Let's be honest here, I write a lot. Like, maybe too much at times... But hey, that's okay, because when it comes to blogging, writing things of good quality, often, can make you go far!

This blog was pieced together for my 2012-2013 year of high school—also my graduation year—so, if you are a visitor to this website from many years down the road, I am guessing that you will find that most of the posts I have made have been submitted from within that time period. I am a Journalism and Media Studies student, so much of what you see here is mainly geared towards the completion of assignments in those two courses.

I hope that you enjoy reading my posts and that you find what it is you are looking for in visiting this blog.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

News Worthy #4: Super-Close, Extra-Solar, Goldilocks Zone, Earth-like Planet Discovered!

Heading: Earth-like planet found circling nearby star

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/10/16/planet-.html

Timing - 4/4
As far as major scientific discoveries go, this one is pretty up-to-date.  Discoveries like this take many years to get to, making little leaps of success every now and then, so despite the fact hat the planet was possibly discovered a little while back, it is still a new story in my book.

Significance - 1/4
Alas, if you are not "into science" (and it is really such a shame if you're not) then this story is of very little concern to you.  Most people will probably just skip over the article after seeing the headlines on a website or in a news paper, but as for me, I couldn't resist the temptation to click the link and read the full document. It appeals to a considerably small group of society.

Proximity - 1/4
This is an extra-solar body, so as far a proximity goes, only the aliens orbiting the star, Alpha Centauri B, really give a "hoot" about the fact that we found them.  Also, it was a team of European astronomers who found the planet, making it international news, too far to matter as much as something that happened in our own back yard.

Prominence - 1/4
This value is low due to the fact that it is not really a human affair, it is only something that a few people have come to discover, quietly, and on their own.  We know nothing about the people, who they are, etc.  The only thing that would possibly raise the prominence was if a celebrity was somehow involved in discovering the earth-like planet and wants it to be named after themselves.

Human Interest - 4/4
Possibly the best trait that makes this story just newsworthy enough to get published is its basis for human interest.  Humans like to learn fun facts about the world around them to amuse both themselves and their friends.  It is typical to see this kind of article displayed at the very end of a newsreel or news broadcast to lighten the mood and to leave off at a positive note.  CBC even categorized the story as being "offbeat" and you can see those very words being used in text of the web address shown above.

Final Newsworthy Mark - 11/20
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