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alexandram

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In order to be sure that the topic being discussed was true, I searched for similar articles on the web. I found “Amsterdam To Close Many Marajuana Cafes, Brothels” written by Toby Sterling on My Way News. While here in the U.S. we are closing coffee shops due an economic dip, in Amsterdam the reasoning is slightly different “Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close brothels, sex shops and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.” The article goes on to say that "It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world - very exciting, but also with cultural attractions." While The Onion added a humorous twist to the news, My Way writes about these events in Amsterdam with a PR twist. The article essentially says Amsterdam is closing whore houses and marijuana shops. If it stopped there, it would be simple news. However, because the article goes on to say that in the place of these businesses will be more cultural attractions, additional parking, and more hotels; I believe that this article was customized for U.S. viewers who will now hopefully be more likely to visit Amsterdam.

This is a prime example of how the truth behind facts must be explored. The Onion hosted an article on coffee shops and the Red Light District because it was easy to ad a humorous twist to this article. My Way wrote about the facts, but with an underlying intent to sell. The article did no focus on how children going to school in Amsterdam will hopefully feel safe walking to their classes once these changes have been made. The author customized the facts to suit American interest—travel and cultural exploration. Truth is more than listing facts – especially in news, where “facts” are often ideological. Truth behind facts must be explored.

The Onion is similar to The Daily Show or the Colber Report but in online newspaper format. The first article that caught my eye was titled “Amsterdam to Shutter Some Coffee Shops and Brothels”. I opened this article based on the fact that I recently studied abroad in Europe, and Amsterdam was one of my favorite locations I got to visit. The article hosted several perspectives on the topic—“Amsterdam will still have plenty of fun things to do. Like visit the Anne Frank House." "I hope the government provides assistance to those who will be unemployed. Otherwise, some of them might be forced into a life or prostitution or drug-dealing." While these opinions are humorous, the article still manages to get the point across.

CNN is the number one site I turn to when looking for online news. I trust them based on several factors. They are not one of the big four network stations—ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox— who broadcast a multitude of programming. The sole purpose of CNN is news. To me, CNN is the news. They tend to report first, and because they are not localized their programming is selective. I don’t believe the installation of a stop sign and how it affects Joe-Schmoe’s yard down in Richmond is news. However, from taking Social Responsibility in the Media, I have learned the importance of varying my news sources in order to receive a multitude of information. All news stations offer a different perspective. It is important of us as the consumers of this information to realize that there are limitations to what we are shown. This said, I decided to broaden my horizon and seek out an additional online news RSS feed to feature on my Google home page. This lead to my discovery of The Onion.

The Onion

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