Orla Ruane

Vicky Ballmes
Writing 2
Comparison of Blog Posts and News Articles
Given the unlimited variety of textual works, every genre has its own purpose targeted at
a specific audience. Authors employ certain tactics to appeal to these audiences as well as to
differentiate their works from others. It is clear that while comparing different texts such as
magazine articles to gossip blogs there will be various differences within the writing format.
Blog posts and news articles, for example, contain similar techniques yet are written with
different intentions. While the two are generally written to inform the public on a certain issue,
blog posts are a form of entertainment that update the audience of topics in a more comedic way
while news articles are a written with a similar purpose, yet in a more forthright method.
Ultimately, within both blog posts and news articles the authors present rhetoric strategies such
as their choice in diction and specific sentence structure to inform the reader of current events
and influence their opinions on the matter. Although blog posts are more influential with their
interaction with the audience by keeping them updated on the issue, news articles are able to
more efficiently communicate their message with the readers by informing them of current
events through their objective and factual diction.
Blog posts are a genre of writing often used by individuals who want to express their
opinion. More often than not, they consist of independent bloggers who do not work for large
corporations and produce genuine posts solely based on their own judgment. Authors utilize
certain techniques within these blog posts such as intriguing headlines, exaggerated word choice,
and constant updates to amuse an audience interested in a certain topic. By employing these

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strategies, the author is able to entertain the readers while informing them of the issue. In all blog
posts examined, there was some form of headlines that addressed the topic and a brief summary
to inform the reader of background information. Headlines including Winners and Losers: The
First Republican Debate! (The Presidential Debate Blog) introduce the point by portraying the
message of the blog and appealing to an audience that may not be completely familiar with the
debate process yet are still interested in politics. The author puts great ambition into headlines in
order to grab the readers attention and attract those scanning for something to read. They must
amuse an audience curious in the subject while appearing as an easygoing account. Due to this,
alarming headlines intrigue the readers to the article and briefly inform them of the issue.
One aspect that blog posts particularly prevailed in was their interaction with the
audience. This included the constant updates as the topic progresses in order to keep the readers
up to date on the subject and edit any information. Although in Recap: Live blog of the
Republican Presidential Debate, the author gives bihourly updates on the event, most of the
other blogs are occasionally updated when pertinent information is brought forth. By always
having new information to share with the readers, the author can build a loyal base that will
return to the story when new evidence is brought up. This also appeals to those who are invested
in the issue and want to remain notified about the event. Altogether, the blog posts contain
unique techniques that allow the readers to have an entertaining read. The author employs
methods such as intriguing word choice and inserts of comedy to keep the audience amused yet
educated about the subject.
News articles, on the other hand, are also a source of information in which authors
educate the public on current events. These works tend to be more straight forward and the
author will ideally be objective about the issue. Although news articles share similar trends with

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blog posts including intriguing headlines and word choice, the author writes a more direct story
focusing on the facts of the issue. Headlines such as Exit Walker (Ross Douthat Exit Walker
Comments) inform the reader of the topic to be discussed in a very direct way. Given the
competiveness of the news industry, there is a lot of pressure aimed at mainstream media to be
the first to deliver a popular story and the headline is the initial impression of the article. The
author must purposefully choose a compelling headline to catch the readers attention so that
they to begin reading. By creating a clear and relevant headline, the author will attract an
audience interested in the issue, in this case politics, to the article.
Moreover, the articles are extremely direct and simply state the information rather than
including unneeded details. For example, within the article the author directly states how
Walker's failure to adapt to the real but very predictable challenges of running a high-profile
national campaign (Ross Douthat Exit Walker Comments). This technique permits the audience
to receive the facts of the issue without having to decipher the important context. It facilitates the
read and keeps the reader attached to the topic. The author purposefully does not include
redundant details so the reader can easily navigate through the article. This is done so the
audience can further understand the issue without being distracted by nonessential aspects. The
language used is slightly more advanced, yet extremely understandable allowing an audience of
all ages to read about the issue. Essentially, the authors usage of detailed summaries and
informational headlines allow the reader to understand the issue and read the most pertinent
elements of the story. The authors straightforwardness attracts an audience who wants to be
informed on the issue and not have to be distracted my unnecessary details.
Another large difference between news articles and blog posts is the opinionated diction.
As mentioned before, the bloggers independence from a corporation produces a more genuinely

