Reading Journal (5.6.2011) Emily Katz

In the midst of articles published about the facts and details of Osama Bin Ladin’s death, there have been profiles published about the team of Special Forces that led the operation. The New York Times had an article about the Navy Seals (“In Bin Laden’s Compound, Seals’ All-Star Team”), while Andrew Sullivan, the writer of The Dish, had a blog post titled “What A Navy Seal Goes Through.” In the post, he links to another article from The Daily Beast (“Osama Bin Laden Death: Navy Seal’s Hardcore Workout” by Tony Dokoupil). In the New York Times article, the journalist was able to get quotes from former Seal members, but it reads more like a traditional news story whereas the writing style in the Beast article had more descriptions, evoked more images, and reads more like a short feature piece. In Beast article, the writer goes into detail about the “Navy Seal Workout,” and chronicles the rigorous training process. The article also has links to photos of Navy Seal trainees. After providing the facts, the journalist begins to write in a more narrative style. Both journalists provide valuable information to the public: the first with hard facts about who the Seals are, and the second with more in depth descriptions that really characterize them and contextualize their significance.

The article “Nissan Minivan Chosen as New York City’s Next Taxi,” begins with a hard news lede that describes the characteristics of the Nissan NV200. In the following paragraph, a rhetorical question—“But can a minivan win over New York?”—paints a great picture in the minds of the readers. The nut graph of this story is in the third paragraph, where the Bloomberg administration confirms that the Nissan NV200 will become the “all-but-exclusive vehicle of the city’s taxi fleet,” and that the city’s icon will get a new look. The journalist used a great source—a taxi historian and former cabby, who provided context of how this new model compares with the cabs of the old days. The journalist did cite the negative aspects of this switch to using all Nissans, as the design is not wheelchair-friendly. One source the journalist could have included is New Yorkers’ reaction to this switch of every cab in the city to the Nissan NV200. This article is not really a feature piece, but the journalist does a good job of profiling the prospective New York City taxi model.

The Guardian article “Royal wedding dress designer wins plaudits,” serves as a mini-profile of Sarah Burton, the designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. The journalist begins by saying how the reticent but talented designer is now the center of attention in the fashion world. The journalist uses a quote from supporting quote from Elle creative director Joe Zee, “I think the world is her oyster at this point.” The journalist also uses quotes from “one insider who did not want to be named.” This source comments on Sarah Burton’s personality and style (“she hates the idea of being a celebrity or star designer”). The journalist includes a paragraph of the designer’s background, a quote Burton said to Vogue a year ago, and another brief paragraph about her career in fashion. The article ends with Jean-Jacques Picard, a French fashion consultant, who comments on Burton’s style as a designer, characterizing her as “discreet, pragmatic and far removed from the glittery star system.” This article is successful in that the journalist uses well-respected sources in the fashion world as well as people close to Burton. The lack of quotes from Burton herself further characterizes her as an unpretentious designer.