Story topic and angle:
During Donald Trump’s second term as president, there has been a significant drop in travelers to the United States from Australia. According to statistics from the International Trade Administration it can be seen that between January and March 2025 travelers to the United States fell from 80,738 to 59,859. On this topic, what is ostensibly a decline in travel to the U.S., a worsening economic climate, and concerns about U.S. security, is actually at its core a reflection of people protesting against the policies and values of the Trump administration.
Chosen Genre:
This News commentary discusses how Australians view the United States as a xenophobic country that poses a threat to people’s personal freedom and safety. The article looks at the case of an Australian male who was detained and deported by Customs when he returned to the United States on a work visa, where he was verbally assaulted and U.S. Customs agents said things like “Trump is back in town”. This incident will lead to public thinking about traveling to the United States. Reflecting the “aggressive” nature of United States border enforcement, many Australians are concerned and fearful of traveling to the United States.
Chosen publication and target user group:
The Guardian Australia is my chosen publishing site, a news site with a wide audience. In its Media Kit released in 2024, it states that 59% of readers Are environmentally minded and 80% appreciate different cultures and perspectives. This means that The Guardian Australia’s user base is socially conscious and open to different perspectives, making it a great platform for discussing international affairs. With 64% of readers planning to travel in the next 12 months, this means that articles on topics related to ‘travel trends’ are more likely to catch their attention.
Sources of information:
The information in this article will include official statistics from the U.S. International Trade Administration, documents from recent Australian media reports on the issue, and interviews with people who have experienced being detained or deported by U.S. Customs, as well as interviews with Australians who planned to travel to the U.S. but canceled their trips. These will provide the factual basis for my news commentary and help me to clarify my argument on this matter.
Idea for multimedia, hypertext and interactivity:
In the article I will place a few charts showing statistics on the number of Australians traveling to the United States in recent years, which will give a clear indication of the changing trends in travel to the United States. There will be more hyperlinks in this article as there are multiple parties involved, such as the Guardian Australia report on the detention and deportation of Australian males, the US government’s official data page and authoritative analysis of US border policy. At the bottom of the article I will have a sharing area to enhance interactivity and encourage readers to share relevant experiences. This content will enhance the readability and credibility of the article and assist readers to better understand and reflect on it.
Your choice of a controversial and topical angle on how US border policy is affecting Australian travel trends to the US is a clear and unique entry point that demonstrates a high degree of newsworthiness. However, it is recommended that you naturally embed hyperlinks to key data when you refer to it in the body of the text, as this will enhance credibility. Also, you can consider inserting images into the text as soon as you mention the relevant data, rather than stacking them all at the end of the text, which will make the article more coherent and fluent.