The Final Farewell…

The main source that I used for my beat blogs was the website for Northwest Channel News. The primary reason I chose this network is because I have watched this news station since my coming to college three years ago. I enjoy the reporters and what and how newsworthy information is presented. Other sources I used included political documentation, ABC, The Arizona Republic and other abstract websites for background information or personal stories. The reasons I chose such mediums was because the smaller newspapers provided extra commentary that produced examples of how the economy has hurt many businesses and put a strain on the livelihood of many people. I chose ABC and The Arizona Republic considering ABC is a national network that updates developing stories around the clock, providing accurate details. The Republic is the newspaper that I read back at home and one I feel covers the news to my liking. (They have also published articles about me since I was little, so I am partial to them.)

The best source that I used was NWCN because their website was easy to navigate. If I typed in what I was looking for in the search bar it would find information with any or all keywords. Yet, on other networks I had to be more specific, otherwise the search tool would not find any related articles. Also, on NWCN they featured many video clips from the televised edition. Therefore, if I wanted to re-watch what I had seen earlier in the day I could by going to the homepage. Whereas, other networks did not provide this feature, so I was forced to sort through the written material to find an article that reported on the same or similar topic.

The major story developments that I followed were how the economy was forcing businesses (restaurants, apparel, transportation, agriculture and educational systems to take drastic measures to survive in such a recession. I focused on the measures being taken and how consumers need to continue spending money, maybe more cautiously, but still spend, so as to ensure the economy does not seize all together.

In my opinion I felt the beat was covered pretty well. I enjoyed how there were several articles written about the various businesses that were feeling the pressures of a fallen economy and that they were focused on all businesses, not just certain ones. However, I would have liked to have seen more reporting on how people can improve the economy. I want to know what measures people need to take because I know that everyone not spending money is going to make the problem worse, not make it better as most people suspect.

If I were in charge I would have spent more time educating the public on how to improve their current situation, rather than reporting on how poor Bobby Rae has lost his job due to layoffs. There have been so many stories written about people loosing everything, but not many stories about how they can get it all back. Education is just as important for adults as it is for children. Through informing the public, the economy is sure to rise again. In general I learned that being a journalist is much harder than I had thought. I enjoy interviewing people and attending events on which I report, but I now know that I would much rather be a news anchor than a reporter. More specifically, I learned that reporters need to be willing to drop all engagements and cover newsworthy media events when necessary. News is constantly developing and it is the reporter’s job to be at the scene when an event unfolds. To maintain media coverage a reporter needs to follow their designated beat by reading other reporters work, so as to enhance their skills. Throughout the term I have learned that keeping a beat blog requires much time and thought. Such requirements are tedious and can be frustrating, but overall the output outweighs the input.

Blogs, A reporter’s perspective

Gazette Times reporter Matt Neznanski spoke last Thursday to a New Media Communications class about how journalism and reporting are changing as technology advances. Neznanski’s primary reporting medium is his blog site, where he posts questions and answers about various topics in which he reports.

 

Using blogs for reporting allows for readers to be involved in the story by answering questions that the reporter does not know. Therefore, it “takes interaction with readers to a new level,” he said.

 

Like many reporters, Neznanski stresses the importance of having a record book where all sources and acquaintances that you have ever used or spoken with are kept. He suggests using an excel spreadsheet, but any from will do as long as a hard copy exist.

 

Neznanski’s experience includes reporting on schools, politics, lifestyles and entertainment. As a reporter, “being impertinent comes with the job,” he said.

 

What’s great about blogging is “stories go out and ideas come back in” and in doing so more interesting stories are developed, Neznanski said. Blogs are conversation starters that involve the reporter thinking of an audience, writing engaging headlines, making points and lists, while including links and being in control of the conversation.

 

Notably, while blogs are supposed to be conversational, Neznanski encourages you to sometimes edit yourself out of your blog and present concepts more in a news voice. Although reporting should be object, he recognizes that no one can be simply objective all the time.

