Responding to Critical Questions

 Lori Montgomery and Craig Whitlock, Washington Post Staff Writers

Readers of the Washington Post Living in the Washington D.C., and Baltimore Areas

What is the purpose of this message (to inform, to persuade, to entertain, self expression, to teach, to make money)?  Indicate your choice in a complete sentence and explain reasons for your choice.

 The purpose of this article is to inform the readers of the Washington Post about the recent progress made in the Baltimore City Schools' budget for the remainder of the school year and next year.

In this message image, language, and sound are manipulated to show the conversations that were held about the situation  between the Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley, Governor Ehrlich and some direct quotes from Del. Salima Siler Marriott.  It allowed the readers to understand what was really going on in the personal conversations of these people.

What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

The techniques used to attract and hold attention is the language used.  Using direct quotes that included improper language allows the reader to know what really went on in important conversations.

The type of message that this is informational.  It is informational because its not personal.  It is not told from a first person perspective. The people who wrote this article were not the ones who experienced it personally. It does not express personal ideas.  It does express the ideas of the people of whom it speaks about.  It is also persuasive.  Judgments are made and personal conversation are used as evidence to support a particular judgement made.

This message connects with my life experience because Baltimore City Schools are very close to Towson University.  We see the news everyday and the school system does need more help.  My schooling experience as I grew up was wonderful because funding was sufficient.  When funding for schools is not sufficient the education of the students is jeopardized.  Therefore, students living in these areas aren't given a fair chance in succeeding in life with a good education in their background.

How does this message compare with other media messages you've received?

This message seems parallel to the ones I've received from the news and other sources. I believe that this situation could have been avoided if measure were taken earlier in the history of the Baltimore City School System, and if a better mayor was appointed to office.

Stereotypes are evident in this message because it says in the passage indirectly that democrats like to raise taxes.  It also indirectly suggests that the people in charge of the funding of these schools do not value the Baltimore City Schools as much as the resident of Baltimore do.  Alas it allows the reader to perceive Ehrlich as being a bad mayor.

What point of view is represented in this message? (Identify and trace the development of an author’s argument, viewpoint, or perspective)

The point of view represented in this message is that of someone who is a resident of Baltimore/Baltimore City who may not like Ehrlich and supports Mayor O'Malley.