My local paper is the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Why? Many people in Georgia will buy this newspaper just by looking at this headline. Was this a suicide? Was this an accident? It will make potential readers curious to find out more about it. 761 people shared this news on the AJC website, which is by far in top ten since the very first day I have been reading the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 2012.
What? Historically, two other people have jumped and died from the same spot several years ago in separate events. This time though, so far the investigation says it may have been an accident. When any news involves a mall, especially the Mall of Georgia where my friends and I shop and eat often, it will always have my heart.
Opinion? The reporter added the voice of a witness. I was wondering if it was going to be about the safety issues or the poor construction of the mall, but it was rather about the lucky impact that saved the man’s life. I would rather have read an answere to the question, is this a safe place or not?
Why? Just a few days ago, 3 inches of snow created a zombie town in Georgia. Do we want to hear that students are trapped in a school bus, out there on the road (especially in metro Atlanta) all night long? Yes, it will be all the buzz for the readers.
What? Atlanta Public Schools definitely need to close the schools on any possible snow day. I wanted to make sure APS was on the same page as me.
Opinion? The superintendent of APS shared his opinion. His paragraph-long opinion was definitely worth it because it indicated that the challenges going forward include establishing better communication with state and local officials and a review of the district’s emergency plan. And yes, it made us all feel better when he kept apologizing for delivering all 50 children safely one day late.
Why? This is one of the Bible Belt states; Any time a jail is improving, yes, it must be placed as a headline.
What? It’s only been a year since I moved to Atlanta, but I have often heard how overcrowded the Rice Street jail was. The rumor stated that many inmates were sleeping on the floor. By reading further, I wanted to be a fact checker. The article clearly stated that moving hundreds of inmates to other jails would get inmates who have been sleeping on the floor into better accommodations. What a moment.
Opinion? Yes, federal supervisors had a lot to say about this decision. They explained why this budget is worth spending and how they are making a good faith effort to satisfy everything. It is somewhat significant to add these voices to give their perspective of inmates to make people understand why some of our tax dollars are going to the inmates' well-being.
If I may, I would like to stop here by sharing my perspective that most why and what questions for the headlines are the same. These are what the editor probably believes that local residents will be interested to read the most. These are the hot topics to the community. The Atlanta Journal Constitution almost always includes an opinion of a person with a perspective on the issue. I think this is their strategy to help the readers relate more to the article.
Clair, seriously, snow in Georgia and improvements in jails! Fun blog!
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you Diane~ Last week was very comical to me as well.
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