Article Activity: Functions of the Media

Article 1: "Shanghai high-rise fire kills 42" Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/15/AR2010111500776.html

This article illustrates the Gatekeeper function of the media. I'm able to classify this article as a gatekeeper because without this report I would have never heard of the fire due to the fact that I live halfway around the world from the scene. It's not like if I didn't read the paper I would have saw it happen while on my way to school or anything. Another reason I consider this a gatekeeper is that it comes from a reliable soure, the Washington Post, that I am able trust to give me, the reader, the truth and nothing but the truth.

Article 2: "Senator. Saxby Chambliss aide fired over anti-gay comment" Politico http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43004.html

The article mentioned above is an example of the Watchdog function of the media. Watchdog articles tend to make sure that people in office, whether national or state, are abiding to all laws. The reporter often has to try and find the problem, it doesn't just appear. Much like when Senator Saxby was fired since the public found out that he posted a blog comment saying "All [gays] must die." The senator didn't publicly post this with his name under it, so clearly a reporter snuck around to find out information against any type of legal personnel. The post was tracked back to an IP address in the Senators office, more proof that there was investigative journalism present.

Article 3: "Texas G.O.P's Inescapable Truth: We have Met the Enemy and He is Us" The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/us/politics/14ttramsey.html

Within this article there are clear findings that show that this can be categorized as a Scorekeeper article. Scorekeeping is about who is holding the power. In this case it is who is holding the power in the Texas house. The house used to be equally distributed, 76-74 in 2008. Now Republicans have gained even more power and outnumbers the Democrats by 48 people, the
"score" now being 99-51. There are so many republicans that now republicans are fighting republicans on issues, they are finding that they are not sharing the power with democrats anymore but with themselves. This is a scorekeeper article because it clearly shows numerically who is holding power in a legislative house.