Blog #3 - Comparing Media

Word Count: 321

"Linsanity" is the hot topic in the NBA right now, but unfortunately Asian-American point guard, Jeremy Lin, has become a target of racial profiling as well as a victim of racial slurs within the media.

In comparing coverage of the racial slur made towards Lin amongst three different types of news media, it is easy to spot a few key differences.

The New York Times released an article today, which outlined the details tied to the racial slur posted yesterday on ESPN's mobile site as well as a similar slur made by ESPN anchor, Max Bretos.

The article consists of five paragraphs with a length of 287 words, which explain the contexts in which the racial slur was used and the consequences of those actions.

Both ESPN and Bretos are quoted regarding the slur directed towards Lin.

Each source gave a direct apology to Lin and the Asian community.

Because this article is short and direct, it contains no charts, graphs or photos.

When comparing online news coverage of the same story from a Yahoo Sports blog, noticeable differences include a picture of Lin and an additional video clip embedded on the blog.

Textually speaking, the blog is equally as long as The New York Times article with a length of 273 words .

The same two sources, ESPN and Bretos, are used in this piece as well.

The mix of text and video in this piece creates a feel similar to that of broadcast coverage.

A television segment was released by ESPN today as well, which issued a direct statement concerning the racial slur directed towards Lin.

The story lasted a mere 35 seconds and only included ESPN as a source.

Compared to the newspaper article, this short television segment only gave the main details of the story and made no mention of Bretos whatsoever.

Unlike print journalism, broadcast news coverage must be concise and timely in order to deliver information fully and efficiently.

Sources:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7591994

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/sports/basketball/espn-fires-employee-for-slur-in-lin-headline.html

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201202/espn-fires-lin-headline-writer