Teodor Vehauc's 6th Post

Fighting in Syria Killed At Least 160 over the Weekend near Damascus

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/11/24/fighting_in_syria_killed_at_least_160_over_the_weekend_near_damascus.html

Published on Sun. Nov. 24, 2013         By: Diaa Hadid

          The battles between Syrian troops and rebels attempting to put a government siege to an end in the suburban areas of Damascus have led to the deaths of at least 160 fighters over the weekend. The Syrian government has cut off medicine, clean drinkable water, food and other necessary supplies in an attempt to stop the rebels’ resistance against them. Their strategy worked. It helped the Syrian government capture many rebel areas over the past month. The Syrian government’s latest victories have helped their president have a stronger say in peace talks with the U.S. and Russia trying to put a stop to the civil war. The fighting started on Friday when many rebel forces attacked the government, with the goal to open the road that lies between Ghouta and the outside. The fighting has been proven to be very serious, due to the great amount of deaths in such a short time, 160 deaths in only about two days.

          The article said that 160 fighters had been killed, but it doesn’t expand on it. I think it would be valuable information to know how many deaths there were in total as well, such as hostages or regular civilians, instead of only the fighters. If they had included that, I would have liked the article more. I don’t think that there’s much room for bias here because it’s not really an opinion article. It’s just stating the facts of a recent occurrence, or in this case, rebel attacks in Syria. Personally, I feel that they should all stop attacking each other. Both the rebels and the Syrian government would benefit, because both sides are taking unnecessary casualties. Many people lose their lives in wars, and when things like this happen, I feel that it’s a waste. I also think that they could have added more information about what specifically was the motive for the rebel attacks. The rebels wouldn’t attack without a reason, so why wouldn’t you include a reason as to why they did. One last thing I think the writer should have expanded on is what the attacks were like. I think it would be good to know which side had the advantage, and which side did what to win. All in all, I liked the article. It addresses a current major happening in the world, which is known and talked about all throughout the world.

Teodor Vehauc's 5th Post

Special Mass Held for Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Victims

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/15/special_mass_held_for_philippines_typhoon_haiyan_victims.html

Published on Fri Nov 15 2013             By: Gemma Karstens-Smith

          In times of disaster, people help and comfort each other. The Filipinos in Toronto did just that. They got together at the “Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church”, and are grouping together, praying for the well-being of their loved ones. Some people have heard that their family members survived the storm, but everything that they owned had been destroyed. The turnout for the gathering at the church was important, because it showed that many people cared about the poor people whose lives were taken by the storm. It shows that in times of suffering, there’s hope. People have been sending in packages of food, clothes, money, and hygienic supplies such as soap and toothbrushes. Every little bit counts, as it goes towards helping those who lost their homes, and have no place to live now. People do care, and with more time, the victims will be able to carry on once more.

          I have decided to analyze this article using the eight key concepts. The concept I think most relates to the article is number six: “Media messages contain political and social messages”. Concept number six is about how media conveys information about occurrences around the world, and this article is doing that. It’s informing us about the tragedy that happened in the Philippines and what people are doing to help. Without media, it would be a lot harder to find out about what happened, so we depend on the media to deliver the news and latest occurrences to us. This also ties in with concept number two: “Media construct versions of reality”. We need the media to tell us about the latest happenings in the world.  Although it may be influenced by bias, they are the main conveyers of information to the public.

          Yes, I liked this article. It explains what people are doing to help the survivors of the storm. Whenever I see a homeless person on the street asking for money, I want to give some to him/her because it makes me feel happy that I helped. I always hope that people have the generosity in their hearts to do that as well. Now that I read this article, and saw how people donated the packages of necessities to the people in the Philippines, it makes me happy to know how hard people are trying to help them. If something bad happened here, we would depend on other countries for support, until we could function by ourselves again. The same generosity that helped them in the past would be returned to us, and we would receive aid. We’re lucky that we can depend on other places for moral and financial support.

Teodor Vehauc's 4th Post

Rob Ford Says He Made “Mistakes”

 But Plans To Stay

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/11/03/rob_ford_says_he_made_mistakes_but_plans_to_stay.html

Published on Sun. Nov. 3, 2013           By: Daniel Dale

          Rob Ford, our Mayor, admits that he has made many mistakes in the past. He apologised many times already, for the various things he has done, yet he won't resign from being our Mayor. He is saying that he takes full responsibility for everything that has happened over the time of him being elected. What is he actually apologizing for? When a caller asked him what specifically he was apologizing for, Mayor Ford said that he regretted the Danforth and St. Patrick’s Day incidents, in both of which he admitted he had been intoxicated.  He also admitted to using his phone while driving. However, he only explained a fraction of what he did. He didn't explain his appearance in the alleged video, or whether or not he used drugs. Rob pleaded Police Chief Bill Blair to release the video, so that the citizens of Toronto could see it and decide for themselves what they think about it. Rob Ford’s brother, Doug Ford, said that Rob knows about many scandals associated with other politicians, but “he isn't a “rat” that will “squeal” on people.” Mayor Ford says he apologises to everybody, but can’t change what has been done.

          I have decided to analyze this article using the eight key concepts. Out of all the concepts, I feel that number six (Media messages contain political and social messages) is reflected the most. Concept number six explains how media delivers information about current local events to us, and that’s exactly what this article is doing. It is sharing information about Rob Ford and his scandals. The media provides us with information about important issues happening here in Toronto, which is a necessity to know about. The news of Mayor Ford’s scandals are spreading to more than just Toronto. It is heard about in other parts of Canada, and even across the world! Rob Ford’s accusations are issues that wouldn’t be easily known without the easy access we have towards media.

          The reason I liked the article was that it covered an important topic for people living in Toronto. It addressed the scandals of our very own Mayor, which is a sensitive topic to most people. It affects us, as well as all the other citizens of Toronto, because he’s our own Mayor, and he is supposed to represent all of Toronto, and our values. This also in fact ties in with the eight key concepts (number five - Media messages contain ideology and values). The media is actually quite powerful. It is responsible for conveying information about global occurrences, while the facts have the risk of being twisted by their own personal opinions. Article writers have the ability to write from their own point of view, so articles about the same topic could be changed by different people’s perspectives, which ties in with concept two - Media construct versions of reality. That’s one of the reasons I liked this article. This article provides the facts, and then leaves it open to interpretation and your own individual opinions. Some people accept Rob Ford’s apologies, while others don’t believe him and think he shouldn't be Mayor.