Michelle's Comm 303 BLOG

Page 94-96 4.2 News Values 1

“Good Guy” Holds Teacher, Students Hostage

1. The news values that are present in this story is this typical “cool” high school boy held his fellow students and teacher hostage. This is something that the mass media would be interested in because letting your community and the public know that there was a gun brought to a high school is severe. It also allows the community and parents of high school kids to take a second look at their children and find out what is really going on with them. It also allows the readers to step back and think about where there weapons are in their house if they have some and the kids know about it. Having a legal weapon in your house is not a problem but when you children know about it thats what its a problem because issues like this arise from it.

2. Who of the story is a high school student, 18 years old, Eli Dean. The what of the story is Eli Dean holding 15 students and a teacher hostage at gun point in a local high school. When was on a Monday beginning in the morning and not releasing the last hostage until 7:30 p.m. EST making the siege more than eight hours. Where was Central High School in Ms. Melody Money’s classroom. Why and how is still unknown; a fellow student Amanda Garr said, “Dean must have been upset because he is one of the best people I know.” It was also noted in the story that Dean was previously suspended twice from the high school in the past two weeks for playing pranks such as pulling the fire alarm and breaking a window. When Dean walked into the school that Monday, at 11:10 a.m. he went right to Money’s room and held those 15 students and herself hostage, no one expected it.

3. Out of the three major sources of information the one used in this story was people.

4. The reporters were able to use people because when the story reached the media, the news media that released this story probably sent people over to Central High school right away. This way they were able to talk to any students or faculty walking out. Luckily enough they were able to gather information from Amanda Garr, a student who knew Eli and also speak to Sgt. Martin Jenkins  who was on duty during the incident. From their personal takes on the siege and by witnessing the end result the reporter was able to put this piece together.

5. With analyzing the story and verifying its accuracy with not knowing a lot about the incident, this is what I’ve gathered. I almost don’t know if I believe that Amanda knows Eli as much as she claims. If he really is one the best people she knows it makes me question who she is and who she hangs out with because clearly if he is a great guy he wouldnt be bringing a gun to school to release his frustration for being suspended. I would have tried to maybe get another students opinion on Eli. I would want the reporter to double check on Amanda and her relationship with Eli. I also want to know more information about what Money said to Eli when she counseled him because it makes me wonder if she upset him and that is why he picked her class versus anyone else’s.