News clips about a certain group.

The two stories I picked for this assignment were, "Chinese-American mayors overcome Bay Area's shameful past" and "US author stirs 'Chinese' values debate."

By far the more interesting of the two, in my opinion, was the story about author Amy Chua's book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." In the book Chua discusses the differences between Chinese parenting and the parenting practices more commonly used here in America. This raised debate because many people found Chua's parenting preferences to be cruel and uncalled for. Even Chinese readers both praised Chua for being true to tradition, and criticized her for going overboard. Overall, the story was an interesting look into a culture that is at times, so very different from our own.

MLK Jr Day

Dave Traube

MLK Jr Day

For my Martin Luther King Jr. Day assignment I chose to study the Washington Post and its coverage. The Post had several articles devoted to the life and legacy of King on its website.

The content varied, from articles with such titles as “Maine gov. who blasted critics changes MLK plans,” and “Taking to roads to find Martin Luther King’s Legacy,” to blogs from various Post writers. There were also many photos on the site to honor Dr. King, including a photo gallery titled, “Life on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.” The coverage seemed respectful and positive when talking about the past accomplishments of Dr. King, and the blogs focused on the county’s progress in education reform, church life, and racial interaction. The article about the Maine governor was even positive in the way it presented the governor’s reaction to backing off of comments he made about skipping on the festivities of the day.

The coverage of Martin Luther King Jr. today differs greatly from the coverage he received during his lifetime. Today, King is a rock star. His quotes are used in positive ways, and nearly every story written about him seems to make the author into someone who likes or even admires King. While I am in no way saying this is a bad thing, it is at times a polar opposite to the media coverage King received during his life. King was an idealist. His purpose was not to make everyone feel good about themselves, as he can be often presented today, but to challenge and change limitations of the status quo of the times.

While today’s media coverage seems much more tolerable and fair minded then the coverage of King’s time, it was because of King’s life and his untimely death that this is so.

Diversity Post

Dave Traube

Blog Entry 1/13/11

1 – Define Diversity

- Diversity is understanding and being sensitive to the fact that people come in many colors, shapes and sizes and also not letting these factors affect your opinions and views of others. People are different.

2 – Which of the following elements should be considered by journalists when writing? (choosing the right words, avoiding stereotypes, omission)

- All three should be used by a responsible journalist.

Choosing the right words is important in not only effective writing, but also in making sure to maintain the proper respect for your subject.
Avoiding stereotypes is important because they can easily paint a subject in an unflattering light and also make a generalization about someone that may or may not be true. Stereotypes are a must to avoid.

Omission is also important. Omission can actually help to prevent stereotypes from becoming a factor or from entering the conversation at all.