A News Feature Articles Analysis Paper Example

JOURNAL ENTRY 1: A NEWS FEATURE IN THE WASHINGTON POST

Summary. President Donald Trump has vowed to offer some form of punishment against Saudi Arabia if the United States investigators determine that Saudi Arabia was involved in the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In an interview with Lesley Stahl of CBS on Saturday morning, Trump termed the suspected murder of Jamal as disgusting behavior. According to Turkish authorities, a team of Saudis killed Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen who was living in the US. The Turkish claims are further backed by US intercepts that show Saudi officials discussing how to lure the journalist back to Saudi Arabia so that they can detain him. The Saudi Arabia government has denied any involvement with the disappearance and said that it is committed to international laws and conventions.

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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-vows-severe-punishment-if-us-determines-saudi-arabia-killed-khashoggi/2018/10/13/dbefa658-cee0-11e8-920f-dd52e1ae4570_story.html?utm_term=.b1eeba581308

Response. I think this is good journalism because the author remained focused on the president. The story was about what the president said rather than what happened to the journalist. The structure of the story qualifies it as hard news. The story begins with what the president said regarding the disappearance and proceeds to give details of the interview on the later paragraphs. The author successfully appeals to readers' spirit of character and ethics to support the investigations on the journalist disappearance. There are no visuals that may distract the reader from the message of the story. The journalism uses sources such as the White House, Saudi Arabia's government, Saudi Arabia's interior minister and Turkish authorities which are credible sources. It therefore manages to cover the story in a thorough and balanced manner. The feature is a good example of ethical journalism since it gives both sides of the story without leaning on one side. It also has good value by covering the story adequately to meet the demands of its audience. For a mixed audience, they will support the investigations and want to find out if indeed Saudi Arabia is responsible for the disappearance of the journalist.

JOURNAL ENTRY 2: STRAIGHTFORWARD NEWS IN THE BBC

Summary. A team of seven climbers has died while attempting to reach one of the 14 peaks of Mt. Everest. The expedition comprised of five South Korean climbers and four Nepali tour guides but officials have confirmed seeing only seven bodies scattered around the base camp of Mt. Gurja. The other two are still missing but officials fear they may also be dead. Reports from local media indicate that South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho who holds the record of the fastest man to reach the 14 peaks of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, is among the dead. Recovery operations were unable to reach the camp because of bad weather. The Himalayan database indicates that only 30 people have stood at the peak of Mt. Gurja and the last one did so in 1996.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45848535

Response. The article is good straightforward journalism because the author goes straight into revealing the story. The structure of the story is an inverted pyramid since the author gave the most important information about the deaths at the beginning of the article. The details about the climbers come at the later parts of the paragraph. I think the author was trying to evoke pity from the reader by trying to put a face on the deaths. He used Kim Chang-Ho, someone whom the readers could identify. There are visual images such as the photo of Kim Chang-ho and an image of an avalanche. The photos are successful in enhancing the story by giving the reader an idea of what might have killed the climbers before they start to read the story. The story has a few credible sources but it is still balanced in its reporting. The accident is a developing story and few details are available but the story does a good job of maximizing the available information. For a mixed audience they would receive the story with little sorrow because the author failed to put a face on the deaths and many readers do not know Kim Chang-ho.

JOURNAL ENTRY 3: STRAIGHTFORWARD NEWS FROM REUTERS

Summary. In the aftermath of hurricane Michael, search and rescue teams have reported finding hundreds of other survivors that had gone missing in Mexico Beach, Florida. The current death toll stands at 18 but authorities are expecting that number to rise. According to a volunteer working in the Panama City area, the lack of food and water is among the most pressing issues for those reeling from the storm. The door-to-door searches by off-duty police officers, fire-fighters and volunteers have found between 520-2100 people who had earlier been reported missing. The authorities managed to clear most of the roads to allow for fast rescue operations but telephone and power outages still hamper rescue teams.

Response. The story is straightforward bad journalism. The reader does not understand the topic of the story until they reach mid-way through the article. The article is not hard news because the most important bits of the story are not at the beginning. However, the author successfully managed to evoke a feeling of unity, strength and character by focusing on the volunteers and completing the article with the story of a lady smiling on her porch despite losing everything. Some visual images help the readers get a sense of the destruction brought about by the hurricane. It is ethical journalism because it gives people hope in times of despair and encourages people to come together and help each other. It however comes short of meeting the expectations of its readers because the reader has to read halfway through the story to get the important parts. For a mixed audience, they can relate to the story because of the personal stories that the author has featured in the article. The author manages to build the feeling of hope for those affected and those reading the story.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-michael/crowbars-cadaver-dogs-in-search-for-survivors-bodies-after-florida-hurricane-idUSKCN1MN0C4

JOURNAL ENTRY 4: A NEWS FEATURE FROM ABC NEWS

Summary. In an interview with ABC Chief National Affairs correspondent Tom Llamas, First Lady Melania Trump revealed that she wants to show the media that she does not care about what they think or say about her. The First Lady who is a quiet figure in the White House, a contrast to her husband, revealed that she is privileged and happy to serve her country. Trump further revealed that she is facing difficulties in fulfilling some of her roles as the first lady because organizations that she tries to partner with, turn her down because of the current administration. She however, insisted that she is enjoying life in the White House and wants to live a meaningful life. She does not care about the negativity that she and her husband receive from left-wing media and that she will continue doing what is right.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/show-care-melania-trump-reveals-details-life-white/story?id=58393164

Response. The article is an example of bad journalism. The story has a pyramid structure because the most important part of the article is at the end. The topic of the story comes from the jacket Melania wore to meet the Mexican children who had been separated from their parents at the border. However, the author has only included that bit of the interview in the end. The author appeals to the readers' sense of logic by talking about how the first lady is bullied and faces difficulty in executing her mandate because of differential politics. The visual image of the Kenyan wildlife preserve enhances the portrayal of Melania as a calm reserved figure. From an ethical standpoint, the article does not meet the ethical standards because it fails to enhance society with information that they can use to expand their knowledge of the world. Therefore, it comes short of meeting the readers' expectations because the readers expected to read about Melania's conservation efforts in Kenya and how she is securing American interests in Africa. A mixed audience might fail to see the logic in the article because it contradicts the first lady's effort which is to enhance the white house' image in front of the world.

Works Cited

BBC. Nepal storm kills climbers on Himalayan peak Gurja. 13 October 2018. Internet. 13 October 2018. <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45848535>.

Haslett, Cheyenne and Luc Bruggman. 'I want to show them that I don't care': Melania Trump reveals details of her life in the White House in her first extensive sit-down interview since becoming first lady. 13 October 2018. Internet. 13 October 2018. <https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/show-care-melania-trump-reveals-details-life-white/story?id=58393164>.

Nickel, Rod. Crowbars, cadaver dogs in search for survivors, bodies after Florida hurricane. 13 October 2018. Internet. 13 October 2018. <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-michael/crowbars-cadaver-dogs-in-search-for-survivors-bodies-after-florida-hurricane-idUSKCN1MN0C4>.

Rucker, Philip. Trump vows 'severe punishment' if U.S. determines Saudi Arabia killed Khashoggi. 13 October 2018. Internet. 13 October 2018. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-vows-severe-punishment-if-us-determines-saudi-arabia-killed-khashoggi/2018/10/13/dbefa658-cee0-11e8-920f-dd52e1ae4570_story.html?utm_term=.b1eeba581308>.