Reference no: EM133348947
Assignment:
This week we were asked to evaluate newsletters from three different sources that pertain to the same policy topic. I decided to find newsletters covering the topic of gun rights and gun control. I figured this topic was divided enough to offer extreme differences in viewpoints on both sides of the argument.
The first Newsletter I looked at was from the ATF. I did not realize that they offered a newsletter. The ATF does not seem to write a newsletter on a regular basis. However, it seems they write a newsletter in response to either changes in policy by the organization or in response to newsworthy events. This newsletter is extremely straightforward and does not seem to be written with any bias towards either side of the gun debate. There is a ton of information in each issue and it can get pretty in depth with regards to laws or policies in the U.S.. It also offers very specific details about certain policies and requirements for firearm owners.
This is in stark contrast to the other two newsletters I evaluated. One from the Independent and the other from Americans against gun violence. As you can imagine both newsletters lean to one side or the other of gun control and second amendment rights. I found it interesting that these two sources are released much more often than the ATF newsletter. The Independent has multiple newsletters that are released either on a weekly or a monthly basis. And the format seems to be all online and digital. These newsletters seem to be released with an intensity that could be compared to propaganda news releases. The ideals within the newsletters do not leave much room for compromise from either side of the debate.
I did find one newsletter from an organization called "crossing the divide". It seems this organization's sole intention is to find common ground between both sides of the debate. There is a section for republicans and one for democrats and at the end a section about finding common ground on the issues in order to make meaningful change, or at least progress on the issues at hand.
Overall, I am partial to the ATF's newsletter. I like the "just the facts" approach and it reads more like newspaper about a specific topic than anything else. I felt that all the other newsletters were pushing their own agenda too hard and did not leave much room for independent thought from the reader.
Q1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the viewpoints expressed in the three newsletters and how they relate to the subject matter?