News Coverage

The news coverage I decided to write about isn’t necessarily ‘breaking’ news, as the story broke over two weeks ago. However, the information related to the story is ‘breaking’. Sixteen days ago on March 8th, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing disappeared in flight carrying 239 passengers. Since the disappearance of the aircraft, a global search has commenced in hopes of finding evidence of it’s disappearance or wreckage. Within the last 24 hours, debris has been spotted on satellite in the Indian Ocean, that is presumed to be that of the plane. I chose to watch three news stories on the latest developments in the Malaysian Airline flight. 

(Sun. March 23, 2014) ABC News via Good Morning America covers the information in a very cold and emotionless manner. The anchor, David, has no sympathy in his voice while discussing the tragedy and no music is used to emphasis the crisis. The news station shows the area in which the debris has been spotted on a map, and then takes the viewer to the scene. ABC News also decided to sit down and discuss the tragedy with the family of the chief steward on the plane to pull at viewer’s heartstrings. The show family members crying and depict the raw emotion of the innocent families involved. The station also plays off the mystery involved in the incident by interviewing a Malaysian Airline pilot who recently flew that very plane on the same route. 

(Sun. March 23, 6:14 p.m.) CNN covers the same information in an entirely different manner. They speak of the new debris sighting discovered as well, but with much more sympathy and emphasis in their voices. They use two anchors (both male and female) to discuss the new information. The back and forth between the two anchors makes the information delivered in a more conversationalist manner. The news station uses no music, and does not interview anyone directly related to the tragedy but the anchors emphasize with those involved in a genuine way.

(Sun. March 23, 2014) NBC News covered the information in a way that was least appealing to me. The anchor was very monotone and seemed as though he was uninterested in the information he was relaying. The information was delivered in a very factual manner with a high volume of content in a short amount of time which made it hard to comprehend it all. They had Bill Neely, a chief global correspondent, discussing what was known about the debris, however, his thick australian accent made it hard for me to understand all that was being said. No music, no interviews with family members, just very straightforward, factual information.