LAB10


 * Using the criteria of Transparency and Functionality in slides 8 and 9 (From Lab 9 Slides), do a media analysis on content (i.e. articles) displayed from two major online information sources (i.e. Google News, About.com, Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers, MSN.ca etc). **
 * **Reasonable length (minimum of 200 words)**
 * **Quality of language and of points raised (keep arguments/points succinct and clear, argued, and written in good language)**
 * **Relevant information and analysis**
 * **Treatment of information (conclusions are drawn, hypotheses made, facts are interpreted)**

For this lab I have decided to focus on transparency and functionality of Wikipedia and Google News. I chose these two information sources because both sites are so popular and widely used it is interesting to see what results would come up between these two sites. I predict information available on Wikipedia would be more focused with greater functionality and transparency when delivering information, while Google News would offer more variety but scattered information concerning whatever we‘re looking for. In order to analyze the content of major online information sources, I researched a topic I found interesting: the OJ Simpson case.

This trial became a world-wide phenomenon because of the mystery of his wife’s murder, and his status as a superstar American football player, football broadcaster, and actor. The case has been described as the most publicized criminal trial in American history, and lasted over nine months—the longest jury trial in California history. Simpson's celebrity and the lengthy televised trial riveted national attention on the so-called "Trial of the Century". I find this case particularly interesting it has continued to be a hot topic today. Although the trial happened in 1995 and has been settled for many years, there are still debates regarding his status as a murderer - we still don’t know what really happened.

First, I noticed there are multiple articles about OJ Simpson on Wikipedia. There exists “OJ Simpson trial”, “OJ Simpson murder case”, or simply just “OJ Simpson”. However, all articles are formatted the same way, with information structure and content typically similar but a little more specific when discussing the trial in the first two mentioned articles. The article named “OJ Simpson” is more general but also dedicates a large section to his case. Each article contain an introductory paragraph followed by table of contents which leads to each of them by sub-headings. They commonly discussed his status as an athlete, his history of involvement with the wrong side of the law, and most notably his relation to his wife Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder. Overall, when seeking information, Wikipedia’s functionality is an effective one. It contains immediate and relevant details but not too much to over-burden the reader with mass amounts of information. Links are sprinkled throughout the texts to further lead readers straight to these hyperlinked keywords without them having to type it into the search box, as well as a linked list of references at the bottom of the page. This acts as a good source of references for readers who want additional research on the topic. However, because Wikipedia is generated by members of the public - anyone can change the information within - it fails to be consistent with its quality of its information. Even though false information will mostly likely be removed, this fails to act as a 100% reliable source. Due to this, the issue of transparency is apparent with Wikipedia, when authors to the information may be amateur.

On the other hand, my experience with Google News proved to be a website of great functionality and transparency. When I typed “OJ Simpson” into the search engine, it presented numerous peer reviewed articles dated 2010. It is up to date, and from reliable references such as Fox News, The Sun, and BBC News. Also, something I noticed was that Google News was effective in making information very easy for readers to find. The sub categories available on the left hand panel such as ‘Business’ and ‘Entertainment’ is a great way to lead readers to their topic of interest.

In conclusion, my prediction - that information available on Wikipedia would be presented with greater functionality and transparency over Google News - has been proved false.