The American publication does not discuss the event in detail. It mentions the area in which it took place (Dolomites). It refers to the cable car as a ‘yellow gondola’. It includes the number of those killed and adds the area of origin (20 tourists from seven European countries). The Newsweek report also states the type of plane and how low the Italian air chief sad it was flying ( 3,300ft) below the allowed altitude. They also inform the reader in the about an Italian plane that went missing in 1980 by Ustica and how the US were suspected to of shot it down. This report differs significantly from the Times and the Mirror.
These reports all differ. The British tabloid, The Mirror will differ as it uses sensationalism and wants to shock rather than inform and the vocabulary should be restricted and compressed, there are constant puns and word plays. The Mirror seems to take a view on the incident
The Mirror’s language is pacy and dramatic. They use several forms of language to achieve this. It applies emotive language to stir up sympathetic feelings from the reader. The words such as ’plunged’ in the first paragraph is used to describe the way in which the cable car fell to the ground. They also use figurative language to describe the cable car, this could be to make the reader able to envision the horror and harshness of the accident. They do this by using a simile. They refer to the way the cable car saying ‘it opened up like a cardboard box’ as cardboard is not very strong and can be destroyed easily. This emphasises the fragility of the cable car and the violence in which the cable car was so effortlessly ruined and reinforces the severity of the accident.
A dramatic form of language is constantly used throughout the report, this accentuates the incident. The plane is described to of ‘screamed down…ripped the wire’, this use of onomatopoeia including other words such as ‘limped and screamed’ This shows the reader the speed and power of the plane. This use of language is used to exaggerate the incident. They also do this when describing the car using words such as ’crashing…ripped…smashed…dangling perilously…torn…plunged’. This language is also a use of hyperbole in which he event has been exaggerated for effect and to expresses the horror of the incident and visualises it to the reader as they follow the report.
The Times is a broadsheet and uses a formal language, not a form of dialect as it is circulated throughout the UK. They also like the Mirror use hyperbole and onomatopoeia to exaggerate the event. They use a simile ‘screaming through the sky like a thing in torment’ this figurative use of language personifies the plane. They also use several word to describe the plane such as ‘sliced…roaring’. They go on to use several words relating to the cable car such as ‘crashed…crumpled……dangling’. They also use phrases to describe the report such as’ smashed bright yellow cable car’ and ‘twisted cabin wreckage’.
The Newsweek an American paper is constantly cynical in its language. It is less formal then the other reports. It does not use an hyperbole as it is not interested in the event so it has no need to exaggerate it
The Mirror interviewed people from all spectrums of the incident. They talked with a British couple who were tourists in the area and claimed they missed being in the incident by minutes. The Mirror included these British tourists to give the report a personal aspect, this may gain interest from readers who would be attracted to the article as it brings the incident to the British shores that there own were involved. They also discussed the incident with a police chief Andrea Russo who described the scene saying ‘all four wall of the car opened up like a cardboard box ‘ and tells of the severed bodies and the bloodstained snow. This shows what the scene looked like after the incident. They talked to a fire services spokesman to confirm the number of deaths and the US Defence Secretary William Cohen who gives the official American statement and view on the disaster. They also get an official statement from the Italian Regional President Carlo Andreotti who condemns the Americans. He was interviewed to give an impression of the Italians view on the accident. Cristina Antoniazzi a hotel owner nearby, she discusses what she heard at the time of the accident. This gives a view of a normal resident in the area and their view on the deaths, free from all the spin and censorship a government statement may have.
The Times does not offer any statements from British officials or those on the scene. They do not care for their opinion as they are not involved and do not need their view on the matter. They have an account from an eyewitness but the name and status was not given. The report contains a statement from Fausto Colasanti, a police official describes the location as a ‘terrible scene of carnage’ . The Times also talk to a rescue worker and the Italian Deputy Defence Minister to add an official look on the cable car incident. A Signor Brutti is also mentioned but his status is unknown. This mainly has an Italian viewpoint, not that it holds a bias view but not many American opinions are given on the accident.