 

“The more focused you are, the better off you’ll be,” he said.

 

The most important and vital techniques Neznanski said reporters need for success are the skills to learn how to write and the ability to understand the power of the media.

 

While Neznanski disagrees with the CEO of The Seattle Times Frank Blethen  in that journalism exists strictly in print newspapers, he does admit that the medium of “journalism is different, but not of less valuable.”

 

In general, Neznanski advocates blogs are designed to convey messages and reach out to more people at different times and places than newspapers. He speculates that within the next five or ten years many newspapers will join together as online reporting mediums, resulting in much print media disappearing.

Final Profile Memo

MEMORANDUM

 

The idea for my story came from my interest to learn more about a family friend and neighbor who is a famous pilot. When the profile assignment was first introduced I knew I wanted to write about Chambliss, as I have watched and admired his talent for a number of years. I chose to write about him because I believe many fans support his abilities and know of him only through his performances. However, I know Chambliss more on a personal level and have wanted to discuss his career (work ethic, mentality, and failures/successes) for awhile, but didn’t know how to politely go about delving into his life. This assignment proved to be the outlet I was looking for. 

 

What I like about my story is that I have written an article on someone that I had an interest in beforehand. I knew background information and what I wanted to discover before the interview began or was even scheduled. In constructing my story, I was able to enhance my knowledge about aviation and learned the amount of dedication, practice and repetition that is involved in success. Through developing my story I was able to apply the work ethics and “winners” mentality that I need to adapt in my life to become successful. Thus, I was able to learn about myself through learning and researching a successful athlete. I believe my ability to take good notes during the interview and convey the ideas and translate the jargon used in the interview worked extremely well. Also, the secondary sources that I chose worked well being that all of them have aviation knowledge, whether they have relatives that are pilots or are pilots themselves. In my sources having this extra knowledge, I believe they are more credible and impact the reader more than someone with no prior aviation experience.

 

An issue that made the assignment hard was the fact that I had to conduct my interview over the phone being I am in a different state than my profile. I was unable to meet face to face, as I would have preferred, but given the type of story I do not feel that the nonverbal messages I may have missed hindered the outcome of my story. Another problem that I had that did not make the story work as I had anticipated was the interview went in a different direction than I had planned. When I was planning the questions that I wanted to ask, I thought the interview would go in the strict direction of discussing Chambliss’ past performances and how he achieved his dream one step at a time. Yet, as the interview continued I began noticing that despite how I phrased the question I was not receiving the response I had wanted or thought I had wanted. However, at the conclusion of the interview what I thought was going to deter my story resulted in better answering my questions and improving my story.

 

I went about getting my story by doing background research on Chambliss on the internet, so as to discover the events he has won and competed in. I then contacted my family who gave me Chambliss’ contact information. After preparing my questions and having biographical information I then interviewed Chambliss, his wife, and friends via telephone. What I learned about this assignment is that it takes much more work to complete than does an event article because you are disclosing personal information, not just concepts that could potentially ruin someone’s reputation. I learned that I need to be more accurate in my writing, ask more questions when I don’t understand concepts and note newsworthy quotes. Most importantly, in the story I need to use said, not says.

 

If there are any parts of the story that I wish for you to comment on they would be my ability to concisely convey the messages and explanations of the ideas introduced. I tend assume the readers will understand a concept; therefore, I leave out details that the reader needs to comprehend the story. I would approach an assignment like this differently next time in that I would have a video recorder so that I would be able to actively participate and leave out the awkward silences in the conversation where I am finishing writing down the last topic covered. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment because it allowed me to conduct an interview outside the normal face to face environment. I have never interviewed someone over the phone as my primary source. Yet, I do not feel it impacts the interview in a negative way, but rather allows both parties to be more relaxed in the comfort of their home or office. In asking questions that may seem forward in many settings, this assignment provided a welcoming conversational atmosphere; an atmosphere that I would like to be involved in again.

