LOUISVILLE, Ky.
The three-time world heavyweight
champion, and the 20th century icon, Muhammad Ali, has died at the
age of 74.
“The Greatest” died on Friday, June
3rd at a Phoenix-area hospital. The
New York Times reports he died from complications of Parkinson’s disease
and septic shock.
CBS
News reports Ali was world renowned for his athletic capabilities and
unorthodox boxing style yet was a polarizing figure outside of the ring.
According to The
New York Times, throughout the 1960s and 70s, Ali gained widespread
attention for his social, political, and religious beliefs. Conservative
establishments saw him as a threat, whereas liberals saw noble cause in his
statements.
Several
notable accounts include his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War, the
changing of his “slave name”, Cassius Clay, and his conversion from
Christianity to Islam. All of which were very controversial actions, according
to The
Times.
An
Olympic gold medalist, Ali was banished from the boxing ring at the height of
his career for his anti-war activism. The
New York Times reports this cost him millions of dollars.
Ali
became a popular figurehead for Parkinson’s disease, of which he lived with for
over 30 years, according to CBS
News.
The
New
York Daily News reports his body will be laid to rest in his hometown
Louisville, Kentucky.
Reasoning:
There was such
worldwide coverage of Mr. Ali’s death this week. This is why I chose this story
as the top world story of the week. It’s a newsworthy story on its head because
a very famous person, with very a very ubiquitous name and phrase has died. For
every national newscast I watched, it was the top story. It’s also newsworthy
because his death rehashes a lot of what he historically stood for, much of
which was controversial. A lot of us only know Ali as the “saint-like”
trembling man who lit the Olympic torch in 1996. I think a lot of us are not
fully aware of what a significant and controversial figure he was in the
twentieth century, worldwide. So it was those factors that make this the top
world story of this week.
I also covered Ali's death in my brief. I think you did a great job with covering not only his death, but also his accomplishments during his life. You do such a great job writing. I like your style. It's casual but professional at the same time. (If that makes sense!) I also think that your argument as to why the story is newsworthy has multiple facts that prove why the story is appropriate. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment Amanda.
DeleteI thought it was a worthy choice for world news because when it happened it almost seemed like the regular news gathering stopped at it was all about Ali, around the world. And I think it fit as a world story because even though he was an American icon, he was famous all over the world and he was a worldly person, and was an activist for all kinds issues around the globe.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteI also covered this story. You did such a thorough job of writing this and providing reasons that make it newsworthy. Good job!!
Thanks for the comment Elissa,
DeleteI thought it was the most newsworthy choice. It was a bit difficult because there was a lot of information to sift through, in order to get to the hard, conclusive facts, so thank you for noticing.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteGreat choice for a top international story. You stuck to the facts without making this story more of an entertainment piece which some people did. There was a lot of information to chose from when deciding how to cover this story, but I believe you did a great job and took the most important parts and wrote them into one piece. Definitely a great newsworthy story!
Jen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I wasn't sure how exactly to spin this as a world story, which I knew it potentially was, so I decided to focus on why he became such a world renowned icon throughout the 20th century. There was definitely a lot to pick from in terms of information, but I wanted to focus on the most well known, and controversial events.