MasterStraw11450
Chasing a News Story Complete a graphic organizer analyzing the…
Chasing a News Story
Complete a graphic organizer analyzing the Amanda Lang Conflict of Interest story.
In the graphic organizer provided, the first row has been filled out as an example
Graphic Organizer
Website and Article Title Mainstream or Alternative (How do you know?) Appearance Tone Advertisements Disclaimers
Example
The Tyee
“There’s Sitcom Potential in those CBC Missteps”
Alternative: Not well known, stories tend to skew left wing, has activist focused tab “Solutions”
Busy. All stories seem to have picture. Big ads on main page. Lots of different fonts used. Colourful. Feels more informal. I would infer that the news stories on here are covered in a less serious way.
This story is written in first person, but it’s an opinion piece and I would expect to see some biased or slanted language that supports the writer’s opinion. Language is casual with slang: “I’m beginning to wonder if we shouldn’t just rename it the Corrupt Broadcasting Corporation. (Ba-dum-cha!)”
Writer’s attitude seems to be disgust.
Lots of ads in prominent places. Advertisers: United Steel Workers, Royal Roads University, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. Ads suggest that audience for this source is pro-union, interested in activism and education.
Link at the bottom for “About The Tyee” and a link for more articles by the same author. The About page explains that The Tyee is funded by labour associations (among other groups) which might affect their credibility if they covered any stories about unions.
To see the difference between the ways in which mainstream and alternative news media cover stories, have a look at the following links dealing with the Amanda Lang story. Consider the following:
Mainstream or Alternative: Is this a mainstream or alternative news source? How do you know?
Appearance: How would you describe the appearance of the site? Formal? Informal? Text heavy? Lots of pictures? Does it contain any graphics such as diagrams or timelines? What inferences can you make about the content of the site based on its appearance? For example, if I saw a site that had lots of text and few pictures, I might infer that the site is more serious and formal.
Tone: How would you describe the language used on the site? Formal? Informal? Does it contain any slang? Humour? Does it use first or second person? Biased or slanted language? What does the writer’s attitude toward the subject matter appear to be?
Advertisements: Do any ads appear on the site? If so what are they ads for? What inferences can you make about the intended audience of the site based on the ads? For example, if I saw an ad for a fast food chain, then I might assume the intended audience is a broad audience that’s not particularly health-conscious. If there are no ads at all, I might wonder how the site makes money.
Disclaimers or About sections: Does the site give you any disclaimers, disclosures, or “About” pages so you can find out about the writer/writers’ background or affiliations. If so, what can you learn? Does it affect their credibility in a positive or negative way?
1. http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/01/17/Sitcom_Potential_CBC_Missteps/
2. http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/hussan/2015/01/whats-missing-coverage-amanda-lang-rbc-saga
3. http://canadalandshow.com/article/amanda-lang-tried-sabotage-cbc-story-scandalized-rbc-who-paid-her
4.http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/01/13/amanda_lang_some_of_cbc_hosts_rbcinvolved_speaking_engagements_unpaid.html
5. http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/22/amanda-lang-fallout-cbc-on-air-talent-barred-from-taking-paid-speaking-gigs/
PLEASE complete a graphic organizer analyzing the Amanda Lang Conflict of Interest story.
