Wanting to get the most accurate information regarding gun control, I felt it was important to observe different genres, and analyze these genres, in order to better consider the concept of genre that applies the features that differentiate one genre from another.
Gun Control: An Analysis of Two Genres
Introduction
Gun control has been a very controversial issue in the United States for many decades. Some people believe that the country needs stricter gun control laws, while others believe it already has too many. “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America” is a CNN online article written by Jonathan Mann that talks about how guns have always been part of American culture, and how that will not change any time in the near future. The article also addresses the fact that both, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, issued statements shortly after the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, but neither one of them brought up the issue of gun control. “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control” is a video by an online news show, found on YouTube, called The Point, which focuses on the recent Aurora incident and gun control. They also address how Obama and Romney both avoid talking about more or less gun control and the miscommunication between government and its citizens regarding the issue. Both genres ask the same basic question: Does America need less or more gun-restricting laws?
Audience and Purpose
The CNN article, titled, “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America”, seems to be targeting people who are concerned about gun control due to the recent attack in Aurora, Colorado. It is understandable that many people may have acquired a new fear of guns, and it seems that CNN is taking advantage of that to maybe persuade Americans to change their attitudes toward guns, by inducing fear. The author of this article, Jonathan Mann, never clearly states whether he is in favor or against more gun laws, but the article seems to have a sort of fear-inducing tone throughout it, making it easy to believe that he might want to see some sort of change in our current gun politics. The audience interested in reading this might want to know why Obama, Romney, and most Americans, don't seem to want to face the issue of gun control, even after events such as the one in Aurora. Mann even points out that even after the nearly fatal 2011 shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, in Tuscon, Arizona, her state or federal colleagues didn't move to adopt any new gun control measures (CNN). The article moves to inform the audience of why American attitudes and laws, involving guns, are not likely to change, and possibly, subliminally persuade the audience into asking for more gun-restricting laws, by inducing fear. It is a short article that shouldn't take more than five minutes to read and think about that uses very formal language and past tragedies, like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, to persuade the audience into making a change. The article also states that “270 million guns are in the hands of civilians in the United States, making Americans the most heavily armed people in the world per capita, and that Yemen, a tribal nation with no history of strong central government or the rule of law, comes in a distant second” (CNN).
The YouTube video, titled “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” seems to be targeting people who have recently heard about the Aurora, Colorado shooting. It is mentioned in the video that the video was recorded just days after the incident in Colorado. The online talk show is hosted by John Fugelsang, a comedian, Dileep Rao (actor), Jacki Schechner (Current TV correspondent), and Dennis Marker (author of the book 15 Steps to Corporate Feudalism). The audience of this video is likely to have heard of the movie theatre shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and probably wants to know if anything is being done to strengthen gun laws. The video is just over forty minutes long, and it gives the audience a lot to think about. The purpose of this video is to inform, by letting the audience know of the Aurora shooting, entertain, by adding a little bit of humor throughout the show, and possibly, like the CNN article, subliminally persuade, by inducing fear. The hosts of the online talk show spend a lot of time informing the audience of the Aurora tragedy. The YouTube video’s language is not as formal as the CNN article’s, but still keeps a mostly serious and political tone throughout.
The CNN article and the YouTube talk show are very similar in terms of the material being delivered. They both talk about the Aurora shooting, which is expected, considering that it is the most recent shooting massacre in America. Both genres also bring up past tragedies that have to do with gun violence, and talk about the National Rifle Association's political power and how they keep pushing for less restrictive gun laws. The most significant similarity between the two genres is that they both talk about how the issue of gun control seems to be an “abandoned issue” (The Point), and how Obama and Romney both shy away from discussing the issue of gun control. The main difference between the two genres is that the CNN article talks a lot about past events, why guns are important to American culture, and compares the United States with other countries like Yemen and Norway. The main focus of the video is to talk about the Aurora shooting, and possible ways it could've been prevented.
