Introduction
Nepean Barrhaven EMC released on May 31, 2012 is the issue of a Canadian newspaper chosen for analysis. It is a community newspaper serving Eastern Ontario. The issue provides the weekly news of the community and of the country, much attention is paid to health problems.
Advertising takes special place in this newspaper as well as the entertainment and business news. Reading this issue of the newspaper, it is possible to guess that the editor and the authors of the articles pay special attention to the health of the community.
It is possible to predict that the issue is interesting for different layers of population as it contains important national news, community information, advertisements, entertaining section and other information presented on various topics and attractive to people with different interests.
What are the primary journalistic beats covered?
Considering the primary journalistic beats in the discussed issue, it should be stated that modern journalists pay much attention to the Internet and the data found there (Pavlik, 2001). The primary journalistic beats are located on the cover page. The most amazing story is devoted to a woman who managed to withstand the transplantation of the double-lungs.
The less striking, however important news are devoted to the $300 million project for the reconstruction of the Bayshore Shopping Center, the 50th anniversary of the community association in Manordale, the increase of the number of the city’s highways and the health issue which covers the services for mentally disabled youth. These stories are presented on the cover page making sure that the journalistic investigation of these themes was substantial and these stories deserve additional attention.
The largest story on the cover page is devoted to 21-year-old woman, Helene Campbell, who managed to withstand a difficult operation. The story dwells upon the case pointing at the most striking and interesting facts. Even though the story has the scientific interest, the form of presentation, the striking title and the focus of the article will be interesting for many people.
The same deals with other beats which are presented at the cover page. Being specifically directed at the particular audience in the scientific field, the journalists managed to present the information which makes it interesting for reading by other layers of population.
Comparison and contrast of the style of this newspaper with others
The style of writing in this newspaper is free if compared with The New York Times newspaper. The New York Times newspaper is more official presenting more economic, political and social data which is interesting for business people. Nepean Barrhaven EMC is less informative in these directions. Nepean Barrhaven EMC does not contain political themes, however, the social and economical data is covered.
Still, the style of information layout is different. The newspaper under consideration presents the material as the stories making the material interesting for reading, while The New York Times is interested in presenting more useful information which bother business people and politicians. The international news are covered in The New York Times which make the form of the presented information more informative.
The data is presented with the reference to the sources, the statistics and other means of supportive information are provided to make the discussion argumentative. It makes the discussion more official (Owen, & Purdey, 2011). The news in the Nepean Barrhaven EMC reminds the story telling among friends. Of course, the news covered here also carries informative nature, still, the tone and style is less official.
The story from the newspaper and the discussion of the four information biases described by Lance Bennett
Personalization, dramatization, fragmentation, and the authority-disorder bias are four information biases discussed by Lance Bennett (2011). Taking the “’I am so thankful’: Helene Campbell” story as a sample for analysis of the Bennett’s biases, the following data should be considered. The story is closely personalized as being described by the author, the article is full of quotations and direct speech which help to see what the main character of the story feels.
Moreover, reading the story it is possible to get the voice of the author who is also impressed and fascinated with the situation which happened to Helen. The notes of dramatization cannot be missed as the whole story is based on the health problem, lengthy disease and a recovery which took too much time in combination with the professionalism of the American surgeons.
Fragmentation bias is present, as discussing the problem the author turns to the conference, to the surgeon and to the time a girl spent in the hospital, to the moment when the disease was discovered, etc. The author also tries to make some forecast for Helene’s future. The article under consideration does not contain the signs of authority-disorder bias. However, the presence of the three biases makes the news an unofficial story which confirms the general direction of the newspaper.
Whether the story is episodic or thematic?
The article is episodic as it covers a simple story of one girl which cannot be considered from different angles (Iyengar, 1994). It was easy to distinguish the type of this story. Being an episodic discussion, the story is focused on an individual, not on an issue which would be in case of a thematic discussion. Moreover, the text under analysis focuses on a single event, not on trends over times.
Opposite to thematic discussion which would dwell upon the cases which deal with fixing the conditions, our story dwells upon how to fix the person which is the central characteristic feature of the episodic frame. Moreover, private data is depicted, not the public, and the better information is required on the contrary to the better policies which would be in case with the thematic frame (Yousman, 2009).
Conclusion
Therefore, it may be concluded that Nepean Barrhaven EMC newspaper is directed at a larger layer of the population who are not interested in serious political and economic news. Those who read this newspaper usually want to read an interesting story and to be aware of the latest news. Nepean Barrhaven EMC is exactly the newspaper for the community which covers the main news and events which are interesting for people.
The style and the tone presented by the journalists do not require from people the knowledge of the special terms, therefore, the reading of this weekly newspaper brings them joy. Presenting the episodic stories, the journalists support the interest of the readers as it does not make those be aware of the information which was covered in the previous issues. Reading Nepean Barrhaven EMC people get to know the latest news in the community and in the country.
Reference List
Bennett, W. L. (2011). News: The Politics of Illusion. London: Longman.
Iyengar, S. (1994). Is Anyone Responsible?: How Television Frames Political Issues American Politics and Political Economy Series. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Nepean Barrhaven EMC. (2012, May 31).
Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (2011). International News Reporting: Frontlines and Deadlines. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Pavlik, J. V. (2001). Journalism and New Media. New York: Columbia University Press.
Yousman, B. (2009). Prime Time Prisons on U.S. Tv: Representation of Incarceration. New York: Peter Lang.