I think a good cartoon is one that includes both engaging artwork and a good punchline/dialogue. In my opinion, the best cartoons found in newspapers and news magazines allude to current events pertaining to relevant political or cultural issues. I think cartoons can be a highly effective editorial tool- a place where the cartoonist can share his/her opinion on a particular issue through a visual rather than written display.

In the past when the Tam News has published cartoons they have been terrible (except for Cassie's cartoon strip in the election issue). Usually either the artwork is poorly done or the humor is not funny. I think for cartoons to work in our magazine, the cartoonist must find a topic that is relevant to a majority of Tam students, so that the humor is not too forced or esoteric.

Sander, thanks for sharing this article written by the esteemed UChicago alumnus David Brooks!!!!!

I think this is an important article in thinking about both the biases of the national media (Fox News and MSNBC) and the stories we write for the Tam News. In terms of editorials, I think we at the Tam News need to find a balance between the "engaged" and "detached" voice. In some editorials we hope to encourage administrative change (the engaged writer's equivalent of having "immediate political influence, to provide party leaders with advice, strategy and policy recommendations." Sometimes, however, the issues we write editorials about are more nuanced and therefore we must use a "detached" voice that provides a more balanced point of view.

What do you think of this interactive format? Engaging or gimmicky?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/19/magazine/diagnosis-unrelenting-headache.html?ref=magazine#/#clue

Could a lifestyles piece/profile captured the same feeling/mood that these photographs did? When are photo essays most effective?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/05/magazine/look-mcdonalds.html?ref=magazine

I agree with Sonja, in that I found similarities between this story and the Tam Indian feature.

The reason this segregated prom has gone on for so long is because of an illogical "reverence" for tradition. The argument that tradition justifies racism is demonstrated by Wayne McGuinty, the furniture store owner-the George Cagwin of Wilcox County-who said: "This whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Nobody had a problem with having two proms until it got all this publicity." While this story has since gotten a lot of publicity-there was a segment on Diane Sawyer about it the other night-I believe it's stories like these that need to be brought to light. Though this is a "regional" issue, such a story deserves national press in order to serve as a reminder for the prejudice that endures in what some believe to be our "post-racial" society.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/nyregion/the-hugs-are-free-but-are-not-without-a-cost.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0

Exploitation of a mentally ill man or good journalism? How can the Tam News effectively cover the "characters" in our community?

I think this article can be applied to the media coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. Immediately following the attack and release of the suspect's names, media outlets started to speculate on the suspect's motives, background, and mental state. Many news channels, such as CNN, held "exclusive" interviews with family members, in an attempt to somehow conclude what motivated the alleged bombers to carry out their attack. As Dave Cullen writes in this article, most speculation carried out by the public and media is wrong as the "killer is rarely who he seems." Interestingly enough, following Dzokhar Tsarnev's arrest, Obama, during a press conference, advised Americans "not to rush to judgement, not about the motivations of these individuals and certainly not about entire groups of people." Just because these bombers carried out a terrible attack, does not give the public or the media the right to speculate and judge.

On a side note, I highly recommend Dave Cullen's (the author of this article) book: Columbine.

New York Times story about new parenting trend called "elimination communication." Do you think this story deserves coverage in a national publication, such as the New York Times? How can the Tam News discover new trends emerging in the local community?

I agree with Aaron that the NYT wasn't giving free publicity to the pranksters of the world. The reporter, J. David Goodman, provided detailed coverage by speaking with the New York City Police Department.

I don't believe this article constitutes a "hard-hitting" news story. I think the NYT chose to cover this story because it appears from NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly's quotes that this incident caused quite an uproar in the Upper West Side. The police devoted "significant resources" to the incident and as a result I believe the public deserves to know about this event.

I think the nation's approach towards school security in the wake of the Newton shooting has been irrational. I believe that even new security procedures won't prevent future school shootings.Though the NRA repeatedly states that "guns don't kill people, people kill people," the idea of teachers carrying guns in classrooms will do nothing but militarize schools. Teachers would have to undergo training before having guns at school, however, I wonder how these guns could safely be stored to insure that no accidental shootings occur. I know that I would feel very uncomfortable if I knew there was a gun in my classroom. In order to prevent future gun-related massacres, American politicians need to take initiative by enacting gun-control laws, rather than creating safety protocols--that from looking at the past year in American gun violence, don't prevent gun-related tragedies.