Starving Restaurants and Patrons

Thousands of people each day go hungry. Many families are unable to make ends meet or even put food on the table. With the economy in the toilet, the restaurant industry is one of many feeling the impacts.

 As people save money to pay electricity, water and mortgage payments, they are still looking to save money on other necessities. Thus, people are relying on restaurant specials and happy hours.

 Manager of Zayda Buddy, Jocelyn Weigand says a lot of people come in and compare specials they’ve seen elsewhere when deciding where to eat. “We definitely eat earlier and happy hour has definitely become dinner because of the economy,” says Zayda Buddy customer Jennifer Petersen.

http://www.nwcn.com/localnews/consumer/stories/NW_040209CNB-happy-hour-deals-KC.99671b6d.html

Many Mom and Pop’s restaurants are especially feeling the burden of the economy as restaurant owner Eric Green says, “I’m just trying to survive.” Local business owners can’t compete with chain restaurants because Green says, “They get a tremendous discount on food,” whereas, he makes his food from scratch.

Green has advertised by posting a sign that says “Eat here or we’ll both starve” as a symbol of how he feels the impact just like his customers do.

Another restaurant owner Bernard Northran says he notices customer trends relate to the weather. “When it’s sunny and bright and people are joyful, business is up. When it is cold and rainy, it’s down,” says Northran.

http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/local/article/local_restaurants_feel_economic_crunch/35068/

One reason for customers choosing chain restaurants could very well be because of advertising. Denny’s for example, had the money to display a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl for a free breakfast special. The ad resulted in approximately two million breakfasts’s given away.

Denny’s CEO Nelson Marchioli said that the funds accompanied with the ad helped Denny’s get reacquainted with America by “exposing people to the value its menus have to offer. That’s important in this economy,” says Marchioli.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2009/02/04/20090204biz-dennys0204.html

These stories are being handled in an unbiased fashion by including managers, CEOs and customers as a way of informing the public that everyone is in the same boat. By the media reporting on Denny’s attempt to help feed the less fortunate and through the store owners encouragement to save yourself and him from starvation, media outlets are sending the message that although times are tough people are still extending a helping hand.

Such developments are often misreported considering many people are aware of restaurant closures, but they fail to acknowledge that the closure resulted in a fellow American also not being able to pay their bills.

The media frames articles by discussing the restaurants previous losses by quoting statistics, not owners and employees that are now unemployed and starving.

By ignoring the root of the problem (no income) and not providing ideas and motivation on how to turn the economy around the media is doing injustice for its viewers, which quite possibly may lead to their demise too.

Can Prisons Be Blamed For Economy?

The crippling of the national economy has resulted in many government expenditures being cutback. As a way of coping with budget shortfalls, several state and federal governments have imposed tax increases.  Much of the tax money is allotted for education, health, military, and many citizens argue, prisons.

While many acknowledge prisons serve to provide safety by decreasing crime rates, they also dispose of taxpayer’s money in providing inmates with more services than the law and taxpayers consider practical.

One instance of improper use can be seen through the Oregon Department of Corrections spending $773,000 in soda pop purchases during 2007-2009 budgets. The founder of Common Sense for Oregon group, Ross Day “believes inmates should be given water instead of soda, arguing the Constitution only requires water as nourishment.”

 

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/oregon/stories/NW_051209ORN-prison-soda-LJ.1b501603.html

A team of several researchers from The Pew Center on the States, found that many prisons around the country are overpopulated with inmates “who could be managed safely and held accountable in the community,” says Adam Gelb, director of public safety performance project for the Pew center.

The Pew argues that more prisoners, who “are not violent and career criminals”, should be given probation and parole sentences as the national cost of supervising a person drops from $79 to $3.42 per day.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/mar/03/too_much_spent_on_prisons_study_says73605/

“As the prison-industrial complex has grown, it has diverted resources from government programs ranging from education to drug treatment,” says journalist for Impact Press, David Mericle. He continues in saying, “They increase corporate profits and stimulate the economy by further repressing the oppressed, creating the need for more prisons.”

 http://www.impactpress.com/articles/febmar01/prisonind020301.html

Such wasteful government issues are depicted through statistical information because the public responds to numerical data. When taxpayers hear their money is being spent for seemingly useless causes, they are known to become agitated and protest for change. Therefore, the media continues to structure stories around statistics and by repeating various negative expenditure themes, so to be comprehendible to every reader.

