Week 10: "GI Julia" visits troops

2 articles: The Herald Sun & The Daily Telegraph

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/prime-minister-julia-gillard-visits-afghanistan/story-e6frf7l6-1225933363986

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/gi-julia-gillard-surprises-afghan-front-line/story-e6freuy9-1225933509982

The Herald Sun features a picture of Gillard as we’ve never seen her before – in army helmet and flak jacket - during her “whirlwind”, “gruelling”, “high-profile” “surprise” trip to the “war-torn” nation to visit “embattled” Afghan President Karzai and Aussie troops.

The adjective-rich Herald Sun story by Mark Kenny about Gillard’s visit to Afghanistan emphasises that public sentiment is turning against Australian involvement in the war. We are told Gillard assured forces that their role is in the “national interest” and that it’s been “a really hard year, a really hard few months”. This quote provides an opening which the Herald Sun disappointingly doesn’t utilise – no figures on Australian troop numbers, or recent troop casualties, are provided. (It’s a shame the article did not divulge this important and highly relevant information, but considering the article highlighted increasing public disapproval with Australia’s involvement, maybe skipping this information was deliberate?)

However a link to a short Sky News video filled in some gaps, revealing that the roughly 1,500 Australian troops in Afghanistan are to be withdrawn within four years. Links to other articles on the war are provided.

Kenny is also writer for The Daily Telegraph’s significantly shorter story. It contains very similar, but more compact and succinct, content. Extra details are disclosed – the 21 Australian troop casualties, and that Gillard’s trip was kept secret for “security reasons”.

I’d describe the accompanying multimedia as voluminous: the “multimedia showcase” is extensive - even disproportionate - for such a tiny article. So while last week I lamented a shortfall in multimedia (SMH article), this week I’m bemoaning the excessive multimedia in the Telegraph. But I believe that for multimedia to be effective, it should always be well-placed and appropriate.

17 comments under the Telegraph’s article indicates less hits than the 69 for the Herald - could this be because readers were too overwhelmed by all the multimedia to comment (or even read the article)?!