Rhetorical Issues
The CNN article does a very good job of establishing credibility. CNN is already a very well known news channel, and the article’s author, Jonathan Mann, is a very well known news journalist and anchor for CNN. The article provides many quotes from different politicians, as well as several statistics, that increases its credibility even further. The article also manages to evoke a feeling of fear with all those statistics. It mentions how many guns are currently in the hands of civilians, and how those guns have been used in past massacres, which might make the audience a little fearful. The article also makes the audience feel anger toward Obama and Romney for not having the courage to talk about the issue of gun control. In the last paragraph, the author writes, “But America seems to be the place the whole world thinks of when apparently ordinary people use guns for grotesque acts of violence,” which evokes a feeling of shame, or perhaps disgust with American culture. The article uses statistics and quotes to provide evidence to back up its claims. However, the article never mentions where those statistics were acquired from, and it mostly uses personal opinion quotes from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The YouTube video lacks credibility because of the hosts. A comedian, an actor, a book author, and a television correspondent lack the credibility needed to host a show about politics and gun laws. Also, most people have probably not heard of the show, The Point. The show evokes a lot of emotions of sadness and fear, talking about how helpless one would be with an attacker shooting an assault weapon with a 100 round magazine into a movie theatre full of people (The Point). The only evidence that the YouTube video uses as support are quotes from various politicians, an interview with New York Mayor Bloomberg, and their own personal knowledge of related politics. The main difference between the YouTube video and the CNN article would have to be credibility. The CNN article has a lot more credibility since it is a very well known and established news channel, and their journalist, Jonathan Mann, has had a lot of experience reporting about politics. The main similarity between these two genres is the emotions they evoke. They both make the audience feel sympathy for the Aurora victims and their families, as well as other victims of gun violence from the past. They also both make the audience feel a sort of resentment towards politicians for not doing enough to keep America safe, while still preserving the constitutional rights of Americans.
Structure and Delivery
The CNN article, “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America,” talks a lot about the culture and history behind the United States and guns. It is a short article with a lot of information, quotes, and statistics. It starts off with a small background of the American gun culture, continues on with the current issues and the tragedy of Aurora, Colorado, and moves on into talking about how Obama and Romney need to take action, finishing with the way other countries look at the American gun culture. The article, despite being short, is effective in delivering its message. The YouTube video, “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” is structured in an almost identical way as the CNN article (background, current issues, the way other countries look at us, and how politicians need to take action). The only difference is that the YouTube video has a lot more time to deliver its message, and it lacks credibility. The YouTube video also has a more personal “feel” since you can see the hosts’ facial expressions and listen to their tone of voice when they talk. By seeing the emotion in their face and by hearing the emotion in their voice, the message is received in a more emotional way. At a little over forty minutes, the video had more than enough time to say what it needed to in a very efficient way.
Conclusion
Despite its poor credibility, the YouTube video, “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” was much more effective in conveying its message. The two genres are almost identical in the way they are structured, but the YouTube video goes into much greater detail about the issues being discussed, making the CNN article seem like a summary of the video. Overall, both genres deliver their message, leaving the audience asking, what can be done to prevent tragedies like Aurora happening again, while preserving the rights of American gun owners?
Gun Control: An Analysis of Two Genres
Introduction
Gun control has been a very controversial issue in the United States for many decades. Some people believe that the country needs stricter gun control laws, while others believe it already has too many. “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America” is a CNN online article written by Jonathan Mann that talks about how guns have always been part of American culture, and how that will not change any time in the near future. The article also addresses the fact that both, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, issued statements shortly after the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, but neither one of them brought up the issue of gun control. “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control” is a video by an online news show, found on YouTube, called The Point, which focuses on the recent Aurora incident and gun control. They also address how Obama and Romney both avoid talking about more or less gun control and the miscommunication between government and its citizens regarding the issue. Both genres ask the same basic question: Does America need less or more gun-restricting laws?
Audience and Purpose
The CNN article, titled, “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America”, seems to be targeting people who are concerned about gun control due to the recent attack in Aurora, Colorado. It is understandable that many people may have acquired a new fear of guns, and it seems that CNN is taking advantage of that to maybe persuade Americans to change their attitudes toward guns, by inducing fear. The author of this article, Jonathan Mann, never clearly states whether he is in favor or against more gun laws, but the article seems to have a sort of fear-inducing tone throughout it, making it easy to believe that he might want to see some sort of change in our current gun politics. The audience interested in reading this might want to know why Obama, Romney, and most Americans, don't seem to want to face the issue of gun control, even after events such as the one in Aurora. Mann even points out that even after the nearly fatal 2011 shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, in Tuscon, Arizona, her state or federal colleagues didn't move to adopt any new gun control measures (CNN). The article moves to inform the audience of why American attitudes and laws, involving guns, are not likely to change, and possibly, subliminally persuade the audience into asking for more gun-restricting laws, by inducing fear. It is a short article that shouldn't take more than five minutes to read and think about that uses very formal language and past tragedies, like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, to persuade the audience into making a change. The article also states that “270 million guns are in the hands of civilians in the United States, making Americans the most heavily armed people in the world per capita, and that Yemen, a tribal nation with no history of strong central government or the rule of law, comes in a distant second” (CNN).
