1. If I were a member of Congress, I would promote three main policy issues: affordable education, immigration reform, and climate resilience. First, I would support policies that reduce college costs, such as expanding federal grants and lowering student loan interest rates, because many students struggle with debt that limits their opportunities after graduation. Second, I would promote balanced immigration reform that strengthens border management while also creating clearer legal pathways for students and skilled workers, since immigrants contribute economically and culturally to the United States. Third, I would support climate resilience policies, such as infrastructure funding for flood protection and renewable energy development, because climate change is already affecting coastal areas and economies.
Of these, I would develop a bill focused on affordable education called the College Opportunity and Debt Reduction Act. The bill would expand Pell Grant funding, cap federal student loan interest rates at a low fixed level, and provide federal-state matching funds to public universities that freeze tuition increases. The goal would be to reduce student debt and make higher education more accessible, especially for middle- and lower-income families. To gain support in Congress, I would frame the bill as an economic investment in the workforce and national competitiveness, appealing to both parties by emphasizing opportunity, skills development, and long-term economic growth
2. About 40% of the newspaper consisted of advertisements, mainly for local businesses, real estate, healthcare services, retail sales, and community events. Roughly 65% of the remaining content was hard news (politics, housing, crime, and local policy), while about 35% was soft news such as lifestyle features, entertainment, and human-interest stories. Overall, the reporting appeared mostly fair and balanced because articles included data, expert sources, and perspectives from both officials and residents, although crime and policy stories sometimes emphasized conflict more than context.
One story on South Florida housing affordability was helpful and informative because it explained rising rents using statistics, expert analysis, and interviews with local residents affected by costs. From this assignment, I learned that newspapers must balance advertising and journalism, and that readers should critically evaluate how stories are framed and what topics are prioritized. Overall, newspapers remain valuable for understanding local community issues, but they still require careful reading to detect bias and emphasis.
3. I watched WPBF 25 News (ABC, West Palm Beach) evening broadcast (6:006:30 PM).
1. How many news stories were covered and how long each one was?
It covered 11 main local and regional stories, mostly about traffic crashes, housing costs, crime, and state policy. Most stories were about 1.53 minutes each, with shorter 1-minute human-interest segments at the end. Total news time was about 23 minutes.
2. How much time was devoted to the weather, sports, etc.?
Weather took about 4 minutes, showing radar, local forecast, and the weekend outlook. Sports was about 2 minutes, covering Miami Heat highlights and local high school sports. Commercials were around 67 minutes throughout the broadcast.
3. Do you feel the broadcast was informative and balanced?
It was moderately informative, especially on local issues like insurance and housing, using statistics and expert input. However, some stories (like school policy and crime) emphasized conflict or danger more than multiple perspectives, so it was somewhat balanced but not deeply analytical.
Requirements: all questions