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How to Become an Entertainment Reporter

It is not easy to become an entertainment reporter. There is a lot of competition, and there are not very many opportunities available. However, if you love entertainment and also love journalism, this is the job for you. If you have some patience and determination, you can get into this field.

The first thing you want to do is get an education. You will need a degree in either communications or journalism. But getting a degree is not enough if you really want to make it in this field. You will need to gain some real-life experience. A good place to start is to join your college newspaper and become a reporter. It takes a lot of time and practice to learn the skills of becoming an entertainment reporter. This is a very tough job, and you need to be very bold and be able to ask a lot of questions.

To succeed in becoming an entertainment reporter, you will need to have a passion for it. You also have to be a good writer; write articles for an entertainment magazine if you can. It is also a good idea to start with some freelance work. You may want to move to a larger city such as New York or Hollywood. Before you move, be sure to look for a moving company quote.

The perfect way to get started is to apply for an internship. This will look great on your resume and you will gain some valuable experience. Look for jobs wherever you can and be prepared to start at the bottom. It will most likely take you years before you make a name for yourself.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With:

Crime and the Economy: an Unpredicted Impact

Is crime going up or down?  The news has an agenda to draw in viewers, and tends to do so through fear tactics—inspiring people to watch their broadcasts in order to learn what crimes are taking place where, and how they can better insure their safety.  Studies have found a correspondence between the crime rates and fear rates: when one is down, the other is up, and vice-versa. This correlation has led to curiosity regarding other factors and their link to crime, one of which being the state of the economy.
According to the statistics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an economic downturn can boost crime rates, namely because of the sense of desperation it rouses in people.  The most crime typically occurs, predictably, in the burglary grouping.  However, the recent slump in the United States economy has had the opposite effect: as the FBI stated, the crime rate in 2009 decreased in every category, particularly in the scope of burglary.
Analysts looking at this data have been stumped.  Their reasoning takes several routes, one of which is that crime constantly fluctuates and is not measurably affected by situations including wars, stock market increases, economic downturns, or cultural discontent.  The second justification is that the law has been more powerful and that being involved in crime has become more dangerous, deterring possible criminals. The last reason that criminologists are focusing on involves age statistics; more adolescents commits crimes than older citizens, and the current youth generation makes up a lesser percentage now than any other age group.

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Celebrity Worship Syndrome and its Dangers

People have found a new, bizarre form of entertainment: celebrity tracking.  Psychiatrists have been following the phenomenon for years and even have a term for it: “Celebrity Worship Syndrome.”  It is defined as an unnatural fixation on the lives and activities of the rich and famous, and although it is believed to have always existed in some form, technological innovation has given people the ability to pursue information on celebrities more than ever before. Because this data is readily available, the number of those who enjoy celebrity tracking has noticeably increased in the last decade, and still continues to rise.
Those studying Celebrity Worship Syndrome believe that it appeals to people as a form of escapism; they are able to distract and entertain themselves by following the problems of those that they consider to be better off than themselves.  Those who enjoy celebrity tracking are also drawn in by the recent trend of average people becoming famous, mainly due to the increase in and popularity of reality television shows.  Celebrity is no longer limited to the wealthy, industrious, or gifted, and the means of growing into a celebrity have accelerated.  This circumstance further enthralls people that are fixated on the concept of celebrity, because they feel that they are able to achieve it.
Those analyzing the recent obsession with celebrities warn that it has contributed to general maliciousness in society.  Although people have always been captivated by the lure of celebrity life, recent generations are also more critical of them and their lifestyles.  It is this ambiguity that sparks discontent and can bring about destructive consequences among fans, particularly those that are engaged in fantasy relationships with celebrities.  When a fan becomes this attached, they can feel betrayed by a celebrity when that celebrity makes choice they disagree with, and suffer the same emotional distress that occurs when one loses a friend.  Psychiatrists agree that a low level of intrigue regarding the famous is normal, but that when it becomes part of everyday life, mental health is at stake.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With: , ,

The Astonishing Link Between Crime and Weather

Researchers worldwide have recently expressed a shared interest in weather and how it affects the moods of people.  This interest was sparked both by an increase in seasonal depression and the current concern of climate change.  It has been conventionally understood that all aspects of weather, including amounts of sunlight, wind, temperature, and precipitation are very influential on human disposition, but one study in Germany came to a surprisingly different conclusion.
According to this study, conducted by the Humboldt University in Berlin, these factors did not have a substantial influence on the moods of those surveyed.  Many disagree with their findings, arguing that they feel heavily affected by the weather on a daily basis.  The conflicting notions on this subject have sparked more interest in it and more studies are in the works.
One such study seeks to discover the impact that long periods of high temperatures can have on crime, based on the belief that when temperatures soar for an extended amount of time, people grow short-tempered and aggressive, and are more likely to commit a crime.  A number of law enforcement agencies are compiling their data that evidences a connection between high temperatures and an increase in crime.
Italians have conducted such research on this relationship between heat and crime and are even more specific in their findings:  according to a study conducted by La Sapienza University in Rome, the country’s suicide and murder rates increase up to 20 percent when the summer heat takes effect.  It is suggested dehydration as the most responsible factor in this dramatic upsurge in crime, based on the belief that the outer layer of the brain requires water to function properly.  When a person becomes dehydrated, their brain has trouble regulating negative and aggressive impulses that originate in the deeper parts of brain tissue.

