A useful site for finding information on current events, as well as an array of other topics is CNN.com. Whether for research on a current event, to read of late breaking news, or to become knowledgeable about the world around us, CNN.com is a wonderful source for credible information. The website is a unit of the official news channel, CNN, which provides credible news on world affairs, national and international politics, sports, business, entertainment, and social issues. Of course, concerning the news channel, there is always the issue of people being weary of the information they hear in the media. However, CNN is a respected source of news, and now offers a web site that people can turn to for up to date information from work, their home, or at school.

CNN.com is the official website for the news channel, CNN. It offers informative news stories on the latest issues and stories that are concerning local, national, and international politics. The page offers a large amount of links that take the viewer to various topics of interest. On the main page, the main links that are offered are World, US, Weather, Business, Sports, Politics, Law, Sci-Tech, Space, Health, Entertainment, Travel, Career, Local, Education, and In Depth. The objective, or the theme, of the site is to be an informative source of news relating to a vast amount of specific categories. In addition to the main links, the page offers countless other links to various pages, such as a link to a Multimedia page that offers video, audio, images, games, etc. relating to technology, travel, business, news, and other topics. The front page of the website is organized in a favorable way, in that it offers a listing of the major links to the left side of the page, as well as offers them in the main part of the page, with headlines listed underneath each category of the top stories relating to them. The website also offers free email service, as well as a chat room and a message boards page with a range of issues listed for users to comment on, relating to the main links on the first page. A very useful element of the website is that it offers a link to the European CNN page, as well as a link to the Asian CNN page, which highlight stories concerning the countries in each of the two continents. Another wonderful feature of the page is that it is offered in Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Japanese. Being a valuable and credible source of news, it is accessed not only by the American public, but also by an international group of people. CNN recognizes this and accommodates its international audience by offering the website in the various languages. The page is organized very nicely, offering links to various categories, and listing the top stories concerning national and world interests.

The audience for CNN.com is anyone who wishes to be informed of current events or of a particular issue, here at home, or abroad over seas. The page is accessible to anyone who has access to the Internet, and in regards to demographics, it addresses the general public. It is not intended for access solely by men, women, the young, the old, American, or foreign. It is a great source of information, being a well-known and respected international network of up to the minute news. It is wonderful to hear of a story on the CNN news channel, and to then access a more detailed account of the story on the official website. This is a very useful, reliable, and professional tool to use in today's world. This is a great tool for students wanting to learn of a particular current event, or to find links to other websites pertaining to a specific issue. CNN.com is a great website for business people, obtaining up to the minute news on the stock market and business news. It's a great site for those who work in an office and want to read about today's top stories. What is amazing about the Internet is that we no longer have to solely rely on television or print media to inform us of important issues. We can now use official news sites to educate us on important local, national, and international news.

CNN reporters and news writers write the stories that are found on the web site. As in traditional media, reporters must use reliable sources when writing stories, must write in an un-biased fashion, and must deliver stories with honesty. Who's to say if a story isn't fabricated, or if some facts are incorrect? Some people do not trust the news or the media - they may not trust CNN, CBS Evening News, 20/20, Dateline NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, or CNBC. For the most part, the public listens to these news programs and trusts that they are accessing trustworthy stories. The writers on the CNN.com website must respect the laws of journalism, just as anchors and newspaper writers do. Stories must tell the facts and the truth, without bias or false claims. CNN.com is not a website that is seen as providing fictitious information, decorated with a false logo, or adopting an untrustworthy agenda. The CNN news channel has always been turned to by viewers to hear of the top stories that are going on in the news, and now, they are able to easily access this information on the official website, CNN.com.

For our online project, my group and I plan to create a travel website, focusing on a few countries that we are each familiar with. CNN.com offers a link to a travel page, offering users news and information relating to locations around the world. What I like about CNN.com is that not only is it informative where news is concerned, but it is also a great source for those planning to travel to another state or country. The site offers a good amount of information for various locations one is planning to travel to, or for someone who is simply curious about a certain area. The page offers profiles on major U.S. cities, as well as profiles on major international cities. The main categories that are used to profile a certain location are "Introduction," "Where to Stay," "Dining," "Sightseeing," "Shopping," "Nightlife," "Recreation," and "Calendar." Under these categories, there are descriptions, as well as contact information, such as telephone numbers, addresses, and website URL addresses. On this page, one can still find links to CNN's top stories, but it also offers links to articles relating to travel across the world.

