Source Notes 16

High-Speed Rail To the White House (Washington Post, 02/19/2009)

Summary:

Ray LaHood, the new Secretary of Transportation,  sent a memo earlier this February to the White House detailing possible high-speed rail corridors and possible funding mechanisms.  This article links my topic directly with one of Obama’s top advisers, and should be the start of many new sources of information on Obama’s policy preferences on high-speed rail.

Topic:

High-Speed Policy

Category:

Journalistic

What is it?

a newspaper article

Publication Information:

The name of the publication is the Washington Post.  The article was published on February 19, 2009 in Washington D.C.

Author:

Garance Franke-Ruta

Location:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/AR2009021803733.html

Accessed:

February 19, 2009

Support:

Ray LaHood, US Secretary of Transportation

Sholnn Freeman, another reporter for the Washington Post

Randy Babbitt, applicant for administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

Jane Garvey, applicant for 2nd in command at Department of Transportation

Ray LaHood sent a memo to the White House detailing possible rail corridors to develop.  Sholnn Freeman added that the applicants for administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and 2nd in command at the US Department of Transportation were going through a tortuous process to avoid another one of Obama’s appointees being rejected.  Randy Babbitt was mentioned as the front runner for the position of administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.  Jane Garvey was mentioned as the front runner for the position of 2nd in command at the US Department of Transportation.

Audience and Agenda:

The Washington Post’s site had approximately 8,500,000 visitors by the end of January.  The majority of people visiting the Washington Post’s website are male, above the age of 35, caucasian, have no kids, earn $60,000 or more a year, and have graduated from college with at least a bachelors degree.  They use this site for national and international news.  They expect professional journalistic articles tailored to inform people that don’t know very much about a subject.

The Washington Post is owned by the Washington Post Company, an education and media company.  Its editorial staff if known for taking a conservative stance, although the paper has backed many Democratic Candidates.  It is trying to inform the public about what the new Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, is emphasizing for the Department of Transportation.

Usefulness:

This story was published with the permission of the Washington Post’s editorial board, which in turn indirectly receives permission from the shareholders and advertisers that fund the paper.  Obama and his new appoiintees are a very newsworthy subject.  Also, it’s a pretty big boost for high-speed rail when the transportation secretary publicly advocates it.

The article is trying to address a national audience, including anybody who is interested in Obama’s new appointees.  It also indirectly addresses enthusiasts of high-speed rail, who should be very interested in a transportation secretary publicly pushing for alternative transportation.

It is arguing that high-speed rail might become more important under the Obama administration.  Ray LaHood is the top transportation advisor to the Obama administration.

It is leaving out any background information about rail corridors that were identified in the 1990′s and re-identified in the early 21st century, and the failures that ensued.  Maybe it is trying to keep an optimistic note for the new administration.

Focusing on Washington D.C., this source relates to Source Notes 6, Source Notes 7, Source Notes 8, Source Notes 12, and Source Notes 15.  Focusing on the U.S. Department of Transportation, this source relates to Source Notes 17, Source Notes 8, and Source Notes 11.

Works Cited:

“Quantcast washingtonpost.com.” <http://www.quantcast.com/washingtonpost.com>

“Ulrichsweb.com.” <http://ulrichsweb.com/ulrichsweb/>

“The Washington Post.”  Wikipedia.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Post>

“The Washington Post Company.”  Wikipedia.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Post_Company>

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Filed under: Journalistic