Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

Final: 5-Step Critical Process of Module 14

Module 14 covered the topic of disasters and how they are portrayed in the news. For this 5-Step Critical

Process, I chose to examine the Clear Lake California wildfire of August 2015. I looked at a print, an

online article, and a news broadcast to compare them.

Description:

The first platform I looked at was the newspaper print of the event. I looked at an article from the

Washington Post dated Monday, August 3 rd, 2015 that was headlined: “Deadly Wildfires in Northern

California”. The article goes on to state how firefighters walked along State Route 20, alongside a fast-

moving wildfire. It states: “The fire has burned about 47,00o acres and destroyed more than 20 homes.”
Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

The next news platform I chose to look at was an online article from Wildfire Today dated August 2 nd,

2015. The article is headlined: “Rocky Fire, East of Clearlake California”. The article shows a map of the

area that was being affected by the fire and shows a red outline of where the fire was. It also explains

how firefighters stopped the fire from crossing the highway. “Yesterday we wrote that firefighters had

been able to keep the Rocky Fire from crossing Highways 20 and 16. That changed Monday afternoon

when airborne burning embers northeast of Clearlake, California started multiple spot fires across

Highway 20. Some of the new fires merged (see the map above), leaving two large fingers of fire, one of

them three miles long, heading north coming within three miles of Indian Valley Reservoir.” The article

goes on to share updates about the fire, giving times, locations, and what was being done to prevent

them.
Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

My last news platform for this story was a news team coverage from KPIZ CBS SF Bay Area. I found this

video on YouTube. The news broadcast shares the story of the fire and explains what was currently

going on. It featured a map with a red bubble where the fire was burning. The news broadcast shows

from different reporters’ perspective to see their side of the story. They show home after home that had

been burned down in the fire. They show multiple interviews with firefighters who are on the scene to

get their perspective. They explained how people have has to evacuate, and what is being done to

prevent the fire.

Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

Analysis:

After looking at these different platforms I realized there are a few different patterns and differences

between the coverages. The coverages all had the same general message behind the story. How bad the

wildfire is, how tragic and serious it is, and what is being done to stop or contain the fire. I think all these

platforms did a great job of getting right to the point. Reading the first paragraph or hearing the first few

minutes of the broadcasts, you can tell exactly what is going on with the fire, and the current situation

of it. The coverages also had some differences. The newspaper print was very brief. It didn’t have much

to say. The online article went into more detail about the fire and showed many visuals. The live news

broadcast had reporters and a ton of visuals to capture the whole story. All these sources also used

visuals of some kind. I think it is important for the reader to see what is happening as well as hearing it.

Interpretation:

These similar and different patterns can suggest that the writers and reporters had a goal of getting solid

information out to the public. Not much extra wording or information was used in these different

platforms. I think that the differences between the coverages have to do with who they are targeting.

Maybe older people who are used to reading the newspaper want a brief, concise summary of the

event. People researching the fire online may have more time for a deeper dive into the information,

and people watching the broadcast might prefer the visuals of the event and want to see it up close. I

think when it comes to a disaster it is hard to argue credibility. For example, the news broadcast was

showing live feed of the aftermath of the fire, and the different perspectives of the journalists,

firefighters, civilians, and reporters clearly prove that what’s being broadcasted is true. On the other

hand, it may be harder to determine accuracy with a print or a few pictures from an online source.
Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

Evaluation:

In my opinion, I think the team coverage video broadcast was the strongest platform for this story. The

broadcast had many different visuals for people to see. Maps, videos, and live coverage make it easy to

see what’s going on. I think the story can be better told when people can see concrete footage of the

event. No questions needed. The different perspectives of the reporters, and the interviews with the

firefighters make it clear that what’s happening is real, and there is no bias in one way or another. I also

think a live broadcast is the strongest because of the availability. It is much easier to turn on the TV and

see actual footage than research the topic online or read the paper. Another reason for the news

broadcast being the strongest coverage is the ability to share unlimited information. Online articles and

prints more than likely have a word count limit, and it can even be harder to write a story rather than

just saying it.

Engagement:

I chose to write an email to the Washington Post about improving print newspaper coverage.

Dear Washington Post,

I wanted to write about the quality of the current newspaper prints. While they do provide valid

and credible information, I do think there could be some improvements. In the 2015 northern California

wildfires there was only one picture depicting the event. I feel like as a reader, more visuals can help me

understand the story better. I also think the wording could be improved too. If I’m reading about a

natural disaster, I would like to get as much information as possible.

Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022

Sources:

wapoimage.jpg (802×567) (mediamatters.org) Newspaper print by the Washington Post

Rocky Fire, east of Clearlake, California - Wildfire Today Wildfire Today online article

Team Coverage: Valley Fire Explodes In Size, Burns 100+ Homes Near Clear Lake - YouTube Team
coverage, recorded live broadcast
Jake Anderson

Professor Gay

9 December 2022