This blog post is officially my first assignment for my Digital Newsroom course at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The task: to write about today's significance.
After receiving this assignment, I began to think.... today's significance as compared to what? Compared to the past? Compared to the future? Compared to all previous and potential Tuesdays? Compared to other days of the week? Is today more or less important than any other day?
One event in particular that popped into my mind is Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States. Major media outlets like BBC, CNN, and the Washington Post (just to name few) are reporting on this visit as front-page news, especially focusing on the strained relations between the U.S. and China, and China's potential to replace the U.S. as the major world power.
Granted this is a significant event to many people in the United States and China, and even Europe and other first-world countries... but is it significant to everyone? Looking at other news websites like Al-Jazeera, this news is buried while other issues are much more newsworthy. Do they care about if U.S.-China relations? Do they care about the yuan or President Obama refusing to meet with the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama*? (*Side note: really? The Dalai Lama? If you know anything about this man or ever seen him talk, he is a respectable, and quite charming, human being that deserves a handshake at the very least...Ah, the things our leaders do to appease our competition.)
In a word, no. Citizens in many parts of the world could probably care less that the Chinese president is visiting the U.S. Al-Jazeera, on the other hand, is primarily wrapped up with the Tunisian government...or actually...lack of Tunisian government. And again, this story is mostly buried on the front page of the Washington Post, CNN, and BBC.
So is it significant? Of course, but it depends on perspective. It depends on where you live, what you're concerned about.
So what makes today significant for me?
Today is significant because I can sit in the coffee shop and write this post.
Today is significant because I live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and go to graduate school on one of the most breathtaking campuses.
Today is significant because I get to be here, simple as that.
And finally, today is significant because I have the ability to finish this post in my classroom, just minutes before the deadline, with a big smile on my face.
I hope you are able to find significance in the present today.
So what makes today significant for me?
Today is significant because I can sit in the coffee shop and write this post.
Today is significant because I live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and go to graduate school on one of the most breathtaking campuses.
Today is significant because I get to be here, simple as that.
And finally, today is significant because I have the ability to finish this post in my classroom, just minutes before the deadline, with a big smile on my face.
I hope you are able to find significance in the present today.
Good post. You certainly pulled the prompt in several good directions.
ReplyDeleteIn most posts, I would point out that you lacked sufficient identity for the needed context. However, this post serves to introduce yourself in an interesting way, interesting because the incompleteness forces the reader to consider each fact/point you raise.
This works here, once. Moving forward, your readers will need to know more about you as a source for your voice.
Good job!
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed by your brief introduction, it provides people the feeling of warmth. Actually, the topic you selected is really what I am interested in. Remember I am a Chinese, and I want to work as the bridge between Americans and Chinese. I am absolutely sure our bilateral relationship will enjoy a promising future despite the divergences we confront now. Of course, medias hold different perspectives based on different profits. This is the property of medias.
It is these different opinions that make our life more significant no matter which aspect you concern.
The pictures make your blog more attractive.
I have one suggestion: Do you think it gives the public a feeling of jump( like jump-cut in video work) when you transfer you description from political issue to daily life? This is just my personal understanding.
Leila,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I really liked your restatement and listing of a series of questions you raise in the introduction (i.e. "today's significance as compared to what? Compared to the past? Compared to the future? Compared to all previous and potential Tuesdays? Compared to other days of the week? Is today more or less important than any other day?"). Instead of just reading the post and then moving on, your questions encouraged me to pause and rethink about the answer I gave for this prompt. I then kept thinking about these questions throughout the remainder of your post, comparing what you said to views that I have. I liked it!
My suggestion would be that when you do engage your personal voice, maybe try to reveal a little bit more about who you are so that readers, like me, know from what experiences of life you speak from.
Other than that, I thought the overall post was creative and really enjoyed your photos as well!! Good job!