Boston Globe Front Page 2/4/14

The Boston Globe

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Easygoing security in Sochi

This story is about the disparity between the lax security on the ground in Sochi and Putin’s public vow to protect the winter Olympics with an impenetrable “ring of steel.” This story has everything that an above-the-fold front page story should—international and national relevance, sports, entertainment, danger, and political tension. If there was an opinion, it was the knowing, sly, kind of absurd humorous take on Vladimir Putin.

Warren bolters party’s funding

This story belongs on the front page of our local paper because it’s a story about our Senator Elizabeth Warren. And Warren’s success in fundraising is significant nationally too because it’s evidence of her popularity among her constituents and colleagues.

This story grabbed my attention because Senator Warren has been named as a possible candidate in the next presidential elections, which this story seems to evince. It’s exciting to think that we could have two female candidates in the next election if rumors about Hillary Clinton and Senator Warren are true. I’d say that the Globe has a positive opinion of our new Senator—she’s described as respecting her new role in Washington and despite her national popularity, keeping her head down and making sure not to outshine her colleagues. And the prominence of this story—above the fold, on the front page—may mean that the Globe has confidence in Senator Warren as a candidate.

Bet on it: Our turn is coming for a cold-weather Super Bowl

This is a story about the success of the first cold-weather Super Bowl and what that means for Boston’s chance at hosting one in the future. Because it appeals to a large number of readers, it’s timely, and it touches on both national and local issues, this story, with a photo, is front page, center, below the fold. 

Of course, I knew that the Patriots are a winning team with a wide fanbase, but I was impressed in this story to learn that Patriot’s owner Bob Kraft is so important that his publicly stated desire to bring the Super Bowl to Boston basically ensures we’ll be hosting one soon enough.

I think hometown sports coverage is allowed, even expected, to contain some opinion. This writer is cheering Boston as a host for the next Super Bowl.

State panel urges new controls on guns

This story is about the final report from a commission tasked with preparing a report on guns in Massachusetts and recommendations for more effective gun control. This was the first story where I felt the reporter had an inappropriate and obvious bias. But then, this was the only front-page story that I really had an opinion on, so perhaps the bias I see is my own.

But, in a liberal state like Massachusetts, where we already have strict gun control laws, I have to wonder why this story is worthy of front-page coverage? My impression is that the story's front-page placement is designed to lend status to the panel’s recommendations.

In addition to the subtle status afforded by its placement, the story’s text contained numerous examples of the reporter’s support for stricter gun laws. For instance, the only person who was identified by political affiliation was a Republican who opposed stricter control. Or the charged language used to describe the opposing sides. When describing the equally disappointed reactions he anticipates to their report, panel member Robert A. Cerasoli (who is identified as the former Inspector General but not as a Democrat) describes the reaction he anticipates to their report: “Whether you are avidly gun control or avidly pro-gun, you’re going to be disappointed in some of the things in this report.” As if one must be pro-gun to be offended by the panel’s suggestion that power be given to police chiefs to deny gun licenses to citizens they've unilaterally decided are “unsuitable persons.”

But more irritating than the story’s language choices are the subtle persuasive elements at work. Proponents of stricter gun control laws were described in ways that made them seem more reasonable and disinterested while opponents to gun control were quoted and described in ways that made them seem more partisan and inflammatory.

Governor Patrick is described as having a “mixed reaction” to the report (opening with a concession to the other side makes his later arguments seems all the more reasonable and persuasive) but hoping that lawmakers would “at least” act on the panel’s recommendations. And the final sentence describing the Governor’s reaction is: “But he questioned how anyone could object to limiting gun purchases to one a month.” The ‘but’ at the start of this sentence making it seem like this final statement in support of stricter gun laws contrasts with the ones that came before.

The opposition's response to the panel's report comes from the Gun Owner's Action League, who complain that their voice was “all but ignored” by the panel`and a quotation asserting that the report “isn’t worth the paper it was printed on.”

Economic data send the markets tumbling

This was an interesting case—there was a graph, headline, and very brief text on the front page directing readers to the business section for the story.

Although there’s no discernible opinion in the data presented, maybe there are certain opinions I could read into the placement of this story. Maybe economic data isn’t as widely understood or hotly felt or as a charged political issue like gun control, but the economy’s primary importance in the lives of people is worthy of attention. So when the Globe devotes 5”x2” of the front page it is evidence of the paper’s commitment to “making the significant interesting and relevant.”