I found the day-by-day accounts to be a bit boring and tedious to read, but somewhat necessary in order to accurately depict the everyday struggles Esmee has to deal with as only an eighth-grader. I felt as if a lot of information was repeated, and the writing style itself didn't enthrall or entice me in any way. However, the topic itself is very relevant and I would love to read another article shining light upon the homework issue, just not this one.

This article way very well-written, and I also felt a real connection with the mother throughout. Halloween is one day that is dedicated to immersing yourself in the world of fantasy and disguise, and I thought it was interesting to contrast the holiday with themes of gender equality and overall acceptance. I have a high level of respect for this mother/author, and her story.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-end-prisoners-organs-transplants-mid-2014-085837820.html
Interesting article from Yahoo News.

This article content was extremely valid, and contained a solid argument for both sides. In my opinion, good, concrete journalism is about hitting that middle ground. I don't want to read any piece of news, no matter how important, if it sounds like its been written by a robot. As mentioned in the article, journalists are not machines, but living, breathing, and perceiving human beings. I feel that its vital that journalism at least be partial enough to include not only the neccessary details, but also the nature and tone of those details without being too cautious of bias. That said, its all about balance. In the article, it is mentioned that the risk of discarding impartiality is that it is only natural to want to defend one's opinion, which can lead to a writer trimming away certain facts and structuring an article to his or her own advantage. I think the key is to allow and assure your reader that you, the writer, are in fact a human with real thoughts and feelings, but still take enough steps back in your writing in order to inform your audience of the true facts so they can decide and make up their minds on the issue for themselves.