Generally, this topic is underreported because similar to the public, the media fails to investigate the drawbacks of prisons until after they have poured money into it; due to government requirements. People and the media neglect to research specifically how their money is being used and whether budget cuts can be made at the time taxes are paid.

The main spokespeople for advocating prison budget cuts are organizations that view the expenditures as too costly and unnecessary. Primarily, these organizations want to increase money for life-improving programs such as, education, while decreasing the money spent on prisoner “necessities.”

As people across the world feel the effects of a hurting economy, the media is encouraging citizens to protest so the government will spend money more wisely in restricting unnecessary prison expenditures.

Effect Article Memo

MEMORANDUM

To:                  Peter Ogle

From:           Brittany Stewart

Date:              May 7, 2009

Subject:       Event Article

I chose to report on an event discussing how plastics are jeopardizing marine life and what procedures can be taken to prevent further harm to marine creatures because I feel the environment and its inhabitants need to protected. Unlike humans, nature and non-human creatures cannot communicate vocally, but their needs still should be voiced. I became aware of this event in class and immediately felt that reporting on such an issue with detrimental effects to both marine and human survival was newsworthy.

The areas that I like and feel work in my article are the explicit details of how many marine animals have been affected and what specific steps are being done and can be done to prevent future marine endangerment. However, I struggled with clarity in describing important facts presented because the language the speaker’s used would have been unclear for readers if they did not attend the event. Therefore, I had to reword the information so that someone without prior marine knowledge would be able to grasp the magnitude of the concepts.

I obtained prior information about the impacts of plastics and toxins in the ocean by researching previous expeditions and studies by other scientists. I came prepared with several questions that were left unanswered in my research, but quickly realized the presentation was directed toward a different direction than I had presumed. I learned that while note-taking is important, I need to focus more on the presentation and less on writing everything that is said so I may have a better understanding and ability to convey important facts. Moreover, I learned that I need to be better prepared by having more specific questions considering if I am unsure of what questions I want answered, how are the presenters and audience going to answer my questions.

I would appreciate it if you could analyze and offer suggestions on how to improve my lead. I carefully read over your preliminary comments, but was still unsure of what I was missing and how I could enhance the lead to hook my readers.

In the future I would approach this assignment differently by listening more to the presentation and doing less note taking when concepts are self explanatory. I feel I left out information that would have improved my article by conveying the messages more concisely. In general, I enjoyed the assignment because I was outside of my element. I was not another audience member, but a reporter who had to interview others and ask their opinions, rather than being the person interviewed. It was a unique experience that I would enjoy participating in again.

Economical Effects on School Systems

The economy continues to remain in the “poverty” stricken rut which it has been in for the last few years. With the cost of living increasing not only are families clenching to their funds, but now school systems are cutting cost.

 

Last month the Oregon City School Board voted to close Park Place Elementary school, the oldest elementary school in the area, due to budget cuts and decreased federal funding. The closure will result in students changing schools and staff layoffs.

 

http://www.nwcn.com/education/stories/NW_042109ORN-school-park-place-closing-LJ.f86212b3.html

 

The district superintendent, Roger Rada said closing the school “will save the district $600,000 a year” aiding in their increased budget deficit. Three-quarters of the operational budget for Park Place will be salvaged by the staff layoffs alone, Rada added.

 

Financial concerns extend beyond state boarders as California’s Conejo School Board officials also acknowledge they have approved a $5 million budget cut for the next academic school year, beginning in August.

 

Approved cuts will eliminate “five full-time management positions, seven full-time classified employees and 26 elementary school teachers,” said Deputy Superintendent Jeffery Baarstad.

