Review of Mass Media and Communication Articles - Essay Example

? Journals Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Journal Article “JK Rowling should remember that less means more in the Potterverse: The Pottermore website tells fans far more than they need to know about Harry Potter” This article talks of how Harry potter has been fruitful and that the Pottermore webpage risks providing too much undesired and pointless facts. The author articulates that individuals will always demand preludes and developments and backstory, and it is not always an outstanding inkling to give it to them. Notably, this article assesses the Harry Potter Phenomenon. The author frames the subject of the article in a query, “But, with the unveiling of the novel Pottermore webpage, are they eventually insistent on their foresight?” (Mitchell 1). The writer assesses the technique in which the webpage might destroy Harry potter by comparing it to Star Wars. The article has a comical and self-deprecating tone. This is because much of the article is written in a blithe, funny manner. The author makes fun of himself, for instance, when he says, “opening thousands of pistachio nuts can cause severe thumb-bruising, I can tell you from bitter experience of my life on the brink” (Mitchell 1). The author, Mitchell, has used a simile at the opening of the news story, “Harry Potter is like football, I’m talking about the literary, cinematic and merchandising phenomenon, not its focal fictional wizard, he isn’t like football” (Mitchell 1). He employs this allegory to include comicalness to the story. According to Mitchell, Potter’s fans are more desperate for more just like football fans that do not get enough of the games, commentary and analysis. The author has also employed imagery, “every generation must lose its innocence, and must see the brightly painted nursery wall smashed away by the wrecking ball of betrayal to reveal a blighted landscape” (Mitchell 1). The imagery is inflated and dramatic. It shows the thought that all children reach a stage in life where they stop viewing the world as perfect and realize its culpabilities and faults. Journal 2 Article “Man who gave Penn National Gaming its start dies” This article is reporting and informing on the death of a Philadelphian businessman, Peter Carlino. The article explains more about the achievements of the deceased. Therefore, the author, Migdail-Smith, frames the purpose of the article as the loss of a business icon. The title or the topic of the news article is straight to the point and a reader can predict the contents of the article without reading it. However, the topic of the article is not particularly captivating. Connotations of the linguistic signs presented in a news article are imperative to the significance of the news item to the person who reads. The meanings of the news item are observed within a framework recognizable by the reader. The headlines of an article should purpose to attract the reader. This article is purely objective and does not express the writer’s opinions on the subject matter. Additionally, the writer uses short sentences and simple words making it easier for the reader to understand. For instance, the writer uses, “the elder Carlino, who died Friday at age 92, lived in Montgomery County” and “Penn National, routinely named among the fastest-growing companies nationally, continues to operate from Wyomissing” (Migdail-Smith 1). The article has a somber tone, which is established at the beginning of the article when the author notes, “The man who laid the foundation for what is now Penn National Gaming Inc. has died”. Anyone reading this article is expected to show grief and express sympathy to the family for their loss Journal 3 Article “Sick internet 'troll' who posted vile messages and videos taunting the death of Teenagers is jailed for 18 WEEKS” In this article explains how a man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for posting spiteful and horrible comments in Facebook about teenagers who had committed suicide. This article’s title uses the emotive adjectives “vile”, “taunting” and “sick” to portray clear revulsion among the people and the family members. Furthermore, the title has the phrase “18 WEEKS” (Camber & Neville 1) in capitals to stress on the sentence the person was given. This notifies the person reading that the author thinks that the sentence awarded to the man was short and he deserved a longer one. The content of the article is detailed giving examples of messages and videos that Duffy, the accused, posted. It explains the videos posted and places emphasis on the offense perpetrated instead of the sentence given to the villain. It has numerous pictures of the victims and the villain. The use of many pictures in the article assists the reader to understand and make it more interesting. This article also includes comments by the family members that express their anger towards Duffy. At the end of the article, the authors, Camber and Neville note the risks of Facebook and children’s “susceptibility”. This article uses a relatively formal language. However, it quotes the word “troll” implying that the readers will categorize it as internet slang (Camber & Neville 1). The tone of the article is emotive evidenced by the use of emotional words such as distraught, vile and malicious. Additionally, the authors appeal to the reader’s disgrace by being more emotive and explicit and over emphasize the emotions in the story (Camber & Neville 1). Journal 4 Article “A Commuter Train Accident in the Bronx Kills 4 and Injures Dozens” This article reports on an accident that took place in the Bronx and gives an account of the ordeal that the passengers went through on Sunday morning. The title of the articles is self-explanatory and clear to the readers. A look at the headline gives the reader a glimpse of the accident and its fatality. The word “Dozens” has been used to depict the high number of people who sustained injuries during the accident. The