Many of us have intense and intimate relationships with our media sources, and we enjoy the sensation of the world at our fingertips. How many corporations mediate our access to that world? Do you know? Should we care? The blogger known as Frugal Dad argues that we should, and he expresses alarm that our media …
Not Wanting to Face It: Jenna Wortham Investigates “Facebook Resisters”
Despite all of the hype that Facebook receives, including the success of the film that tells its story, some college-age people—Facebook’s bullseye demographic—are consciously rejecting the site. Jenna Wortham is a technology reporter for the New York Times, where this article was first published in December 2011. Read it here: Wortham, “The Facebook resisters” The number of …
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Police Blotter: The B&S Reports a Shocking Crime
Many columnists and pundits have pondered the state of the American Dream, but it took the sharp journalists of The B&S to discover its true fate. The B&S is a student-produced satirical magazine of Grinnell College in central Iowa. This article first appeared in the fall of 2011. Read it here: The B&S, “American Dream Found …
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Who Made This Mess?: David S. Meyer Follows the Blame Trail
While it seems safe to say that every person in the United States has been hurt in some way by the current economic situation, there is plenty of diversity in our approach to economic problems. Sociologist David S. Meyer looks at the Occupy movement and the reactions to it through the lens of blame assignment. …
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Supersized Paychecks for Superstars: Bleacher Report Looks at Athletes’ Pay
With the dreary economy so prominent in the news and in our thoughts, we often turn to sports to get away from it all. Thinking seriously about superstar athletes’ paychecks, however, could bring us right back down to Earth. Mihir Bhagat, a journalist and student at the University of Missouri, tackles the NFL and other …
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Paying the Price: All Things Considered Asks “Why Is College So Expensive?”
A college education is more expensive than ever. Is there anyone who doesn’t already know that? Not likely. But why? All Things Considered focuses on this problem and reasons for the increasing cost of higher education. Some of this information will likely be familiar to you, but we think there’s a thing or two to …
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“Wrong Protest, Lady”: Chip Bok’s Editorial Cartoon
In recent weeks, many comparisons have been made between the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movements, with some pundits emphasizing the differences and others the similarities. Editorial cartoonists like Chip Bok are uniquely positioned to stimulate reflection and analysis by means of their humor and their focus on critical details. This cartoon was …
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Deploying Sgt. Jeeves: Pat Oliphant’s Editorial Cartoon
When President Obama proposed raising taxes for Americans whose income exceeds one million dollars per year, House Speaker John Boehner denounced the proposal as “class warfare.” Many conservatives echoed the allegation. The term “class warfare” has become the flashpoint of public discourse this season among editors, bloggers, columnists, and others; on September 23, the phrase …
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Sweet and Corny: Anna Lappé on High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Very likely, wherever you are reading this, there is a can or bottle of liquid refreshment within arms’ reach. Without looking, do you know if high-fructose corn syrup is on the list of ingredients? What if you do see it on the nutritional label? This article will get you thinking. The author, Anna Lappé, has …
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Seeing Stars: Chris Colin, “Rate This Article”
Did you “like” or rate something online today? Do you ever get tired of being asked to review products, restaurants, movies, and so on? In this essay from Wired, Chris Colin assesses assessments and reviews reviews. Colin is author of What Really Happened to the Class of ’93 and is a frequent contributor to the …
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