9/11 Comparisons

TV Aztecta- en Mexico: Sept 11, 9:31 a.m.

The clip begins with a replay of footage of the most recent plane hitting one of the buildings. The camera angle prevents the viewer from seeing the point of impact, only the plane flying behind the building, then the explosion on the other side. Then the video cuts to the live stream, which shows the current state of the buildings as they burn. There are two anchors, a male and a female, taking turns speaking.  In their voices, there is a sense of information, but no clear urgency; just involved commentary. The announcer says that at this point they have confirmed only 6 deaths.

CNN – Sept 11, 9:31 a.m.

The clip begins zoomed in on the side of the most recently hit building. The fire is burning strongly. Then the camera zooms out slowly, adding layers of context. The viewer can see the rest of the building, then the other buildings, then the city around it. Meanwhile the female anchor is one the phone with another reporter and he is giving updates on the government’s information about the attacks.

Comparison: The Mexican stream if definitely more from an outsider’s prospective. While there is concern, it is more of shock-and-awe concern than what-does-this-mean-for-America concern. This outsider’s concern is also reflected in the commentary, which is the anchors describing what happens as it appears on the screen (I understand Spanish, by the way), as opposed to elaborating, as the CNN anchor does. Additionally, the fact that the Azteca video does not capture the full image of the plane hitting the tower and the flash back to an earlier scene makes the footage less in the action that the CNN one. The CNN footage is more moving, and more impactful. The anchor giving context and talking to the man on the phone who is giving information about the government’s investigation into who the attackers are, whether it’s a terrorist attack, etc, gives the image more meaning than just blow-by-blow commentary.

 

BBC World News Report – September 17, 12:50 a.m.

There is one anchor in the studio corresponding with a correspondent in New York. They discuss the effect that the attacks will have on the global economy. She asks him if she thinks there will be any impact on the oil market. And she asks if he thinks Americans are happy with the way Bush is handling “this.” There is no background footage or contextual visuals. The anchor is inside the studio, and the correspondent is surrounded by a dark, blurry background.

FOX News – September 17, 12:50 a.m.

This clip is a montage of footage the news station got of reporters talking to witnesses. It begins with a split screen clip of a person on the street describing what he saw and a clip of the buildings burning. Then, the video transitions to a construction worker being interviewed from inside his car. Across the bottom of the screen, information is being scrolled about the new death count and state of the rescue mission.

Comparison: The contrast between these two clips gives a greater worldly perspective. The American footage is still covering what happened that day and how individuals were impacted. The information scrolling across the bottom of t   the screen highlights how American news organizations are still finding out more and more about the death toll and other relevant information to the day of the attacks. The BBC news is solely focused on how the event impacted the world. They care about how the tragedy will affect them, not about the lives that were lost and the devastation in America. However, they cannot be blamed, because the event did not occur in their country, so they do not have the same sense of powerful emotion and yearning for more details.

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