Western Envoys Unwelcome in Syria - Literature review Example

Western Envoys Unwelcome in Syria Full Syria has been experiencing peace and order instability since last year which is said tohave threatened lives. In May this year, 108 people were massacred in the city of Houla, including women and children (Al Arabiya, 2012). Consequently, foreign diplomats showed their contempt to such act, leading their countries to expel them from Syria as they get concerned about their safety. Following such a move, Syria declared western ambassadors to be personae non gratae including some of their staff. Among them are the ambassadors of the United States, Britain, France, Turkey, Canada, Italy and Spain. This has been similarly reported by five different papers around the globe which will be scrutinized in reference to the accuracy of the news, the articles being objective or subjective and other aspects that show professional touch in news writing like how one gathers information and the source of which. The report of Al Arabiya News (June 5, 2012) about the aforementioned subject matter can be considered fairly accurate on the basis of comparing the facts declared with other reports like that of McDonnell’s of Los Angeles Times and Goodman’s of The New York Times. It should be made clear that one article is not used as a standard nor a reporter’s information is considered more superior than the others because this writer has no basis for such assumptions. Rather, the information is cross-referenced among the articles and, comparing important notes about the news like the number of diplomats on the list, their names, the reason for the declaration of personae non gratae among others; the similarities verify the accuracy of the information shared. For any discrepancies, they could be attributed to the objectives of the writer. The Al Arabiya News’ report is short but complete which makes it a good read. It mentions the most important and updated facts and proceeds to give a background to the subject. This is a very good strategy in giving information because one has to always consider that not all readers are well-informed and updated. The paper did not just concentrate on giving information but also made a complete and interesting report. In addition to the background, the report also detailed related information that may help readers understand further what the article is all about and have a clearer picture of what is really happening. Aside from being concise, the news report is written in short paragraphs, making readers able to finish reading without getting bored. For instance, the short sentence, “Militiamen looted homes and shops after town residents fled, the NGO said”, forms one paragraph. David Goodman’s Syria Bars 17 Western Diplomats and Allows Increased Aid Agency Presence (June 5, 2012) is a longer article with longer paragraphs but is still considered an interesting read. The article follows a similar trail as the first article analyzed earlier. However, this article could be considered more reliable because of the mention of specific names of sources of information. Moreover, there was not just one unnamed source but there are a number who have been identified as people in authority, trustworthy sources of information. For instance, John Ging, director of operations for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva was quoted about his thoughts on the issue and Syria’s State News Agency or SANA was also quoted saying, “The Syrian Arab Republic still believes in the importance of dialogue based on principles of equality and mutual respect. We hope the countries that initiated these steps will adopt those principles, which would allow relations to return to normal again.” In news writing, it is important to have reliable sources whom one could boldly identify to support what is written. If the sources are not recognized or are incorrectly identified, readers tend to question the source of information and consequently will question the reporter as well. However, if the sources are identified as people who know what they are talking about because they have the educational background, experience, influence and relationships to support the information they share, a reporter is placed at a high pedestal in the eyes of his readers. Although it is true that Syria declared seventeen diplomats personae non gratae a week after the expulsion of several western envoys from Syria, it is not clear if the declaration was made in response to the said expulsions. There might be a possibility that it could be true however, in news reporting, making a comment without mentioning an established basis for an assumption is simply outrageous and unacceptable. The opening sentence of McDonnell in Syria Expels Diplomats but Allows More Humanitarian Aid (June 5, 2012) puts the writer in a questionable state. If his statements were true, he should have at least backed his claim with an unquestionable basis, making him a reliable writer. Saying, “Syria retaliated Tuesday for last weeks expulsion of its diplomats” without pointing to a basis for such claim is a weak reporting strategy. To some readers, it might be unnoticeable that the statement somehow puts the readers in a state where an opinion is not just suggested but is already made up for them. However, if one looks deeper, reading between the lines, it could be obvious that the statement is subjective and aims to manipulate the mind-set of the readers. Global Post (June 5, 2012) on the other hand published a very short article regarding the subject matter and as expected, the information shared is not as complete as the other articles mentioned earlier. Short and simple might be a good way to make a report however, if one is not skilled in doing so; much important information could be missed and will lead readers to seek more information about the news. Although this might be good for the reader because he will come to learn more, chances are, some will take note of the writer’s name and might not read other article written by him in the future. The last report tackled in this paper entitled Syria: U.S., European Diplomats No Longer Welcome, is not written but is orally delivered. With the limited time usually allowed for reporters to deliver their piece, Matt Friedman of the associated press (June 5, 2012) made an impressive presentation of a series of information that revealed a clear picture of what is happening in Syria concerning the ambassadors. In general, the articles were well-delivered except those which were specified earlier. Professionalism was observed in terms of delivery, the words used as well as the tone in communicating the information. However, the article that could be considered best among those which were discussed is Goodman’s Syria Bars 17 Western Diplomats and Allows Increased Aid Agency Presence because it gives readers a good grasp of the full story. In conclusion, this type of writing style would be ideal because it is not only complete with information but also gives solid evidence of a well-researched work. References Al Arabiya with agencies. June 5, 2012. Syria Declares Western Envoys Personae Non Gratae. Al Arabiya News. Retrieved from http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/06/05/218735.html Friedman, Matt. June 5, 2012. Syria: U.S., European Diplomats No Longer Welcome. The Washington Post: World. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/syria-us-european-diplomats-no-longer- welcome/2012/06/05/gJQAWgqWGV_video.html Goodman, David, & Cumming-Bruce, Nick. June 5, 2012. Syria Bars 17 Western Diplomats and Allows Increased Aid Agency Presence. The New York Times: Middle East. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/world/middleeast/syria-bars-17-western- diplomats.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=middleeast McDonnell, Patrick. June 5, 2012. Syria Expels Diplomats but Allows More Humanitarian Aid. Chicago Tribune: Nation and World. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-syria-aid-20120606,0,77099. story n.a. June 5, 2012. Syria bans Western diplomats, including US ambassador. Global Post. Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/syria/120605/ syria-bans-western-diplomats-robert-ford# Read More