Journal Writing #2- Media Audiences

Story: Bill would require paid sick leave in Calif.

The story is about a bill that Assembly woman Fiona Ma introduced last week that if made law would require all businesses in California to give their workers paid sick leave. According to both the Mercury News and the Sacramento Buisiness Journal, the paid leave could be used for the worker, to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault or to take care of a sick family member.

Newspaper: Mercury News

The article, written by Barbara Feder Ostrov, is around 500 words and is located in section 2 page B. This media had the most coverage of the story. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. The newspaper cites Assembly woman Fiona Ma, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association.

Television: KTVU Channel 2 News at 10 p.m.

The story was only about one minute long. Not very much information was given about it at all and there weren’t any quoted sources, probably due to time constraints. I'm guessing the station found this story of little importance on the newsworthy scale.

Web: Sacramento Business Journal, www.sacramento.bizjournals.com

The story by Kathy Robertson is around 300 words. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. It lists the California Labor Federation as a source, as well as a lobbyist for the California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, Michael Shaw. It seems the California labor Federation is for the bill and Shaw is against it.

I think the Mercury News did the best job reporting on this story, it had the most sources, it was informational and it gave more facts than the Sacramento Business Journal who included more personal opinion of sources than facts.

(Word Count: 297)