According to a
Marketing Psychology website,
"ten times as many people read headlines as go on to read the body copy. Said another way, the average headline and picture fail to persuade readers to consider the rest of the ad nine out of ten times!"
Then from
another report by the British Film Institute:
"Introduction: As the first paragraph in an article, the introduction is very important. Its contents tell the reader in more detail what the article is about.
Research into how people reader newspapers shows that most people read the headline first, followed by the first paragraph of the story. If the introduction is not interesting then most people will to continue reading the article. The first paragraph is often known as a stand-first, printed in a bold font."
Ok, so pretty much everybody only reads the headline and then some go on to the read the first two or three paragraphs, and then only few go on to read the rest of the story. So I'll present the first two or three paragraphs, depending on their length, so we can all see for ourselves how the journalism differs among all these organizations.
Newsmax -
Italian Journalist Freed, Then Injurred by U.S. Friendly Fire
ROME -- An Italian journalist was injured when a U.S. armored vehicle mistakenly fired on her car after she was released from her captors in Iraq, news reports said Friday. One Italian secret service agent was killed in the shooting, and another was injured, the reports said.
The Apcom and ANSA news agencies said that Giuliana Sgrena, a reporter for the communist daily Il Manifesto, was in a hospital in Iraq with a shoulder injury. The shooting occurred at a roadblock while the cars were heading to the airport, the reports said.
Fox News -
U.S. Fires on Car Carrying Freed Journalist
WASHINGTON_—_A U.S. armored vehicle in Iraq fired on a car Friday that was carrying a freed Italian hostage, injuring the hostage and killing an Italian intelligence agent, according to military sources.
Officially, the Pentagon said that multi-national forces fired upon the car, which was described as going at a high rate of speed. But sources told FOX that American forces opened fire on the car.
CBS News -
Freed Hostage Wounded By U.S. Fire
CBS/AP)_U.S.-led coalition forces fired on a car carrying a freed Italian hostage as it approached a checkpoint Friday in Baghdad, killing someone in her car and injuring the reporter, a military spokesman said.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena
was injured by shrapnel. Berlusconi also said an Italian intelligence officer was killed Friday after a U.S. armored vehicle fired on a car in which they were riding in Iraq, said.
Reuters -
U.S. Forces Wound Freed Italian Hostage in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was freed by her captors on Friday but U.S. forces in Iraq mistakenly opened fire on the convoy taking her to safety, wounding her and killing an Italian secret service agent.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he had immediately summoned the U.S. ambassador, declaring someone had to take responsibility for American soldiers opening fire.
BBC News -
US troops fire at freed hostage
Freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena has been hurt by US troops firing at a car taking her to Baghdad airport soon after her release.
An Italian secret service agent was killed in the shooting at a checkpoint.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi summoned the US ambassador demanding an explanation for what he called "such a serious incident".
Drudge Report -
FREED JOURNO FIRED ON BY U.S. TROOPS
AP (linked by Drudge)
Freed Journalist Fired on by U.S. Troops
ROME (AP) - A freed Italian hostage was injured and an Italian intelligence officer killed Friday after a U.S. armored vehicle fired on a car in which they were riding in Iraq, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said.
Berlusconi, an ally of the United States who has kept troops in Iraq despite public opposition at home, said he has asked the U.S. ambassador for an explanation.
"Given that the fire came from an American source I called in the American ambassador," Berlusconi told reporters. "I believe we must have an explanation for such a serious incident, for which someone must take the responsibility."
Al Jazeera -
Paper: Sgrena wounded by US fire
Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, earlier reported released in Iraq,_was wounded when US troops fired on the convoy transporting her, her newspaper said.
Freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was wounded when US troops opened fire on a convoy carrying her to safety, and an Italian mediator who help negotiate her release was killed, her newspaper Il Manifesto said on Friday.
CBC.ca News -
U.S. forces shoot just-freed Italian hostage, kill guard
ROME - Joy turned to horror in Italy on Friday when an Italian journalist who had been held hostage in Iraq was released, only to be shot by U.S. military forces at a checkpoint in Baghdad.
Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena suffered a shrapnel wound to her shoulder when an American armoured car fired on her vehicle, while an Italian intelligence officer accompanying her was killed
------
So apparently, the car carrying the freed Italian hostage happen to be traveling at a fast speed, and did not slow down while approaching the coalition checkpoint, and thus US forces opened fire on the car, probably for a good reason, as they didn't want to be blown to smithereens by a possible suicide bomber. However, bad luck, the car was carrying a freed Italian hostage, wounding her, and killing her Italian agent.
So obviously this is bad news for the Americans, but it
is news and must be reported. But how?
What struck me most was how the headlines were very similar. Only Newsmax's headlines casted the most positive light possible on the situation for the Americans, saying that it was "friendly fire". Fox's headline was more negative than Al Jazeera's and CBS News'!
Newsmax was the only source which didn't explain that Berlusconi wanted an explanation. Fox News and Al Jazeera were the only sources to mention Berlusconi deeper down in the story. Interesting. I thought Al Jazeera was supposed to be this jihadist news organization with a heavy slant to Islamic Terrorism.
CBC.ca was the most brutal in its headline and body text. "Joy turned to horror in Italy on Friday..." That's the only news item which starts with a sensational hook sentence. The rest don't, and just explain in one sentence what happened.
So, what I can see from this is how Fox and the ones perceived to be leftist cover the same story in a very similar manner. Is Fox part of the "liberal media establishment" too?
What is wrong with how these news services are covering this story? What would be
YOUR ideal headline for this news item? How would you write the opening paragraphs?
Unsubstantiated opinions
So when you make claims like, "the liberal media wants us to fail in Iraq", don't just say it. Explain HOW! HOW do they want us to fail?! And give real examples to back yourself up!
Blanket statements do nothing but make you look like an idiot. Give a
reason for your statement, ie. back it up.
"CNN is liberal hogwash"
That means
nothing! That's just your unsubstantiated opinion!
"CNN is liberal hogwash which gives more on-air time to liberal guests and the liberal POV"
Ok, now you're getting somewhere. At least you provided a reason, although unsubstantiated, to back up your claim.
"CNN is liberal hogwash which gives more on-air time to liberal guests than conservative. A study by the Media Analysis Center has shown a consistency of CNN to give more airtime to the liberal POV (insert URL here)."
YES! Now you've actually made a meaningful statement with evidence and reason to back it up.
I'd like to see a lot of that in this thread, please
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