News media - Research Paper Example

Task: Rhetorical précis Michael Moss, who is a reporter with New York Times, highlights the idea that improperly checked meatcould result into deaths. This is an article that concerns with the food scenario in the American public. Stephanie Wilson had been a dance instructor. However, she began experiencing aches and cramps. On the first day, the feelings were tolerable as she hypothesized to have had a stomach virus. The situation escalated to a point of having bloody diarrhea. Thereafter, she had seizures and a nine week coma that rendered her paralyzed.

On investigation, she was found to have had E.Coli virus that was traceable to a Sunday dinner hamburger (Moss 1). The principle of this article was to make clear to the public about the dangers of meat product consumption. In addition, it would arouse the government to introduce activities that could tame unscrupulous meat packagers and processors. In this sense, this article is intended for responsible entities such as the USDA. It is also projected to the public and institutions such as public schools.

For the public, it is vital that they assess the credibility of restaurants and retail houses. On the other hand, the government should attain information about the potent of the current food industry for respective reactions. EvaluationThis is a NY Times piece that was published in the month of October and in the 2009. New York Times is an approved entity that specializes in various kinds of informative articles. They range from investigative reports to reactionary opinions. According to New York Times, Moss is a Pulitzer winning journalist that has been specializing in investigative and informative pieces.

In this sense, his pieces would be mostly objective and vent oriented. Mr. Moss has a high level of credibility since he specializes in food industry. His Pulitzer price was based on the E.Coli virus report about Stephanie’s situation. Note 1Since 1994, the government banned grocers and meat companies from beef that carries the virulent strain of E.Coli (Moss 1). The scientific name of the virus relates to 0157:H7. It came into public focus in 1994 because of an outbreak which resulted into the deaths of four children.

In spite of its age since the 1994 scare, many individuals still sicken of this deadly pathogen. Note 2In spite of Ms. Smith’s extreme reaction to E.coli strain, it is discernible that the system was lousy in its meat safety procedures (Moss 1). This is exemplified in the trace of her infection through corporate records and interviews. This makes beef consumption a dangerous gamble. Note 3Food scientists have released reports about the potent of the E.coli pathogen. This is because handful stray cells of the virus can cause sickness in an individual (Moss 1).

This is regardless of the age. The New York Times reported that the traditional standards are not ample to prevent the pathogen from spreading. Note 4The problem with the meat industry pertains to the fact that they treat meat making processes as trade secrets (Moss 1). The plant inspectors are also tuned to hide these trade secrets. This makes external supervision a constrained idea. Note 5As regards several slaughterhouses, it is discernible that contamination exists at every stage of the meat making process (Moss 1).

For instance, arrival of cattle entails smears of feces that harbor the pathogen. In addition, the hide proves a difficult process of alienating the E.coli virus. Work citedMoss, Michael. The burger that shattered her life. New York Times. October 3, 2009. Web. September 29, 2012.