Critical analysis of journalist's work.

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S. Elton. 29/1/06                                                                                                   EH101                                                                                                    

Critical analysis of journalist’s work.

The two pieces of journalism chosen for this analysis are Jeremy Clarkson’s report on a short visit to Iraq 18 months on from the supposed end of the war there in 2003, and John Pilger’s article concerning his arrival in, and initial experience of, Saigon during the Vietnam war in 1966. These two reports, and reporters, make a handy comparison.

Although Jeremy Clarkson is viewed principally as motoring journalist he has the ability to adapt his journalistic skills to a range of subjects, some far removed from cars. For his motoring column in the Sunday Times Clarkson’s style is humorous bordering on sarcasm, which works well and this style translates well to the subject of the controversial war in Iraq. The Sunday Times is a quality broadsheet newspaper aimed at the upper end of Britain’s readership and is a market leader with an average Sunday sale of 1,395,046 copies, which represents a 50.58% share of this area of the market. Clarkson, being an out and out Conservative, is immediately identifiable with the readership of the Sunday Times, and his ‘overgrown schoolboy’ approach presents as a welcome relief amongst the principally serious editorials of the papers other journalists. In ‘Behind Jeremy Lines’ the situation in Iraq is revealed as totally opposite to what the politicians would have us believe, this is made apparent in the title of the article. Behind the lines in a military sense and behind the lines of what is being reported. Clarkson takes the opportunity here to ‘bash’ two of his pet hatreds, Blair’s Labour Party and the Bush administration of the U. S.A. The article is not directly open in this respect and some kind of fairness in the balance is retained, but the suggestion of what is being reported is very evident.

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With the passing of 18 months since the supposed end of the war in Iraq we are led to believe that law and civilised order has been restored, but this is very defiantly not the case, the British public are, of course, aware of this but are told something different. This situation is highlighted well with the comment: “Mr Blair always makes it sound like Burton on Trent over there. But do you know what? He’s lying”. This is a powerful statement, which reflects the state of affairs, capitalisation of this point is used to draw the attention of the ...

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