Tag: public opinion

What does the average college kid think?

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Well, I’ve asked some Furman students what they have thought of the United States government’s response to the disaster in Haiti and most are positive responses:

  • “Although the U.S. was not the first to respond– they’ve done a good job helping out” – Furman Sophomore
  • “The United States is participating in Haiti now however it will be interesting to see what they do in the long run.” – Furman Senior

I sat down with Furman sophomore, Sophie More, to discuss: Sophie Interview

Although students may have different opinions on the U.S. government’s role in Haiti, most have shown their support by wearing Haiti t-shirts that were sold during the Furman Men’s soccer tournament that took place to raise money for Haiti.

Haiti Shirts

It’s refreshing to know that college students have an opinion on issues such as the US government’s role in Haiti. Not only do they understand what is happening outside of Furman’s campus but they also show support in fundraising and “Haitian Spirit”.

What does Idaho say their "Heroes"?

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Those law-breaking Americans I talked about a couple of blogs back have finally been released!

But….

The Americans were imprisoned for three weeks for trying to smuggle children to the Dominican Republic
The Americans were imprisoned for three weeks for trying to smuggle children to the Dominican Republic

What does Idaho say about the Baptists’ return? According to one article, most public opinion was pretty negative. Like me, a lot of locals still don’t really think their argument makes what they did OK.

Furthermore,  media wasn’t allowed to ask the the newly released Americans many questions that have been on the minds of many in the US. Without the media being allowed to do their job, how will the general public develop an opinion on the story of the Americans imprisoned in Haiti?haitian-children

Honestly, I think that not answering questions will only hurt the Baptists. No one in their hometown thinks that what they did in Haiti is OK and the media has followed public opinion quite nicely.

The fact that Americans do not agree with what the 10 Baptists did in Haiti makes me feel more confident in what America stands for. It seems that the media has facilitated the dialogue between the accused and the public. Silence almost speaks as loudly as words in this situation…. where will the media take it? View more photos.

Mission Haiti Underway

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Let’s talk about a recent event that has affected the lives of many….

Let’s talk about what happened in Haiti on January 12, 2010…

Woman being carried out of the rubble.
Woman being carried out of the rubble.

I find the earthquake disaster in Haiti a completely relevant and necessary topic to cover right now.

Now, I understand that the media is covering the Haiti Relief Effort like movie theatres cover popcorn with butter (that’s a whole lot) but I want to find different angles to explore this traumatic event and the relief efforts that have followed the disaster…

I want to focus on:

  • Public Opinion: What does the public think of our role in Haiti? Are we giving too little or too much? 
  • Media Framing : How does the media in the US frame our role in Haiti?
  • Human Interest Stories: How are people that are directly connected to Haiti reacting and coping with the tragedy? What have people at Furman and nearby been doing in response to Haiti’s cries for help? 

I want to explore the role the United States is playing both as a government but even more so as a people. What do Americans think of the role the US is playing  in Haiti? What do Haitians think of US relief efforts in Haiti? There is so much that the media has not covered (I know, hard to believe) and I want to explore those angles.