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Chapter 13 |
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Why do this?
By seeing how different writings on the same topic shape how they present the news— including what they emphasize, include, or leave out— you’ll gain a sense not only of a wide range of persuasive strategies you can use in your own work but also a sense of which news sources treat you with the respect you feel is your due.
What to do
FIRST, COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION
With a partner, meet at a computer with a fast Internet connection. Go to the following U.S. newspaper websites, and pick a national or international news story (political or economic) that is featured on at least three of the sites the day you meet. (Be sure to scroll the full length of the pages—and it is okay to see what further news is listed under National and International links. You may need to register on some of these sites to read the articles.)
The New York Times
The Washington Post
The Los Angeles Times
The Christian Science Monitor
The Miami Herald
USA Today
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionFrom three of the websites on which the story was featured, print out the coverage on the news story you picked. (Print out a copy for each of you.) Choose three sites that approach the news differently, if possible.
Collect at least six other versions of the story, choosing two from each of the following places. Under each category, pick sites that approach the news story very differently. Print out each version of the story that you find, one copy for each of you.
International news sites (in English)
The Globe and Mail (Canadian)
India Daily
BBC News (British)
The Mail and Guardian (South Africa)
China Daily
The International News (Pakistan)
The Observer (UK)
The International Herald TribuneTV news sites/online magazines
CNN
CBS News
Fox News
MSNBC
ABC Newsblogs that are (primarily) about political issues
(you might have to do some searching to find what you need; blogs often approach the news a bit differently than traditional news sources)
War and Piece
Andrew Sullivan
Crooked Timber
Obsidian Wings
Instapundit
Body and Soul
The Washington Monthly
Power Line
SECOND, ANALYZE YOUR INFORMATION
Together, analyze the various stories, considering the following for each version:
- How would you characterize the ethos of the writer(s) of this story? How do you come to this characterization?
- What is the emotional tone of the story — and what emotional attitudes are you asked to take on toward the story, and the people and events involved? What specific features of the writing suggest this characterization to you?
- How does the ordering of events in the story ask you to consider what happened? (This is easiest to see when you compare one story with another.)
- How do you think the writer(s) of the story think of you, as they write? Are you smart and able to think for yourself, or do you need to be told everything, or. . .? Based on what features of the writing do you make these judgments?
- How do any photographs accompanying the story shape your understanding of the story?
THIRD, WRITE UP YOUR ANALYSIS detailing the fair or unfair quality of a story.On your own, without your partner, write a 4-5 page (1000-1250-word) paper, in which you define the particular features of the story: what is it about the writing that causes you to feel respected or patronized? What is it about the writing that causes you to believe the author and enjoy the story? Use the questions from step 2 to help you determine which features of the writing to emphasize.
Start your writing with a statement summarizing the features you think are most important, and then use the rest of the paper to give evidence from the stories. (At the end of your writing, be sure to cite your sources, using the MLA or APA format.)
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