Lauren Fenenbock

RWS 1302, M
Kinley
February 6, 2015
Genre Analysis Outline
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:
Alter: The Importance of Educating Girls by Newsweek Staff, 9/19/08
http://www.newsweek.com/alter-importance-educating-girls-88557
Typography
Magazine essay
Genre 2:
Invest in Girls Education Infographic by Women Deliver
http://www.womendeliver.org/knowledge-center/facts-figures/girls-education/
Iconography
Informative graphic or infographic
1. What is your topic of inquiry? My topic of inquiry is the importance of girls
access to education in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Why did you select these two specific genres? I chose these two specific genres
because I thought they would both be good jumping off points for my research.

3. How does each genre communicate about your topic of inquiry? Although
neither one gives an in-depth analysis of my topic, they both use their respective
genres to clearly articulate the importance of girls access to education.
Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of organizing the
content of your Genre Analysis assignment.
Genre 1:
Audience and Purpose
1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)? The
discourse community is any reader of Newsweek. They can be subscribers or
casual readers of the magazine.
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to know? The
audience probably knows that education is important, however, they might not
know how important it is to girls from impoverished countries or other parts of
the world.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre? The audience will
most likely spend a short amount of time reading the essay and move onto the
next article.
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)? The purpose was
to inform and persuade.
5. How formal/informal is the language? The language is formal, but easy enough
for most readers to understand.
6. What specialized vocabulary is used? Specialized vocabulary is sprinkled
throughout the piece. An example is the term NGOs.

7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color, visuals,
etc)? Since I didnt have access to the original published copy, I dont know what
the essays original print layout looked like.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility with the
audience? The genre establishes credibility by citing several outside sources.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience? The genre
is attempting to evoke a shared since of community and values that can translate
across cultures.
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? Several
facts and figures are cited in the text.
Structure and Delivery
1. How is the information organized to covey its message? The message is very
clear from the start. The title says it all.
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? The limitations
are that the essay is very brief and thus, cannot go into great detail.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose? The structure allows the reader
to continue thinking about the importance of the topic long after reading the text.
Genre 2:
Audience and Purpose

1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)? The

intended audience is most likely world leaders, policymakers, human rights
advocates, and philanthropists.
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to know? The
audience probably knows at least a little bit about the topic of girls education, but
this infographic clearly shows the main points that Women Delivers wants to get
across.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre? The audience is able
to spend a minimum amount of time looking at the infographic. However, it
provides just enough information to spur the audience to look for more
information on the subject.
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)? The purpose was
both to inform and persuade the audience to do something about girls education.
5. How formal/informal is the language? Since it is an infographic, the language
is very informal. It is easy to read and understand.
6. What specialized vocabulary is used? The only specialized vocabulary is used to
describe the different levels of school (i.e. secondary and tertiary).
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color, visuals,
etc)? The font is block-lettering style and straightforward. The colors are eyecatching and the visuals are simple and clear. One need not even read all of the
written text in order to understand the messages that are presented. The entire
design of the infographic was clearly chosen to help illustrate the rhetoric of the
organization.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility with the
audience? This genre establishes credibility with its audience because the three
organizations that participated in the study are listed at the bottom of the page.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience? It is
attempting to evoke sympathy and a call to action from its audience.
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? Although
the information is compelling, the infographic doesnt contain any citations for its
findings. The audience would need to do more research in order to find the facts
behind the claimed statements.
Structure and Delivery
1. How is the information organized to covey its message? It is organized by
several questions and answers.
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? The genre is
limited by space and time.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose? It clearly facilitates a positive
message for investing in girls education.