Genre Analysis Outline Assignment Sheet

Rhetoric and Writing Studies 1302

Genre 1: Overselling Breast-feeding NY Times
Genre 2: Healthy choices, programs help moms, infants, employers. El
Paso Times
1. What is your topic of inquiry? What Im asking is why breastfeeding
is such a bad thing to do while in public.
2. Why did you select these two specific genres? I picked there two
genres because mothers have to right to breastfeed their child no
matter the time or place because it is a necessary thing to do.
3. How does each genre communicate about your topic of inquiry? In
my NY times sis talks about how a women gets judged she was
breastfeeding in public and the statistics on women all over the world
who breastfeed, In my El Paso Times is more local and talk about cases
that have happened here locally.
Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of
organizing the content of your Genre Analysis assignment.
Audience and Purpose
1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community (ies)?
Women and mothers who are breastfeeding.
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to
know? The audiences know that the general public does not approve of
women breast feeding in public. What they want to know is why
mothers cant do it in the privacy of their own homes.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)? The
purpose is to inform people of how important breastfeeding is.
5. How formal/informal is the language? The language is informal
because they are talking to the general public.
1

6. What specialized vocabulary is used? The vocabulary is not that

difficult, it may have some medical terms but that is all.
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color,
visuals, etc.)? The text is very to understand and there is no visuals.
There is a link to another website where it talks about whether women
should breastfeed or not.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility
with the audience? The credibility with the audience is very credible
because it has a variety of statistics and research about breastfeeding.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?
The emotion that the genre is attempting to evoke from its audience is
ethos because of its ethics and morals against womens right to
breastfeed.
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?
The evidenced that are used to support the claims are medical
research done by professionals and are very reliable.
Structure and Delivery
1. How is the information organized to covey its message? The
information is well organized and can be read with no difficulty.
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?
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?
Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of
organizing the content of your Genre Analysis assignment.
Audience and Purpose

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

Mothers who are breastfeeding.
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to
know? They know that breastfeeding in public is offensive to some
people.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)? The
purpose is to inform the audience.
5. How formal/informal is the language? The language is informal since
it is the general public.
6. What specialized vocabulary is used? No specialized vocabulary,
maybe some medical terms.
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color,
visuals, etc.)?
The text, font and color make the article easy to read and understand.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility
with the audience?
This genre tries to attempt to establish its credibility with the audience
by telling other peoples stories about how breastfeeding affects them.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?
The emotions in this genre are ethos and pathos.
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?
The types of evidence that are used to support claims are from people
who have been affected by breastfeeding in public.
Structure and Delivery
1. How is the information organized to covey its message? The
information is organized and easy to read.
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? This genre does have more freed to express what it needs

to because women have every right to say how they feel about
breastfeeding in public.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?
The structure is well organized and it serves a good purpose to the
genre.