Genre Analysis Outline Assignment Sheet

Rhetoric and Writing Studies 1302

Carefully and closely read the entirety of the Genre Analysis
assignment guidelines in your Student Guide to Undergraduate
Rhetoric and Writing Studies. Make sure you understand the
assignment and its deliverables. When conducting each step of a
particular project it is important you have a bigger picture of the
project in mind.
This particular assignment activity the Genre Analysis Outline is
meant to be a first step, or draft, in organizing your Genre Analysis. To
receive full credit for this assignment, you must follow all of the
prompts below when composing your outline.
Remember that an effective rhetorical analysis of any text is not firstly
about what the text says, but rather more specifically about how and
why the text is composed, structured, and delivered the way it is. As
always in academic writing, the effectiveness of your text will depend
on the use of specific, supporting details culled from the source texts
to support your analysis.
Part One
Write down the two genres you have chosen (include titles, who or
where they come from, and what genres they are), and answer the
questions that follow:
Genre 1: CNN website article (Typography)
Genre 2: ABC news interview video (Iconography)
1.What is your topic of inquiry?
My topic of inquiry is whether or not parents should avoid the measles
vaccine on their children.
2. Why did you select these two specific genres?
I selected these genres because they are very informal and clear.
3. How does each genre communicate about your topic of inquiry?
Each genre talks about facts and opinions, they are both very well
written/informed.

Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of
organizing the content of your Genre Analysis assignment.
Audience and Purpose
1.Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)?
The intended audience for the first genre would be parents who would
like to get informed on the vaccines controversy.
The intended audience for the second genre would be for parents and
people in the US who watch the news.
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to
know?
For the first genre, the audience already knows what they will be
reading due to the headline of the website and they want to know what
all the fuss is about.
For the second genre, the audience will already know about the topic
and they are going to find out a information coming from what the
president thinks.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?
With the first genre, the audience will spend about a few minutes to
read the article and comprehend it.
With the second genre, the audience will spend exactly four minutes
watching the video.
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)?
The purpose for the first genre is to inform and Im guessing to
entertain as well with others opinions on the vaccine.
The purpose for the second genre is to also inform people and
entertain with facts.
5. How formal/informal is the language?
The language on both genres are very formal and informal as well, they
kept everything professional.
6. What specialized vocabulary is used?

The vocabulary that is used is academic with both genres, in a way it is

persuasive because they both try to persuade parents to get their
children vaccinated for measles.
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color,
visuals, etc)?
I noticed visuals, they both use pictures of children diagnosed with
measles, and also they use charts.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1.How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility
with the audience?
The first genre establishes credibility by giving facts to their readers on
the number of cases that have been found in the US.
The second genre establishes credibility by also giving facts on the
cases.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?
Both genres are attempting to I guess shock people on this measles
outbreak.
3. What types of evidence are used to support claims? Is it
valid/reliable? If there is no evidence, what is used to help support the
information presented?
In both genres, they use medical support, as in how the vaccine can
help people by not spreading it.
Structure and Delivery
1.How is the information organized to covey its message?
The information is organized for both genres in a way that people will
first read what the measles vaccine and outbreak is, and it then comes
with a solution, which is trying to persuade parents to vaccinate their
children.
2. Are there limitations placed on the information because of the
genre? Does it have more freed to express what it needs to because of
the genre?

3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?

It facilitates its purpose because their goal is to persuade parents to
vaccinate their children to prevent the measles from spreading. They
give facts and try to have evidence in order to be able to attract their
readers attention.