Analyzing My Genre

The Editorial

Alan Light "Winsor McCay editorial cartoon" (2/7/2014) via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License.

I have decided to write an editorial article that would be specifically featured in the New York Times. In this post, I will provide examples of this genre, and analyze it in detail.

Here are some examples of an editorial article you would find in the New York Times:

1. Transgender Students in High School Locker Rooms
2. A Wrong Turn for Guatemalan Democracy
3. In Houston, Hate Trumped Fairness
4. Myanmar Goes to the Polls
5. Denying the Will of Okinawans

Social Context

• This genre is typically set in a newspaper / newspaper website.
• The subject of the genre can be practically anything, as long as it's an issue that the author feels strongly about.
• Readers of the paper use this genre.
• This genre provides people with an update on current views concerning a large / controversial debate.

Rhetorical Patterns

• There is always an image, a title, and a byline. These articles tend to include statistics and opinions, but rarely use direct quotes. The information included tends to cater to those who would share their opinions.
• There are usually direct appeals to pathos, with less appeals directed to logos. Some main rhetorical tools used in this genre seem to be shocking statistics, loaded language, and opinionated statements / narratives. There are hardly any written appeals to ethos, because the platform of the article (The New York Times) really speaks for itself, as does the author bio that always accompanies it.
• The titles of editorials usually include emotionally loaded language, immediately conveying the gist of the author's opinion. These articles begin with an overview of the issue that exists, and may include the author's opinion. Most editorials tend to conclude with a short to mid-sized paragraph that wraps up their overall opinion of their topic and their entire editorial. In the main body, they address the context of the issue, and do so by including statistics and facts, as well as coloring that context with their own views. 
• A variety of sentences are used in this genre, Rarely are exclamatory or interrogative sentences used - word choice is used to convey confusion and outrage rather than sentence structure.
• Word choice is usually somewhat elevated, elaborate, and emotional. Most words are formal, even and especially if they are loaded.

Analysis

• This genre includes readers who share the opinion of the author, and bashes anyone who doesn't. It will always include opinionated readers who are usually regular readers of the paper.
• The genre encourages readers to see writers as correct, and writers to see readers as confused about what to think. So, writers are given the role to think for those who are confused (or need affirmation) about their opinions on a certain issue, and guide them through the issue to its reality.
• Most users are assumed to have questions about issues and what they should think about it.
• The genre treats content which complements their views as essential, and will hardly ever use content that would support an opposing view. They also hold statistics in high esteem.

Reflection: After reading Thomas and Lauren's Analyses of Genre, I realized that quite a few of us are writing in a genre that fit in the broader genre of the online article. Why not a video? We seem to be sticking to what we know: writing. I feel like it would be really interesting if we had a greater variety in genres! Sadly, I won't be following my own advice for the class, as I think the editorial will fit my purpose perfectly. Hopefully we'll have at least a couple people try something new!