weekly news #11: workmen vs bear

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(excuse the awful thumbnail picture, it comes from CCTV footage and doesn't at all represent my views on digital photo quality standards)

Although this article isn't necessarily news-worthy, it provides a platform for me to explore ways in which tabloid papers entice the public into a story. This particular article is from the Daily Mirror, which is a prime example of a paper which includes sparse (but heavily biased) information about major news stories, and pads itself out with human interest stories as well as commentary on celebrity life. Within the title and the strapline of the article, three powerful adjectives are used - 'terrifying', 'huge' and 'bizarre'. Without reading into the story, these already connote emotion as well as interest in the reader, and use dramatics to entice the audience.


The inclusion of a video also draws readers in, as the story can be summarised in watching it and therefore make the article particularly easy to 'read'. Diegetic sounds of shouts, as well as the bear's growling, again tug on the viewer's heartstrings, as they may be able to feel the workmen's distress at the situation and therefore empathise with them. Alternatively, they could put themselves in the bear's position, and feel sympathy for the animal despite its ferocity as it seems to be in distress.

Caena Lewis

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