Category: Blog

A news bulletin is a short piece of information about current events that a radio or television broadcaster presents. These can include breaking stories about global developments or uplifting profiles of local champions. The purpose is to provide a balanced mix of informative and engaging stories that nourishes the audience with a range of different topics. It’s important to consider the audience when putting together a news bulletin; for example, a local, regional or national audience will have different needs from an international audience. Also, it is recommended to choose stories that are relevant to the audience’s lives rather than just the biggest news stories of the day.

When writing a news article, it’s important to keep in mind that the audience is busy and has limited time to absorb information. This means that you must write concisely and be as clear and focused as possible. Ensure your headlines are catchy and memorable by using the inverted pyramid structure: the most significant details first, then supporting information. Incorporate quotes from experts or witnesses to add credibility and insight. Avoid jargon or technical terms that are not immediately understood by the audience.

Writing for radio is different from writing for print or online. It requires the use of a short, simple and straightforward style, as the audience is unlikely to be able to rewind or replay the audio. Ensure clarity by not rushing, practicing difficult pronunciations and marking pauses. Also, it is a good idea to avoid sensational language as the audience may lose interest or respect for your broadcast if you are reporting on situations that any person with common sense would not believe or want to hear about.

The modern world’s political systems are increasingly divided, partisanship is high and trust in institutions is low. The idea of political debate seems out of step with our modern society, but a new study co-authored by Berkeley Haas Assistant Professor Erica Bailey suggests this perception is not accurate. In fact, the study finds that people frequently engage in political debate. Across three studies, they found that most debates take place not with strangers on social media but with close friends, family members and colleagues, and that they often feel positive after these discussions.

The researchers conducted a survey and experiment involving 56 TV debates from 31 elections in seven countries, giving their results more statistical power than previous studies that only focus on a single election or a few in one country. The survey found that debates improve voters’ knowledge of specific candidates and their policies, with effects lasting for weeks after the election. The experiments, led by a team at the University of Michigan, provided evidence that debates reduce polarisation and increase voters’ awareness of what government spending priorities their candidates favour.

While debates are a key component in democracy, it is important that the organisation staging the debate has a clear policy of inviting the most diverse range of candidates possible to participate. This will ensure that undecided voters can hear a fuller and more complete presentation of each candidate’s platform. To this end, the CPD has developed nonpartisan criteria that it applies in extending debate invitations.

A news outlet is an organization that publishes or broadcasts the latest news stories. It may be a newspaper, magazine or online news website. News outlets typically employ their own reporters and editors who gather news stories from around the world. They also rely on news agencies for some of their content. The news stories are then laid out on dummy pages and after the chief editor approves them for publishing, the articles are sent to be printed or broadcast. The writers are usually credited with their work by name, although some articles appear without a byline.

USA Today is one of America’s best-known newspapers. Their iconic style flipped the script on how a newspaper looks, moving from dense text to big headlines and colorful graphics. Today, they’re still leading the way in breaking news and staying top of mind for people who want to keep up with what’s happening around them.

The Hill is required reading for anyone who works in government, from lawmakers and staffers to lobbyists and policy experts. Their deep dives into politics and the day-to-day operations of Congress are a key source of info on what’s really going on in Washington D.C.

Slate is a destination for smart takes that feel fresh without the snarky tone. They cover politics, culture, science and big ideas with a depth of coverage that’s hard to find elsewhere. They reach millions of readers a month with long reads, sharp essays, popular podcasts and live events. They lean left but value clarity over outrage and debate over clickbait.

Unemployment rate is the percentage of people out of work as a share of total population. The government keeps track of unemployment through a monthly survey, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which asks a random sample of households questions about whether their members have jobs or are looking for one. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the JOLTS data to publish monthly employment reports.

Typically, the economy experiences periods of high and low unemployment. When unemployment is high, consumers are unable to spend money on goods and services, which reduces business revenues and forces companies to lay off workers. This contraction of the economy can continue until government steps in with expansionary monetary policy or other fiscal measures.

To be counted in official unemployment figures, a person must not only not have a job, but must also be actively searching for work. This is because the government is interested in measuring only those who are out of work, rather than all the people who do not have a job but do not want to look for one.

The official unemployment rate, known as U-3, is calculated from the JOLTS data by adding up all those unemployed for 15 weeks or longer. Other measures of unemployment include the U-1 rate, which counts individuals who have been out of work for less than 15 weeks; the U-2 rate, which includes those who lost their jobs or completed temporary work; the U-4 rate, which counts discouraged workers and those who give a reason for not being looking for employment; and the U-5 rate, which includes the previous categories plus those who are marginally attached to the workforce (that is, they would like a job but have not searched in the past four weeks).

In addition to reporting the unemployment rate, the BLS produces a variety of other related employment statistics. These can be broken down by various characteristics, including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, industry, age, and region.

GDP measures the monetary value of all final goods and services produced in a country. It is calculated by a country’s statistical agency, following international standards set by the International Monetary Fund, European Commission, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Bank.

GDP is widely watched by economists, investors, and businesses, and is a key indicator of economic health. A rising GDP suggests a growing economy, while a shrinking GDP points to an economic slowdown. Investors watch GDP growth to forecast future corporate earnings, while governments use it as a guide for macroeconomic policies.

Government spending (G) is a component of GDP that includes expenditures such as salaries for public servants, purchases of weapons for the military, and construction of roads. Private domestic investment (I) is a component of GDP that includes purchases by individuals and businesses, such as the purchase of new machinery or computers. X (exports) is a component of GDP that captures the amount of goods and services a country produces for consumption outside its borders, while M (imports) is a subtraction that excludes foreign supply.

