Written by Atiqah Ramli
INTRODUCTION
Masjidil Haram is the place that most of the Muslim people to perform the haji pilgrimage. In each year there are several cases that happen during the Haji. Through this situation, the Saudi authorities take some action by renovate several place in Masjidil Haram in order to some comfortable place to all people around the that to Mecca to perform the haji. Mecca have situated in Saudi Arabia. On 11 September 2015, all people around the world have been shocked by one incident in Mecca when the crawler crane collapses to Masjidil Haram. The crawler crane has been estimate 1350 ton have been collapse because of the strong wind during the incident day. This incident were killed 111 and 394 are injured. Most of the victims in this incident are from twelve different nationalities and with huge contingent are died from Bangladesh and Egyptians This incident have been classifies the worst case after the crane that have been collapse in New York City with eleven people are died.
Each year, the number of people become the victims during perform haji have increasing drastically because every year the number of people that come from different country are increased. Due to this problem, Saudi Arabia Government has taken some action by give each country certain quota in order to reduce the issues of stampede during perform their haji pilgrimage. The Saudi Arabia governments also sub some contract to Saudi Bin Laden Group for construction in Masjidil Haram. This construction company have been recognize the largest construction firm in world (Al-Jazeera, 2015).But the situation become worse when one of the crane in Masjidil Haram have collapse and this project have been responsible under Saudi Bin Laden Group. All the constructions under Saudi Bin Laden Group have been stop for investigation.
IDENTITY OF THE MEDIA
The Star Online
The Star Online is the property from Star Media Group Berhad and formerly known as Star Publication. Basically, The Star Online needs 16 years to establish the news portal online and publish to the readers. In 2008, this news portal has been rearrange back in order to give the reader are easier to navigate this news portal. The objective of this news portal is to disseminate the information to the reader by using the technology advancement. The strength of this newspaper company is they will provide the audience with many platforms in order to get the information such as print edition to online edition- paper and mobile devices. Due to the development of the internet connection among people around the world, this news portal online also supported the readers with a lot of interactive tool that give the opportunity to the user to access all the information that have been publish in this news portal freely. The interactive element that has put in this news portal is video, podcast, photo, blogs, and internet broadcasts of radio stations under The Star group. Some of the video have been posted together with the news article. This situation also helps the reader gain the overview of the case through watch the video.
The Guardian
The Guardian is the online news portal that founded by Manchaster in 1821. Before this this news portal are publish as the weekly Manchester Guardian but in 1855, it change to daily when British government lifted the stamps taxon this newspaper. In 1959, Manchester was from the name also has reflected the standing that have positive international reputation. Due to this issue, all the editors and staff also moved to Landon in 1964. Basically, The Guardian have familiar with investigative journalist, its dispassionate discussion of issues, its literary and artistic coverage and criticism, and its foreign correspondence. The paper was once called “Britain’s non-conformist conscience. The paper is owned by the Scott Trust, which also owns the Guardian Media Group. Income from the group supports the newspaper and allows it to remain financially secure. The trust ownership structure has prevented a buyout of the newspaper by larger media owners.
COMPARISON CRITERIA
Headline
Headline is the important element in each news article. Basically, the headline that gains the huge impact is simple and direct to the readers. The readers will easily to understand the overview of the cases by only read the headline of the article. As the journalist or the writer of the news article, they need find the sample headline and catchy in order to grab the attention the readers to buy their newspaper. The headlines that catch attention of the readers also will help the news portal itself to grabbing attention in search engine. The readers only need to write simple words such as crane collapse, the readers will get a lot of news that related to this issue. The simple headline also gives the huge tendency to the readers to click and read the article.
Based on the headline of The Star Online and The Guardian, the journalists have using the number to describe people who are kills in incident of the Mecca crane collapse. This technique has clearly explained the overview of the main content in this article. The headline of The Star is “Crane collapse kills 107 at Mecca’s Grand Mosque ahead of hajj” by reading this headline only the reader also give the clearly information regarding the victims on the crane collapse in Mecca. The huge of the victims also will catch the attention of the journalist to read this article. It also same to the news article that publishes by The Guardian news portal with the title “Mecca crane collapse: 87 dead at Grand Mosque”. The Guardian title actually is simple are more straight forward compare to The Star.