 

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/23/conejo-board-oks-5-million-in-school-cuts/

 

Universities too are feeling the pressure from the fallen economy. PAC 10 schools are looking to cut programs, cut traveling staff and coaching salaries. UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said he knew the pain of the economy was going to imminently effect programs, but that his colleagues did not know “what the actual impacts were going to be on their programs until they started to get into the discussions with their peers.”

 

“We’ve had cost-cutting efforts the last 10 years,” PAC 10 commissioner Tom Hansen said, “But we’ve never had the challenges.”

 

http://www.nwcn.com/sports/stories/NW_050609SCB-AP-athletic-departments-JG.2519c56f.html

 

The media and education boards portray deficits negatively, but seldom offer advice to employees, students and parents on how money can be saved. This bias reporting and lack of information only contributes to the economical crisis. More attention needs to be directed toward improving budgets before they become unmanageable, forcing layoffs and school closures.

 

Obviously, school boards and superintendents are aware of budget issues, as they are the primary officials informing the public. Moreover, the media leaps to disclose details of educational progress, as education is a priority among many families and individuals. Therefore, the lack of knowledge about the progress and shortcomings in educational funds brings uncertainty to many, as they doubt whether they will have a job or education in the future.

 

Governmental funds need to be managed better so schools can continue receiving governmental aid. Considering educational employees are oblivious to the repercussions of the current economical status, awareness needs to be raised. I believe if the staff is clueless, then the students and parents are clueless. Therefore, instead of the media continuing to ask questions and report on the financial status, they need to focus on what can be done to improve the current financial situation. Hence, everyone needs to press school officials for action-oriented information because without school systems there is a lack of knowledge, which could be detrimental to our country’s success.

Dairy Industry In Jeopardy

            Production of goods and services has progressed through many generations. Our ancestors saw the progression extend from the agricultural age, to the industrial age and now we are experiencing the progression into a technological society. While advancement may have several benefits, it also has several downfalls. With the changing of time, much less emphasis has been placed on the older agricultural (farming, mining) mindset.  Such lack of attention raises a question of what is happening to agriculture.

            Noticeably, the majority of food and beverages purchased in local grocery stores and farmers markets are imported from other countries. Our society is fully aware of the current economical situation, as we are reminded daily through media outlets (i.e. television, newspapers, and internet.) I am going to explore one area of agriculture in the U.S. that is feeling the effects of a fallen economy, the dairy industry.

            Dairy is a resource in many items consumed each day. For example, dairy products or byproducts are in boxed cereals, breads, lunch meats, cheese, and even “non-dairy cheese”, says Ashley Skabar. Generally, either complete dairy items or proteins from dairy items are found in the nutrients we consume. Therefore, without the operation of local dairies many of our foods would seize to exist or at least exist as they do. This failure to exist is a thought that many dairy farmers fear may become realization.

            Prices per gallon of milk have decreased fifty cents since last year. This drop has decreased farmer’s income by fifty percent. “That number, coupled with record high prices for cattle feed, may force countless dairies out of business,” says Deborah Feldman of NWCN news.

            Washington State farmers, Tim and Cathy Thomasson have owned and operated their dairy for 38 years and say, “We love the life the farm has offered our family and kids, [but] everyday that we get up and milk those cows we lose money.”

 

            Due to the decline in the economy Arizona dairy farmers are beginning to slaughter cows to stay in business, said Betty Beard of the Arizona Republic.  On average cows require $180 per month to survive, but with the economy farmers are loosing $100 per cow, as milk prices continue to decline.

            In the past the U.S. has become dependent on exporting milk (about twenty percent) to other countries like Mexico, but now Mexico is producing more milk, which is further hurting the industry, says Keith Murfield of the United Dairymen of Arizona. With the decline of consumer’s willingness to pay equal or greater value than the input for dairy products, several dairy farms are in jeopardy of going out of business. Unless a change occurs where farmers are compensated for the price for production, people will be left without dairy products. Many of the foods we consume will either be discontinued or made with alternate ingredients that may change the product altogether. Is this a price we are willing to take?

