A Pakistani girl known as Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban in October. The extremist group opposed Malala’s activism in female education. Authorities flew her to Birmingham for treatment, where dignitaries from different parts of the world visited her.
The subject of coverage in The Express Tribune newspaper was the British Foreign Minister’s (William Hague) visit to Malala; the Interior Minister (Rehman Malik) and the UAE foreign minister also accompanied him on this trip. A news report by NTD television also covers the same story.
The audience only has the writer’s writing style to connect with the story in the newspaper article. Conversely, the audience relates to the story through the tone of voice of the reporter as well as the appearance of the characters in the TV report.
Visual effects are richer in the televised report that the newspaper article. Consequently, readers have no choice but to focus on the content. It is easier to get distracted by the images in visual media.
The most significant differences between the styles of coverage in both outlets are the content of the stories. NTD only had 2 minutes to cover the story in their news bulletin (NTD 12). Therefore, they could only stick to fresh material or events that took place when the Minister visited Malala.
In the two-minute account, the NTD reporter shows images of the Minister and his team as well as Malala’s father and his team. They talk for a while as the reporter briefs the audience about the circumstances that led to Malala’s tragic situation.
After that, Minister Hague then briefs reports about the visit and his commitment to assisting Pakistan.
He condemns the violence and asserts that Pakistan’s enemies are Britain’s enemies, as well. The reporter has not shown any clips that relate to Malala’s past; only matters are revolving around the trip concern her.
On the flipside, the newspaper report contains a much broader array of subjects on the matter. First, it outlines the assertions made by the Minister and his team. After that, it looks into some past issues that led to the shooting.
For instance, the reporter talks about the security protocol that will be provided to the girl when she gets back and why this security was not offered in the first place (Agencies par. 4). It also discusses the immediate criminal convictions that have resulted from the shooting.
None of the three people responsible for the assassination have been captured although the Pakistani government has already identified them. The reporter then looks into the political and foreign policy issues surrounding the cases.
Military operations, drone strikes, and the international community’s perception of the event are discussed. Therefore, the newspaper article has a much deeper perspective than the TV report.
A person who has not heard about Malala before can read the newspaper article and follow her story more closely than a person who relies on the TV report.
The language used in both reports is formal, but because the newspaper article is written, then a more reserved style has been developed. While some names of attendants have been identified, not all of them are mentioned in the TV report. Conversely, all parties have been dully covered.
Conclusion
The newspaper report has a much greater depth than the TV report owing to the explicit description of stakeholders as well as a review of relevant past information. These differences stem from the time constraints in the TV report as well as language requirements by stakeholders.
Works Cited
Agencies. “Home Recovers: Britain commits to Malala’s health, female education.”The Express Tribune: 2012: 18.
NTD. UK’s Hague meets father of Taliban victim Malala. 2012. Web.