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-- Critical
Media Literacy
in Times of War
-- Introduction
to the Site
-- Modules
-- Afghanistan
-- Introduction
--
Background
--
Media Coverage
--
How Many Protested?
--
Crowd Size Sept. '01
-- Crowd
Size April '02
--
Was Reporting Fair?
-- Comparing
Reports
-- Comparing
Reports, con't
--
Why Underreporting?
--
Tones and Headlines, Sept. '01 protests
-- Tones
and Headlines, April '02 protests
(you are here)
--
Comparing Positions
-- Civilian
Casualties
--
How Many Civilians Died?
--
Tones and Headlines
--
U.S. Raid, Oct 11, 2001
--
U.S. Raid, Oct 11, 2001 con't
--
U.S. Raid, Oct 11, 2001, part 3
-- Was
the Media Told?
-- Networks
Follow Orders! |
THE
"WAR ON TERROR"
Tone
and Headlines
Different
word choice and content within headlines and in article content can create
different impressions about an issue and reveal the positions of the authors
or the media source. Headlines are particularly important because often
that is all a reader may see.
Pay
attention to the word choice of the highlighted
sections and the content and consider whether these suggest an editorial
position sympathetic or contrary to the position of the protesters or
that depict the protest as either significant or insignificant.
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April
20, 2002 protests
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"MIDEAST
TURMOIL: THE DEMONSTRATORS; Thousands March
in Washington in Support of Palestinians"
While
this might normally suggest a protest or rally of great size, in
this case it greatly minimizes the size of the protest.
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"
Demonstrators Rally to Palestinian Cause; Arab Americans, Supporters
Drown Out Other Issues"
While
acknowledging that there were components of the protest besides
Palestinian solidarity, by choosing to say "drown out other
issues," it makes it appear as if the other aspects were insignificant
- perhaps in both the protest and in national politics. Furthermore,
no indications was given of the size of the protest. This headline
also exploits the generally negative press given to Palestine in
the US.
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"More
protests expected on Washington streets"
This
headline does not indicate in any way the protest's purpose or size,
making the issues invisible. The word choice "expected"
reveals the point of view of someone 'threatened" by the protests
- definitely not the point of view of protesters or organizers who
know the event will occur. Thus the headline reflects a subtle anti-protest
point of view.
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"A
Peaceful Justice?"
This
headline takes the point of view of the protesters, prompting the
reader to consider the possibility that a non-violent response to
the terrorist attacks will also bring about justice.
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"200,000
Protest the "War Without End":
"We Are All Palestinians Today"
This
estimate (200,000), by police and organizer estimates, is at the
extreme end of the range of estimates of the size of the protest,
making the protest appear as significant as possible.
The
use of quotation marks around "War Without End" calls
the legitimacy of the war into question, supporting the position
of the protesters.
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"Protesting
Too Much"
This
headline indicates that the message or goal of the protest was wrong
or based on exaggeration.
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