Australia worries!
By Trycja August 9, 2007The Indian Ocean Tsunami affected million of people and shocked the whole world, especially Australia. Australian newspapers illustrated the natural phenomenon on the front page of nation’s metropolitan newspapers. Further, the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster was diverged in broadcast news bulletins, and online news. Indeed, it was the headline event since many people have died due to a “monster wave.”
The Australian news communicated about the “where” which is essential if it comes to proximity. In addition, the tsunami disaster had a wide interest to the society because it represented a hook; it was an unexpected event which also could occur in Australia.
Indeed, Australians could easily identify with the tsunami-disaster as most of their population lives along the coastline, too. Further, the “place of disaster” was a favourite holiday destination for many Australians. It could be possible that many Australian tourists had been among the victims. Similarly, the tsunami catastrophe not only opened discussions about the environment, but also formed fundraising campaigns, and finally united a nation in sympathy for the victims and their families.
It is beyond all questions that the tsunami was an upsetting event. It caused many inquires about the environment. Further, it arouses question how it affected economic affairs such as economic aid, jobs, health, laws and societies security. In other words, the disaster has stimulated the society to think about environment and its consequences.
Play on Reader’s Heart Strings
By Trycja August 9, 2007What a story. A mentally ill Australian women is arrested by Queensland police because she was a sick old German?
At first, I would call attention to proximity. It seems as if the government has violated against human rights; the police men have arrested her as she was apparently a German citizen. In addition, they have not cared about her health. Isn’t that discrimination, too?
The story could affect others, especially internationals. I wonder why there have not been more investigations on that old woman. The government could have addressed the German government to ascertain who the old woman really was; or they could have tried to find her family.
The second story would consider conflict value. I would criticize the government’s health system. Since I have been wondering why an old woman was found alone. It seems that she was unable to live by herself; so why does not her family or the government care about her? It is the fact, that she was German or a mentally sick woman? Further, I would address the society because it seems as if nobody had missed her. In my view, the government should introduce a better healthcare system to support and protect older people.
The third story would deal with human interest. “Old sick Australian survived 10 months in an immigration detention” would be the headline for my story to dramatize the issue. Reporting on a mentally sick woman who was charged due to the fact that police men made a mistake would catch the reader’s interest, too. I would try to get an interview with the sick women. Hence, an interview would make the story more vividly and involve the reader emotionally.
My decision would depend on the press, if I worked for a yellow press newspaper, I would rather write a human interest article about the mentally sick woman; otherwise I would prefer the other two stories.
Prince Charles Comments Australian Crimes
By TrycjaAugust 9, 2007
Prince Charles would honour the Australian society, the crime problems announcement would not.
Since Prince Charles is a well-known prominent royal, he would have aroused most public interest. Crime problems, on the other hand, are everyday talk so they would not catch the reader’s interest at first hand. Readers would pay more attention to Prince Charles because they like to hear a prominent voice that is interested in their local issues; even though Prince Charles might not be an expert or politician of their country.
It is truth, what matters is that a prominent or even more than that, a royal, shows concern about ordinary people. In addition, Charles’s comment would also include the announcement about the inner-city problems because his comment is based on the crime issue; hence, two stories would be reduced to one story.
In other words, the Charles story would “kill two birds with one stone” and it would be a hook as it does not happen every day that Prince Charles states his point on Australian crime issues.
News Is a Hook
By Trycja August 10, 2007News is a curious, straight to the point communicator of a contemporary event which the reader can understand easily.
Kipling’s Six Strong Serving Men a Guideline for News?
By TrycjaAugust 9, 2007
If a journalist writes a newspaper, he should appeal Kipling’s “What, Why, When, How, Where and Who” because they present the essential of a story.
It is true, Kipling’s Six Strong Serving Men communicate the understanding of the matter; however they can appear in multiple combinations. They do not have to be in the same order; neither do all six members of the Six Strong Serving Men have to appear in one paragraph.
Their usage depends always on a particular story. If a journalist addresses prominent, the reader wants to know who it was, what he/she did or what event it was. These “men” matter at first, because prominent events involve well-known people, institutions or organisations. On the hand, if a journalist reports on proximity, the “where” is the most important, then the “what”, the “how” follow; as proximity concerns events geographically which are emotionally close to the reader.
In other words, the story and the journalist determine how many “men” appear in a story. However, journalists should always remember Kipling’s guiding men as a changeable variety.