The YouTube video, titled “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” seems to be targeting people who have recently heard about the Aurora, Colorado shooting. It is mentioned in the video that the video was recorded just days after the incident in Colorado. The online talk show is hosted by John Fugelsang, a comedian, Dileep Rao (actor), Jacki Schechner (Current TV correspondent), and Dennis Marker (author of the book 15 Steps to Corporate Feudalism). The audience of this video is likely to have heard of the movie theatre shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and probably wants to know if anything is being done to strengthen gun laws. The video is just over forty minutes long, and it gives the audience a lot to think about. The purpose of this video is to inform, by letting the audience know of the Aurora shooting, entertain, by adding a little bit of humor throughout the show, and possibly, like the CNN article, subliminally persuade, by inducing fear. The hosts of the online talk show spend a lot of time informing the audience of the Aurora tragedy. The YouTube video’s language is not as formal as the CNN article’s, but still keeps a mostly serious and political tone throughout.
The CNN article and the YouTube talk show are very similar in terms of the material being delivered. They both talk about the Aurora shooting, which is expected, considering that it is the most recent shooting massacre in America. Both genres also bring up past tragedies that have to do with gun violence, and talk about the National Rifle Association's political power and how they keep pushing for less restrictive gun laws. The most significant similarity between the two genres is that they both talk about how the issue of gun control seems to be an “abandoned issue” (The Point), and how Obama and Romney both shy away from discussing the issue of gun control. The main difference between the two genres is that the CNN article talks a lot about past events, why guns are important to American culture, and compares the United States with other countries like Yemen and Norway. The main focus of the video is to talk about the Aurora shooting, and possible ways it could've been prevented.
Rhetorical Issues
The CNN article does a very good job of establishing credibility. CNN is already a very well known news channel, and the article’s author, Jonathan Mann, is a very well known news journalist and anchor for CNN. The article provides many quotes from different politicians, as well as several statistics, that increases its credibility even further. The article also manages to evoke a feeling of fear with all those statistics. It mentions how many guns are currently in the hands of civilians, and how those guns have been used in past massacres, which might make the audience a little fearful. The article also makes the audience feel anger toward Obama and Romney for not having the courage to talk about the issue of gun control. In the last paragraph, the author writes, “But America seems to be the place the whole world thinks of when apparently ordinary people use guns for grotesque acts of violence,” which evokes a feeling of shame, or perhaps disgust with American culture. The article uses statistics and quotes to provide evidence to back up its claims. However, the article never mentions where those statistics were acquired from, and it mostly uses personal opinion quotes from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The YouTube video lacks credibility because of the hosts. A comedian, an actor, a book author, and a television correspondent lack the credibility needed to host a show about politics and gun laws. Also, most people have probably not heard of the show, The Point. The show evokes a lot of emotions of sadness and fear, talking about how helpless one would be with an attacker shooting an assault weapon with a 100 round magazine into a movie theatre full of people (The Point). The only evidence that the YouTube video uses as support are quotes from various politicians, an interview with New York Mayor Bloomberg, and their own personal knowledge of related politics. The main difference between the YouTube video and the CNN article would have to be credibility. The CNN article has a lot more credibility since it is a very well known and established news channel, and their journalist, Jonathan Mann, has had a lot of experience reporting about politics. The main similarity between these two genres is the emotions they evoke. They both make the audience feel sympathy for the Aurora victims and their families, as well as other victims of gun violence from the past. They also both make the audience feel a sort of resentment towards politicians for not doing enough to keep America safe, while still preserving the constitutional rights of Americans.
Structure and Delivery
The CNN article, “Analysis: Why gun controls are off the agenda in America,” talks a lot about the culture and history behind the United States and guns. It is a short article with a lot of information, quotes, and statistics. It starts off with a small background of the American gun culture, continues on with the current issues and the tragedy of Aurora, Colorado, and moves on into talking about how Obama and Romney need to take action, finishing with the way other countries look at the American gun culture. The article, despite being short, is effective in delivering its message. The YouTube video, “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” is structured in an almost identical way as the CNN article (background, current issues, the way other countries look at us, and how politicians need to take action). The only difference is that the YouTube video has a lot more time to deliver its message, and it lacks credibility. The YouTube video also has a more personal “feel” since you can see the hosts’ facial expressions and listen to their tone of voice when they talk. By seeing the emotion in their face and by hearing the emotion in their voice, the message is received in a more emotional way. At a little over forty minutes, the video had more than enough time to say what it needed to in a very efficient way.
Conclusion
Despite its poor credibility, the YouTube video, “Aurora Colorado Shooting And Gun Control,” was much more effective in conveying its message. The two genres are almost identical in the way they are structured, but the YouTube video goes into much greater detail about the issues being discussed, making the CNN article seem like a summary of the video. Overall, both genres deliver their message, leaving the audience asking, what can be done to prevent tragedies like Aurora happening again, while preserving the rights of American gun owners?