Vol. XIII Issue 2 Harrison High School February 2009 Inside the Huffington Post The World’s Most Powerful Blog A Husky Herald Exclusive Emily Singer News Editor This past November was marked Another project, called FundRace, (Media Editor), by one of the most important, contro- tracks contributions to presidential and Colin Sterling versial presidential elections in our candidates and offers maps which (Senior Blog Edi- country’s history. Everyone was talking pinpoint contributors by city, neighbor- tor). All four were about Barack Obama and John Mc- hood, and street. wearing jeans – Cain, and who might be better suited to HuffPo was recently named the one of the sev- save our sinking ship of a country. world’s most powerful blog by the fa- eral reasons why With newspapers in a media mous London newspaper, The Guard- they like working frenzy, writing article upon article about ian. Since the website was founded at the Huffington whatever proved to be the “latest con- three years ago, it has grown enor- Post. troversy,” it was easy to get caught up mously and is positioned to continue to Apart from and confused about everything go- grow over the next several years. comfort, the edi- ing on. The monotonous, unbiased, tors agreed that The Huffington staff hard at work. Courtesy of Emily Singer equal-time-for-each-candidate articles A TYPICAL WORK DAY AT HUFFPO flexible hours (they ington Post for ‘concentrated news,’ or tended to get a bit boring as well. can edit and update from home if they news from all of their favorite websites In times like those, opinion arti- Movies have a tendency to portray want) and the constant energy is what merged onto one website. As a result, cles can often clear clouds of confusion newsrooms as hectic, with people in make their jobs so appealing. the news editors debatably have the and set the record straight, and that’s business suits talking on their phones, Aside from Colin, the editors do toughest jobs. why so many turned to the articles shuffling through piles of paper, and not actually edit blog posts. They patrol Senior News Editor Katharine displayed on the Huffington Post. running around everywhere. This may internet news websites and television Zaleski was one of the Huffington Founded by Arianna Huffington be the case for some newspapers and reports for the most exciting and in- Post’s first employees. She started and Kenneth Lerer in 2005 as a web- news websites, but it’s definitely not the teresting news reports. Once they’ve working as a blogger two weeks after site where prominent political figures case for the Huffington Post. In fact, found something that catches their eye, the site was founded. As the site grew, and journalists could voice their politi- it’s quite the opposite. the original article is edited to several bloggers became editors and political cal opinions, the Huffington Post (also The offices are on two floors – the short paragraphs (under the Fair Use freelancers became bloggers. Be- known as HuffPo) has expanded to lower floor is home to the public rela- ing that there are approximately 20 cover topics such as entertainment, tions and business offices while the up- news editors, Katharine’s job consists media, and the go-green movement. per floor is reserved for the editors and “Huffington and Lerer... of much more than scrounging the Huffington and Lerer met through bloggers. The editors’ office is a large internet for interesting articles. She a mutual friend. According to Lerer, white room with four long tables. One is had this idea to try to focuses on how to make Huffington the duo “had this used by start a news site online Post stories cover the entire internet idea to try to start the tech and change the way news (i.e., How close to the top of the page a HuffPo article is when searched on a news site on- staff and is offered...” line and change is sepa- Google), as well as how to make news the way news is rated by more interesting (yet still fair) to keep offered online; a divider. people coming back to the site, which much the way The edi- Law, they cannot put the full article up). Katharine says is a “fun challenge.” CNN changed tors sit at Then, accompanying photographs are Just like Katharine, Media Editor the broadcast in- the first selected and cropped, the summarized Danny Shea has been on the Huff- dustry 25 years two ta- news story is linked to the full-length ington Post team since it first started. ago.” bles and article, and the story is posted. Danny started out as an intern and was HuffPo’s the blog As Senior Blog Editor, Colin Ster- hired full-time a year ago. He focuses extensive list of editors ling reads over 100 blog submissions on business and culture in the news, bloggers cur- sit at the a day and chooses which ones are the on television, and on the internet. rently includes last table. most interesting and site-appropriate. Although the site’s focus is news and Arianna Huff- Each There are sections on the site for politics, thanks to the recent election, ington herself, seat at every topic, so creating a balanced Danny is confident that the media sec- Rosie O’Donnell, the desk mix of subjects is important. When tion’s recent popularity will not fade. Carl Bernstein, has a asked whether he has received any He says that his section does not rely John Cusack, desktop blog submissions that were too radical on the media, and that politics relies on and Bob Barr, comput- to post, Colin chuckled a bit and said media to be heard (without television or among others. er, a tele- that occasionally he does, and he can newspapers, nobody would have any The web- phone, check with the writer to see how it can idea of what was going on in the politi- site is openly and the be edited so that the argument is not cal world, or the world in general). liberal, and un- respec- completely lost. Otherwise the blog Senior Style Editor, Anya Strze- mien, feels otherwise. She began her like other politi- Arianna Huffington. Courtesy of wired.com tive edi- can be rejected and forgotten about. cal blogs, HuffPo tor’s per- “We’re not obligated to publish journalism career working for maga- offers both news coverage and com- sonal laptop. There are wall-mounted everything that gets submitted,” Colin zines, but after time, the magazines mentary. Readers are able to send televisions at the end of each table said. “The bloggers are blogging for folded (her most recent magazine feedback on a post in the comments which usually are tuned into various free, so anything that gets posted career being Life, which was shut down section, making the site both private news stations gives them exposure.” Although the in April of 2007). Anya came to the and public. The Husky Herald was fortunate website is predominantly liberal, there Huffington Post that same month and Several side projects have been to sit down and talk to four of the site’s are several conservative and moderate began working for the Living section. In created such as OffTheBus, which major editors – Katharine Zaleski blog posts each week. August of last year, the Huffington Post merges New York University’s journal- (Senior News Editor), Anya Strzemien created the Style section and Anya was ism program and the HuffPo bloggers. (Senior Style Editor), Danny Shea Many readers turn to the Huff- promoted to Senior Style Editor. “Speaking from past experiences, (Continued on page 3) Husky Herald - Page 1 Aids Difficult College Process Selection Emma Glass Managing Editor As high school students, fresh- help students locate schools that offer quired to provide an email address; My Learning Style: Take this men through seniors, we have all their specific curriculum interests and this will become your username, and quiz, which analyzes your learning thought about college. While a fresh- more. a password of your choice. The direc- style, to find out how you learn and man may have a vague idea about In the Harrison Central School tions are clear and there are FAQs study best. 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