The page also offers links to other CNN sites that offer travel information, such as CNN Hotspots and CNN Travel Now. CNN Hotspots offers information on a focus location, which is currently Sardinia, Italy, as well as interesting information on other locations. Travel Now provides articles and links to websites that relate to the particular focus of the moment. For example, currently, the page focuses on African Safaris, offering links to pages with information relating to safaris. The page also offers an archive of past focus locations and topics, such as the Bahamas and international food. These two sites are great for getting a feel for particular issues or places one is curious about or intends on visiting. It's interesting to visit these pages every few weeks to find out what the new focus for each one is. Another interesting part of the page is a discussion area where people can post their responses to asked questions. For example, some of the current discussions relate to Air Safety and Travel Troubles. In the Air Safety discussion, the question that is asked is, "What are your biggest concerns with air travel today? Should smaller planes be required to carry flight data recorders?" (CNN Travel). Most individuals have responded with long answers, basically in a paragraph form. On the discussion pages, there are links to sites with related information and also links to news articles that relate to the topic. For example, on the Air Safety page, there is a link to the Federal Aviation Association and to an article entitled "Five Feared Killed in Alabama Plane Crash." The discussion pages are great for learning about topics related to traveling, such as safety, money, and destinations.

One of the categories located on this page is a "More News" section that lists articles relating to traveling, about specific parts of the world, and interesting news relating to culture. Some of the headlines are "Asia Enjoys Resurgence in Tourism," "Ottoman Art Exhibit Begins U.S. Tour," "Boston Airport Makes Airlines Answer to Customers," and "Tourist Town to Makes Boaters Pay the Meter." One each of the pages that have an article, there are also links to other travel and world news stories. These articles are a good way to be informed about traveling, tourist information, and current events going on in other countries.

Another great resource for information on the site is a category entitled "Travel Adviser," which links to other pages concerning various topics that a person can obtain advice on. The pages have articles on the topic as well as links that provide further, more detailed information. For example, on of the links on the page is Car Rental. This page has an article providing information on rates, insurance, driving ages, gasoline, tax, and international rentals. Other areas of interest under the "Travel Adviser" section are "Cruise Bargains," "Hotel Charges," "Packing for Kids," and "Pet Travel." These articles are very helpful for those planning on traveling to different areas of the world or are curious about certain issues related to traveling. The articles offer good general information, as well as certain specifics that are useful to the reader.

The last main link is entitled "Destination" and has information about different places and different areas of interest. The main part of the category lists six links that discuss various places or issues. The current six links are "Safari: Experience the Wild African Delta," "Resorts Offer Dream Vacations for Couples," "Little-Known Restoration of Stonehenge Downplayed," "Frontier Spirit Meets High Life in Jackson Hole," "Canada Promises Nirvana to Tourists," and "A Brush With History: Famous Faces Go On Tour." Each link offers an article, as well as links to other sites with related stories. The most interesting part of the "Destinations" section, I believe, is that it offers an "Archive" section that offers articles and information about different places in the U.S. and around the world, most of which offer a specific topic of interest relating to the place. There are also a section in the archive called "Special Themes," which offers interesting stories on different places, events, and holidays. Some of the topics under the U.S. Archive are "D.C.'s Cherry Blossoms," "California's Japanese Museum," "Arkansas's Wildlife," "California Wine Country," and "Las Vegas, Nevada." Some of the special topics under the World Archive section are "Barbados: Nightlife," "Greece: Photo Tour," "London, England," and "Australia: Opera." A person could spend a lot of time going through the links and becoming a bit more aware of these different places and of interesting topics relating to them.

