Online Reporting, Research & Writing

Examining our future of walls

In an increasingly divided world, The Washington Post’s, A New Age of Walls offers an extensive insight into the lives and perspectives of those most affected by the changing global political climate.

The interactive series is effective dually, both in its biting critique and in its presentation.

Each of the three episode in the series are filled with haunting black and white clips both of personal perspectives and topical news clips, accompanied by a soundtrack that in its sum is somewhat reminiscent of Schindler’s List.

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In addition to the touching videos, interactive data sets visualize information in a clean and easily understood fashion. Screenshot (16)

In total the project cleanly provides information, but more importantly gives the information feeling. It makes the news relatable and personal, in a way that can connect with the audience unlike a standard news story.

CNN makes content easy to absorb on YouTube

In a world where visual information is beating out written, CNN is publishing primary sources of news directly to YouTube.

On top of posting clips taken directly from the station’s many shows, CNN often posts videos of original news sources, (clips of actual events without a reporter digesting the information for the audience), to YouTube.

One example is the recent Larry Nassar trial, where a distraught father attempted to attack Nassar in the courtroom. The incident was caught on video, and uploaded to YouTube by a variety of news outlets, including CNN.

The video uploaded by CNN went viral, reaching YouTube’s trending video’s page.

Many internet viewers do not want the hassle of watching a 30 minute long television program in order to get their news. Information in its most digestible format is the preferred method of the internet.

And what is more digestible than a direct link to the source.

Keeping America honest: NPR fact checks State of the Union Address

Fact checking is an important mechanism for holding accountable those in authority, especially so in an era built on “fake news.” NPR took at look at Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address and found the data to back up, or disprove claims made at the speech.

One of the first disputed claims came as Trump offered his sympathies to those affected by the season’s hurricanes. While the words are sweet, FEMA the executive branch organization that takes care of disaster relief, recently announced it would be halting direct aid to the affected regions, but would still provide help to nonprofit groups in the area. An update came the next day that the decision by FEMA had been reversed.

Claims of a 2.4 million increase in jobs “since the election” made by trump were corroborated by NPR. However, while the 2.4 million jobs added show a continuing uptrend in the economy, it is a smaller increase than the previous years 2.7 million under Obama.

Tax cuts would provide “tremendous relief for the middle class” according to Trump. However data has shown that the majority of the tax benefits will be reaped by the top 20 and top 1% seeing 65% of the savings and 20% respectively.

Now more than ever is keeping an eye on what is true and what is false an importance to Democracy. Luckily there are still a few devoted to the cause of keeping authority honest.

We Just Keep Growing, and Growing

Oh what joy it is to be in the year of 2018, a year of greatness and growth; but not just any ole type of growth, but the population growth in American , and across the globe is steadily rising.

Reported already , there about about 327 million people on earth , that number was about 2 million less about a year ago. However, why all the sudden change?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau , it can be seen that there have many more births than deaths with in the last couple of years. In fact they said that , ” The U.S. population grew to 326,971,407 on Jan.1, 2018, an increase of 2,314,238″. Based off of previous studies and other statistical data, it has been confirmed that the population grows about one person every twenty-nine seconds. That is astronomically fast, just think the amount of time it takes you in-hale, and exhale, a new life is born.

The Know

The news branch of Roosterteeth’s company may not be as well known as the gaming branch, but that doesn’t mean it is any less entertaining or enlightning. The Know, as stated, is Roosterteeth’s news branch reporting on anything in the gaming, electronic, and entertainment area. Acting as more of a news curator rather than a reporting organization they upload videos all week long to Roosterteeth’s website as well as their Youtube channel about the biggest stories in the nerd world.

Admittedly not the fastest network, they can sometimes be a day or two behind, they are extremely accurate with their reporting. They make sure to cover all angles of the stories they present. Though they are not a perfect source, they have fallen victim to the epidemic that seems to grip all Youtube uploads, they somtimes have clickbait videos. In a recent video they talk about the potential for Microsoft’s Xbox division to buy out the game publisher EA.

In that video I feel that they did a good job of summarizing the speculations everyone has about the two companies as well as explain why some deals would be plausable while others would not. Finally The Know also did a good job being entertaining in the video making jokes about EA and loot boxes as well as some of the dead game series from both compaines. Just like other news companies The Know benefits from entertaining news, however they may have an advantage in this department being a branch of Roosterteeth.