Reading Journal Entry #1

1. The article "Court Allows Emanuel on Ballot for Chicago Mayor", written by Monica Davey of The New York Times uses a to-the-point and informative method of describing the position of Chicago Mayor. In addition, it details the political significance of Rahm Emanuel, the former White House Chief of Staff who left his post in Washington to become a candidate for the position. Davey's use of quotes and sources was similarly concise and mentioned both sides of the story, including acknowledging opinions from those supportive of Emanuel's candidacy as well as those from individuals who either oppose it or feel negatively influenced by it. In addition, she uses just the right amount of outside knowledge in her story, describing a case from 1867 about the importance of a candidate's intent. Overall, I feel that the article was to the point and brought all, if not most sides of the issue, to the table.

2. In the article, "Nelson Mandela's Release From Hospital Calms National Alarm," David Smith of The Guardian does a great job of describing the panicked feelings of the South African people. He used the "five w's" concept for the purpose of squeezing every important nook and cranny of information into the story. He stated not only why South Africans were getting worried about Mandela's health, but also the many ways in which the nation still views him as a major figurehead. The article features quotes from a series of people, including fellow South Africans and members of Mandela's family. In addition, he uses outside context, mentioning not only how Mandela rose to fame, power, and significance, but also writing about similar health scares in his past. The way in which he details the nation's reaction to the news of his discharge makes readers easily able to connect to the national spirit and, accordingly, to the national foundation of South Africa.

3. In the article, "Egyptians Fury Has Raged Beneath The Surface For Decades," Michael Slackman of The New York Times describes the growing economic and governmental struggles of Egypt. However, the title of the story might be a little out of place, as I believe that it gets away from the current, ongoing significance of the "fury." Regardless, Slackman does a fantastic job of taking quotes from not only economic experts and Egyptian political officials, but also from the everyday Egyptian people. He analyzes the "five w's" of the story to get to its core, acknowledging the long-term effects of corruption, terrorism, torture, and emergency services. As a result, readers are adequately able to connect the ongoing protests in Egypt with similar struggles experienced during the past decade in the Weatern world. The conciseness and down-to-earth methodology of this article makes it worth a journalistic analysis.