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The hierarchy of death

Submitted by augustin on Mon, 2011-07-25 23:33

"The hierarchy of death remains one of the most fascinating aspects of daily newspaper decision-making.":

Another example today of journalism's hierarchy of death. Which is the most important story? The murder of 93 people in Norway or the lonely death of Amy Winehouse?

Editors' choices illustrate, yet again, the two distinct presses that exist in Britain.

[...]

All such choices, though undoubtedly uncomfortable for editors, are hardly knife-edge decisions. For the serious end of the press, where informing the public of significant events, remains paramount, the Norway story has a wider resonance, even though Winehouse's death happened more than a day later.

Domestic stories usually score over those from foreign parts, but the scale of the atrocity and the fact that it happened in a country regarded as particularly peaceful weighed heavily in the balance.

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