Letter and Memo paper - Assignment Example

1555 South Sandusky St Denver, CO 80202 March 9, 2009 The Open Forum The Denver Post 101 W. Calfax Ave. Suite 600 Denver, CO 80202 Dear Open Forum:Mike Keefe's take on Senator Polis' recent statement congratulating bloggers and citizen journalists for the demise of the Rocky Mountain News brings into question, who are the real reporters in the 21st century The cartoon "Polis on Newspapers" published on March 3, 2009 criticizes the congressman's remark, but was he really that far off Technology improvement has made access to information lightning fast and easy to access, which in turn outdates former media sources such as newspapers and periodicals.

Print sources cannot keep up with the rapid pace of Internet information and the capability of bloggers and citizen journalists to respond to news updates. Imagine having to wait until you received the morning paper to find out who one the 2008 Presidential Elections! Media print, while still a viable and relevant source, cannot keep up with the pace of this world.Keefe's cartoon doesn't only criticize the congressman's glib remarks, but also calls for bloggers to be responsible for the information they are presenting.

As a student and aspiring writer, I am all too aware of the importance of sources and presenting the correct information. The death of the Rocky Mountain News also signifies the dawning of an era that may run rampant with incorrect information and stolen material. Keefe's cartoon emphasizes the importance in maintaining journalistic standards as we move away from print media. The congressman was a bit over zealous in his congratulations for the takeover and should have also taken the opportunity to warn bloggers and citizen journalists about checking their sources and giving credit where it is due.

Keefe did an excellent job of scolding Congressman Polis' thoughtless remarks while still calling attention to the larger problem at hand.Sincerely,Moving ForwardMEMOTo:From:Date: 10 March 2009Re: Letter to the EditorAs you have requested, I have outlined the purpose of my letter to the editor at the Denver Post. I took into account the audience that I will be addressing and the important factors that shape my letter.My AudienceThe audience that I will be reaching with my letter to the editor ranges from local to statewide readers.

In doing so, I've discovered that it is important to make sure my entire audience is aware of the political history of the cartoon as well as the historical importance of print media. Since the invention of the printing press, people read their news in the local paper. It was the most efficient way to catch up on the town gossip, remain aware of civic duty, and learn of important changes in the community. The statements made by congressman Polis were forward thinking but narrow in scope and trumped centuries of tradition.

In my letter, I felt it was appropriate to clue my audience into why this reaction was seen as a coarse but true statement. AssumptionsI did not assume that everyone would understand the message behind this cartoon. If it were read at a national level, the importance of this cartoon would be lost on those who had not heard the congressman's remarks. While I did not delve into specific details regarding what exactly was said by the senator, I made sure that there was a background for the opinion I gave in response to the cartoon.

Overall, I felt that Keefe's message was right on target and did my best to support his cartoon. Polis was harsh and did not take tradition and jobs into consideration, but he also cautioned bloggers to be responsible for their work.Word ChoiceMy word choice was directed at an educated audience, but I kept the letter conversational as well. This was not meant to be a technical letter, but rather a well-formed and substantiated opinion piece. I tried to use examples that would resonate with a large audience and would still be applicable to the normal citizen.

However, I did not "dumb down" my writing to achieve this goal, but instead presented my opinion in the most clear and concise manner possible.