IMPORTANCE OF MAKING CRITICAL EVALUATIONS OF NEWS STORIES1
Importance of Making Critical Evaluations of News Stories
Nicole Sherwood
Kelly Raye
HUM 111
May 24, 2014
This article starts by mentioning that even after the government of Kenya has implemented strict laws and regulations against the selling of homemade liquor by the aid of John Mututho, chairman of the state-run National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Atleast 33 people died because of drinking illegal liquor laced with methanol to boost its strength, other 45 were hospitalized and several had gone blind. It goes on to say that this brew is common in back streets and citizens start drinking as from 5 am, whereas according to the laws the right time to sell alcohol should start as from 5 pm.
The reporting of the news story was not clear and accuratebecause after a team of investigators was sent out to investigate the report they found that there were a larger number of victims than the one reported.It had no sufficient depth and breadth since it did not give details on how the liquor has affected the society and how it is made in the country without the knowledge of the law enforcers (United Nations, 2009).
In the story some facts were omitted for instance the corrupt police officers who allow the liquor to be made and yet it’s their role to ensure there is no consumption or brewing of homemade alcohol in any part of the country, also it did not explain what legal actions was taken on the people who brew and take the liquor.
The story did not consider any alternative perspectives or any other worldviews. I concluded this way because the writerof the story could have written about how the people affected by the homemade alcohol felt about the situation or talked about how people from around the country felt about the homemade alcohol since a lot of cases have been reported in the past.
There were no questionable assumptions that the author talked about in the story. The author stated factual information; he did not go into much detail on explaining some important points, which are beneficial to the reader.
There were no implications ignored while others were emphasized because the story is only written and not detailed.
It is important to make distinctions while undertaking critical evaluation because this is how one identifies good points and can make unbiased and clear choice whether he believes it or not, one can be able to know if the story it credible or not (Daly, 2005).
The story I read was relevant and credible, however, it appeared like it was brief and unclear; the writer should have written it in details mentioning all the affected parties and the legal actions taken for the reader to be well informed. The writer also should have included the worldview, this is imperative in every story; he was incredible because in the story there were no questionable assumptions United Nations. (2009).
References
Daly, J. L. (2005). Training in developing nations: A handbook for expatriates. Armonk, N.Y:
M.E. Sharpe.
Training in population: The United Nations fellowship programme, 1953-1983. New York:
United Nations.