Weekly Response 12/7

The Huffington Post made an interesting choice of a headlining story earlier today. The article, "The GOP's Crackpot Agenda", was the center of the page, for at least a few hours. However, when reading it, I was directed to Rolling Stone, where the original article was posted - a destination I did not quite expect. This deserves some commentary of its own and how the internet is shaping journalism. A good article can be posted and reposted through other outlets, and one would never expect to end up where the end up, just through clicking through.

The article itself was somewhat biased, however the bias was well backed up with historical patterns and quotes from experts. This created a sense of trust between the reader and the author, and rather than taking everything that was written for word, I found myself raising questions, which I think as more the intention of the article than convincing the reader a certain way. It was also an all-encompassing article, bringing to light many issues surrounding the GOP, rather than choosing to focus on one. This was done through the use of headlines that broke up the piece - something not everyone agrees with, considering the many discussions our class has had. However, in this longer piece, with many different facets, I appreciated the titling of the sections, as it made it easier for me to navigate, and I wasn't so jarred by the switch in subjects.

While trying to find and example of a trend piece, I came across an article on turtlenecks from the New York Times. I expected to find this one just as trivial as the other trend pieces from the Times, but this one seems to hold some weight. The piece started with the initial notice of a trend - a fashion designer wearing a turtleneck on the red carpet. This seemed like light evidence - but the article quickly dove into more in depth evidence. The article references fashion shows from this season that implemented the turtleneck in their designs, as well as celebrities that have recently been spotted sporting the dated sweater. The article also included some "street style" photos of every day people wearing the turtleneck. Experts were not forgotten - a Parson's professor was interviewed about the history and appeal of the turtleneck in the fashion world, and why it is a recurring trend. While not a trend that I particularly want to follow, the article convinced me of its validity as a trend in the fashion world.