Language and Tone
The good news article must use simple or complex language. If the writer want to use simple language, the journalist need to make sure the audience understand on the message that the journalist want to deliver to the audience. But if complex sentence, the journalist need to make sure the language will does not element of the double meaning because different people have different interpretative. Based on the overview from both news portals online, the languages that have been use are simple and easy to understand. The information regarding the Mecca crane collapse also have portray properly and also clearly to the readers. Even though the journalist used the simple words, the reliability of information also supported all the journalist statement. When it comes to tone of the news article, its good if the journalist will play with emotion of the reader but the journalist also need to be accountable towards the family victims that involved with this incident. Based on the analyses for both comparison for both article, The Stars online have used the sympathetic tone in order to describe the situation of the victim who are involve in this cases.
Chronology
Chronology also the importance element that journalist need to highlighted in portraying the incident that happen. Through chronology, the readers will get the overview on the timeline of the cases that happen although they do not exist in the place where it happened. There are several aspect that journalist need to follow such as factual, objective, clear and complete with timeline. Based on this element, some analyses have make for all article by The Star Online and The Guardian. The journalist from The Star Online does not put any chronology that happen clearly compare to The Guardian that highlighted the time line of the incident with chronology time. The Guardian also provided the reader with the maps and the structure of the place that the crane collapse. Through this chronology also The Guardian also highlighted all the action that has been taken by the Saudi authorities in order to control this situation. Readers who are read this article will get the action that have been taken.
Interview
In news article, the writing skill that will attach the audience is the interviewer statement. The statements from people who are involve with the tragedy and also people who are responsible to the incident. The statement that has been highlighted by the journalist in news article will give the strength on the news article and also give the strong evident towards this incident. Based on the analyses that have made between The Star and The Guardian, both news portals have using this element in the news article. The Guardian has get the statement by the family victims towards the incident crane collapse. The valuable statement that The Guardian gets is from the King OF Saudi Arabia towards the action that has been taken by the Saudi Arabia Government towards this incident.
Message
Journalist has their freedom to express their opinion about any issues in writing the news article. But the message that have disseminate should have their limit and avoid from dropping any party. Message is the information that has been written by the journalist to make the reader aware with the situation. The positive message that have been portray by the The Star news portal online and The Guardian portal is they keep on updated the information that happen in Mecca. Most of the readers who are following this incident are wanted to have the latest information. As example, the articles that have been publish by the The Star news portal online with the title.The positive message also been highlighted by The Guardian in the article with the title “Mecca: Saudi king vows to find cause of hajj”. This situation will give the positive information towards the reader when Saudi king come out with the statement that the incident of crane collapse in Mecca will be investigate. It also give some prove that all the victim will be defend and get compensation.
Propaganda
Propaganda which is the information that has been written but there are hidden agenda that the readers does not know. Sometime propaganda will become positive and negative. Basically, the words of propaganda always refer to the political journalist or nationalist setting. The words of propaganda have been use start from World War II in order to promote the ideas (Shamsiah & Ahmad Sufian , 2014). Propaganda also the medium that have been used by the journalist to exposed the factual of the cases and opinion of the journalist that will influence the readers to motivated them in order to make any action or change the behavior (Renee & Sandra , 2015). In other words, propaganda sometime depends on the motives of the journalist write up or raise up that issues (Cunningham, 2002).
Based on some analyses on the article that have been publish The Guardian is on the article with the title “Timeline of tragedies during hajj pilgrimage in Mecca”. In this article, the journalist try to exposed all the tragic incident that have been happen towards the people who are come to Mecca in order to perform their haji. Through highlighted on the mount of the people that killed in Mecca will give the uncomfortable situation towards people who are planned to visit Mecca to perform the haji. Mind torture also happen here when the way the journalist deliver the message have shown that Mecca is not a suitable place to visit because it not safety to people. Compare to The Star Online news portal, the propaganda that have been show in this article is to show that Malaysia government have taken a lot of action towards this tragedy like our prime minister have make a deal with a Saudi Arabia government towards this matter. The journalist also portrays the compensation that has been given by the government towards Malaysia people who are become the victims towards this incident. This propaganda will consider as positive agenda in order to promoting the positive image and reputation of the Malaysia government.
EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION
Based on the observation and comparison from this two news portal, The Stars only portray on the issues towards Malaysia victims only and compare to The Guardian that cover the overall cases from all the victims from the different country based on the witness of the incident. The Guardian also manages to get the statement to Saudi King towards this incident. But The Star is more balance in reporting this case compare The Guardin that have element of propaganda which is try to prove all Muslim people by highlighted the incident and people who are killed every year during perform the hajj.
In conclusion, journalist should become the mediator to the society in order to transmit the latest information to the public. Due to this situation, information that has been received by the journalist should be verified in order to transmit the trusted information to the public. When the issues that have wrote are related to the sensitive issues such as incident that involved with a lot of victims, the journalist need to accountable will all element because all the issues that write up will catch the attention the reader.