I promised that I would post a few articles on this. Why should you care? Well, it could have major implications for cell phone availability and pricing if the deal is approved.
Before we get to the news, however, here’s a great piece about the culture of calling each other on the phone.
Then, read the news stories:
For Consumers, Little to Cheer in AT&T deal
“You have a beautiful head,” he told Tyler in a mix of English and Arabic. “I’m going to remove it and put it on mine. I’m going to cut it off.”
This is a must read - the four Times journalists captured in Libya described their treatment at the hands of government troops before their release.
Read the full story, here.
Now that you’ve organized and written a short story from a press release, it’s time for you to try your hand at reporting and writing the news.
Almost any time the president gives a press conference, it’s news. Here, President Obama makes a statement on the situation in Libya. You’re going to pretend you were in attendance, and write the story you’d submit to your editor to be printed in tomorrow’s newspaper. (Note - the video is dated March 18, but for our purposes just say it happened “yesterday.”)
Here are the specifics:
1. Watch the video all the way through, listening closely for your hard-news lead.
2. Watch the video again, but this time take notes and begin to sketch out your story.
3. Turn the video off.
4. Sit down with nothing but your notes and a blank computer screen, and try to write your lead. Can you do it? (If not, try watching the video again. But just remember that when reporters do this live, they only get one crack at it. They can’t ask Obama to repeat things or to read the statement again. Pretty impressive, right?)
5. After you write your lead, try to write a 250-word news story. For this, feel free to use outside sources if you like. Just don’t forget to attribute them.
Format - Print
Length - 250 Words
Deadline - Friday, March 25.
In class, a few of you asked where the Libyan rebels are getting their arms. I haven’t found many great articles on the topic, but this one from The Wall Street Journal is pretty good. Read up.
This story hasn’t blown up in the US yet, and I’m really not sure why it hasn’t. Still, you guys should be aware that it’s out there.
Here is a link to the der Spiegel story and gallery.
The New York Times has put together an easy to follow timeline of the status of each nuclear reactor in Fukushima. Read more here.
For better or worse, this comes as no surprise.
American, European and Arab leaders began the largest international military intervention in the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq in an effort to stop Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s war on the Libyan opposition.
“Leaders meeting in Paris on Saturday afternoon said direct strikes against Libyan government forces, as approved by the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, would begin within hours.” - The New York Times
Read the full story, here.
Also, check out this interactive map of the Libyan rebellion.
Big Brother is watching. On Facebook. Read about it here.
Looks like we’re going to bomb Libya. The Security Council approved a measure on Thursday authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians from harm at the hands of forces loyal to Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Read all about it here.
