Introduction
A cyclone, a natural disaster, is a chaotic and disorienting situation. In times like this, especially in modern times, people turn to their phones and the news for information that would give them an insight as to what is happening. Journalism’s role at this time is to have accurate, clear, and well-structured articles and reports to disperse information to the larger audience efficiently and effectively. This analysis will compare 2 articles that talk about the preparation for residence for cyclone Alfred. One article will be written by The Conversation, and the other, by ABC News, albeit in very different formats and approaches.
News story 1: ‘Don’t panic, do prepare’: why it’s not too late to plan for Cyclone Alfred’ by The Conversation
The Conversation is a not-for-profit Australian and New Zealand news site founded by Andrew Jaspan and business strategist, Jack Rejtman in partnership with Glyn Davis, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. It originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2011. The site runs on articles written by academics and journalists which are free to republish. The Conversation is a media resource, a source of ideas with media-ready experts, such as academics and journalists, and free content under Creative Commons. (Resource for media, The Conversation) According to their website, the team is led by editor and executive director, Misha Ketchell and CEO, Lisa Watts. (About Us, The Conversation)
The site has several editions in different countries, however, for this analysis, I will be focusing on the Australia and New Zealand editions that published this news story mentioned in this analysis. As of January 2025, The Conversation received 7.1 million page views onsite and through Apple News alone on average every month. This average is increased to 11.3 million if page views from republished works are included. (Our Audience and Impact, The Conversation) These audiences vary in age, gender, and background with a higher percentage of male readers. They have also garnered a large majority of non-academic audiences as well as audience groups below the age of 40.
With such a large audience base, it is surprising to see an article on their news site that could use several improvements that would benefit its readers and quality of content. In this analysis, I will talk about these improvements in terms of Scannability & Brevity, Multimedia, and Interactivity.
Scannability& Brevity
Scannability is crucial in the modern day and age where the attention span of readers and phone users has shortened. Having articles that are heavily worded and lengthy would be an issue. With this article, the first noticeable issue was that it was heavily worded throughout the entirety of the article. Despite having subheadings and sections, the paragraphs were long and though their choice of words used was simplified, the length still compromised the reader’s ability to briefly scan through the contents of the article, especially with an article that talks about an urgent topic and requires action to be done.
Multimedia
The lack of efficient and proper use of multimedia also plays a factor in the article’s lack of scannability. The stills and video used do not give readers access to gain insight and important content from the article. Readers have to pause in their day to watch the video and read the contents of the article to get the information that they need to act. The minimal use of media, though it brings more focus to the contents of the article, in an article about a topic with a sense of urgency, is not a suitable format.
Interactivity
Having the ability to interact with the article is also an important hook for readers to not only remember the article but also the content of the article. The article written by The Conversation has minimal opportunities for interaction. Apart from the video included in the article which readers could click and watch, there were only a couple of hyperlinks embedded into the article that led readers to relevant articles and pages regarding the cyclone. One link, in particular, was embedded to bring readers to a page that was supposed to show them the ‘danger zones.’ However, upon clicking the link, it led to a page that displayed a message saying that the page was not available. The longevity of a linked resource is something that should be considered when embedding links in an article.
News story 2: ‘Preparing for Tropical Cyclone Alfred? Here’s what to do and where to find sandbags’ by ABC News
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s national public media service. Covering news, information, and entertainment catered to all ages and interests. (Who we are, ABC News) Launched in 1932, the company started off as a single radio service and has now developed into a multi-platform media service and broadcaster. It was first launched by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and ABC radio announcer, Conrad Charlton who first named it the ‘Australian Broadcasting Commission’. It was started based on the BBC model and was originally funded by license fees and government funding. However, the audiences were made aware by Charlton that it could not compete with the BBC’s high standards of broadcasting in London. (ABC History, ABC News)
ABC’s target audience, though not specified, was assumed to be Australians of different ages and interests. Their vision is ‘to be an essential part of daily life for all Australians.’ (The ABC’s vision and direction, ABC News) Their audience reach has also improved over the years with the time spent by users on their several media platforms. Increasing by 10% by the end of 2024 compared to the previous year.
Credits: ABC News Annual Report 2024
With such an ambitious vision, ABC has done very well in its formatting and choices made when writing its article on the preparations for Cyclone Alfred.
Scannability& Brevity
The article displayed a high level of thought and consideration for their readers which was evident in their high levels of Scannability & Brevity used in their article. Short, one-sentence paragraphs written in easy-to-understand language. It was written with lists and big clear subheadings for each segment which gives readers an easier time to scan through and navigate through the article for information that they might be looking for. This is crucial for an article on a topic with a sense of urgency as readers may be in a rush and do not have the luxury of time to read through the contents to find the information required. This shows their understanding and relatability towards readers’ circumstances and the potential attention spans of readers in modern times.
Multimedia
ABC did well in their use of multimedia in this article. Using videos that talk about the things to pack in preparation for the cyclone. Readers could have it play while preparing for the cyclone as an audio checklist that they can use while multi-tasking during times of urgency. Having a featured image for their article that also serves as a reminder and notification for readers as part of their preparation is also a well-thought-out use of media.
Interactivity
Having the video that could double as an audio checklist is already a good example of interactivity for readers but ABC has included several other interactive factors in their article. One is the drop lists that they have employed in their article that are categorized by the things to do and the different areas that readers might reside making it easier to find information catered to them. Readers can click in to get further information and details making it easier for readers to utilise and leave an impression for the readers in such trying times. Another aspect is the interactive map at the end of the article where readers can track the route of the cyclone. The article is then followed up with a call to action for reader’s participation after the ordeal with a link at the top of the article asking for readers who have experienced the cyclone to share their stories.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that both articles have played an integral role in the dispersing of information regarding the cyclone. The conversation has done the part that journalism plays in such a situation, just as ABC has, though not as smoothly.
Reference:
News story 1:
Resource for media, The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/au/resources-for-media
About Us, The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/au/who-we-are
Our Audience and Impact, The Conversation
News story 2:
Who we are, ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/about/about-the-abc
ABC History, ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/about/history
The ABC’s vision and direction, ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/about/why-the-abc-is-important
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