          Personally, I hope for the sake of our economical livelihood and precious resources that dairies are able to find stability soon, before every desirable good is either slaughtered or imported from other countries. 

 

           

 

 

Resources:

Beard, Betty (2009, Mar. 17). Ariz. cattle being slaughtered as low milk prices leave. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from Dairies in peril Web site: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/03/17/20090317biz-agriculture0317.html

Feldman, Deborah (2009, Apr. 20). Dairy farmers caught in dire economic squeeze. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from News Headlines Web site: http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_042009BUB_dairy-farmers-economic-squeeze-JM.f2b1a539.html

Skabar, Ashley Foods that Contain “Hidden” Dairy Products. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from Dairy Free Cooking Web site: http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dairyfreebasics/tp/HiddenDairyProducts.htm

Alternative Effects of Not Spending Money

 

When driving to the mall or local shopping centers you will pass several posted signs and name placards of stores that either are going out of business or that already have.  To list a few, stores such as, Circuit City and Mervyn’s have closed and now Gottschalks and Joe’s Sporting Goods are in liquidation.

 

These businesses have been in existence for numerous years. They have equipment and clothing that consumers trust and rely on, but given the current economy such consumers cannot afford to spend money; thus, businesses are forced to close their doors due to low revenue.

 

Scott Mayerowitz and Alice Gomstyn of ABC News report, “Retailers had one of their worst holiday shopping seasons (2008) on record and analysts expect many foundering stores now to file for bankruptcy.”  While consumers may have a tighter budget due to layoffs and such, they still need to spend when necessary. If you need a new pair of slacks for work, go buy a pair or two. Yet, don’t go overboard by buying everything in sight or by buying items that you may never use.

 

What consumers seize to recognize is that local and national businesses are closing because people have decided that a way to save money is to not spend at all. Unfortunately, these consumers are only adding to the downfall of the economy because where no money is being put in, no money can come out. Much like the old saying ‘you have to spend money to make money.’

 

“In 2008, 148,000 stores shut down, the largest number since 2001, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers,” said Mayerowitz and Gomstyn. “Another 73,000 locations may shut their doors in the first half of 2009.” This first half category is where the above examples of Gottschalks and Joe’s are represented.

 

Each economic industry is counting pennies as they try to ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’. For example, Boeing Co., the world’s second-largest plane maker, reported its first-quarter profit dropped by half, hurt by production cuts as airlines postpone deliveries of new planes,” says NWCN. All industries affect each other as production costs increase or decrease. In this example, consumers refuse to pay airline fairs, which leads to airlines postponing aircraft purchases, which leads to production cuts and income of airplane manufactures. This problem can be solved if consumers only limit their travels, not exclude them all together.

 

Many are aware that General Motors has been struggling for months and barely avoided closure before the holidays in 2008, as they were given loans from the government. On Monday, NWCN reported GM is making more cuts so they can qualify for more government aid. “About 1,600 white collar workers will lose their jobs in the next few days,” says NWCN.  These layoffs can again be contributed to consumers being fearful of spending money. However, one thing to realize is that if you spend money gradually you will only receive money gradually. Thereby, quite possibly in the future there may be too little or no money to go around.

 

Overall, the companies undergoing liquidation, bankruptcy and layoffs could be decreased if consumers withdrew from their typical spending habits only slightly. By partaking in extreme measures such as, not spending any extra money when applicable, they are only prolonging our economical recession. If society would make strides toward becoming more business savvy, myself included, then we can put a stop to layoffs and business closures.

 

Mayerowitz, Scott (2009, Jan. 15). Behind the Scenes: Going Out of Business. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from ABC News Business Unit Web site: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6648761&page=1.

 

(2009, Apr. 20). 1,600 GM workers will loose jobs in next few days. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from NWCN Biz-Tech Web site: http://www.nwcn.com/business/stories/NW_042009BUB-AP_gm-workers-lose-jobs-JM.f2ef35d7.html.