The Newsweek does not feature many interviewees. It has views from American Gen. Tim Peppe who defends the pilots. Italian Gen. Mario Arpino said the warplane was flying 3,300ft below designated altitude and the U.S Ambassador Thomas Foglietta is said to of ‘finally conceded’ that it was flying ‘below the minimum approved altitude’. The report includes a U.S activist Grace Potorti who describes the incident as her ‘worst fear come true’. The Newsweek includes the Italian President Luigi Scalfaro who hoped ‘the accident wasn’t caused by someone…who didn’t care about others’ lives’. They do not include any actual comments on the scene of the accident or from those around the area or nearby the incident. They do this because they are bias and are not in favour of the Italian view that the pilot were being reckless. They include mainly phrases and not full statements from any of their interviewees.
The Mirror has a bold headline with large lettering, all letters featured in upper case summarising the incident ’20 skiers killed as jet slices cable car wire’. Below the headline is a photograph from the scene portraying the blood, the mangled wreck and workers. Below he picture is a small caption talking about the event, it is headed ‘devastation’ in small bold upper case lettering. At the top left corner is a small photo of a similar cable car to the one involved in the accident. Below this is a small lettering with the title ‘death car’ in bold upper case. Then below this is a sub-headline ‘brits tell of horror in snow’. This is in bold with the ‘brits’ only beginning in upper case. Below this is in bold is a summary of the incident. Then the report continues with normal small lettering throughout the report. They include a pull-quote in the middle of the first column , this is an extract from the report and is highlighted in order to capture the reader’s attention. They include a diagram of how the cable wire was damaged. This is to simplify the situation to the reader and inform them if how it happened. It also includes notes of each stage, also enclosed in the picture is a map of where Cavalese is situated. They also have a large bullet point when they go on to discuss a connected story that happened previously in the area. Also the word ‘under’ in the report is put in upper case to emphasize this.
The Times layout begins with a large picture of the scene with the destructed cable car in the Italian Alps with people standing by. This picture stretches across the report with a caption below summarising the picture. The headline lies in the centre in bold lettering all in lower case saying ’20 die in cable car after jet cuts wire’. The report continues in usual style. Below this is a small map detailing the position of where the plane hit the car. Nearby this is a larger photo of the American jet that done the damage with a caption below titled ‘A EA-6B Prowler ‘it is layout this way as it is more sophisticated and the usual of a broadsheet. It lacks any pictures or diagrams about the event which shows Newsweek does not care about it.
The Newsweek begins with a small title all in a thick font of upper case labelled ‘WORLD AFFAIRS’. Below this is another title in upper case and narrow lettering ‘THE MILITARY’. Underneath this is a large bold headline labelled’ Blood on the Snow’ with ‘blood’ and ‘snow’ beginning in upper case letters to reinforce those two words. There is a sub-heading discussing what the report entails with ‘Europe’ and ‘America’ beginning in upper case lettering. Below this is the writers of their report with it in small upper case lettering. Also the first letter in the body of the report is large and bold.
I think The Times is the best report on the incident. It shows the full horror with the close-up picture of the destroyed cable car, the Mirror features this also but it is an aerial view so we do not get to see the full extent of the scene. It also has more detail as it states the exact time of the incident and talks of the cable car and how much it could hold. It also mentions what happened before the incident and the build up to it. It is effective in doing this as by showing the reader the picture of the location, it is more specific then the Mirror’s photo as it is larger and less general. Also the picture of the plane is helps the reader envision the power it holds and with the force it may of hit the wire. The Times also gives more information on the area including a past accident and some history about the area.
The Mirror uses its sensationalism to exaggerate the event by highlighting the word ‘under’ in bold this is used to blame the Americans for deliberately flying low and by using the word ‘innocent’ to describe the tourists who took the consequences for the careless Americans. The Times is also bias but it is not as blatant as in The Mirror, it says the plane had been flying ’very, very low’ and that it was attempting to pull itself up when it hit the cable. This shows that thy are slightly bias as they seem to be defending the Americans in a very subtle way. An eyewitness also says and it also mentions that a US pilot said it had a ‘bad jolt’. The Newsweek has a cynical view on the event and there involvement. This is two weeks after the event which shows that they do not care about the accident they attempt to put the blame on the Italians as they did not defend the Dolomites the week of the accident. They also try to say that both the U.S and the Italians have been ‘hot-dogging’ through the cables. Due to it being an American paper they were more concerned with the safety of the pilots then those dead or injured.
