Fact, opinion, conjuncture and sensationalism: Analysing the Sinead McNamara Story

PART 1:

Using your own research, define the difference between fact, opinion and conjecture.

Fact is something that is true and has some evidence to prove that it is so. An opinion is a view or judgment about something that is not necessarily based on factual information. A conjecture is an opinion formed based on incomplete information. Fact and opinion are opposite as fact is objective and opinion is subjective. Facts are proven true whereas opinions are not true but a matter of perspective.

What is sensationalism?

Sensationalism is the way in which stories are presented intending to provoke public interest or excitement, usually at the expense of accuracy.

PART 2:

Read through the articles about Sinead McNamara carefully, and make sure that you answer the questions below in as much detail as you can.

Scan the text for examples of fact, opinion, and conjecture. Include examples below. Which are you finding most of? Would you describe this article as objective or subjective?

Fact: 20-year-old Australian Instagram model found dead at the back of Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres' $190 million superyacht Mayan Queen IV.

Opinion: Not suspicious death

Conjecture: Death supposed suicide

Would you describe this article as sensationalist? Why? Back your answer up with evidence from the text.

The article uses a lot of facts, informing about what happened, who she was, and so on but also it seems sensationalist, as it has bold striking headlines, that are eye-catching and engaging such as Daily Mail's headline:

'She died on her last shift': Australian Instagram model, 20, found dead on-board a $190MILLION superyacht was on the final day of a working holiday - and just hours from meeting up with her mum and sister

PART 3:

Who are the typical target audiences for each of the following publications: The Star; The Daily Mail; The Guardian; BBC News?

The Daily Mail's target audience is mainly right-wing, middle-aged, and maybe middle-class people. The Guardian's target audience is mostly left-wing, so many young people. BBC News tries to be politically neutral but most perceive it to be biased. BBC News has a varied target audience but is mainly focused on the older generation.

How is this reflected in the content, language, and tone of the article?

A publication targeting the younger generation would more likely use content that would engage younger people such as about a celebrity or social media influencer. Whereas, a publication targeting the older generation would more likely focus on politics and economics. Formal language would be used in The Daily Star whereas more informal language would be used in The Guardian targeting younger audiences.