Week 2 Assignment


Online environmental news articles tend to use technical words regarding the environment, politics, and science. The words are not too difficult to comprehend, such as "sequestration" or "biomass," but the genre usually assumes the reader is familiar with environmental terms, especially since environmental scholars and advocates are the primary intended audience. Acronyms for established systems or organizations are used after explaining their meanings. Overall, the language tends to be formal.

The titles can be both functional and/or descriptive. Many articles use words like "it" or "this" along with a clickbait phrase to get the reader's attention and curiosity, and press them to read the article. Others use titles that simply and generally describe what the article will be about; in some cases, one could read the title and already have an acceptional understanding of the topic without reading further. Summarizing headings are usually present as well. Regardless, the title usually references an environmental topic the reader should be concerned with because it actually affects them in one way or another.

Every article follows a format that uses short, seperate paragraphs, usually of about one to two sentences long. This is probably for the sake of simplicity and speed, so that the reader is not exhausted by a long read and can read more articles.

References are in the form of intuitive in-text hyperlinks that lead the reader directly to the article's source(s) of information, along with normal citations at the end. Hyperlinks are also used to provide definitions for words. Pictures used always have captions with relevant credit and reference information below them.

Pictures of the environment or politicians are usually present. These provide visual reference for a better understanding of the topic. Diagrams of systems or graphs complete with relevant data may also be used in order to deepen the reader's appreciation of the topic.

Sentence structure is varied in length, but usually aims to be concise and easy to read. Some paragraphs consist of just one medium-length sentence.

Most articles of this genre tend to follow a "cause and effect" form of organization, with evidence or examples here and there. If "this" happens or not, "this" may or may not happen as a consequence. Other articles follow generally the format of a typical research paper, beginning with a general, summarizing statement, an introduction of the topic, the relevant evidence and references, and a closing statement or quote that recaps the article or alludes to the future.

These articles are related to environmental issues, whether they be in nature or politics. Environmental degredation, potential solutions (and drawbacks), public opinion and trends in environmental problems, and government action are recurring subjects.

The author is usually noted at the top of the article under the title as well as after the end. In some cases, a picture, short description, and link to follow the author on social media is provided. The articles themselves usually don't reveal much about the author.

Because these articles are found on the internet, many articles have nearby links to follow the website on various social media sites, meaning you can stay up to date about relative topics. Certain scholarly sites provide tools to cite their website, while others allow readers to comment on the article and discuss its contents with others.


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