Broadsheet and tabloid artical comparison Essay

The incident that all three papers are discussing is a cable car accident in Italy in which 20 people died. This tragedy occurred on 3rd February 1998 as a low American fighter jet severed the wire on which the car hung. This caused the cable car to crash down 300ft leaving another cable car in suspension. This event happened nearby Mount Cermis, Northern Italy. The Mirror takes it account from all spectrums but focuses on British tourists in the area. The Times do not mention their eyewitnesses but focus on the American and Italian view on the subject. The Newsweek discuss mainly with American officials but they do feature any eyewitnesses. The major differences is that the Mirror is a daily tabloid, the Times a daily broadsheet and the Newsweek is a fortnightly American publication. The Mirror and The Times reported on the incident the next day, whilst Newsweek reported on it thirteen days after. The Newsweek will obviously be bias as its country is involved in the accident and the other two papers should share the same views as they are not involved. Due to the Times being a broadsheet it should have a more sophisticated language and its attitude should follow this. The Mirror has a lot of factual information on the accident. It states the number of deaths (20 skiers). It mentions the area in which it happened (Cavalese, Northern Italy). It describes the type of American jet (American Marine EA-6B Prowler). It informs the reader of the victims nationalities (at least six German, two Hungarian, two Polish). Also followed with the sex of the victims (nine women, ten men and a child). The Mirror goes on to talk about a similar incident which happened in previous years in the area of Cermis informing the reader of the number of deaths, the date, the nature of the incident and who was blamed. The Mirror gives the reader all the information needed and due to them adding information about a previous accident they are giving them that extra information this shows they researched the area and attempted to familiarise readers with the area. The Times, is a conventional broadsheet. They give the reader information of were the incident took place (Dolomites, Mount Cermis). They share the same number of deaths as the Mirror and describe the model of the plane as a ‘Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler similar to the Mirror. They include the maximum capacity of the cable car. (40 people). They mention the exact time of the incident (3:25) and the height it was going up to (6,000ft). The report does mention the nationalities of the victims in this area but it generalises saying ‘most of them German’ so it does not give figures like the Mirror. The Times also mentions the previous incident in the area in 1976 when 42 people died due to ‘the failure of automatic safety systems’ in the third column second-to-last paragraph. The American publication does not discuss the event in detail. It mentions the area in which it took place (Dolomites). It refers to the cable car as a ‘yellow gondola’. It includes the number of those killed and adds the area of origin (20 tourists from seven European countries). The Newsweek report also states the type of plane and how low the Italian air chief sad it was flying ( 3,300ft) below the allowed altitude. They also inform the reader in the about an Italian plane that went missing in 1980 by Ustica and how the US were suspected to of shot it down. This report differs significantly from the Times and the Mirror. These reports all differ. The British tabloid, The Mirror will differ as it uses sensationalism and wants to shock rather than inform and the vocabulary should be restricted and compressed, there are constant puns and word plays. The Mirror seems to take a view on the incident The Mirror’s language is pacy and dramatic. They use several forms of language to achieve this. It applies emotive language to stir up sympathetic feelings from the reader. The words such as ‘plunged’ in the first paragraph is used to describe the way in which the cable car fell to the ground. They also use figurative language to describe the cable car, this could be to make the reader able to envision the horror and harshness of the accident. They do this by using a simile. They refer to the way the cable car saying ‘it opened up like a cardboard box’ as cardboard is not very strong and can be destroyed easily. This emphasises the fragility of the cable car and the violence in which the cable car was so effortlessly ruined and reinforces the severity of the accident. A dramatic form of language is constantly used throughout the report, this accentuates the incident. The plane is described to of ‘screamed down†¦ ripped the wire’, this use of onomatopoeia including other words such as ‘limped and screamed’ This shows the reader the speed and power of the plane. This use of language is used to exaggerate the incident. They also do this when describing the car using words such as ‘crashing†¦ ripped†¦ smashed†¦ dangling perilously†¦ torn†¦ plunged’. This language is also a use of hyperbole in which he event has been exaggerated for effect and to expresses the horror of the incident and visualises it to the reader as they follow the report. The Times is a broadsheet and uses a formal language, not a form of dialect as it is circulated throughout the UK. They also like the Mirror use hyperbole and onomatopoeia to exaggerate the event. They use a simile ‘screaming through the sky like a thing in torment’ this figurative use of language personifies the plane. They also use several word to describe the plane such as ‘sliced†¦ roaring’. They go on to use several words relating to the cable car such as ‘crashed†¦ crumpled†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ dangling’. They also use phrases to describe the report such as’ smashed bright yellow cable car’ and ‘twisted cabin wreckage’. The Newsweek an American paper is constantly cynical in its language. It is less formal then the other reports. It does not use an hyperbole as it is not interested in the event so it has no need to exaggerate it The Mirror interviewed people from all spectrums of the incident. They talked with a British couple who were tourists in the area and claimed they missed being in the incident by minutes. The Mirror included these British tourists to give the report a personal aspect, this may gain interest from readers who would be attracted to the article as it brings the incident to the British shores that there own were involved. They also discussed the incident with a police chief Andrea Russo who described the scene saying ‘all four wall of the car opened up like a cardboard box ‘ and tells of the severed bodies and the bloodstained snow. This shows what the scene looked like after the incident. They talked to a fire services spokesman to confirm the number of deaths and the US Defence Secretary William Cohen who gives the official American statement and view on the disaster. They also get an official statement from the Italian Regional President Carlo Andreotti who condemns the Americans. He was interviewed to give an impression of the Italians view on the accident. Cristina Antoniazzi a hotel owner nearby, she discusses what she heard at the time of the accident. This gives a view of a normal resident in the area and their view on the deaths, free from all the spin and censorship a government statement may have. The Times does not offer any statements from British officials or those on the scene. They do not care for their opinion as they are not involved and do not need their view on the matter. They have an account from an eyewitness but the name and status was not given. The report contains a statement from Fausto Colasanti, a police official describes the location as a ‘terrible scene of carnage’ . The Times also talk to a rescue worker and the Italian Deputy Defence Minister to add an official look on the cable car incident. A Signor Brutti is also mentioned but his status is unknown. This mainly has an Italian viewpoint, not that it holds a bias view but not many American opinions are given on the accident. The Newsweek does not feature many interviewees. It has views from American Gen. Tim Peppe who defends the pilots. Italian Gen. Mario Arpino said the warplane was flying 3,300ft below designated altitude and the U. S Ambassador Thomas Foglietta is said to of ‘finally conceded’ that it was flying ‘below the minimum approved altitude’. The report includes a U. S activist Grace Potorti who describes the incident as her ‘worst fear come true’. The Newsweek includes the Italian President Luigi Scalfaro who hoped ‘the accident wasn’t caused by someone†¦ who didn’t care about others’ lives’. They do not include any actual comments on the scene of the accident or from those around the area or nearby the incident. They do this because they are bias and are not in favour of the Italian view that the pilot were being reckless. They include mainly phrases and not full statements from any of their interviewees.