1. Put the writing below into simpler words

Question

### Yellow Journalism Rewrite:
**CHICAGO IN CHAOS: A Front-Row Seat to the City’s Destructive Descent!**

CHICAGO — Hold onto your hats, folks! The Democrats are gathering in a city that has plunged into DARKNESS, far worse than the infamous Great Fire of 1871! Unlike the mere flicker of flames that couldn’t stop Chicago’s relentless rise, the shadows looming over the city today are filled with corruption and union domination! Be warned—Chicago is the canary in the coal mine, a terrifying signal screaming of doom!

Brandon Johnson, the mayor whose political might comes straight from the depths of the 28,000-strong Chicago Teachers Union, has risen to power in a whirlwind of questionable politics! Just like the iron-fisted Richard J. Daley ruled from 1955-1976, the CTU is flexing its muscles in a shocking, VERY troubling fashion! Their leaders—who openly ADMIRE Venezuela and stand with Hamas—might as well be claiming a place on a world stage full of chaos and confusion! And guess what? The head honcho, Stacy Davis Gates, hypocritically sends her son to a private school while nearly a third of Chicago's public school teachers have followed suit—talk about a double standard!

Despite an eye-popping $24,000 per student spent on education—without even counting the mountain of debt—students are crashing and burning! Since 2012, math proficiency has sunk by a jaw-dropping 78%, and those poor 11th graders are barely scraping by—the catastrophe of reading and math levels is simply UNFORGIVABLE! Black students? A miserable 8% doing math at grade level! Is anyone listening?

And get this! A high school designed for NINE HUNDRED students has been reduced to just 35, while eight NEW unionized staffers are hired! Amidst the school closures during the pandemic, the union BLOCKED closure of over 160 almost-empty schools! Meanwhile, they’re eliminating selective enrollment high schools for absurd reasons of so-called “equity.” The audacity is staggering when half of those schools cater to disadvantaged families.

Absenteeism is the icing on this sad cake—the rate is an outrageous 40%, climbing to 46% among black students, while an astonishing 43% of CTU teachers themselves are skipping school! Meanwhile, the union’s outrageous demands for a new contract leaked, proposing bizarre perks like police-free schools and funding for a “gender-support coordinator” in every classroom! Gates stood proudly at one failed school while students there couldn’t even read or do math!

Chicago's population is shrinking faster than anyone can blink—over a quarter of residents have fled since 1950, with 2023 marking the city’s lowest population since 1920! While Cook County suffered a devastating loss of 58,000 in just one year—it’s a NIGHTMARE folks, plain and simple!

The city's poverty rate is a frightening 36.5% higher than the national average! Black unemployment is the highest in the largest U.S. cities and taxes are squeezing families dry, with property tax bills doubling in the last decade. Downtown is DARK and EMPTY, with nearly 26% office vacancies giving rise to an impending disaster—crime is skyrocketing as restaurants and shops shut their doors for good!

And crime? Buckle up—Chicago is the true crime capital of America! Violent crimes are surging, with school violence jumping a shocking 26%! The murder rate here is FIVE TIMES higher than in New York City, yet arrests are at a 24-year low! There’s chaos on the streets, with just the Fourth of July weekend boasting 109 gunshot victims and a heart-stopping 19 fatalities!

As the terrible truth unfolds, Chicago’s once-bright future is clouded by a series of catastrophic choices leading to disillusionment, decay, and outright despair! Elected officials who are supposed to serve the people are merely making things worse for those they claim to protect, creating a perfect STORM of despair that holds Chicago in its crushing grip!

### Language Use Examples in the Rewrite:

1. **Emotional Language:**
- "Hold onto your hats, folks! The Democrats are gathering in a city that has plunged into DARKNESS, far worse than the infamous Great Fire of 1871!"
- This dramatic introduction uses vivid imagery and capital letters to evoke a sense of fear and urgency, typical of yellow journalism.

2. **Sensational Content:**
- "Brandon Johnson, the mayor whose political might comes straight from the depths of the 28,000-strong Chicago Teachers Union, has risen to power in a whirlwind of questionable politics!"
- This phrase sensationalizes the political dynamics and suggests a nefarious behind-the-scenes manipulation, heightening the drama surrounding Johnson's rise.

