The Times article is also split into 4 columns, but only has one headline. It reads – “20 die in cable car after jets cut wire”. This heading is neutral and blames the accident on no one, yet from the words used in The Mirror; I can see that because they use the word “killed”, they are implying that it is somebody’s fault.
The positioning of the headlines is again different in each paper. In The Mirror, it is to the top left-hand corner, above a picture and in a bold font. In The Times it is found beneath a picture, approximately a third of the way down the page and is in a relatively small font.
The use of photographs and images differs in each paper only slightly. The Mirror has two photographs and so does The Times. I would say that the photos take up more space in The Times article, which would not normally be expected in a broadsheet newspaper. The Mirror includes a very simple diagram detailing the facts of the accident whereas The Times includes a map diagram detailing the position of the accident.
In The Mirror article I would say that the headline catches the readers attention first, whereas in The Times article it would be the large photograph to the top of the page.
In The Mirror article the general tone of the article is expressing empathy with the Italians and resentment towards, and an apportioning of the blame, to the Americans. On the other hand, The Times article is extremely neutral in its viewpoint and blames no party for the accident. It leaves it open for the reader to make up their own mind by making sure they are given all of the facts.
The major similarities between the two articles are that they are both reporting the same incident; they both have a headline and photographs. They both include a map and contain interviews with witnesses and officials.
The major differences are the layout of the articles, that the photographs used are different. Also the structure of the text is different. The Mirror article is longer than The Times article and there are more direct quotations in The Mirror articles.
The Mirror article as very opinionated and personal and includes one person’s experience of the accident. The Times is more factual and views the accident from an official standpoint.
The facts of the incident don’t vary in each report, yet The Mirror article tends to leave certain facts out, such as the time it occurred, which is included in The Times account.
The Times article is definitely more factual as it contains a lot more technical jargon than The Mirror. It includes information about the U.S. fighter jet – “The Prowler is used to jam enemy signals electronically….” none of which is found in The Mirror article.
The Mirror account includes a greater amount of detail, by listing the names of each of the witnesses alongside their quotations. In The Times, it tends to be vague and just use the term “one witness said”.
The Times report relies heavily on official interviews rather than the passers by which The Mirror relies upon. The Mirror also includes more quotations from the witnesses than The Times does.
The Times specifies who the victims were – “9 women, 10 men and 1 child”. And also their nationalities – “at least 6 were German, 2 Hungarian and 2 Polish.” This causes a greater sympathy because it makes the deaths seem more of a reality than if they were just described vaguely as “people”.
What I consider to be the major contrast between the two newspapers is the language they use. The Mirror is a tabloid and is therefore considered to be popular press and includes human-interest stories, which would make the tone of the articles chatty and informal. Whereas The Times is a broadsheet which is known as the quality press and contains more hard news such as foreign affairs and business reports.
Both reports contain a certain amount of factual information, yet The Times conveys it in a more in-depth, detailed way.
The Times is very formal in its tone and language used. It uses complex, formal language and sticks to the hard facts rather than giving opinions and witness accounts. Its tone is sad yet neutral.
In contrast, The Mirror is informal in its tone and language used. It uses simple language, often incorporating slang into the article. It tone is sad and bias.
The Mirror is much more chatty and personal than The Times and its biased point of view influences the reader.
The people chosen by each paper to interview are very different.
The Mirror concentrates on the experience of a Briton, Neil Harmar and his girlfriend Stacey O’Donnell. This would cause the reader to empathise with the story, as it is a fellow Brits experience and adds English flavour to the article. The other quotations are from witnesses and people who live in the surrounding area, who would naturally be putting forward a bias point of view.
The Times concentrates on obtaining the reactions of various related officials, such as Massimo Brutti, the Deputy Defence Minister. This offer the reader additional information without bias.
Another aspect of the differences in the interview techniques is that The Mirror uses direct speech, for example, “”Thank God we did,” said Neil Harmar.”
The Times tends to use reported speech, for example, “A spokesman at Aviano said the pilot managed to return to base….”
The photograph used as the main picture in The Times article adds greatly to the impact of the article in that it is very large and depicts the scene of the accident. However The Mirrors use of pictures and diagrams is very discreet. They are staggered from the top left hand corner diagonally downwards to about half way down the page. This effect causes the eye to be drawn to the article.
I think that The Mirror article is more effective in conveying the story without bias and allowing the reader to form their own opinions. It remains impartial throughout.
However I found The Times a more compelling read as its bias makes it personal and grabs attention. Its chatty tone also makes it more personal and compelling to read. Also the layout is more interesting and the use of a pull quote to separate the text makes it more interesting to read.
Both articles are very well written and work extremely well at attaining their individual goals. The Mirror achieves its tabloid status and is bias and personal. The Times also achieves its goal as a typical broadsheet and gives the reader a neutral, informative account.
