http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/nyregion/09stamps.html?ref=nyregion
Mayor’s Soda Plan and His Company Policy Differ
New York Times
Anemona Hartocollis
This article is about the snack policy that is in place at Mayor Bloomberg Company; Bloomberg L.P. Bloomberg has been trying to put in a place a ban that wouldn’t allow food stamp users to purchase sugary drinks with their food stamps. In the offices of Bloomberg L.P. on the sixth floor there is a pantry that is full of free healthy snacks but they also offer free Pepsi, Coke, orange Fanta, ginger ale and Mountain Dew.
The headline caught my attention because lately I have been hearing in the news that Mayor Bloomberg wants to ban food stamp users from purchasing sugary drinks with the money they receive. The story uses a “what” lead and I don’t think it’s very effective because it doesn’t really catch the reader’s attention. The sources used in the article were a Bloomberg employee that wanted to remain anonymous and Bloomberg spokesperson Mr. Loeser. To enrich the article there should have been more quotes from people who are on food stamps and how they feel about the policy at Bloomberg’s company being hypocritical to what he’s trying to do as Major of New York City.
The story could have also used more facts on the ban Bloomberg is trying to put into place and some statistics on how sugary drinks are affecting the obesity rates in New York City. This would have helped inform the reader even more and give them an idea of how serious it is that Bloomberg is trying to implement this policy when his own company is the total opposite.
The news determinant used in this story is human interest and consequence. This is a human interest story because many people are going to be interested in the ban and the policy Bloomberg Company has. It is also a consequence story because there will be many people affected who are on food stamps affected by the ban of buying sugary drinks.
Overall it was a very good story because it showed that there is a double standard with the policies that are being made by Bloomberg.
This article is very interesting. Since last year we have seen Mayor Bloomberg try to change the way New Yorkers eat, in schools and outside. I find it very hypocritical of him to want to discontinue citizens who use food stamps to buy junk food and sodas from buying them. But yet in his headquarters his employees indulge in free sodas. I think the lead is effective because it states the hypocracy right off the bat and the readers understand the author's point of view.
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