Report on media stories
The media platforms used to relay the story was mostly the internet. This basically entailed the use of news articles posted on various web pages/websites associated with reporting news. The news pertained investigation on Salmonella outbreak in Australia. The internet articles are best suited for an audience that mainly rely on internet for information. This form of media presents the news article in close resemblance to that of newspaper. This internet message can reach large audience through mass communication. Use of internet as mode of media transmission guarantees a simultaneous transmission of information. It also allows for easy access by any individual provided there is a network connection (Dunaway,2013).
The news angle of the provided articles is that of outbreak of salmonella which has resulted to food poisoning in Australia. All the media stories are poised at raising an alarm to the agents causing the outbreak. The media stories identify the main agents in market that have been investigated, posing the risk of containing the virus. This is to imply that the element of importance in the article is warning the masses about the agents resulting to the outbreak. Two media outlets state that the problem is as a result of alfalfa products being contaminated while two others state the agents are eggs and a final identifies the agent as rock melon (Langett,2013).
The stories are pitched in that they are based on finding the idea, reporting plan and time peg of the stories. In that the stories describe the newsworthiness of the articles. This is based on the facts that the stories start with a piece of the story being told, identifying the basic premise of story (Weerakkody, 2008). The stories are based on research of the effect of the outbreak clearly outlining the main characters of the stories. The news pertained investigation on Salmonella outbreak in Australia. The internet articles are best suited for an audience that mainly rely on internet for information. This form of media presents the news article in close resemblance to that of newspaper. This internet message can reach large audience through mass communication. Use of internet as mode of media transmission guarantees a simultaneous transmission of information. The news shows a sense of timeliness by identifying the reason of doing the story piece at the moment. All this act in finding the focus of the story.
Framing a story involves agenda-setting tradition where a news is written by focusing on issues at hand rather than focusing on particular topic. The stories are being framed by introducing a piece of the main news as the heading of the news. This helps in setting the stage for the news prompting the reader to understand more on what is going to be relayed in the article (Matthes,2009). The headings of the news focus on main event of the news story which is later placed into the story. The introduction section of the stories makes use of pictures helping in identifying characters of the news. The news related examination on Salmonella episode in Australia. The web articles are most appropriate for a group of people that predominantly depend on web for data. This type of media displays the news article in close likeness to that of daily paper. This web message can contact substantial gathering of people through mass correspondence.
Framing and Agenda Setting
The story is being reported as a caution message to its audience in regard to the outbreak of salmonella. The articles address the masses on the implication of using the outlined market agents that is eggs, alfalfa products and rock melon providing the number that is already affected by the outbreak in the area in concern. The story is also being reported as a precaution message to those who have already bought the products to avoid using the products or returning them to the company in concern to get compensation on the same (Jardine et al 2011).
Though all the media outlets are addressing the issue on salmonella outbreak, each of them has a specific agent they are reporting on. The key message in news.com is that the alfalfa sprouts are linked to salmonella outbreak and products have been pulled from shelves. The message under ABC news is that eggs of Glendenning Farms have been recalled after two dozen of salmonella poisoning (Hess et al 2008). The RNZ message is avoiding eating the rock melon since there is a spike in salmonella cases. Out break news reports eggs recall of Glendenning Farms as investigation goes on in human illness cases as a result of salmonella Enteritidis. The Guardian reports on contamination confirmation on products sold by Adelaide’s Sunshine Sprouts.
The story is neutral in that there is equality in terms of the positivity or negativity of the story. This is based on the fact that on the negative side we have the effects of the salmonella outbreak where people have fallen ill, and the products have been confirmed to be containing the contaminant. The positivity is that the problem was identified, and a caution produced (Mahrouse,2009). There is also the compensation on the returned products without proof of purchase. This shows an effort by the government in resolving the contamination and compensating individuals having the product in stock.
Agenda describes the importance based on a news topic to the general public. The various outlets discussed have a main agenda of raising a public notice on salmonella basing the discussions on the number of people affected and the symptoms associated by the infection. News.com provided an added information on the affected sunshine sprouts products. RNZ provides extra information on the precautions on handling of rock melon in view of avoiding contamination of the fruit or infection to user. Out break news goes on to state that the NSW Department has ordered a biosecurity procedure on farms to avoid movements of livestock related products (Costera,2010). The media outlets have the agenda of procuring safety of the public and to some extent showing involvement of the government. The media stories identify the main agents in market that have been investigated, posing the risk of containing the virus. This is to imply that the element of importance in the article is warning the masses about the agents resulting to the outbreak.
Similarities and Differences in the Outlets
The major similarity in the outlets is the caution on salmonella outbreak and identification of the agents causing the outbreak. The Guardian, News and ABC news makes use of quotation words implying direct source of information while the other outlets don’t. Similar topic varies slightly in information structuring and headings also vary. Outlet News provides extra information on the egg salmonella infection compared to The guardian and ABC news (Cissel, 2012). Research information has similarities like the number of victims infected or the number of samples that were contaminated.
The target audience is a society that has an easy accessibility to the internet network. The audience relay on internet media in order to access news on issues affecting their country. The information being relayed is possibly affecting the target audience directly since it provides for possible precautions and prevention to salmonella outbreak.
Conclusion
Being an important news in terms of health concern it’s safe to assume that the target audience gets most of its important news from the internet websites (Chelluri & Kaur, 2012). The issue is framed in a way to show that the target audience is mainly based in Sydney Australia. The framing of the issue shows that the target audience is conversant with English and some scientific terminologies.
References
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Hess, I. M. R., Neville, L. M., McCarthy, R., Shadbolt, C. T., & McAnulty, J. M. (2008). A Salmonella Typhimurium 197 outbreak linked to the consumption of lambs’ liver in Sydney, NSW. Epidemiology & Infection, 136(4), 461-467.
Jardine, A., Ressler, K. A., Botham, S., Irwin, M. J., Shadbolt, C., Vally, H., & Ferson, M. J. (2011). An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium 108/170 at a privately catered barbeque at a Sydney sports club. Foodborne pathogens and disease, 8(11), 1215-1219.
Langett, J. (2013). Meeting the media: Toward an interpersonal relationship theory between the public relations practitioner and the journalist. PRism, 10(1), 67-89.
Mahrouse, G. (2009). The compelling story of the white/western activist in the war zone: Examining race, neutrality, and exceptionalism in citizen journalism. Canadian Journal of Communication, 34(4), p.98.
Matthes, J. (2009). What’s in a frame? A content analysis of media framing studies in the world’s leading communication journals, 1990-2005. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(2), pp.349-367.
Weerakkody, N. (2008). Research methods for media and communication. Oxford University Press, 89(13), pp.67-69.