Media study (1) - how they report postal strike?

21 October is the former day of postal strike.

The media was focus on the benefits and the drawbacks of postal strike. The media invited experts to persuade CWU cancel the strike and to analysis the situation. Especially TV station, during their hourly news and other news programs, the presenter connected the expert and Communication Workers Union to attend the online interview. Such as, Royal Mail's Operations Director Paul Tolhurs, David Ward of the Communication Workers Union and so on. Their statements were the focus of that day. The CWU and Royal Mail both try their best to make announcements clearly and correctly. They choose TV station broadcast their position. TV stations use the interview to satisfy the attention of mass. Their arguments went on all day long and no sight shown that will stop. However, the airtime is limited. TV programs were finished during their condemnation. Nearly all reports have no difference and no interaction. They bored audiences. These reports put audiences aside. They don’t aroused audiences.

Besides of these normal reports, I found a significative report updated at 17:40 on BBC website named leaders clash over postal dispute. In my view, it seems an end of long day dispute: if no one took the responsibility to organize a peaceful dispute, the strike would keep on. It broadcasts the condemnation between Gordon Brown and David Cameron at first. It said, “CWU leader Billy Hayes accused Business Secretary Lord Mandelson of working hand in hand with Royal Mail management to sabotage the talks and called him the ‘minister without responsibility’”. The report also gives analysis of the situation. The strength of website is that gives a report more space to imagine even predicate. The nature of report could be an only prognosticate or come former reporter together. Although the predication may not precise, it could attract more audiences. The second benefits of website is the speed of news update. The updated time of this report was the period that all newspapers were placed on the shelf of store and TV station were showing animation and soap opera.

Fortunately, like a respond of former report about condemnation, the CWU said later that day, “a nationwide postal strike will go ahead on Thursday and Friday.” “Dave Ward, CWU: ‘There are external forces… attempting to undermine talks.’” This news was updated at 21:30 on that day. The website integrates an individual breaking news into a full story. Comparing with short news, a full story is more attractive and impressive. About the strike, continuous arguments were losing audiences. The updated news were lack of juicy story. On the other hand, the amount of airtime is limited on TV program. They have no time to tell a whole story. However, the space of the web pages could allow the story to extend. Meanwhile, the website gives useful links relevant the story, such as ‘Royal Mail’s future’ links latest news, background and analysis links expert’s comment. It makes stories luxuriant.

Turn to newspaper’s competition, The highlight of The Lite’s front page is Fears for pig flu patients in post strike; Health chief’s alert over jabs for the at-risk Post strike “bad timing” for vital swine flu jabs. The report gives audiences a new angle about the affect of postal strike. The strike was not only related postal workers, also affects their life. Affecting vaccinations of swine flu is a vivid sample that showing a typical vital package which can not delay. At that time some other TV stations, newspapers or websites focused on how to solve the problem if letters or parcels was delay, their solutions such as online paying or change postal company is useful but not attractive. However, the news of the vaccination was delayed still need to be justified, but the highlight indeed caught people’s eyes.