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Nicole Mowers
Professor Connelly
Essay 2
17 March 2016
Discourse Community
The discourse community I will be analyzing is communication studies. Communication
studies is a broad discourse community and this will help me go in depth about each of Swales
characteristics. The idea of discourse community is not well defined as yet, but like many
imperfectly defined terms, it is suggestive, the center of a set of ideas rather than the sign of a
settled notion (Swales). I have interviewed, Sonya Sorich, a reporter and social engagement
manager at the Sacramento Business Journal and her feedback will help me connect Swales
terms to communications studies. In this essay, I will discuss common public goals, information
exchange, forum, genres, terminology and expertise in the field of communications.
The common public goal of communications is to clearly state your message and get your
message out to the public. In communications, the public want to know and understand what is
happening. In order for the public to know the information, people in communications need to
collect the information and explain to the public what is happening in the world around them.
Sonya shares that the common public goal at the Sacramento Business Journal is, sharing
accurately timely business news, learning about news, helping the community stay informed and
attracting new members. Communication specialists have the absolute best interest in the
public and want to share important information because when you share information with people,
the information shared, connects everyone to a larger discourse community larger than just the
field of communications.

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In communications, the type of information exchange vary across the spectrum.
Communication specialist use several different types of information exchange. For example,
communication specialist will share most of their knowledge verbally. It's important that
communication specialists send a clear message to their receiver in order to understand the
message and eliminate any confusion and avoid miscommunication. One way information is
exchanged through television or streaming and it's said that, males were more likely to use
streaming videos or Webcasting, while observed that being female (instead of male) was a better
predictor of the adoption of Webcasting (Tang et al.). When dealing with the public, Sonya says,
there are two levels when communication with the public: first, communicating with our
readers. Communicating is done through articles, that we publish on our website, through social
media, email newsletters, and in person communication (Sorich). The second level when
communicating with the public is through sources. People who give us stories, and help connect
us to the news, says Sonya. For example, Sonya works with restaurant owners and asking them
if they have any news to share. A benefit to written communication is, the communicator can
expand their knowledge and share their thoughts and ideas in a concrete form that will benefit
the public; whereas verbal communication can be limited or some valid information can be
missed. Both forms of information exchange can expand the audiences understanding of the
message that is trying to be stated.
In communication studies, people communicate in several different type of forums.
Communications is such a broad field that different types of forums can take place anywhere and
anytime. For example, communication specialists need to communicate in person to get
something accomplished so they go to a conference room or news room. Sonya shares, in the
newsroom team, we come together is a designated room to exchange the information on a

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whiteboard and share who is consuming our content (Sorich). Communication specialists will
attend a Networking and Career Day to connect and build those relationships with their fellow
colleges. These networking events can take place at a coffee shop, a hotel, or even the entire
downtown Sacramento. This is the beauty of communications. The field of communications is so
lively and upbeat that any person in the communication field is excited to meet up for a drink
with their colleagues and talk about the connections they share.
In communications, people use a variety of different genres of writing. Writing is one of
the most important aspects of communications. It's not good enough to be a polished public
speaker; you must be able to write efficiently. On a day to day basis, to communicate with clients
for example, people send a text message or email. On the other hand, if someone who has a
client with high publicity, it's important to communicate through social media to reach the public
interest. For example, it's someone's job to send a tweet, post something on Facebook, and
upload a picture on Instagram. Sonya shares how, articles is the main writing genre at the
Sacramento Business Journal. Another important aspect of writing genre that Sonya points out
is the tone that is being used. For example, she says, in the paper, the writing will be more
serious; whereas on the internet, it will more humorous and have a more conversational tone.
These types of genres of writing are common with todays technology. All these genres of
writing help communicate information to the public in a professional or friendly manner.
The field of communication has terminology that only people in this discourse
community would understand. We share terminology within our discourse community; but
nevertheless, it is in the best interest of communication specialist to deliver and share
information to the public in a way that everyone is able to understand and connect with the
information given. For example, Sonya shares that, the first word that comes to mind is scoop:

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it's not the scoop that you talk about when you are getting ice cream; it's refers to having the
story. Terminology in the communications field uses pathos. Communication specialists go
beyond the spectrum to really dig deep and reach out to people emotions. Emotions move
mountains. This is true because at some point in your life, you have cried about something you
read. The reason you cried is because communication specialist successfully did their job and
made you feel a part of something bigger than yourself.
An expertise in communication studies is someone who listens to the public and applies
their wants and needs into something bigger than the public thought possible. Sonya shares that,
an expert is someone who is really plugged into their discourse community. Someone who
knows where the stories are, and how to tell stories in a way that readers care about. People in
the field of communication studies think about others. Our best interest is in the people around us
and it's our job to help them figure out what they want out of life. Some of the most successful
people in this job are those who are truly embedded in their community (Sorich).
Communication specialist want to help and engage the public in the world around them. An
expert in the field of communications brings people together because bringing people together is
what forms discourse communities where everyone's thoughts, opinions and beliefs are valued
and shared among people who just want to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.
Communication studies is big discourse community because it shares common public
goals with the public and staying connected. People come together to exchange information and
share terminology that makes the discourse community unique. An expert in the communication
world is someone who is truly embedded in their job and their community and I think that
reflects their beliefs and values and want to share those values with the world. I have my own
definitions of Swales terms and my interviewee has her own definitions. Despite our differences,

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we both have a common goal in the communications discourse community. Her knowledge
allowed me to listen and reflect about communications, specifically in the professional
atmosphere, and I was able to critically think about her responses. It is nice to see someone elses
point of view and compare and contrast each others similarities and differences.

Works Cited

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"Sonya Sorich." Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2016.
Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Genre Analysis: English in Academic
and Research Setting. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 21-32. Print.
Tang, T., & Cooper, R. (2012). Gender, sports, and new media: Predictors of viewing during the
2008 Beijing Olympics. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56(1), 75-91.