for working-age adults was 17.8 percent, compared to a 23.8 percent rate for children and 23.6 percent for the elderly,” CEO’s report states. Although there is a clear statistical gap between these age demographics, working age adults are only about 6% less likely to be below the poverty line than children and seniors. Working age adults still make up a significant amount of the people living in poverty and many of them are also in need of aid.

Students and young people struggle to get by in New York just as everyone else does. NYU and The New School both recently made major tuition hikes after sending out acceptances.

“About 3% of our students are using food stamps,” claims Claire Davis, a psychologist at the NYU Health Center.

NYU does provide therapeutic resources designed specifically for students on welfare.

“We have support groups and individual therapy sessions for those using food stamps,” Davis explained.

According to the CEO study, in 2009, New Yorkers with less than a high school degree had a 30.4 percent poverty rate, while those with high school degrees were at 21.7 percent.

As the CEO study says, “The likelihood that someone will be poor falls dramatically as his or her level of education rises.”

However, it seems important to consider that socioeconomic circumstances may play a role in the level of education a person acquires. Often, those pursuing a college education are already disposed to a certain level of income.

For those who are struggling to get by, EBT cards and Food Stamps are one of the most important aspects of aid. Both are forms of federal aid that help recipients pay for food. As Scheer explains, “One is a book of stamps used as transactions, but now many people use the EBT, which is an electronic account that is more efficient.”

Eric gets about $200.00 a month, the typical amount for welfare recipients, to pay for food via his EBT card. This amount is determined by the USDA by figuring the most economic budget for nutritious eating within the current price of food.

“[Welfare] helps me pay for the majority of my essential groceries and often times meals from the Whole Foods salad bar and deli's that accept EBT,” he said.