The graphics on the CNN main page are planned out rather thoughtfully. In the middle of the page, there is a large graphic relating to the synopsis of one of the main stories. Besides this large graphic, there are thumbnails of other smaller pictures in random, spread out areas on the page. The graphics are not overdone on the page, but are actually placed in an organized manner throughout the main page. Examples of some graphics are an individual's face, a logo, a work of art, an object, a photo, or any other graphic that is connected to the headline. There is a nice use of color on the page; it seems as if the main colors are red, white, blue, and purple. I suppose this is appropriate, because CNN is an American source of news. Being a U.S. news channel, it makes sense to use the colors red, white, and blue to illustrate its page (it uses purple, most likely, in order to add a touch of another color). Along the lines of being an American news channel and website, in regards to bias in a story, just as in any form of media, individuals who read these stories, especially international news, must keep in mind to read between the lines. Stories people see on television news, read about in the newspaper, or now on the web, could be biased towards an American perspective or point of view. Concerning international politics, the news channels may deliver stories with some American bias. This is relatively true of any nation and its news. A country wants to paint a positive picture of itself, especially through the media, and using television or print media is a great way of doing this. Though news must be delivered with honesty, sometimes there is a use of propaganda or of twisting words and phrases so as to make a story appear a certain way. This is something people must realize about the evening news, the newspaper, or the official website of a news channel.

The graphics on the Travel page of CNN.com are absolutely wonderful. There are a vast amount of photos, ranging across American and international cities. There are pictures of different places, such as Greece, Hong Kong, Ghana, Ireland, Arkansas, Tampa, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana. There is not a specific "photos" or graphics link. Rather, the pictures are spread out throughout the various links and location profiles. The pictures are beautiful photos of the places, their people, and other interesting sights. The graphics support the text information and relate to the topics. They are not overwhelming or overused. Rather, there is a good amount of photos; usually one to four a page. Other links may have more pictures, especially if they are pages that try to create a certain image of the location (beauty, nature, hot spots, etc). The photos do grab the viewer's attention, because they are so beautiful and appealing. Quite honestly, most photos I looked at made me think, "I wish I could be there." They are extraordinary places with breath-taking sights. These photos are great for people who wish to "see" a certain place; for individuals who do want facts about a certain destination, but also are curious of what it looks like. The graphics are colorful and clear, which is very important when viewing remote locations. I certainly enjoyed looking at the diverse graphics and locations.

The New Century College competencies I used doing this assignment communication, critical thinking and analysis, global perspective, aesthetic response, and information technology. I used communication to write an effective essay, communicating my analysis of the CNN website and to convey why it is a credible site. I went through the site so that I could communicate a clear and well-organized explanation of what the site is about, with good back up and support (including various links). I used critical thinking and analysis to find connections between content, information, and why the site is credible. I analyzed the various components of the site, including the Travel section, in order to write a thoughtful and informative paper. The competency of global perspective was used when realizing that an international audience, which is shown by the site being offered in various languages, accesses CNN.com. The site offers international news, relating to politics, culture, sports, travel, business, health, technology, etc., addressing a vast amount of global issues. I used aesthetic response when analyzing the graphics that are used on the CNN website and on the Travel section. I had to think about the quality of the graphics that are used and why they are appropriate. Finally, information technology was used because the assignment related to analyzing a site on the World Wide Web. After doing so, we had to post an essay on our NCLC 350 web pages, applying the use of information technology. Evaluating the website and analyzing why it is a reliable and informative source of news was a part of the process.

The links and articles under the Travel link of CNN's main page are great resources for a person curious about the different parts of the world, or wishing to learn more about a specific area or topic. The page is credible because it has been developed by official CNN reporters, who, as journalists, must maintain integrity and honesty when reporting stories. The website addresses an international audience, delivering quality news and information relating to issues from around the world. By doing this assignment, I have learned that by all ready having a respected and well-known company or organization, such as the CNN news channel, that in itself gives legitimacy to a web site for the company. However, the website must still work to present itself as a high quality, informative, and reliable source of credible information. Proving itself on television helps, but CNN must also work to prove itself on the Internet. This has been an eye opening assignment and I have enjoyed analyzing the various components of a web site.


Reference
CNN.com (2001, February). Retrieved February 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cnn.com


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