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Coup:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/world/africa/20africa.html?ref=world

Israel Government:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/02/20/world/international-us-israel-election.html

Obama visits Canada:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/world/americas/20prexy.html?ref=us

Stock Markets:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/business/economy/21markets.html?_r=1&hp

S. Minneapolis Explosions:

http://www.startribune.com/local/39912937.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsX

Coleman Challenges:

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/39913652.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

I decided to comment on the piece about the coup in Equitorial Guinea. As I read the stories this week, I paid extra attention to the lead. This story’s lead was a bit puzzling to me: Why recap a previous news story in a lead? Sure, it was about a previous coup a couple of years ago in the same country, but it gave no information whatsoever about this story.

Besides the lead, I thought the piece was particularly well-written. The author explained the situation well, and I was able to easily grasp the main points in the article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7888516.stm

National:

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/congress/39548707.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUJ

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/13/plane.crash.new.york/index.html

Local:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_11693460?nclick_check=1

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/39498597.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUl

I chose to write on the international story about Zimbabwe’s new cabinet. While the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe has been reported on for years, this story is a big development. What makes it “news” are the implications that it will have on the country’s future. It also follows the 8 parts of the story pretty well. (lead, nutgraph, attribution, etc.) The lead sums up the story well, like it is supposed to:

“The swearing-in of Zimbabwe’s new power-sharing cabinet has been marred by the arrest of one minister and a dispute over several others”

It gives you all the key parts of the story in one sentence–the event itself (swearing-in), the story (arrest & dispute) and key details (power-sharing cabinet).