Deadly Earthquake Hits Indonesia
Deadly Earthquake Hits Indonesia
Assessment:
Founded in 1851, Reuters appears to be very centralized in it’s bias towards the left or right views. The media source Thomson Reuters is the parent company. Their works are translated in twenty different languages, and they employ hundreds of journalists and photojournalists; in fact, several have died on the job. Reuters is one of the top three companies that produces the most world news. After the attacks on September 11th, the company received criticism for refusing to use the term “terrorist,” but this policy was set in place to avoid using pathos. They hope that, by abstaining from the use of emotional words, the news they produce stays neutral.
Summary:
In Lende Induk, Indonesia, nearly 1,700 people were killed as a result of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The soil becomes softer and transformed almost into a sludge, which turned the ground into much more than a quagmire. Buildings, houses, and people were carried down streets for hundreds of meters. Some houses remain intact even while remaining close to the epicenter of the quake. There is no explanation to why some buildings and houses from kilometers away were completely destroyed, while others were left undamaged and remain very close to the epicenter.
Analysis:
This piece starts with a puzzle; a simply designed house with little foundational support stands while several others are quickly brought down by intense phenomena. However, a geologist suggests the fault lines are at fault. Specifically, the Palu segment was the cause. In the cities of Petobo and Balaroa, hundreds of people were killed by being absorbed by the quagmire.
While claiming to be neutral, I’m suspicious of the last few lines of the article. The authors discuss the experience of an affected city’s imam, Launi. His mosque collapsed on top of him, trapping him for hours until locals rescued him. After the earthquake, distressed villagers were drawn to Launi for consultation, and he answered saying, “don’t let this shake your faith. It’s troubles like these that bring us closer to God,” and explaining this was a “test from god” (Allard and Kapoor 2018). I am unsure if this quote, which was used as a statement to finish the article, is supposed to be a kind of relief for readers, or if it is simply an optimistic perspective the authors were trying to share.
Opinion:
The article does seem to be very neutral and non-emotional in its reporting, besides the end. I enjoy the reminder of an all-powerful being that will welcome us after our final breaths, but after such a disaster, I don’t agree with viewing it as a sort of “test.” Earthquakes are completely natural and inevitable; it is unfortunate that they can wreak so much damage, but I’m sure the family members of deceased victims don’t enjoy being told their loved ones were destined to die.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-quake-epicentre/indonesias-fickle-quake-spares-some-destroys-others-at-epicenter-idUSKCN1MH06N
Assessment:
Founded in 1851, Reuters appears to be very centralized in it’s bias towards the left or right views. The media source Thomson Reuters is the parent company. Their works are translated in twenty different languages, and they employ hundreds of journalists and photojournalists; in fact, several have died on the job. Reuters is one of the top three companies that produces the most world news. After the attacks on September 11th, the company received criticism for refusing to use the term “terrorist,” but this policy was set in place to avoid using pathos. They hope that, by abstaining from the use of emotional words, the news they produce stays neutral.
Summary:
In Lende Induk, Indonesia, nearly 1,700 people were killed as a result of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The soil becomes softer and transformed almost into a sludge, which turned the ground into much more than a quagmire. Buildings, houses, and people were carried down streets for hundreds of meters. Some houses remain intact even while remaining close to the epicenter of the quake. There is no explanation to why some buildings and houses from kilometers away were completely destroyed, while others were left undamaged and remain very close to the epicenter.
Analysis:
This piece starts with a puzzle; a simply designed house with little foundational support stands while several others are quickly brought down by intense phenomena. However, a geologist suggests the fault lines are at fault. Specifically, the Palu segment was the cause. In the cities of Petobo and Balaroa, hundreds of people were killed by being absorbed by the quagmire.
While claiming to be neutral, I’m suspicious of the last few lines of the article. The authors discuss the experience of an affected city’s imam, Launi. His mosque collapsed on top of him, trapping him for hours until locals rescued him. After the earthquake, distressed villagers were drawn to Launi for consultation, and he answered saying, “don’t let this shake your faith. It’s troubles like these that bring us closer to God,” and explaining this was a “test from god” (Allard and Kapoor 2018). I am unsure if this quote, which was used as a statement to finish the article, is supposed to be a kind of relief for readers, or if it is simply an optimistic perspective the authors were trying to share.
Opinion:
The article does seem to be very neutral and non-emotional in its reporting, besides the end. I enjoy the reminder of an all-powerful being that will welcome us after our final breaths, but after such a disaster, I don’t agree with viewing it as a sort of “test.” Earthquakes are completely natural and inevitable; it is unfortunate that they can wreak so much damage, but I’m sure the family members of deceased victims don’t enjoy being told their loved ones were destined to die.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-quake-epicentre/indonesias-fickle-quake-spares-some-destroys-others-at-epicenter-idUSKCN1MH06N
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