Filed Under: Climate, News Tagged With: , ,

Dissecting the Nature of Crime

Crime and geography are clearly linked, but how is this significant? Current research is linking the areas that crimes are committed with the areas that criminals originate from, and the types of crimes that they are committing in order to create a system that informs citizens of the most common crimes in their area, so that they can be prepared and take preventative action.   In plain language, data is being mapped to display where shoplifting most commonly occurs, as compared to financial fraud.  The majority of criminologists agree that there are several circumstances that combine in order to determine where a crime will take place and what that crime will be.  However, specifics on these factors and how to predict them are still developing, and it is uncertain if such forecasts of wrongdoing can ever be correctly produced.
Although both the why and the where are significant, criminologists have come to the conclusion that the where is the inquiry most relevant to their analysis and that it will be the most helpful to citizens.  Currently the research is focusing on area patterns of crime and their association with settings and duplications; in other words, what is happening where, and how often, and if the possible perpetrator is involved in other crimes.  By conducting such exploration, criminologists hope to capture criminals that are widespread in their illegal pursuits and stop multiple crimes by homing in on the areas that they have concluded are hot spots for specific crime.  This data will also help the law enforcement adequately prepare for the type of offenses that they know are taking place in specific areas, so that they do not waste valuable resources.

Filed Under: Climate, News Tagged With: , ,

Wanting the Gory Details: The Human Fascination with Crime

Although crime has always been present in our word, its recent upsurge cannot be denied, nor the fact that humans as a race are intrigued by the concept of violence inherent in crime.  Why does crime inspire such curiosity in us, particularly true crime?  Historians, detectives, authors, and average citizens alike are still drawn to the case of Jack the Ripper, even though his morbid reign as a serial killer occurred more than a century ago.  There are hundreds of websites dedicated to this mystery, many of which make arguments for who might have been the feared Jack, despite the fact that any and all suspects are long deceased.
Likewise, there are hundreds of websites and online libraries dedicated to relating other true crime stories, most popularly those of the Boston Strangler, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the BTK Killer, and Charles Manson.  People naturally gravitate toward the gruesome details of these cases, despite their senses urging them to look away.
This same strange urge to know the worst is what drove sales of the dark works of Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mysteries during the 19th and 20th centuries.  Historians analyzing human psychology have come to the conclusion that people have always been drawn to the gory details because we characteristically want to know how, and then why.  As conjecture and chatter on true crime stories expands, everyone wants to contribute their opinion as to why the crime was committed, creating an overall desire to know the elements of the crime itself.
This fascination, which has always existed, is particularly manifest in contemporary society, where these websites, detective novels, television specials, and movies emphasizing the acts of crime and investigation of crime hook spectators.  The media has taken advantage of this obsession and emphasizes the occurrence of crime in daily life, further feeding the addiction.  This cycle will never cease because crime will always exist and people will always be fascinated, thriving on the terror and diversion that crime stories provide.

Filed Under: Climate, News Tagged With: , ,

The Undying Appeal of the Theatre

Entertainment has manifested numerous forms and changed over time in order to best appeal to the wants of the masses.  Modern entertainment revolves around instant gratification.  This desire for prompt satisfaction has driven the current obsession for faster computers, more capable cell phones, and a wide variety of entertainment via the television.  Entertainment early in the 20th century demanded more patience and concentration because it required more active involvement from its participants.  These slower, more direct forms of entertainment include such things as poker games, going to an art show, reading comic strips, or even going for a drive in an Oldsmobile.  The common link between then and now is the theatre; attending a show at the theatre is the form of entertainment that has not yet been annihilated by prevailing technology, and probably never will be.
Like entertainment itself, the theatre has had its flourishes and declines throughout its long history.  Theatre has been traced back to 6th century Greece and has enjoyed widespread popularity ever since.  Theatre became highly commercialized after Shakespeare helped promote it through his plentiful and beloved plays, which were available to all classes of society.  Between the 18th and 20th centuries plays evolved to include themes revolving around commonplace people, the critical review was invented, and the theatre has been a success ever since, even in the face of modern attractions.
Alongside the current lure of rapid technological entertainment, the theatre continues to appeal to people.  Although movies are more widely available and cost less than attending a play, the human drama that occurs on stage is unlike anything captured on the screen.  Acting in person has an appeal unlike any other in the entertainment industry, and will continue to thrive, despite modern developments in new forms of diversion.

