The article I selected from the headlines on Saturday was relating to the new development in transplants using 'dead hearts'. I found this article in two of the newspapers I purchased.
Firstly, the Yorkshire Post. A local newspaper, had a very small format of the article in its 'world' news section. Due to the size for the content, the article was highly informative, laying down the basic facts. I have found from my research that the content and tone of voice of virtually all the articles was the same. A quote I have found in many of these articles is featured in the article above; it is a quote from the first women to experience the procedure, Michelle Gribilas. She explains "I Was very sick before I had it. Now I'm a different person. I feel like I'm 40 years old. I'm very lucky". There is no quote from the second patient, despite the name being mentioned.
Above, is the article featured in The Guardian newspaper. The overall tone of the article is far more celebratory as well as informative. Phrases are used such as 'breakthrough' 'significantly boost' 'ground-breaking' 'incredible development' 'wonderful' 'offered a new hope'. There is an emphasis on the fact that as a result of this new technology a "Higher number of donors could save 30% more lives" as this is used as a subheading at the forefront of the article. Partnered with the fact that 3 procedures have been carried out successfully - all of this expresses the hope this situation offers and The Guardian seems eager to spread the word.
The same quote is used from the previous article, however the second donor gets a say too "I feel amazing" "I'm looking forward to getting back out into the real world".
There is more detail given about the work behind the procedure and the amount of time it has taken to achieve this breakthrough. "I had been working on the project for two decades and intensively for the past four years".
The newspaper shows its support towards medicinal charities by sharing words from two. Firstly The British Heart Foundation said "the successful transplants of dead hearts offered a new hope". The associate medical director at the UK's NHS Blood and Transplant service also explains the potential impact of the technology.
It is pretty unclear what the single image used in the article is illustrating. It clearly shows a typical hospital scene but how this scene relates to the article is unclear. The size and quality also makes this image more difficult to read.
I began to look at alternative formats. Mainly online. My first port of call was the local Sydney paper, as this is where the procedure was carried out. The website quite heavy in its advertisements and there is an emphasis on sharing the article on social media (therefore increasing the publicity of the paper). The amount of advertisements it likely due to the budgets and revenue of a local paper.
Despite these distractions the positive tone of the article is shown through the title "gives three a new lease of life" and the large image obtaining the whole column featuring the beaming smiles of a patient and his wife.
I think its good that the article features a clear box with a step by step insight into how the procedure is carried out. This makes the procedure clear to all readers and lays out the basic facts. This side box is also more readable and the information is easier to digest.
The article seems to have a more light-hearted feel, such as when the surgeon gives a description "When we open up the donors chest, the heart looks like a football- a young football" "the heart that was blue begins to turn pink" "it gives a little wriggle and it starts beating". These don't seem like the typical comment of a professional medical surgeon. Maybe this reflects the positivity of the situation.
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