Partner:Marsha

I would classify the news as spot news as it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. This story is important to readers due to its Impacts and Consequences. For me, as a Singaporean, this incident occurs on the other side of the world, in the USA. Furthermore, with Singapore’s ban on guns, this occurrence is less likely to occur here and as such, is less impactful for me. However, it does convey a message of ensuring safety and that anything can happen at any time. The shooting would be more serious for American readers as it occurs within their country with numerous deaths and casualties. The victims of the shooting could also be their loved ones. Hence, the article also fulfils the criteria of proximity as CNN is an American news outlet reporting on a shooting that occurred in Las Vegas, a city in USA. Eminence and Prominence is another news criteria that this story fulfils. This is because the shooting occurred during a country music festival that starred many well known country singers, such as Jason Aldean.

The first paragraph is a short but not very in depth summary of the incident to attract the reader’s attention. It also consists of essential information about the shooting. For example, it reveals the shooters name and the location of the shooting. There is also a vague mention of “thousands” of concert-goers attending the concert during the shooting. The second paragraph details the “arsenal” that was mentioned in the first paragraph and shows how prepared the shooter was. The third paragraph further elaborates on the specific number of deaths and casualties in the aftermath of the shooting, showing the severity of the incident.

The reporter relies on more than one source of information. The news article contains reports from the police and authorities, eyewitness accounts from concert goers and an evaluation from a CNN law enforcement analyst. There is also an interview with the shooter’s brother to show his perspective and provide an insight into the shooter’s character.
The reporter does so to ensure that accounts of the incident is accurate and credible so as to be as factual as possible.

The report shows specific data such as the death toll and number of casualties at the time of the incident. It brings forth the severity of the situation. Perhaps CNN could have added a comparison between this incident and other similar incidents to further emphasise on the impact of the shooting. It would also allow readers to see why this shooting was considered “the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history”.

Other story ideas that CNN could come up with would be if there were any changes in American gun laws after the incident and the backlash ( if there were any) on the security of the hotel. An analysis on the shooter’s mental state would also be helpful as the article states that the shooter did not appear to have a clear motive or any criminal background. A follow up on the aftermath of the shooting and how the families of the victims are dealing with grief could also be another story idea.