3. **Hyperbolic Claims:**
- "The murder rate here is FIVE TIMES higher than in New York City, yet arrests are at a 24-year low!"
- This stark exaggeration emphasizes the failure of law enforcement, playing on public fears and paranoia about safety and crime in the city.

### Writing Process Explanation:

To transform the original piece from traditional journalism into yellow journalism, I adopted several key strategies:

1. **Amplifying Emotion:** I enhanced the emotional tone throughout the rewrite by using exclamation points, capitalization, and urgent phrases designed to provoke an emotional response from readers. This included describing the city as being in “DARKNESS” and referring to the situation as a “FRONT-ROW SEAT to the city’s destructive descent!”

2. **Creating Sensational Headlines and Catchphrases:** I constructed catchy and sensational headlines such as “CHICAGO IN CHAOS” and phrases like "the darkness looming over the city" to draw readers in and heighten the sense of crisis, embodying the hallmark of yellow journalism.

3. **Focusing on Dramatic Examples:** I cherry-picked the most shocking facts and examples from the original text while framing those details in a hyperbolic light, such as depicting the crime statistics and the involvement of influential groups in a way that supported a narrative of irreversible decay and chaos.

Overall, the goal was to not only report on the events but to portray them in an exaggerated, emotionally charged context to engage and rally the audience—a core principle of yellow journalism.

Answer 1

Simplified Rewrite:

CHICAGO IN TROUBLE: A Close Look at the City's Big Problems!

CHICAGO — Get ready, everyone! The Democrats are meeting in a city that’s facing serious issues, much worse than the Great Fire of 1871! Unlike the fire that didn’t stop Chicago’s growth, the problems now are about corruption and union control! Chicago is a warning sign, showing us how bad things can get!

Brandon Johnson, the mayor who has strong ties to the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, has come to power through some questionable politics! Just like the strict Richard J. Daley ruled in the past, the CTU is showing its strength in a concerning way! Their leaders, who admire Venezuela and support Hamas, seem to be seeking attention in a chaotic world! And here’s a kicker: the union leader, Stacy Davis Gates, sends her son to a private school while many public school teachers do the same—talk about hypocrisy!

Even though $24,000 is spent on each student—without counting the enormous debt—students are struggling! Since 2012, math skills have dropped by 78%, and 11th graders are barely making it—reading and math scores are alarmingly low! For Black students, only 8% are at grade level in math! Is anyone paying attention?

And here’s another shocker! A high school meant for 900 students now has just 35, even as eight new union staff members are hired! During school closures from the pandemic, the union prevented over 160 nearly-empty schools from closing! They’re also getting rid of selective enrollment high schools for ridiculous reasons about “fairness,” affecting many families in need.

Students not showing up for school is another big problem—the absentee rate is 40%, increasing to 46% among Black students, while an astonishing 43% of CTU teachers are also missing school! Meanwhile, the union's new contract demands include strange requests like police-free schools and hiring a "gender-support coordinator" for every classroom! Gates was proud at a failing school where students couldn't even read or do math!

Chicago's population is shrinking quickly—over a quarter of residents have left since 1950, and this year marks the lowest population since 1920! Cook County lost 58,000 residents in just one year—it's a disaster!

The city's poverty rate is 36.5% higher than the national average! Black unemployment is at the highest among the largest U.S. cities, and taxes are draining families' finances, with property tax bills doubling in the last ten years. Downtown is gloomy and empty, with nearly 26% of office spaces vacant, leading to rising crime as restaurants and shops close permanently!

And what about crime? Chicago is the crime capital of America! Violent crimes are increasing, with school violence up by 26%! The murder rate is five times higher than in New York City, but arrests are at a 24-year low! The streets are chaotic, with 109 gunshot victims and 19 deaths just during the Fourth of July weekend!

As the harsh reality unfolds, Chicago’s future looks bleak due to a series of bad decisions leading to disappointment, decay, and hopelessness! The officials who are supposed to help the people are only making things worse, creating a storm of despair that has a tight grip on Chicago!