Purposeful Summary – Mongoose449

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Mongoose449

It seems counterintuitive that in the tragedy of the Haitian Earthquake of 2010, reporters do not attempt to censor themselves and care more about their own success rather than respecting the tragedy that had befallen the inhabitants of Haiti. Over 100,000 people perished in Haiti, either due to the natural disaster or the chaos that followed it. Yet reporters choose shock value over grievance, they see the body of Fabienne Cherisma and do nothing yet take pictures. She was shot dead by police after being spotted, only to be photographed while the body was still warm. The argument can be made, an image of tragedy can instill a solace in people when viewed, similar to Kim Phúc during the Vietnam war. But to many, they see it as manipulation of a story, to push a narrative, to exploit the tragedy and then find the next. This mentality is questioned, as if once this story is done with, will the media continue to report on the reconstruction of Haiti? What morals do they hold to report again on this story, on Fabienne’s family and how they are suffering? There are plenty of stories about the Haitian Earthquake, many as tragic as Fabienne Cherisma, yet to reporters, there is only the big story. The golden goose, to be exploited and disposed of once the eggs run out.

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1 Response to Purposeful Summary – Mongoose449

  1. davidbdale's avatar davidbdale says:
    September 25, 2024 at 4:25 am

    First, Mongoose!, this is very Purposeful. You leave no doubt which way you view the actions of the photographers. Most of your comments are highly critical of the choice the journalists made to focus on one grim image.

    That’s not necessarily true, as I’m sure you understand. Dozens of photographers and thousands of images would have to be ignored for us to pretend that everyone with a camera came to Haiti, photographed only Fabienne, and went home to process the shots.

    But that’s OK. The purpose of crafting a Purposeful Summary is exactly that: to trim the narrative to the essentials that support your point of view.

    Where you deviate from that clear mission is in the last third of your paragraph where you start asking Rhetorical Questions instead of making clear claims. You waste all your momentum that way and should NEVER ask questions when you can declare your position.

    You and I could spend an hour over the grammar and phrasing, Mongoose!, and I hope you’ll invite me to provide some instruction in that regard, here and now, or soon. I can improve your writing 100% by helping you write better sentences. Tell me when you’re ready.

    If you choose to revise before grading, PLEASE DON’T start a new post. Just open this one in Edit, make your improvements, choose the Feedback Please category again, and click Update. I’ll be happy to see you back for another round of interference.

    Reply

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