WP1 Outline - Formatting

-       Introduction
o   Digital media shaping the way we access information
§  Quick, saves resources
o   Online environmental news articles let us know what’s going on with our environment from the comfort of computer
o   Certain conventions of this genre exist to appeal to emotion, logic, and ethics to increase awareness of environmental issues in most efficient and effective manner
-       Body
o   Who is the writer and why do they want to write this genre? Who is the audience and what do they want to gain from reading?
§  Exigence: ignorance to dynamics of environmental degredation
§  Writers: journalists, scholars in environmental field, nature enthusiasts
§  Goals are to inform, spread awareness, inspire action/involvement
§  Audience: nature enthusiasts, scholars (primary), politicians, those indifferent/averse to nature (secondary)
§  Want to be informed efficiently, quickly, in concise detail
o   How is this accomplished? Conventions of genre?
§  First to get reader to read, title should draw reader in with informative/descriptive title, or one general enough to peak curiosity
·      Possible heading to summarize article
·      Examples
§  Inform/spread awareness
·      Efficiently, effectively, credibly
·      Format should be short paragraphs up to 2-3 sentences for simplicity
·      Word choice is formal, somewhat technical, assume basic knowledge of environmental/scientific terms, give definitions (hyperlinks), explain acronyms
o   Don’t want to confuse or baby reader
o   Example
·      Concise sentence structure
o   Don’t want to exhaust reader, allow to read other articles
o   Positive experience
·      Cause and effect with evidence, or typical essay organization
o   Straight forward, gets point across in organized manner
·      Use pictures/diagrams
o   Facilitate understanding, deepen appreciation (of beauty, issue)
·      References in form of hyperlinks in addition to normal citations
o   Quick, direct access to references, data, info
·      Constraint: must write as if neutral position on issue is held for credibility/professionalism
·      Information on author
§  Inspire action/involvement to help environment
·      Appeal to logic
o   Reader should care because environmental issues directly affect them
·      Appeal to ethics
o   Environment is inherently good, save for its own sake
o   Responsibility as inhabitants
o   Loss of life
·      Appeal to emotions
o   Reference to past/present conditions, lament over future degradation
o   Loss of life, of which people may cherish
§  Other conventions unique to Internet
·      Comment section to facilitate discussion, awareness
·      “Follow” links for various media sites to stay informed
·      Citation tools for other writers, students
-       Conclusion
o   Values of discourse community
§  Seek direct solutions to issues through society
§  Wish to recruit to further agenda
§  Better the environment through community action

o   Summarizing statement

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