Newspapers - The New York Times, Las Vegas Optic and Santa Fe New Mexican - Essay Example

The newspaper is still the best and the most sought after medium of delivering news at one’s doorstep. There are the local andthe national dailies that in a way compete with one another in terms of greater circulation and getting highest number of subscribers. The local ones tend to address issues that have local interest and attract local readers. As a result each of them tries to present the same facts in its very own way selecting and sensationalising issues to get more people to buy and read it. In this essay I’ve chosen the incident of the Titanic tragedy way back in 1912 and have shown how each of the three dailies The New York Times, Las Vegas Optic and Santa Fe New Mexican reported it in their 1912 third week of April publication. It was at midnight of the 14th of April 1912 that Titanic hit an iceberg and the rest was one of the worst and most tragic episodes recorded in history. The Titanic was considered to be the most ‘gigantic’ (The New York Times, p.1) luxury cruise-liners of the century that could never drown. But as fate would have it, Titanic went down taking along with it more than 1500 passengers including hundreds of women and children. It became the major news of the 1912s and dominated page 1 of almost all the dailies for weeks. Each of the newspaper houses hounded for more detailed news not only for making business but for delivering as much information as possible to the aggrieved families of the victims who were trying hard to know and connect to their relatives who were on board. The publication of The New York Times that came out on the 16th of April 1912 has provided a detailed account of the incident. The Headline ‘The Lost Titanic Being Towed out of Belfast Harbour’ with a picture of the luxury liner evokes a sense of irrevocable loss. The best part of The New York Times is that it adopts a style that suits the common man’s taste. The news is presented in conversational English that people can connect with. By focusing on every detail from the desperate attempts of the Captain, Captain Smith, to the helplessness of family and friends in trying to get in touch with their loved ones, it makes the tragedy all the more palpable to its readers. Every column informs about one or the other aspect of the accident that might help in understanding the death toll, the exact location and the condition of those who have been saved. It provides a list of those feared to be dead on the basis of the number of cabins and the passengers fitted in them. This bit of statistical data shows its honest intentions in delivering the actual information. The daily has also reported on the somewhat callous reaction of the Whiteliner officials at this crisis. Without adopting an accusatory tone in criticizing the lack of transparency in them in providing the correct information it has not only restrained from sensationalising the issue but given due importance to the immediate crisis. But mostly there is honesty in the presentation style of The New York Times. The Las Vegas Optic too has given a vivid description of the incident. But there is a perceptible difference in the approach of the two dailies. The Las Vegas Optic has indirectly criticized the negligence of the higher liner officials in pre-arranging for adequate number of lifeboats that might have prevented such a huge death toll. Its’ presentation appears to be more dramatic as it tries to bring forth the harsh reality that took over the American dream. Headlines like ‘Steamship Titanic Carried 1,350 Persons to a Grave in the Chilly Waters of the Atlantic’ and bulletin news like ‘Scantily Clad They Were Found Floating…’ presents the pathetic condition of the victims. Unlike The New York Times this particular daily apart from the big news covered other news as well. The Santa Fe New Mexican too is critical about the ship authority and harps at the flaw with the final arrangements. It reports about the growing resentment among the people who have lost their relatives in the incident to sue the White liner company. However all the three dailies are similar in their attempt to present the true picture of the incident that had shaken the world. They in their unique style of presentation have brought out the seamy side of the Whiteliner authorities as the latter kept on dodging the real question by keeping hopes alive till the truth of the disaster came out. The dailies have tried to provide detailed information and the dismal story that each told wrung out nation wide sympathy for the lost souls. The detailed account of the incident, the number of lives lost, the condition of the victims obtained from the publications of the same week made a lot of difference in knowing about the reality of Titanic than that from films and fictionalized stories. The dailies presented the authentic situation and captured the reaction of the Americans, who were traumatized and disillusioned. They reported of first hand near death experiences that were appalling. The New York Times has retained its standard of news presentation till today by sticking to its simple yet powerful narrative technique. The Las Vegas Optic has become more subtle in approach and there is great change in the presentation that has become more straight in approach and simple in style. The Santa Fe New Mexican is gradually losing its readers with a sharp decrease in the circulation. It has become lacklustre and there seems to be dearth of innovativeness for making news of good stories. The New York Times seems to be more informative and attempts to be non judgemental and unbiased in its treatment of news content. It focuses on the fact rather than sensationalising it. It has a simple yet gripping narrative style and presents the news in detail and from multi dimensions. With time it has been improved and updated as per the demands of the time. Given a choice I would subscribe to The New York Times. In conclusion it might be said that the popularity of a newspaper depends on its presentation and its ability to connect to its readers. The three dailies have their individual and unique styles of presentation. The New York Times have stood the test of time by means of its qualitative presentation of news and maintaining the same standard of providing readers with meaningful stories. Bibliography Las Vegas Optic. [Las Vegas] 6th April 1912. P. 1 The New York Times. [New York] 6th April 1912. P. 1-2 Santa Fe New Mexican. [Santa Fe] 6th April 1912. P. 1 Santa Fe New Mexican. [Santa Fe] 22nd February 1913. Read More