Chinese Mines

News Event: Mining Accidents in China

1. Source: The Independent

-The Independent is a British newspaper published by Independent Print Limited. It started in 1986 and is one of the youngest news sources in the UK. It is a national and daily paper published in tabloid form.

-The sources in this article are: A spokesman with the state, China Central Television, mine officials, the Provincial Coal Mine Safety Bureau

-Keywords/Themes: This article is written in a dramatic fashion. It uses the word ‘dead’ and ‘killed’ and ‘blast.’ Important adjectives are ‘dramatic’ and ‘stunning.’ Also when describing numbers, it uses the phrase ‘more than’ several times.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/explosion-in-chinese-coal-mine-kills-20-and-traps-17-2108430.html

2. Source: The New York Times

-The New York Times is an American daily paper that has been around since 1851. It is the largest newspaper in the USA and is owned by the New York Times Company and managed by Arthur Solzberger Jr.

-The sources in this article are: China’s state run news media, Official Zinhua News Agency, China Central Televisions, Mine Safety and Health Administration

-Keywords/Themes: More scientific with ‘gas explosion’ and ‘bodies.’ Used words like ‘tragedy’ and ‘dangerous’ to get point across emotionally as well. Also used phrases like ‘so common,’ ‘accidents,’ and ‘but.’

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/asia/17mine.html

3. Source: CNN

-CNN is owned by Ted Turner and is now under control by Time Warner Cable. It is a division of Turner Broadcasting. It is a 24 hour news coverage outlet and important headquarters are in large cities like LA, Atlanta, DC, and New York City.

-The sources in this article are: Authorities, Zinhua News Agency, China’s State Administration of Work Safety.

-Keywords/Themes: Article was short, but informative. Used words like ‘gas explosion,’ ‘retrieved.’ Used phrases like ‘at least’ and ‘one of the.’

http://www.cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/16/china.miners/index.html

Each source above has different techniques of conveying stories. The Independent made the story dramatic with emotional tugs to draw readers in. The Independent described events as ‘dramatic’ and conveyed a sensational train of thought. This occurs when The Independent describes numbers and says ‘more than x amount of people…’ This makes the statistics seem astonishing. In regards to the other articles, there were several differences. The number of people killed in the accident was 20; the others said the number was 21. The Independent article had more content. It described mining rescues from horrific conditions in Shanxi, how 1600 mines are being shut down, and gave statistics about mining problems in China that the other articles did not. These statistics were important in this article to make it sensational and for it to be a popular read. The New York Times article was objective. The numbers were slightly different; 21 had died and 16 were trapped. The NYT compared the Chinese mining statistics with the USA statistics to show how deadly Chinese mines are. This comparison illustrated the gravity of the situation in a different way than The Independent. The numbers and companies mentioned in this article were mostly the same as The Independent. They mentioned the Henan mining accident, too. The CNN article was short compared to the others. It got right to the point and told the number of people killed and trapped (21 and 16). It also said that the same mine was responsible for 23 deaths two years earlier. It briefly related that China has poor safety conditions and thousands die each year. This article would be the easiest to read when pressed for time; this technique is employed so that CNN can quickly get news out first.