 

(2009, Apr. 22). Boeing profit drops 50 percent. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from NWCN News Headlines Web site: http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_042209BUB-AP_boeing-profit-decline-JM.fcec374c.html.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6648761&page=1

 

http://www.nwcn.com/business/stories/NW_042009BUB-AP_gm-workers-lose-jobs-JM.f2ef35d7.html

 

http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_042209BUB-AP_boeing-profit-decline-JM.fcec374c.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Struggling Economy Results in Property Owners Abandonment

Today’s economy is one of the most socially acknowledged discussion topics. Whether a person watches a television news channel, tunes into local radio stations or flips through the morning paper they will probably be exposed to the world’s failing economy. Presently, we (society) are in a recession, a crisis that must be addressed for us to prevail as a nation. Therefore, by the news media constantly reminding us of our problems we are forced to take action by managing our financial affairs.

 

In my opinion, I believe the media is biased in their reporting as they primarily focus on and interview people that are loosing their homes, businesses and personal belongings due to foreclosure and lack of income. Rarely are stories of success reported. Moreover, in many instances those suffering agreed to purchase expensive items, such as a home when interest rates were low, knowing that when the interest rates increased they would not be capable of making the payments. Thus, I believe such individuals have contributed to the economic crisis being they are simply walking away from their property and declaring bankruptcy. An example of this increasing problem was reported by NWCN’s Glenn Farley, “The bad economy is causing boat owners to lift anchor and walk away from their boats. In Washington State Waters the total (boats) abandoned stands at around 180 and—it’s expected to get worse” (Farley, 2009).

  

I believe such stories are being over reported by means of framing the stories to make the audience feel guilty as if they should carry the burden of others lack responsibility and common sense. Focusing on individuals who lack integrity to continue paying their bills by quitting, the media is implanting the idea ‘if several people have failed, no one can succeed.’ Thus, people give into the media’s pessimistic view.

 

Occasionally, I read or hear of people who had high income occupations, but were laid off and are in financial trouble. These people I respect for their work ethics and are the party’s I feel sympathy for because they were not given the chance to better themselves. Often, middle to higher class individuals are ignored because they do not attract attention by complaining about their unfortunate situation. 

 

Fortunately, CNN reported the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan recently passed means “up to 5 million homeowners—who have been current on their payments will receive assistance” (Stability, 2009). I believe this plan to be valuable, but the fact that not everyone can be assisted should constitute that those who will continue to struggle, should be given some slack. I agree with the stipulation of “current” homeowners as those who take initiative will be awarded for their hard work and determination.

 

Despite the reason for such foreclosures and abandonments, ultimately I believe the responsibility of educated decision-making lies in the hands of each individual. Notably, in a speech to the nation on Tuesday, President Obama stated, “By no means are we out of the woods—but we are beginning to see glimmers of hope. Way off in the distance, we can see a vision of America’s future that is far different than our troubled economic past” (NWCN, 2009).

 

Being history repeats itself, I am sure Obama’s vision will happen, but let’s hope it comes sooner rather than later.

References (Note: I am unable to format my sources properly on this page. I will attempt to cite them properly next week.)

Farley, Glenn (2009 April 3). Tough times prompt rise in abandoned boats. NWCN, Retrieved Apr. 15, 2009 from http://www.nwcn.com/sharedcontent/northwest/environment/stories/NW_040309WAB_abandoned-boats-JM.9cf0ee56.html.

(2009, Feb. 9). Stability Plan Fact Sheet, Retrieved Apr. 15, 2009, Web site: http://search.cnn.com/search.jsp?query+stability%20plan&type=web&sortBy=date&intl=false.

(NWCN). Obama tempers optimism with reality on econdomy. Biz-Tech, Retrieved Apr. 15, 2009 from http://www.nwcn.com/business/stories/NW_041409BUB-AP_obama-state-of-economy-JM.d3da6e81.html