GDP is typically measured in a country’s own currency, which requires adjustment when comparing across countries with different currencies. This is done using market exchange rates, which are the values that prevail in the foreign exchange market, or purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalent exchange rates, which are defined as the number of units of a country’s currency that would be needed to buy one unit of another country’s currency at its current market price.

In journalism, a special report is an in-depth piece that investigates a particular subject matter. Specialized reporting can help journalists increase their credibility and provide valuable insight into complex subjects for their audience. These topics may be controversial, such as alleged wrongdoing or corruption, or they may be technical in nature and require a high level of understanding and expertise to write about.

During the day, special reports are broadcast when significant political stories break out of Washington that can require multiple stations to interrupt their normal programming in order to cover them. These events typically elicit national coverage and can trigger a special ticker or lower third graphics to convey the urgency of the story and compel viewers to watch. Special reports can last for a few minutes, or they can be sustained over hours or even days in order to provide continuous analysis about the event.

In accounting, a special report is a customized financial reporting document that deviates from the standard formats required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These unique reports are normally used to comply with contractual agreements or regulatory provisions and can include specified elements, accounts, or items of a financial statement. When a special report is prepared, an auditor should add an explanatory paragraph to the opinion section that describes why the unique reporting format is necessary, and refer to a note in the financial presentation that provides a description of the basis of presentation.

Local news refers to the full collection of communication outlets – newspapers, radio stations and hyperlocal websites – that tell a community’s stories. Local journalism is informed by the community’s perspective and meets its critical information needs. It invites citizen engagement in every way possible, including writing and sharing articles, reading, watching and joining public debate.

This collection of local news outlets is the backbone of our democracy. Yet today they face major challenges. Revenues are plummeting as advertising dollars shift to digital platforms. The decline of newspaper readership has reduced revenue and audience size, leading to cuts in staff and diminished coverage of important community issues. In addition, the federal government has cut funding to local media through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, leaving hundreds of public media stations at risk.

Local television is another key source of local news. But the recent consolidation of local broadcasting markets has increased the likelihood that local news may disappear, even in larger markets where it remains strong. In smaller markets, the ability of large media conglomerates to control many television stations in the same market has greatly decreased the number of local news programs available.

The same trend has been seen in local radio. As the local news landscape has changed, public radio has remained an important source of locally produced news in many communities. In fact, in some counties – mostly rural ones – public media is the sole source of local news.

Almost every day, families around the world leave their homes, seeking safety and better lives. Some become refugees, fleeing persecution or conflict, while others migrate to escape back-breaking poverty.

While hospitality towards migrants is a core national value for many countries, they can reach their limit when a large influx of people is poorly managed. Local populations may fear that refugees will put additional pressure on welfare programs or compete for scarce jobs. This can create tensions, as well as undermine a refugee’s sense of belonging and social inclusion.

In addition, refugee communities often lack economic and educational opportunities, exposing them to exploitation and other forms of vulnerability. Some countries even resort to scapegoating refugees to deflect attention from their own failings, such as poor regional security and domestic instability.

The current crisis has reached critical proportions. The global refugee population is now at its highest level since the Second World War, with the vast majority of those displaced by war or natural disasters living outside their country of origin. Moreover, refugee return rates have dropped sharply, and more people are leaving their home countries than ever before.

The world’s richest countries must increase their support for refugees. They must also take their share of the responsibility for those displaced by conflict and natural disasters. This includes investigating and prosecuting gangs that exploit refugees and migrants for profit, putting their lives at risk.

A headline is the first impression a reader will have of your content. It must capture their attention, set expectations for what’s to come and motivate them to delve further into your content.

The best way to do that is by leveraging emotion. Headlines that trigger an emotional response—fear, surprise, curiosity, sadness, anger and others—are proven to attract and engage readers. Whether it’s an article title, blog post, or email subject line, using these top headlines can help you craft effective headlines that stop thumb scrolling and convert.

When crafting a headline, it’s important to think about your audience and persona. What do they want? What drives them to click, share, and engage with your content? A headline should describe the benefit that your product or content offers, entice readers to continue and inspire them to take action. A direct, short headline is typically the best option for this type of copy. For example, a “How to” headline provides clear instructions and promise of value, making it a popular choice for tutorial content. Other types of effective headlines include question headlines (e.g., “Why do I need a will?” or “What is a pre-nup?”), and testimonial headlines (e.g., ‘Our customers love it’). Avoid headlines that use articles (a, an, the) or words of action (like to, for, or with). Moreover, a headline should be in present tense; a past tense headline can be confusing.

Parliamentary vote is the system in which governments around the world are governed. It involves the legislative branch of government determining laws, while the executive branch executes those laws. The majority of democracies today use parliamentary systems. These include Canada, the United Kingdom, India, and many others.

The legislative branch of a parliamentary system is comprised of members elected through a plurality of votes in each electoral district. The party with the most votes gains a majority of seats in parliament, and from there elects their leader to be the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then chooses members to form the executive cabinet. Often, in parliamentary systems, the roles of the executive and legislative branches are blurred or merged, and it is common for parties to form coalitions to ensure that their views are represented.

When the legislature is in session, one of its most important functions is determining what laws will be enacted and when those laws will be implemented. This is why parliamentary systems are often referred to as “representative democracies.”

When there is a need to change legislation, a proposal can be made by either the leader of the opposition or the speaker of the assembly. The proposal is then debated in the plenary chamber. If the proposal fails to gain support in the plenary, it can be referred to committee. This process allows the legislature to refine and fine-tune the proposed legislation in a more specific way. If the amendment is passed by the committee, it can be brought back to the plenary chamber for a final vote.