article gives a clear account of what exactly took place before the accident took place. This is well articulated in the words, “some were dozing when the train rounded a bend near where tracks pass under the Henry Hudson Bridge, and others were listening to music on headphones” (Baron & Goodman 1). The writer also notes “suddenly, with a jerk that disrupted the steady train’s steady rhythm, their world turned upside down as they were hurled from one side to the other” (Baron & Goodman 1). The article also gives an account of what happened during the accident by indicating that the passengers were thrown from one side to the other. The article has numerous videos and pictures that assist the reader to build a picture of what happened and the fatality of the accident. The article uses simple language and tries to explain to the reader if a vocabulary phrase that may be hard to understand is used. For instance, the article uses the term “event recorders” and explains that these are “devices that are somewhat similar to the flight recorders on airplanes” (Baron & Goodman 1). The authors also give accounts of similar accidents that took place in May this year near Fairfield and in July involving a Metro-North train. The authors, Barron and Goodman, also express their opinions by indicating that such an accident was likely to disrupt transport and most of the passengers would have to use busses. Journal 5 Article “Chopsticks and soup spoons the inspiration behind China's space tools” This article details how China acquires its inspiration from soup spoons and chopsticks. It gives details on how a professor at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University has designed high precision space equipment that look similar to soup spoons and chopsticks. The title of the article is clear and gives the subject discussed in the article. The author, Shadbolt, explains to the reader how the tools designed by the professor resemble the soup spoon and chop sticks. For instance, he notes “he designed the Mars Rock Corer which drills the sample and then, by simply reversing the mechanism, picks up the core like a pair of chopsticks” (Shadbolt 1). He also notes “His digger based on a Chinese soup spoon has the heat-resistant qualities of ceramics and the ability to operate in a deep hole in much the same way that a Chinese soup spoon operates better in a rice bowl than a flat metal Western spoon” (Shadbolt, 1). In this case, the soup spoon and the chopsticks have been used metaphorically. The article is detailed and commences by giving an account of the history of ballpoint developed by NASA almost 6 decades ago. However, the article does not offer an extensive assortment of pictures but offers numerous videos to show China’s invasion of the space and its technological advancements. The videos also try to show the uniqueness of Chinese space tools which have survived the hostile environment of the moon. The use of these videos in the article assists the reader to understand and make it more interesting. The author also gives an account of historical account of China’s missions into the space and how they have assisted in shaping its space tools. Additionally, the author directly articulates what the professor notes by quoting them. By giving reference to the past space tools that may have been ineffective, the author is optimistic that the new space tools designed by the professor will be successful. Journal 6 Article “Deadly bombs rock Boston marathon” This Article details and reports on the Boston bomb that exploded near the finish line on April 15, 2013 and killed three people leaving other people nursing severe injuries. The article indicates the intensity of the bomb by the word “Deadly” on its headline and by noting “a terrifying scene of broken glass, smoke and severed limbs” in its opening paragraph (CBS 1). The headline of the article is clear and simple. The article, on the other hand, offers in depth details of what transpired before and after the bomb by articulating accounts by victims and eyewitnesses. It includes comments from the eyewitness to show bitterness among the people. For instance it includes a comment by one of the runners saying “blood was everywhere instantly” (CBS 1). This sets the mood of the news story. The News story has a bitter tone and uses phrases such as “agony”, “bloody” and “chaotic” to label the scene where the blast took place. The use of the word “amputated” was used to show the bitterness and emotions among the people. For instance, the article quotes one of the witnesses noting, “We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs, a lot of people were amputated and at least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing” (CBS 1). The article has numerous pictures which depict what took place at the finish line. This can assist the reader understand what happened. Additionally, the article uses simple formal language that is clear and understandable. Works Cited Barron, James, and David J. Goodman. "A Commuter Train Accident in the Bronx Kills 4 and Injures Dozens." The New York Times [NewYork] 1 Dec. 2013: 1A. Print. Camber, Rebecca, and Simon Neville. "Sick internet 'troll' who posted vile messages and videos taunting the death of teenagers is jailed for 18 WEEKS." Mail Online 14 Sept. 2011: n. pag. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. . CBS. "Deadly bombs rock Boston marathon - CBS News." CBS News - Breaking News, U.S., World, Business, Entertainment & Video. N.p., 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Migdail-Smith, Liam. "Man Who gave Penn National Gaming its start Dies." Reading Eagle [Reading] 2 Dec. 2013: n. pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Mitchell, David. "JK Rowling should remember that less means more in the Potter-verse." The guardian 20 Aug. 2011: n. pag. Web. Nov. 2013. . Shadbolt, Peter. "Chopsticks and soup spoons inspiration for China's space tools." CNN. CNN, 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Read More