We all love a celebrity that does their bit to help humanity when disaster strikes. And which celebrity does this the best?? Angelina Jolie of course!!! In her position as UN Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie recently visited flood devastated Pakistan. The visit was a plea by the actress/ ambassador for donations to help the 21 million victims of the floods.
Truscotts’ story on ninemsn on the 9th September 2010 (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/7958468/jolie-pleas-for-pakistan-flood-victims) centers on the allegations of corruption within the Pakistani government and the mishandling of aid funds, this has resulted in the lack of donations from people because of this image of instability and corruption. Whilst the story is about Jolie’s visit and what she experienced whilst visiting the disaster zone, it also points to the humanitarian efforts by aid organizations to help those victims.
The story works because it has the five news elements of proximity, timeliness,Human interest, conflict, prominence.The proximity because it’s such a large scale geographical event, timeliness is of the event of the floods, mixed with the human interest story of the victims and also with the conflict of corruption. The prominence is given by Jolie’s presence and appeal for donations. And whilst it is an entertainment news story because of its celebrity association it also holds a hard news story as the plight of the people of Pakistan is a strong element throughout the story.
Truscott has used a few sources and not just Jolie as a way to form a picture of the current situation faced by the lack of donations being received. She has used interviews with the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs as well as a spokes woman for the office of coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to give an overall image and assurance that the donations being received will not benefit any corruption that may be taking place within the government. Rather the sources used enforce the UN’s statements that the money and aid received will go directly to the victims of the floods. This has made this story work as it reinforces the message that aid organizations and the UN are ensuring that donations go directly to those affected.
ahhhhhhh Jolie...always the icing on a hard edge cake!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I do wonder though, is she really an appropriate spokesperson? She's encouraging donations but she's in no position to give assurances about whether those donations will be diverted as a result of Pakistani corruption, so how can she offer donors any confidence? This story seems to me like a piece of fluff for that reason...but you can't deny, celebrities will always have news appeal...who cares whether they are the appropriate authority!!
ReplyDeleteHer status as a celebrity is surely helpful in generating media coverage about the issue.
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