An unfaithful event on an exciting day
An article by Euronews, published on the 17th of October, 2023, highlighted the tragic event of the killing of two innocent Sweden football fans.
 |
| Mac Dougall, D. (2023) Brussels police kill suspect in shooting deaths of Sweden fans, euronews. Available at: https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/17/brussels-police-shoot-and-arrest-suspect-in-killing-of-swedish-football-fans (Accessed: 06 November 2023) |
On Monday 16th October 2023, the suspect thought to be a radicalized Tunisian national living illegally in Belgium, carried out a terrorist act that killed two people and severely injured another. A manhunt was launched in Brussels in response to the attack, and a football match between Belgium and Sweden was postponed as a precaution. the Prime Minister of Belgium called it a "brutal terrorist attack," and the suspect, who was known to police, was refused refuge in 2019. The suspect's radicalization and dangers to state security are mentioned in the article.
Narrative Construction
The article starts off with a lead that provides the reader the who and where of the situation:
"The suspect was shot at a cafe in the Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek, where a residential property had been searched overnight."
This lead gives a brief context of what the article will be about. After this lead, a quick rundown of the events is given providing the readers with more information:
"Police in Brussels have shot and killed the only suspect in the deaths of two Swedish football fans in Brussels on Monday night."
The article is split into four sections: the brief (a quick outline of what happened), the event (what happened on the 16th of October, 2023), the press conference (the Belgian PM's thoughts), and the information about the suspect.
In the second section, the readers are given the finer details of the events. It is stated that because there was a football match between Belgium and Sweden not far from the attack, precaution was taken "to protect the Swedish supporters." (stated by Prosecutor Eric Van Duyse). This security was the denial of supporters to leave the stadium as it was a risk factor for them.
A press conference given by the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, was given in order for the public to know what has happened and what will happen moving forward. The use of this press conference in this article not only provides additional information to the readers but also captures the reader with the heartfelt message the PM delivers:
"Last night, three people left for what was supposed to be a wonderful soccer party. Two of them lost their lives in a brutal terrorist attack."
"Their lives were cut short in full flight, cut down by extreme brutality."
Further down, the readers are shocked by the information that the author, David Mac Dougall, shares. This is because it is stated that a video message that was responsible for this attack was shared on social media by a male "presenting himself as the assailant and claiming to be inspired by the Islamic State". The mention of the current war in Gaza, emphasizes the shock factor that is done to the readers. However, it is mentioned by Belgian prosecutors that this attack was not linked to the current war.
In the last section, the readers find out the current information known to the authorities about the attacker. The information given from Justice Minister Vicent Van Quickenborner, allows the reader to know more about the suspect and provides a sense of comfort that what they are reading can be deemed as reliable.
Treatment
Quality and Depth of Subject Matter
As the subject matter is very heavy, the choice of words has to be of a formal nature. The author executed this task very well. Another aspect that should be kept in mind is whether the article was deemed biased or not. This was not the case which elevates the quality of the article tenfold. This is because the reader is getting facts and not opinions which should be the case when it comes to topics of such.
The way the article was divided, provides a nice flow of conversation which makes it easier for the reader to understand. The information is continuous and therefore, there are not any abrupt changes in conversation.
Sources
Authoritative sources are used in the article like the Belgian Prime Minister, Belgium's Interior Minister, and a Federal Prosecutor. These sources provide the article with more credibility as the information is coming from someone who is heavily involved in the situation. Therefore, the reader can feel safer at the fact that what they are reading can be taken as a fact.
Technical Elements
As stated before, a video is provided at the start of the article. The main footage is taken on the street, showcasing the current state of the place of the attack. Apart from this, a press conference is also shown. This press conference was very informal which contrasts with the very formal and heavy conversation that is said. This conference is held outside on the street with an entryway of a building as the background. The attire worn by the Spokesperson for Belgium Federal Prosecutor Eric Van Duyse is smart casual as he is wearing a shirt paired with a coast jacket.
Throughout the video, there is a voice-over of a man giving a brief description of the article. No additional audio is played.
The Presenter's Intention of Telling the Story
David Mac Dougall's intentions of publishing this article were probably twofold: on one hand to report the latest news, and on the other hand to inform the world and also the locals that have been affected by this attack, the latest information for peace of mind.
Article: Mac Dougall, D. (2023) Brussels police kill suspect in shooting deaths of Sweden fans, euronews. Available at: https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/17/brussels-police-shoot-and-arrest-suspect-in-killing-of-swedish-football-fans (Accessed: 06 November 2023)
Comments
Post a Comment