The Washington Post news article
I found an international news article on three different websites listed above: NBC, The Washington Post, and Aljazeera. There is currently one of the worst droughts in decades occurring in Southeast Asia that is effecting many people in various regions. I’ve read each article and it’s interesting the similarities and differences that I’ve found.
For example, NBC focused very highly on showing pictures of the impact the drought was having on the people. There are many pictures showing the cracked ground and the desparity of the people. Besides the captions for the pictures, the article has very little writing and gives almost no information about the state of the countries or what measures are being taken. In contrast, both The Washington Post and Aljazeera had a lot of text in their articles and also focused very much on China’s efforts regarding the drought. Apparently, China is trying very hard to help, doing things such as releasing dam water. In addition, the Washington Post article gives a more detailed account of the measure being taken such as Vietnam’s efforts earlier in the drought and other steps China has taken to help.
The Washington Post is the most detailed article and gives the most information. Again, NBC is mostly pictures and Aljazeera is just a little blurb. The Washington Post also has quotations from an ambassador and highlights how six different countries are working together to solve the problem, which was something that was cool to know.
I do see evidence and value in the Agenda Setting Theory. It is obvious that this drought is important enough for these three major news stations to write about. However, it is interesting the various ways that these stations chose to do so. I see how an issue with enough coverage can gain enough traction to influence public opinion so people think it’s an issue. Honestly, after reading these articles, I think that the drought is a big issue, which is something that I didn’t necessarily think.
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