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written story. Due to this, blog posts are written with an opinionated diction, meaning every blog
post has a different voice depending on the author. Although examples of biased reporting could
cause the reader to question the plausibility of the post, it allows for an interesting story. This
strategy appeals to those who do not want to read continuous facts and statistics, yet desire to be
updated on the issue in an easier to follow format. One post in particular mentioned how the
Republicans got together in the Reagan Library last night for five godforsaken hours of lying
about Planned Parenthoodand trying to throw some shade at Donald Trump (AMERICAblog
News Elections RSS). It is clear that the author does not support the ideas presented in the most
recent debate and is quick to express his feelings on it. Contrasting from the other more formal
blogs, this one has a clear bias and attempts to persuade audiences towards his point. This
satirical comedy can make the information more entertaining to read by lessening the seriousness
of the issue, however, when authors include dramatic phrases similar to these, readers might
challenge the credence of the post. With this being said, the author intends to educate the
audience on the event whilst including his own opinions.
Kerry Dirks Navigating Genres assisted me in further synthesizing the purpose for this
specific convention. In particular, Dirk writes how by studying the genres that we find familiar,
we can start to see how specific choices that writers make result in specific actions on the part of
readers (Dirk 254). It is clear that the author inserts his bias to influence the reader in some way.
The writers are able to express themselves without feeling the need to satisfy a certain outlook
and consequently produce a more genuine work. Although they are more opinionated, it makes
the reading much more entertaining and keeps the audience very amused. However, this inhibits
blog posts from being most effective mode of communication possible because the facts are
often hidden by inserts of bias.

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On the contrary, articles are acknowledged for their very accurate writing style in which
the the writers are more objective. Throughout the articles examined, the authors provide
detailed summaries to keep the readers informed on the issue. They tend to be very descriptive
and provide as much evidence as possible. One author mentions how the debate turned into a
rhetorical brawl in which Donald Trumps rivals channeled his confrontational style while
seeking to cast him as unprepared for the job (WSJ). Due to this strategy, the news articles
remain fairly neutral and simply provide evidence that allow the readers to interpret for
themselves. Although there is an inevitable trace of bias, the author summarizes the issue and
focuses on certain points to write about since they know it will appeal to many readers. Often
times authors will concentrate on a particular issue rather than a more general one in an effort to
interest a larger audience. Furthermore, being objective in this area is key given that the majority
of the audience is drawn to news articles based off their impartial, reputable stories.
Additionally, John Swales text, The Concept of Discourse Communities, was extremely
helpful to examine this convention. In this essay, he explained the various communities and how
they each had different trends. Swales also comments how every discount community has a
specific lexis (Swales 473) or language that individualizes every genre. I noticed that these
articles contained specific trends such as the sophisticated vocabulary and a unique writing
format which enabled the reader to easily understand the articles subject. Often times, the
vocabulary used in the articles was very advanced and contained certain words that only those
studying the field would understand. Not only does this signify that they are directed at an
audience that is educated with a political background, but it allows these readers to easily
comprehend the material. Furthermore, the authors input of this sophisticated vocabulary results
in specific details that enable a deeper understanding of the content. This convention in particular

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is one of the most effective modes of communication because the writing is very straightforward
and impartial. The readers will constantly rely on news articles to provide an accurate summary
of current events.
Overall, although there are slight differences within the construction of each work, blog
posts and articles aim to inform readers of current issues. They both are texts that educate the
public and influence the opinions of the reader. However, regardless of the two being
information sources, blog posts tend to be a more entertaining textual work while news articles
are strictly aimed at informing the public. Fundamentally, news articles are able to more
effectively communicate to the readers through their impartial diction and providing factual
evidence. Although blog posts interact more efficiently with their audience through their
constant updates and entertaining writing, the the biased diction limits the audience from fully
comprehending the issue. The comical diction of the blog posts allows a lighter hearted read,
while the blunt facts in the news articles attract those interested in the the hard reality of the
situation.

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Works Cited
"GOP Debate Round 2: CNN's Five-hour Marathon of Absurdity - AMERICAblog News."
AMERICAblog News Elections RSS. 17 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
Donald Trump Fields Jabs in Republican Debate." WSJ. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.
"Exit Walker." Ross Douthat Exit Walker Comments. 22 Sept. 2015. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.
"Scott Walker Blew His Last Chance: The Debate." DataLab. 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
"The Presidential Debate Blog." The Presidential Debate Blog. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.