Four Links We Will Need in Class Tonight

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/10/AR2009121003638.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/28/AR2009042803254.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111013891.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071402892.html

Important News from Perfesser Green

-- The 500-700 word political endorsement editorial is due BEFORE 6:30 on Monday
-- 3 blog posts are also due. I hope you spaced them out over the week.
-- Be prepared to discuss and defend your endorsement
-- We will spend some time discussing the work of Pulitzer winner Kathleen Parker. Consider this question: Is she an award-winning conservative columnist or is she an award-winning columnist who bashes conservatives?
-- There are two more classes after Monday. At the 4/26 class we will be discussing the columnist-as-crusader. The 5/1 class is our final -- and optional -- class.
-- I urge you attend the last class to obtain extra credit if you: missed more than one class; if you missed two classes in a row; if you want to boost your grade. The last class will be a deadline column-writing exercise that I will tell you more about later.

Political Candidates that WE WILL BE WRITING ABOUT MONDAY.

HINT: It might be a good idea to take a few notes when you research these candidates.

Peter Schiff: http://schiffforsenate.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schiff

Rob Simmons: http://www.joinrobsimmons.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Simmons

Linda McMahon: http://www.linda2010.com/frontpage/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_McMahon

Merrick Alpert: http://merrickforachange.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Alpert

Richard Blumenthal: http://richardblumenthal.com/?gclid=CKK2nL2j_6ACFUFM5QodET8qxw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal

April 12 Class -- Political Endorsement Editorials

We will be writing political editorials in class this week and as homework. In class we will be writing an "institutional" editorial where you will be endorsing a candidate as if you are the New York Times or the Hartford Courant. Those of you who were in class last week know that we are looking at the FIVE major candidates for U.S. Senate.

To be prepared for class, you must:
1. Re-read CHAPTER 4 in FINK on "institutional editorials."
2. Google the websites of the five candidates that we looked at briely in class: Richard Blumenthal; Merrick Alpert, Linda McMahon, Peter Schiff, Rob Simmons.
3. On each site, watch the videos, read the position papers, read the news articles. Make sure you are familiar WITH EACH CANDIDATE enough so that you could write about that person. Google the names of the candidates and read some recent news articles about the campaign. They had a debate this past week so you should be able to find something. Spend a couple of hours on this.
4. Make sure you have done the three blog entries for the week.
5. If you are not coming to class YOU MUST CONTACT ME.

Reading for April 5 Class: When Columnists Go Bad

We will be discussing the Mike Barnicle disaster at the Boston Globe as part of our columnists-gone-wrong discussion for our next class.

It is important that everyone reads the following in order to be prepared. There might be a quiz.

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/features/98/08/13/MIKE_BARNICLE.html

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/features/98/08/20/MIKE_BARNICLE_STEALS.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec98/columnists_8-24.html

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/20/us/boston-globe-columnist-resigns-over-authenticity-of-1995-story.html


Be prepared to talk about Barnicle, his career and the role of a prominent columnist at a big paper. You may be asked to defend Barnicle -- or you may have to say why he should have been fired long before he was.

A neat little video

Hey all,

Here's a video I attached to my "Is Google Making us Stoopid" article that you might not get to see. It puts some stuff in perspective, but in youtube form, so we are all more interested. Enjoy. (For some reason it won't fit into the blog, so just click on the video itself and it will take you to youtube)

-Matt

MoDo on Monday Night

Hey Gang,

Go to this site and read ALL 10 entries for Maureen Dowd's 1999 Pulitize Prize for commentary.

If you don't know about Monica Lewinsky, the black dress, Ken Starr and what happened to Bill Clinton, do a little research. If you like it, read some more recent stuff by MoDo.

Please come to class Monday ready to talk and talk and talk about Dowd, her writing style, her effectiveness and what you think after reading her winning entry. Be prepared to talk about what works, what's over the top and what you think about her insider, gossipy style. How would you compare her to Steve Lopez?

It's possible I will ask you to write something in class about her. Hint.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

See you Monday evening. Please send me an e-mail if you won't be in class.