"Recession alters parents' plans for kids' college"

Lisa Black's article on the effects of the economy on college affordability is written well enough, but lacks a truly newsworthy appeal.  Although Black does a nice job of finding and incorporating sources and uses quotes effectively to move her story forward, she fails to provide a fair balance.  The article does not provide substantial background information on the economy or provide actual tuition prices.  There are also no economic experts quoted in the story.  

Though the article is timely, it does not provide a newsworthy story.  The focus of the article is predictable and obvious.  Reading the article is only a way to find a few examples of people suffering from a problem that everyone already knew existed.  

The article's greatest strength is its use of examples.  By following a small number of students and their families through the struggle of applying to schools and finding a financial fit, the reader becomes attached and intrigued by their story.  

Overall, this article is well done considering the subject.

"Whites break new ground by teaching black studies"

Dawn Turner Trice authored this article on the emergence of white professors teaching African-American studies courses.  Though the main focus is on white professors, the article also discusses the history of the African-American Studies program.  The historical background is presented well and adds depth to the article.  

The sources that Trice quoted are either white or African-American professors.  This provided some balance on the issue, though it would have been nice to have heard from students directly instead of being told how they react through the professors' words.

The lead for this story is a light hearted feature lead that sets the tone for the rest of the article.  I don't necessarily think that the story's material called for this style, but the author does a nice job of making it work and keeping it light throughout. 

Since this year is the 40th anniversary of the African-American studies program the article is timely, though it surprises me that it wasn't run a week ago as part of a black history month feature.

Overall, I found this article to be a good piece of journalism.

"Suburban school board chief quits in email flap"

This article, written by Russell Working, discusses a sexual assault at a west suburban public school, and the after effects that led to school board chief Mark Metzger to quit his job.  After two children assaulted a classmate on school grounds, the father of the assaulted student was understandably upset that the suspects were not being removed from the school.  Metzger accidently emailed the father a message in which he refers to the father with an epithet containing an expletive.  The Parent Council was not pleased by this, and after apologizing Metzger has decided to step down.   

Beginning with an effective summary lead the story opens by delivering the most important details right away.  The necessary background information is provided up front and the story follows the inverted pyramid style by introducing more detailed information throughout.  

Working does a nice job of being ethical with this story.  He recognizes the sensitive state that those involved must be in, considering the story revolves around people who were victims of a sexual crime, lost their jobs, or are young children.  For this reason I understand why the story is lacking in direct quotations.

Overall, I believe this was a difficult story to write and that Working found a way to present the information in an easy to follow way.

"Chicago schools moving ahead with closings"

This article follows up on the article discussed in my first post.  In this article, also written by Carlos Sadovi, the results and effects of the Chicago Board of Education vote are discussed.  Using an effective summary lead, Sadovi answers the important questions.  Although the lead is a bit long, it incorporates all the necessary points of the story in an easy to read manner.  

The greatest strength of this article is its balance.  Sadovi incorporates the viewpoints of local residents who are losing their schools, as well as Board of Education officials who voted for the 16 schools to be shutdown in the fall.  The quotations he uses are incorporated seamlessly and useful and appropriate information to the story.  

The article concludes in a way that leaves the reader a bit confused about what will happen next.  It does this by saying that the Chicago Teacher's Union President asked the Board of Education to delay the vote, but it does not include a response, or an estimate of when a response may be made.  Otherwise, I found this to be a well written and timely piece of journalism.

"Schools hope for best, prepare for the worst"

Tara Malone and Jo Napolitano coauthored this article concerning how the as much as $3 billion dollars in stimulus funding could effect Illinois public schools.  The article's lead is a bit of a combination of both summary and feature styles.  It begins in summary form, answering the 5 W's, but ends with a humorous simile.  Normally I'm in favor of trying to make the news more fun, but from what I've learned in journalism 200 so far, it shouldn't be.  The end of the lead is misleading because it conveys a lighter tone that the story really conveys.  

The authors did a great job of finding quality sources for this story.  Many of the quotations come directly from high ranking officials and experts.  This article also demonstrates great depth, with information on many different school district's and how each plans on using the stimulus funds they hope to receive.  

There are no signs of the authors' biases in this article, as they did an excellent job of reporting facts and attributing information to sources. 

The main focus of the article is on how different school districts are going to use the money they receive from the economic stimulus.  Since they do not yet know how much they will receive, many school districts are being very cautious.  The authors deliver the main points of the article in a clear and easy to read manner.  I especially like the quotations used in this article, they flow nicely with the story and contribute instead of simply repeat points.

"Group calls for delay in plans to close city schools"

This article, written by Chicago Tribune reporter Carlos Sadovi, covers how two studies have produced new information concerning the effects of closing city schools.  Sadovi uses an effective summary lead that fits the story well.  He provides ample background information, and does a great job of integrating it with new developments in the story, making it easy to read and follow.  The story doesn't contain any quotations, but is heavily based in facts, statistics, and the results of the studies.  An interview with one of the researchers of the studies would add some depth to the story, but I don't believe its necessary for a story of this length.  A longer piece would benefit from more sources.  Overall, I found this news item to be well done.