Saturday, March 14, 2009

Bill Clinton, UN chief make high-profile push for progress in impoverished Haiti

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-cb-haiti-bill-clinton,0,4992686.story

Bill Clinton and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Haiti last Monday to meet with government officials in hopes to lure more aid to the impoverished country. They had hopes of mobilizing international support and encouraging the Haitian government to take charge of its own development. Ban and Clinton met with President Rene Preval to discuss environmental repair, storm recovery, and economic assistance. Preval outlined the three shocks Haiti had experienced in the last year: high oil prices, high food prices, and the instill hope that Haiti could once again be the richest island in all the Caribbean.

This story is strictly informative and begins with a summary lead. It does not go into great depth about Haiti’s economic or political condition. Yet, I don’t think it as the purpose of the story to do so. Instead, it simply recounts Ban and Clinton’s visit to Haiti and throws in some background information for the reader’s who are unfamiliar with Haiti’s current condition. The facts seem substantiated and the coverage is fair. There are two perspectives used that help to balance the story. One perspective is local and comes from inside the country. The other perspective is from an international stance.

There are not many sources in the story, but the ones included are pretty significant. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who was the one visiting Haiti was quoted along with Preval, President of Haiti, who was visited. I thought it was interesting to hear from the President of Haiti. I found it funny that he has been criticized for an alleged failure to lead the country and his one quote asked for the solidarity of the national community. I can see how he may be pushing his problems onto others. Femil Ladouceur, a nineteen- year old student, was the third and final source in this story, which really helped to get a more personal and local perspective. I would have liked to see more of a personal perspective from some more citizens. I wish this piece would have either gone more personally into the current state and struggles of Haiti or stayed focused on the visit of Clinton and Ban.

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