RIO DE JANEIRO- The World Health Organization (WHO) has rejected a letter to have the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics postponed due to the Zika virus.
USA Today says the letter sent by a group of 150 doctors and scientists brings up concerns over the spread of the virus and the health risks associated with it.
Many people believe hosting the games in an area with this virus is unethical and could greatly impact the health conditions of the athletes, spectators, and journalists says the BBC.
Global News stated that WHO said “based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”
The International Olympic Committee also says they will not postpone or move the games due to the virus.
However, both WHO and the International Olympic Committee are warning people to not attend the games if they are high risk.
Story Choice
I chose to write this story because this is a virus that is quickly spreading and affecting the entire world which makes it very relevant. It would make sense to move the Olympic games because of the severity of Zika and the potential of it spreading. That fact alone makes this story controversial because of the notion to keep the games where they are despite the risk of the health and safety of spectators and athletes.
To be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about this virus or that it even existed until a friend of mine told me. He works at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs so it's of course something he would pay attention to. Hopefully it doesn't have too large an effect on the games.
ReplyDeleteHey Ryan. I find that kind of shocking that you didn't know about this virus because it's been a large issue even before the complaints about the effect it could have on the Olympics. However, that is really cool that your friend works at the Olympic Training Center and kind of gets a first hand look at how this virus could affect the games. Thanks for the feedback!
DeleteI think that your brief was great. You had plenty of information that gave insight to the story, but you kept if short and impactful. You also have great sentence structure. The hyperlinks also add a professional touch to the summary. I find this story concerning, and I hope that people think twice before traveling. This impacts the whole globe. Let's hope people will be responsible!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, thanks for all the positive feedback! It really means a lot considering I wasn't 100% sure if I was laying out the structure of the brief correctly. I agree with you that this is a concerning topic for the whole world which is part of the reason why I chose this story. People need to be aware of the facts of the virus and the potential effects it could have.
DeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteYou did an awesome job and provided great information. I think this is absolutely crazy and actually kind of scary.
Where do you stand with this?
Hey Alexis, I think they should definitely be moving the Olympics or at least doing a lot of in depth research to back up their stance that the virus will not affect the games. This puts the athletes, spectators, and journalists covering the events lives at risk. This isn't just a common cold we are talking about, it is a serious and deadly virus. I agree that this is a scary thing, so they should be researching it to the max or just moving the games all together.
DeleteJen- Nice variety with stories, in particular, the follow up story with the Zika virus. Your experience with Fox 11 shines through in the stories you wrote with the professionalism in which they are written. Look forward to reading more of your stories in the future!
ReplyDeleteAlexander, thank you for the positive feedback. My background with Fox 11 definitely did help me write these briefs and understand how to structure them.
DeleteWhile I did not go this route with my international story, this is not a bad way to go. The Olympics are a big sporting event, drawing eyes from all over the world. There is controversy in keeping these games due to Zika. How will this affect its spread? How will this affect the athletes? Will its spread be tracked?
ReplyDeleteThere is some novelty to this story. The threat of the virus could add intrigue to the games. There also is conflict - this is a big money event for the hosting city/country, and I doubt they want to lose these events.
Thanks for the comment! The questions you pointed out would have been a good addition to my story. I really just focused on the hard facts of the virus and the Olympics, but if I would have added in some causes and effects both have together I think that would have made it an even better news piece. Thank you for the feedback and suggestions!
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