The article that I chose is a follow-up to a story that has run through several publications, which guarantees its newsworthiness. Other qualities for news value that this story includes are conflict, historical moments and reference to prominent individuals.
As a follow-up, this was a short story picked up from the Associated Press by The Atlanta Journal Constitution (online edition) and begins with a dateline. The opening graph is well-packaged, and gives the reader the gist of the story. The second graph begins with a quote from the White House spokesman, and both graphs three and four are single-line facts.
The remaining three graphs clear up the legality of the president carrying a cell phone with email access and express his reasons for doing so.
Personally, I feel like this story was short, to the point and well-assembled. It offers not only the missing details and concluding facts on a issue that has made the papers for over a week now. Mechanically, I see no flaws. It follows AP style seamlessly, but that should be expected from an article lifted from the Associated Press.
I've seen various versions of this story across the web, and it does a great job of addressing a variety of issues. Obama's really bringing the Oval Office into a new era by using a Blackberry, which is going to allow him to stay in contact with the outside world. Imagine the leap from Clinton and Bush, who didn't even use email!
ReplyDeleteI wish the story you linked went a little more in depth about the way the Blackberry has been modified for security's sake. Maybe the information simply isn't available, but I'm curious how you improve the security on a Blackberry. I definitely think there's room for a follow-up story, or a closer look at the tech angle. We know it's unprecedented--now tell us more of the how and why!
Another news value this story has is novelty. It has been an ongoing story that Obama is addicted to his Blackberry. It's kind of funny, that the president has to put up a fight to keep his beloved piece of technology. Who tells the most powerful man in the world, "Sir, hand over your Blackberry." I wish that aspect of the story was played up a bit more. That's where a good editor comes in.
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