JN2033- Q5 Presentation

Taking any three or four quality and popular newspaper reports covering aspects of global terrorism, identify the news values that would seem to underlie the

reports and evaluate the extent to which they are both objective and adequate in terms of background context.

By Roxanne Rothwell

News Values?

Terrorism?PainSuffering

Loss}Tragedy

Image-led front cover =

Scale and Intensity

American Newspaper = Proximity

Just from the front page we can deduce…Emotive Headline:The Examiner took a different route, tapping into the raw emotion of the moment (Bechtel, 2009).

In the weeks following the 9/11 attacks, 89% of American

people gave the press a ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ rating (Kohut,

2003 p. 252).

Association with

the rest of the world

=Elitism

America & UK culture=

Meaningful & Relevant

Several newspapers, including The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The New York

Post, USA Today, The Mirror and The Daily Express declared the attacks to be an "act"

or "declaration" of war.

Article content…

“The most spectacular terrorist attack on the United States had begun.”

Article: 12th September, 2001

=Continuity

“Eddie Gonzales, a 43-year-old mailman, was in his truck a block away from the World Trade Centre when the first plane hit its target. "You could see people holding on for their lives," he said.”

9/11 Reports

Impact Proximity Tragedy Conflict Elitism Continuity

Scale Intensity Meaningfulness Relevance Magnitude Personalization

Headline: 06/09/12“Green Army in warzone; KAZAKH TRIP TERROR WARNING”

“Terror-related incidents have left at least 50 people dead since May 2011”

“The Embassy specifically referred fans to incidents including the discovery of 15 burnt bodies at the Kazakh-Chinese border.”

"They could be directed against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners."

The Sun- Kazakhstan report

Impact Proximity Magnitude Conflict Intensity Relevance

Headline: 18/11/12 “SECRET MI5 DOSSIER: ABU QATADA ISSUED ORDERSTO KILL BRITISH

CITIZENS AFTER 9/11”

“The Security Service document has raised questions as to why Qatada - who the British Government has tried and failed to deport to Jordan…”

“Hate preacher…”

“…he goes further to include not only the aggressor (the American government), but anybody associated with the aggressor (its civilians) as prospective targets.”

“…according to...”, “…who has been described as…” and “MI5 says…”

The Mail on SundayQatada report

Relevance Proximity Elitism Conflict Continuity

Headline: 21/09/08“60 DEAD IN TERROR BOMBING AT HOTEL; BRIT KIDS HURT”

“FOUR Britons, including two children, escaped death last night after being caught in a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan”

“an appalling reminder of the threat terrorism posed to Pakistan”.

The Mirror- Suicide bomb

Relevance Impact Tragic Proximity Elitism Conflict

In conclusion…

Despite their different audience demographics the foundations of the story will have the same underlying news values in common.

It is only when the writer delves deeper into a subject to reveal the background context which develops the story further and creates a greater understanding of what leads to the event.

Often tabloid newspapers will briefly touch upon background context but more often than not will focus on the primary event.

Broadsheet newspapers are often more academic and will look at the events which led to the story.

Any Questions?