Deadly Storm Sows Destruction in Several States
Articles by the Washington Post and New York Times chronicled the destruction wrought by a violent storm system which tore through the Southern and Midwestern portion of the United States.
The differences in the articles are apparent throughout, beginning with their leads. The Washington Post lead is very specific, citing that deaths occured specifically in Alabama, Missouri, and Georgia. In contrast, the Times article begins by saying:
"A violent storm system that stretched nearly 1,000 miles from the Midwest to the Southeast has killed at least 20 people in three states, including 8 who died when what appeared to be a tornado caused the roof to collapse at a high school in Enterprise, Ala. on Thursday, state emergency management officials said."
The varying range in perspectives controls the effectiveness present in both articles. I thought the Times lead was clearly better than the times, as they encapsulate the entirety of the situation, small and large.
The attempt by the Post in the body of the article to emphasis the destruction in three separate locations was somewhat disorienting, whereas the decision by the Times author to focus mainly on the destruction at Enterprise High School allowed the reader to absorb the newsworthy elements more easily.