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Important facts on Pennsylvania

Atlantic Ocean
Image by veni markovski via Flickr

A United Sates Commonwealth State, Pennsylvania is located in the North-eastern region of the US and occupies the Middle Atlantic regions. Harrisburg is its state capital located on the Susquehanna River. To its south lie the States of Maryland and Delaware, while New York and Ontario (Canada) lie to the north of it. To its east is New Jersey while Ohio lies to its west and West Virginia in the southeast. Among the topmost populous States of Pennsylvania are Pittsburgh, Erie, Philadelphia and Allentown. The coastline of Pennsylvania is 82 square kilometers along Lake Erie while the shore line extent along the estuary of Delaware is 92 square kilometers. The north-south extension of Pennsylvania is 274 km while the east-west extension is 283 km. the total area of this Commonwealth State is 119,282 square kilometers. Mason-Dixon Line and the Delaware River are among the bounds of the State. In terms of area it ranks 33rd in the United States.

Pennsylvania is the only one State to not border the Atlantic Ocean from among the original Thirteen Colonies. The other important cities of Pennsylvania are Reading, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Easton, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport. Pennsylvania is characterized by a diverse topography and it is the reason for its variation in climate. Majority of regions in Pennsylvania experience a humid continental climate barring the south-eastern corner. There is a considerable trace of humid subtropical climate in Greater Philadelphia that includes parts of Maryland and Delaware to the south. There is marked change in the climate as one enters towards the interior parts of the State that is mountainous. Here, it is colder and characterized by more number of cloudy days and snowfall also increases. The precipitation level is uniform and plenty all over the State all throughout the year. There is high snowfall in the western areas.

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A Historic Look on the Legendary State of Pennsylvania

The earliest inhabitants of the State of Pennsylvania were the Europeans. Both the English and the Dutch asserted their demand for the land on either sides of the Delaware River, claiming it as part of their regal lands in America. The first possession was taken over by the Dutch and that led to a profound impact on the history and culture in Pennsylvania. Then, Sweden established its supremacy partly in certain regions of the land and it led to the settlement of a few Swedish colonies, mostly in the lower part of the Delaware River region. In 1664, the Duke of York, James was given a Grant by the King of England, Charles II that comprised lands of the Grant given to Virginia Company of Plymouth as well as some other parts. This came in conflict with the claims of the Dutch for New Netherland that comprised parts of present Pennsylvania.

During the later part of 1664, part of the Grant that is present day New Jersey was sold to George Carteret and John Berkeley by the Duke of York. The conquest of New Netherland by the English was started with the coercion of New Amsterdam to surrender in New York Harbor. This conquest was completed in about two months after the capture of Fort Casimir or the present day New Castle, Delaware. The Peace of Breda that was finalized between France, England and the Netherlands asserted the successful English conquest in 1667, in spite of temporary reversions.

In 1672, the Dutch were able to re-conquer New York Colony during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. This led to the establishment of the three County Courts that later became real counties in the present day States of Delaware and Pennsylvania. It was only later that one of them – Upland was transferred to Pennsylvania. After the Treaty of Westminster, the situation was partially reversed and with the end of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, the English kept hold of the Dutch Counties and also retained the Dutch names. Sometime later, New York regained control over the remote colonies that included Upland and even later the names also began to alter into English names.

Filed Under: Government, News Tagged With: , ,

Pennsylvania – From the Lenses of a Historian

With the end of the Third Anglo-Dutch War fought over the claim of the respective sides on the colonies in Pennsylvania, the Treaty of Westminster was signed and it led the English to gradually exercise control on the far-flung colonies as well as Upland, the terribly disputed zone. It was in 1674 that Upland was partitioned and it produced the broad outline of the present border shared between Delaware and Pennsylvania. In 1681, William Penn was granted a land contract by the King of England, Charles II. This was for repayment of a debt by the King which he had owed to Admiral Penn, the father of William Penn. History has it that this was one of the largest ever land grants given to any individual. In honor of Admiral Penn, the land was called Pennsylvania that means “Penn”s Woods. However, William Penn had an intention of naming the province as “Sylvania” to avoid misunderstanding of any egotistical claims on his part by the people but the King was steady regarding the original name. Later, Penn set up a government with two improvements that were imitated to a large extent in the New World: the liberty of religious conviction and the county commission. The Upland portion of Pennsylvania was replaced by the name Chester County after Pennsylvania founded their colonial governments in 1681.

Between 1730 and 1764, in order to accommodate for the acute shortage of real silver and gold, Pennsylvania Colony produced its indigenous paper money. It was called as Colonial Scrip. Pennsylvania issued “bills of credit” that were at par with silver and gold coins due to their authorized tender status. It was an interest-free scheme as it was issued not by any banking institution but by the government itself. It helped in defraying taxation from the people and also the expenses of the government. It also led to the promotion of employment and prosperity as the currency was not inflated too much.

Filed Under: Government, News Tagged With: , , ,
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