Jounral #2

I covered the story commonly titled: Too Pretty to Fly?

A) One of the first places I saw this story was on CNN. It is also in their video archive online. The story is one minute 23 seconds long, which is certainly long enough for such a fluff piece of news. For television they take the time to set the situation up and tell it like a story. Their lead was "It started off as a regular flight, but 18 year old Nisreen Swedberg and her friend Sarah Williams that soon changed." It comes off like a movie trailer in the beginning. This version of the story relied almost entirely on the testimony of the girls. While they read quotes from a South West spokes person simply confirming that the incident happened, both girls had a chance to explain their side and state their theory as to why it happened.

B) For my second source I went to a site devoted to local news in Tampa Bay because that is where the story happened. They used about 300 words to tell the story and had a lot more information down to how much the two girls paid for their tickets on the return trip. Their lead is "Prejudice against pretty?" This lead is fast direct and catching. They jump strait into the issue, which I like. The girls are each quoted but they get way less time and frankly their side of the story comes off better in print than when they tried to tell it. There is only one still shot of the girls. It is better than you can't hear them talk because they sounds air headed but at least in print it is easier for me at least to take them seriously.

C) For my third source I went to a blogg called Galdling. His lead was "I believe that we have just crossed the line from irritating to incredulous in the Southwest Airlines fashion police scandal." This lead assumes that you know something about the story. This story is not so much informing you that this event happens but people are tuning in to see what the author and the community have to say. They are not bound by facts or trying to be fair. At one point the author says "maybe you were just being spoiled brats." referring to the girls saying the stewardesses were jealous because they were younger. It's a refreshing take and I think it brings light the the idea that there are not always two equal sides to every story, but in legitimate news you have to try anyway.