The organizational style of the article about the immune system is systematic, and seems to be written in a textbook type of format. It begins by giving the reader a short overview of what the immune system is, then it goes on to tell the reader about how the system develops, what it does, and how it helps you. This style of organization is a very good and reliable technique, because it gives the average reader at least a small understanding of what they are about to read and a preview of what is ahead if they want to continue, yet it seems to give the article a robotic and restrictive feel.
The article about Tina Turner is laid out in a loose, non-uniform style. It begins by giving the audience an overview of what Tina Turner is doing in the present, and then telling about her past, finally ending in the present again. This style is not uncommon for entertainment articles. It seems as though general writers have less restrictions on how they write. I am lead to think that this leniency, and freedom encourages writers to be more creative.
The tone and style of each article contrast greatly. The immune system article seems to take on a serious, educated tone with an informative, straight forward style. The academic writer also seems to use a special vocabulary which an academic reader would understand, but would seem foreign to the average reader. The words used in the immune system article were big, and not commonly used, this type of word choice is not uncommon in academic articles, and it was anticipated. This particular type of tone and style is not very reader friendly and would seem to discourage the average reader from reading on, but would probably suit the academic reader just fine. The tone of the Tina Turner article is again very loose and inviting to read which is one of the main goals of entertainment articles. This type of tone and style attracts the average reader and it seems to stimulate the reader into wanting to read on. Reader friendliness of articles is very important, because it helps sell the magazine
Finally I will discuss documentation and the author's assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the topic. The article detailing the immune system has one paragraph at the beginning which states the credentials of the authors, as well as, as their major contributions to their respective fields of science, and the credibility of their knowledge on the subject. It also contains a works cited section at the end of the article. The two academic authors of the immune system article, as well as, other academic authors seem to write as though the reader should have a good feel for their field of science or maybe science in general, however it does not seem to be for the everyday reader. The article about Tina Turner does not really have any formal type of documentation it just contains quotes from the singer. The article is written in a way that the author seems to have had no particular audience in mind when he wrote it. The author does not use any form of special vocabulary, so with its easy level of readability the article should be enjoyed by anyone who is able to read it.
Through my reading and observations I conclude that each of the two articles that I compared are written for two different audiences, and there is a big difference between the audiences for each author. The profile of the audience for the academic author definitely has more than a secondary education, they probably have a college degree or are in college. For this particular author the audience probably has a job in some field of science, and probably reads periodicals with the goal of learning more in mind. The audience for the general author is vast, because the article is written for entertainment and I assume everyone likes to be entertained. No special knowledge is required to read the Tina Turner so it can easily be embraced by everyone, even the academic audience.
Now comes the time when I must reveal which article I, as a reader and critic, favored. Every aspect that I have discussed so far has played an instrumental part in my choosing my favorite article of the two. After spending so much time with both articles I had grown attached to both, so this was a difficult decision (just kidding)!
I chose the entertainment article over the academic article for a few different reasons. The Tina Turner article first of all appealed to me visually with colors and pictures, while the immune system article looked very plain and boring. Second the entertainment article was easier to read and interesting at the same time, while the academic article used unfamiliar vocabulary and I often got lost while I was reading the article. Wrapping it all up, though the academic article serves its purpose well it does not do it with the flair, and creativity of the entertainment article and this hurt it in the long run.
Grade=92 (A)
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