Introduction
Vast media types nowadays tell people about important information and changes. While some prefer video or radio, others read articles and newspapers. It is essential to claim that the source type will significantly impact the objectivity and precision of the depicted information. This essay attempts to put The BBC News’ video report and Radio France International (Rfi) newspaper article regarding the protests in Paris in May under scrutiny.
Summary of Sources
“France Pension Reforms”
The first source chosen is the YouTube video from the BBC News official channel regarding the protests in Paris. The mass protests in France started recently because of President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms (BBC 00.00.20). Notably, both video and article news were chosen because of their relevance and importance. In the video, one can observe the collaboration of reporters and journalists in the BBC studio regarding the event. In particular, the journalist gives brief information to the viewer regarding the causes, dates, and intensity of protests (BBC 00.01.20).
In the middle of the video, the expert joined the journalist to discuss important issues regarding possible solutions (00.04.22). It is essential to state that during the entire report, a significant number of action video materials depict running people and steam on the streets of Paris. At the end of the video, the journalist highlights the importance of consistently following the event.
“French Police Fire Tear Gas”
The second source chosen was the news article on Rfi. Notably, this material was also issued on the first of May and concerns the same protest as the video report. The article is strictly divided into two parts. The first part gives precise information about the current protest with particular numbers and facts (Morrow). The second part assumes the brief history of the tradition to make protests and various events on the first of May (Morrow). It is crucial that even though the article is short and can be read within thirty seconds, it contains the vast majority of critical data and facts.
Comparing and Contrasting the Sources
While comparing and contrasting these two sources, it is crucial to pay attention to objectivity and biases. The BBC News video report uses various materials to describe the event. In other words, journalists provide vast information about the history of protests.
It lacks concrete facts and numbers, and the reporter’s speech is also descriptive (BBC 00.01.30). The correspondent sees people on the streets and describes what they are doing, their clothes, and their actions. The entire video continues for twelve minutes.
On the other hand, the article from Rfi is entirely in opposition to the video report. It has no distracting information or descriptions except for some historical background. Facts are written in a strict and laconic form with particular numbers. For example, Morrow states, “By 4 p.m., more than 40 arrests had been made in the capital”. Consequently, the objectivity of the BBC News video report can be assessed as low, and the Rfi articles are high.
The effect of the source’s medium on objectivity reflects the entertaining part. This means that the video consists of a significant amount of visual information that can entertain the viewer rather than inform them. Therefore, as an argument concerning the biases, it is necessary to state the high level of willingness to depict events from an entertaining point of view using video reports. For example, BBC News states, “No, no, but we have seen Molotov cocktails apparently. I have talked to someone who was there on the ground” (00.04.45). These words highlight the video’s lack of objectivity and precision while aiming to convey exciting information.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to highlight that journalists should adhere to objectivity regardless of the type of media used. Even though a video report requires vast media content, the information should be presented precisely. The high objectivity of the BBC News video report and the Rfi article was determined based on the examples. Conversely, the video contains significant unnecessary information, which can be reduced.
Works Cited
“France pension reforms: May Day rallies turn violent – BBC News.” YouTube, uploaded by BBC News, 2023. Web.
Morrow, Amanda. “French police fire tear gas as May Day rallies turn violent”. Rfi, 2023. Web.