Lou Grant

Lou Grant is a television series from the 70s and 80s about a man working at a newspaper. I had never seen an episode before this assignment but watching it did make me laugh. Grant's dry sense of humor lightens the mood throughout the show. When Lou first walks into the Tribune's office, I thought it was hilarious. Everyone was working on typewriters and Lou even played with an early model computer and said he didn't know what it was. The police sex scandal in the first episode was more than what I expected them to cover in a pilot episode, but it was  very entertaining. The acting was also entertaining. When Lou goes in for his interview with the publisher, her dog constantly cries and she still tries to be sophisticated while doing her crossword puzzle. I was also asked to watch the 9th episode of the first season, this episode starts off with a young woman complaining about her letters to the editor not being made into a story. She claims her boyfriend had an unfair trial and is being charged with manslaughter. I found the judge in the episode extremely funny though. As for my previous expectations of the show, I guess I was proven wrong. This show, although slightly slow going, is entertaining and pretty funny.

The 9/11 anniversary

In just about every newspaper in America the front page calls attention to the tragedy of 9/11 a decade later. Most of these articles talk about the grief and heartache families and U.S. citizens are feeling after the loss of loved ones. If I were the editor of a newspaper and I was covering the ten year anniversary, I would have a different approach. Why keep people buried in pain of their losses when we should be trying to support each other through this difficult time? A glimmer of hope is all that's needed. After ten years people need to know that America is healing and that with time we will become stronger. The generic picture of planes crashing into the Twin Towers would not be the first picture in my newspaper. I would have a picture of families who have lost someone in the 9/11 attacks, or just supporters, comforting and helping one another. My first article would not be about the devastation of the attacks (although it may be briefly mentioned), but rather how people are reacting and coping with this important anniversary. I would try to put stories of growth on the front page instead of stories of being stuck in the mourning of lost lives. This is a delicate time for many people, the time to commemorate those who tragically died in the attacks; there just needs to be balance between sulking and rebuilding. If every story is just about the lives taken and the sorrow felt across America, how can we expect anyone to move forward? I think the ten year anniversary should be a chance to not only honor those who died,  but those family members who live without someone they love. Stories about them and rebuilding their lives should be mentioned more than they are. I would include pictures of the development of the building being built in the towers' place and one picture of ground zero as well. It's important to include all faces of a story and not just focus on one.