The staggering story of the “unsinkable” Titanic falling down deep into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean will forever be embedded in our minds as a tragedy that stole many lives. Reading the articles that were written about this event by the Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle were both very interesting. Unfortunately, since the writers were not present during the sad sinking of the ocean liner, it was difficult for them to lay out the scene for the reader, which was expected. But I do feel that the San Francisco Chronicle did a better job than the Washington Post because I felt that while both articles were successful in laying out many facts and quotes and information for the reader, the San Francisco Chronicle executed it better. And because it was difficult for the scene to be painted for the reader by the writer, the Chronicle was able to embellish the story with some sentences that did draw the reader’s imagination to vaguely envision the starry night with the disappearing ship.
With such a colossal story as this, I think it is important to not just lay out the facts because most newspapers will all have the same facts anyways, but to also conjure emotions and some sort of empathy as well. With the case of the Titanic, people will read the stories and should be moved by the disastrous event that occurred and be shocked at how many did not survive the night. The eeriness should breath out from the newspaper and really grab the reader, which these articles do as best that they can.
It also shows effective how much information both papers have, especially the Washington Post. With the massive flow of facts, the reader can fully comprehend what has just happened even if there are not really familiar with ships or anything of the sort. I think it was smart to include photographs, names, and all of the bulk of the incident as long as the force of the story isn’t dulled by it, in these cases I don’t believe that it was. And sources were named, although it was difficult to get things completely verifiable.
People of that time truly believed that the ocean liner, Titanic, would be unsinkable. And so, the public was completely in shock of the news of its sinking, which was definitely an angle that the newspapers took in writing the stories. Both papers tapped into how shocked the public would be in discovering what had happened and how devastating it was that only a fraction of the passengers aboard the Titanic were saved. The irony being revealed in the papers of how warnings were ignored, the speed of the ship was nearing risky, how lies were said to appease surrounding ship, it all added to the irony and the tragedy that just befell the world. The coverage of both papers were exceptionally done and it went in their favor to add any details of controversy and irony to garnish the story with a little bit more tragedy.
LINER TITANIC RAMS ICEBERG :Largest Vessel Afloat Sinking Off Newfoundland. VIRGINIAS SPEEDS TO AID Women Being Taken Off in the Lifeboats. MANY NOTABLES ABOARD Maj. Butt, President Taft's Military Aid; C.M. Hays, J. Bruce Ismay, W.T. Stead, Isidor Straus, and Others Among Passengers -- Steamer Olympic Asked to Find Sister Ship -- Other Liners Going to Aid of Disabled Ves- sel Off the Banks of Newfoundland. Start of First Trip Marred by an Ac- cident at Southampton.. (1912, April 15). The Washington Post (1877-1954),p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2009, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1992) database. (Document ID: 141451462).
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File); Apr 16, 1912; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922)