I found the Harvard Implicity Tests stressful. I don't know if it really reflects my feelings or views. I was too busy trying to remember which button to push to think about what the pictures represented. I was thinking right hand or left hand - not race, weight, religion etc.
I think that the tests are an interesting concept, but I'm not sure if they're accurate or just eye-opening. I think that it's very difficult to admit to stereotypes and prejudices in today's society. We want to believe that we have moved beyond this kind of judgment, but I think that it is human nature to classify and categorize. We need to know where we fit into a group, so we try to define the group. I think the problem is when those classifications prevent us from understanding the value of a person that we have a problem.
Monday, October 27, 2008
A New Economic Plan
The following is my attempt at a class assignment to rewrite a print story for broadcast.
Stimulus Package
10/20
(Shot of White House) Reporter VO:
President Bush and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke both announced that they would now be in favor of a new economic stimulus package, an idea they both previously opposed. In a prepared statement before the house budget committee Bernanke expressed his new perspective.
Video of Bernanke Quote:
“With the economy likely to be weak for several quarters, and with some risk of a protracted slowdown, consideration of a fiscal package by the Congress at this juncture seems appropriate.”
(Shot of bank or consumer spending) Reporter VO:
Bernanke also suggested that there might be another cut of the prime interest rate, which is currently at 1.5-percent. The hope is this will help loosen up the credit market, allowing an increase in business and consumer spending.
(Transition to Shot of U.S. Capitol Building) Reporter VO:
House speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke in favor of an economic plan that she says could be as large as 150-billion dollars.
Video of Pelosi Quote:
“I call upon President Bush and Congressional Republicans to once again heed Chairman Bernanke’s advice and as they did in January, work with the Democrats in congress to enact a targeted, timely and fiscally responsible economic recovery and job creation package.”
(Shot of homes for sale/repossessions) Reporter:
All of the action of policy makers in Washington does not seem to be easing the concerns of most Americans. According to an Associated Press Yahoo News poll of likely voters one-third of Americans are concerned about loosing their jobs. Half of those polled are afraid they won’t be able to continue paying their credit cards and mortgages. And with unemployment rates predicted to reach seven-point-five-percent or higher next year, relief can’t come soon enough for many Americans.
End
Stimulus Package
10/20
(Shot of White House) Reporter VO:
President Bush and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke both announced that they would now be in favor of a new economic stimulus package, an idea they both previously opposed. In a prepared statement before the house budget committee Bernanke expressed his new perspective.
Video of Bernanke Quote:
“With the economy likely to be weak for several quarters, and with some risk of a protracted slowdown, consideration of a fiscal package by the Congress at this juncture seems appropriate.”
(Shot of bank or consumer spending) Reporter VO:
Bernanke also suggested that there might be another cut of the prime interest rate, which is currently at 1.5-percent. The hope is this will help loosen up the credit market, allowing an increase in business and consumer spending.
(Transition to Shot of U.S. Capitol Building) Reporter VO:
House speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke in favor of an economic plan that she says could be as large as 150-billion dollars.
Video of Pelosi Quote:
“I call upon President Bush and Congressional Republicans to once again heed Chairman Bernanke’s advice and as they did in January, work with the Democrats in congress to enact a targeted, timely and fiscally responsible economic recovery and job creation package.”
(Shot of homes for sale/repossessions) Reporter:
All of the action of policy makers in Washington does not seem to be easing the concerns of most Americans. According to an Associated Press Yahoo News poll of likely voters one-third of Americans are concerned about loosing their jobs. Half of those polled are afraid they won’t be able to continue paying their credit cards and mortgages. And with unemployment rates predicted to reach seven-point-five-percent or higher next year, relief can’t come soon enough for many Americans.
End
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Boulder vs. Chicago Crime Rate
This story is a class assignment (#8) comparing Boulder, CO with the city of my birth - Chicago, IL.
Chicago reported 128,000 property related crimes in 2007 – an average of more that one burglary, theft, auto theft or arson for each of the estimated 101,000 residents of Boulder which reported only 2,450 similar crimes.
Violent crimes were also more prevalent among the 2.8 million residents of Chicago. The Chicago Police Department Annual Report listed 34,895 violent crimes in 2007, including 442 murders. The City of Boulder reported only one murder during the year for a total of 219 violent crimes.
The discrepancy in the numbers could be attributed to the size and composition of the cities. The city of Chicago is a large urban area covering over 230 square miles. Boulder is a university town covering 25.3 square miles.
The Lincoln Park area of Chicago, which is home to DePaul University’s main campus, is a closer comparison to Boulder. The Lincoln Park area population of 64,000 is comprised of students, families and young professional with an approximate median family income of $85,000, similar to Boulder’s median family income of $89,000.
During 2007 the Lincoln Park area reported 3,961 crimes. Violent crimes account for 296 reports, only one of which was a murder.
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