Contrast of Same Information From Different Places

It can be interesting how two different newspapers will report the same news in a slightly different manner. This can be viewed in the following two articles that were recently published: “New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short’ on Iraq future”

[International Herald Tribune (IHT)] By Brian Knowlton (Published: January 30, 2007) and “‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander” [Agence France-Presse (AFP)] by Jim Mannion (Published: January 30, 2007)

In summation, both articles inform the public that in Admiral William Fallon’s testimony to the US Senate, he stated his belief that a turnaround for success in Iraq is possible if a new strategy is implemented, but the window of opportunity for success is very small.

There are two similar photographs that accompany the articles. The AFP stresses a long shot photo of Admiral William Fallon testifying before the US Senate while the IHT uses a similar photo, but one that is a closer, tighter shot. In both photos, the Admiral holds up his hands in a gesture of emphasizing his seriousness. The photos complement the story well as they provide a clear image of the Admiral.

Both articles provide the basic facts of the situation that relates to the headline, but then segue into different subject matter. The IHP drifts into a discussion on the dangers that Iran poses to US and Western European interests while the AFP article drifts into reports about civilian casualties and loss of life/

While both articles are factual, it is obvious that both articles also have a certain bias to them. The IHP article clearly tries to label Iran as the main villain in the conflict while the AFP uses the article to make the US war effort look like a grim failure. Granted, Fallon touched on both issues in his testimony, but it is curious how both papers “cherry picked” what to report and how to report it.

To a great degree, the IHP article was far more enjoyable because it had a glimmer of hope in its contents. The AFP article was downbeat and gloomy, emphasizing death and destruction. While the situation in Iraq is dire, there should always be a sense of hope present for the future.

Bibliography

Knowlton, Brian.  30 January 2007. “New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short’ on

Iraq future.” International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2007.

URL http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/30/news/policy.php

Mannion, Jim. 30 January 2007. “‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander”

Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 30 January 2007. URL http://news.yahoo.com/

s/afp/20070130/pl_afp/usiraqmilitaryfallon_070130204955