The success point of this article is, the journalist uses a lot of statistics of professional researches to improve the authority of the news. Statics is more impressive and persuadable than words. For example, “it was the fourth consecutive month in which the standing high mark was topped”, “the global thermometer could rise by 6 degrees compared with pre-industrial levels”, “Voluntary national pledges made after Copenhagen climate summit in December would most likely cap that increase at 3.5 to 4 degrees, still far short of the 2 degree limit that most scientists agree is the threshold for dangerous warming. Use statistics to compare, readers can have direct sense how serious the issue is.
However, there’s no evidence show the direct link between the year-on-year variations in the weather and change in climate. After listing the statistics, the journalist quotes experts’ analysis to support the news angle.
Moreover, the title is attractive. After the Copenhagen climate summit and the movie 2012, the issue of climate change has drawn a great level of public concern. People often question “Why weather becomes so extreme? The summers are much hotter and winters are much colder than 10years ago? Is it related to climate change?” The title is a common question in ordinary people, that’s why it’s closer to readers and can attract readers’ attention.
For the original news, check the website:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/first-half-2010-hottest-ever-but-is-it-climate-change-20100720-10iz7.html
