Assignment 1
‘People living alone 'are more depressed'’ is an article from the BBC website on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17475240. The article is a research that was done on the probability of people living alone being prone to depression. It was found out people living alone lacked a forum where they could share their feelings and thoughts. This therefore makes them accumulate a lot in their minds, which is likely to lead to depression. The research that was carried out revealed that people living alone bought more depressants compared to those who lived with others1. This story is significant not only to the United Kingdom community but also in United States and to the world at large. Work schedules, climatic conditions and sicknesses makes many people to live isolated lives. Technology is also another factor that has made people to loose touch with fellow beings as they can obtain almost everything by a simple touch of the button.
Were the issue to be addressed by the American media, the perspective could slightly be different. This would have been looked at in a wider area of the consequences of loneliness rather than looking at depression as a topic. The American media not only seeks to address the issue at face value but also go into the details of finding out how it is caused, the repercussions and how the issue could be sorted out. The difference in presentation of the issues is mainly because of the magnitude of the problem and how it affects people. We realize that depression is a bigger issue in United Kingdom while in United States, it is all about the lifestyles that people adopt and how it affects their lives.
Assignment 2
‘Students to be given £100 towards travel to college’ is an article from the Somerset on the website http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Students-given-100-travel-college/story-15589968-detail/story.html. The article is an informative piece that highlights on the efforts of Strode College to offer transport facilities to their students. It gives the details on how the transport will be facilitated depending on the need of the students and their economic background. The principal of the college made the decision considering numerous numbers of students that prefer to obtain knowledge from the institution2. Apart from the fact that the institution is centrally located and served with numerous bus roots, it is also credited for its good performance. It is for this reason that the principal recognizes the financial burden of the parents and the students and seeks to boost them. This will enhance good performance among students of all status, as they will not have to worry about many other issues.
The issue in question is how to assist students get to their colleges without such problems. This is also for the purpose of bridging the gap between those from wealthy backgrounds and those from poor ones. The move was also moved to support new students in the college especially after the government slashed bursaries. The issue addressed is of international nature especially when it is considered that educations affects every young person. This being a paramount foundation, it is never fair for some students to miss out on quality education simply because they cannot afford it. The issue would have been handled differently in United States and most probably with the issue of race at hand. It would have been more of how to help students from single-parent backgrounds and more especially among African Americans to obtain quality educational facilities. When it comes to education in United States, it seems more like the black students are the ones who have more issues than the whites. The issue of balancing between educational standards of the whites and the blacks could have therefore taken center stage had the article been written in United States.
Assignment 3
‘Emergency work on bridge delays traffic’ is an article in the Scotland on Sunday at the website http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/emergency-work-on-bridge-delays-traffic-1-2180381. This informative article seeks to alert people of the disruptions that will be taking place due to repairs that have to be done. The article explains on why the repairs have to be done and the people that will be affected. The post also mentions of how the disruptions will affect motorists and the alternatives that are available to them. There is also a possibility of the interruptions extending past what has been given just incase the work is not completed within the designate time3. The interruptions could also be extended due to changing weather patterns. The public is being requested to not only understand but also corporate with the engineers in ensuring that transport is not affected in the near future due to extensive damages.
The issue being addressed is of local nature and does not affect the international community. It is mainly about local transport disruptions yet it could only affect international visitors to the country. The issue does not also affect United States directly but indirectly, it could affect immigrant to UK who will have to use the bridge for their activities. Since the article mainly affects United Kingdom, the issue would have been addressed in a similar way in Unites States. It is usually necessary for the government and even the private sector to notify the public whenever they are venturing into repairs or activities that will affect them. This is for the purpose of recognizing the inconveniences that will be caused to them as well as telling them why important it is for them to facilitate the project.
Assignment 4
‘Thanks a million! Our fund gets record breaking boost’ is an article in the London evening standard from the website http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/dispossessed/thanks-a-million-our-fund-gets-record-breaking-boost-7583379.html. The article is mainly to inform and thank the public for their participation in the sports relief fund. This is a kitty that was initiated by the sports fraternity to help some needy families in London. The idea emerged from reports that there were people in London who were languishing in poverty. It is for this cause that the sports people joined other charitable organizations and the public to mobilize people to contribute so that they assist such families4. The fund had so far received good response with a large number of people turning out to support them. It was a call to the public to keep on contributing towards this worthy cause so to facilitate equal distribution of resources.
Even though the article is of a local nature, its activities affect the international community. It is a call for help and assistance to the needy. We realize that in every nation, there are usually people who are in need of support. We can choose to ignore them or mobilize each other to support them. If the article was set or written in United States, it would be a call to help other needy people in another country. United States has always been known to be quick in addressing issues of international nature yet ignoring what locally affects them. Whenever it is a call for charity, you will rarely hear of the funds being directed to some poor state in the country. It will be mainly to help some poor country in the Middle East, Asia or Africa as opposed to United States. This is mainly because the country never considers itself to be having major issues. United States feels like other nations need their support more than their own people do.
Bibliography
BBC News ‘People living alone 'are more depressed'. Retrieved from
London evening standard. ‘Thanks a million! Our fund gets record breaking boost’ retrieved from
Scotland on Sunday ‘Emergency work on bridge delays traffic’ retrieved from
The Somerset ‘Students to be given £100 towards travel to college’ retrieved from
