I also think that "From Backpacks to Briefcases" gives us as readers a good idea of how much it means to be able to analyze the sources we find, and the message that they try to convey. By increasing our own media literacy we can make better choices and draw more sound conclusions compared to if we only fell for the appeals to our basic needs. I have studied this a little bit before, and I find it very interesting how many messages one can pick apart as long as one understands the glue that keeps it together. What we need to learn is how to make our glue waterproof, so that our own messages won't fall apart like papier mache when someone tries to drown them.
As for the article analysis... I was a little bit confused, but I managed to get the words down. I used the Genre Analysis guiding questions as just that, a guide. I am however prone to over-analyzing instructions, so my biggest fear regarding this assignment is that I have completely misunderstood the idea. I have done my best, and I hope that I did it right.
I chose three different artifacts from three completely different genres, and I both analyzed and compared them to a certain extent. Below is the finished product, and once again, I hope that I did it somewhat correct.
Artifact
Analysis
Marta
Waldrop Bergman
Academic
Writing, Fall 2015
I
am analyzing three artifacts from the perspective of Tyler Beerman, the founder
of Conscious Kombucha. I have chosen a document from TTB.gov, an article in the
Independent, as well as the information found on their official website. I decided to analyze the official document
from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau first. It is written in a
very factual and informative way, and since the main point of the document is
to inform about the regulations surrounding kombucha the tone seems quite
correct. It is on a federal website, which speaks of its authoritative nature. A
federal employee has written it, and it is aimed towards those who intend to
sell their kombucha. It is formatted in a very non-personal way, since its goal
is to be purely informative. It has multiple link-outs, which sends one to more
sites containing information regarding regulations that could apply. The text
is mostly aimed towards the commercial brewer of kombucha, but since it has
some background information on what kombucha is and why the regulations exist,
anyone could read it and still understand the message that is being sent. The
references to precedent regulations do show some jargon, but since they are
linked it doesn’t necessarily exclude anyone. This type of genre does however
seem to have the intent to intimidate the reader to some extent. As with many
other official documents that informs about regulations, it re-states the severity
of breaking the laws, as well as how strict the regulations are.
My
next artifact is an article published in the Santa Barbara Independent in 2013.
It tells the story of two kombucha brewers, one of whom is Beerman. This type
of writing is more informal in the way it speaks to the audience. It contains a
story-telling element that one cannot see in the government documents. This
type of genre gives a short background before it dives into the actual story.
It uses a more informal tone in the way it is written, as well as in the way it
is formatted. The text is separated into lighter paragraphs than one would see
in a textbook, or a regulatory information pieces. It is formatted to make the
reader want to continue reading. The article is an entertainment piece, so
heavy information is being left out in order to keep it light and fun. Since it
is written for a local newspaper and it deals with a local event, the emphasis
is on Santa Barbara throughout the article. The author is playing around in the
text, making the occasional pun or adding a parenthetical thought while
writing. The author seem to have a positive attitude toward her surroundings,
and in the article she assumes that the reader shares her views and by doing
that she is unwittingly excluding those who might expect a more serious piece
of journalism.
My
last artifact that I have chosen to analyze is the official website of
Conscious Kombucha. This is part of a genre, which is becoming more and more
common in today’s web-based society. Compared to official federal documents, or
the lightweight pieces in magazines or newspapers, the information a company
has on their website is structured not only to draw the consumer in but also to
give information on how to get in touch, where to get the product, and how they
started. Conscious Kombucha is a much smaller company than for example
Amazon.com, or Wal-Mart, but they share the same concept. They do not offer any
online purchases, so the goal of the website is to sell their brand well enough
to get people to find the local retailer and purchase their product there. It
is a very simple concept, and it is directly aimed at the potential consumer.
On the website they establish both ethos, logos, and pathos in the sense that
they seek to get the consumer to understand that they have the knowledge to
create a good product, they take their environmental responsibility seriously,
and that they do it with love and pride. As well as many other websites that
companies set up, it is short and concise which makes it easy to get a grip on
what kind of product they are selling. One can look at it as an interactive
advertisement that also gives the consumer the possibility to connect with them
through social media or by email. Many larger websites usually have a FAQ page,
but since this website is of a smaller nature as well as the company being
quite young it doesn’t have it. The readers of this genre is usually consumers
of a more curious nature, those who seek to know more about the brand, and the
writers try to fulfill that need in the best way possible.
These
three artifacts all belong to completely different genres and sub-genres, and
they are all defined by the different conventions that they share or do not
share. Even though they are from three different types of mediums they do have
one thing in common, and that is that they all seek to connect with, and
inform, the reader. The TTB document
seeks to establish an authoritative tone when explaining to the reader the
regulations, the Independent article invites the reader into a more personal
sphere of storytelling, and the Conscious Kombucha brand-website tries to
convince the consumer that their product is the right choice for them. They do
it in very different ways, and being aimed towards different audiences, but
they are all written in an open and inviting manner, not completely excluding
anyone by using a heavy load of jargon or slang, and in my slightly bias
opinion, I think they succeed.
Artifacts used:
Conscious Kombucha.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.consciouskombucha.com/
Kelley, S. (2013,
August 20). To Your Health! Retrieved from
http://www.independent.com/news/2013/aug/20/your-health/
Kombucha. (2015,
September 24). Retrieved from
http://www.ttb.gov/kombucha/index.shtml
I hope you have a wonderful week!
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