Behind the News Stories

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/mar/31/design-council-cuts-glass


This story is an interesting take on the news developments in Britain regarding recent slashes in government funding, especially for the arts. The approach takes an in depth look by focusing on just one department that was affected by the cuts, the Design Council, which is responsible for a lot of technical innovations in design.

This article seems like an effective way of getting at the true impact of the budget cuts because it focuses on  one specific use of government funding, and explains to the reader exactly what kinds of contributions the Design Council makes, both in terms of describing a few of the various projects they've been responsible for and how those projects have even saved government spending.

Breaking information down as this piece does is a useful way to help make sense of issues because just reading what was cut from what department doesn't shed light on what those departments actually do for greater good of the country. As a reader, I am much more informed by this specific example and am left with a stronger impression that these budget cuts really matter.

The tone, considering that this is the Guardian, is pretty opinionated, pushing support for government funding for the Design Council. But this does not detract from the article in any way because it's backed up by the facts the article brings to light in showing the social value of the Design Council.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/on-nbc-the-missing-story-about-parent-company-general-electric/2011/03/29/AFpRYJyB_story.html

This story covers news that General Electric, despite their international and national profits last year, will pay no taxes to the U.S. government. However, this is a follow up to the initial story that probes a bit deeper than just statement of the facts by also looking into the fact that NBC, owned by General Electric, neglected to report this information even though it has been covered by most other networks.

This is in and of itself more news, but also incorporates the older news of General Electric not paying taxes, and follows up on the media response. It is also a great example of watchdog journalism because it is monitoring corruption, and spotting something that the people should know about.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-ghost-town-20110401,0,6683638.story


This story covers the ongoing struggles in the aftermath of Japan's tsunami by focusing on life for residents in one coastal town. The article describes the specific situations of a few of the people who have stayed behind in the town despite the fact that many are fleeing due to fears of health threats due to the nuclear accidents nearby.

There are probably a lot of similar stories circulating like this now. Disaster coverage tends to often include these types of personal accounts, which focus on smaller areas and individuals in order to make the impact of the disaster more personal and real for the reader.

This is a particularly interesting town to pick in terms of geography because parts of it are within an expanded radius for radiation warnings, while other parts of the town have not been recommended to be evacuated. Because of this, it is divided and empty and in a place of uncertainty, just as Japan as a whole is. More and more people are leaving the town because of safety concerns, so this article also looks into the future, continuing impact of the quake and the nuclear fallout.