The subject matter I read up on was the issue of the FBI
wanting access to a phone used by a mass shooter, but Apple is refusing to
allow access into said phone. The two articles I read are from NBC News and
Buzzfeed.
The site Buzzfeed is obviously made for millennials so its
whole site is aimed towards that demographic. Articles written on Buzzfeed are
not always written professionally like the style you would see in a newspaper.
Instead a lot of the time the writer will interject their opinion along with
attempting to report the news. In this article however the author does not blatantly
state their opinion, but there are clearly some personal opinions evident.
The NBC News article was written more professional, but at
the same time it was looser. While Buzzfeed starts off as if its reader knows
what is going on and NBC News article breaks down the story bit by bit. It
almost seems like it is trying to make a story that does not seem accessible to
an older audience easier for them to understand. In fact, one part of the story
it breaks down is when it answers “who uses encryption, anyways? And is it all
bad guys?” (Deluca). This seems to suggest right off the bat that the writer is assuming
that its reader does not fully grasp the concepts it is about to talk about in
the story.
While the NBC News and Buzzfeed articles are clearly written
for different audiences, what was also different was how they each approached the
facts of the story. NBC News reported just the facts and if it delved into an
opinion it was the opinion of an expert on the subject and included quotes.
However, Buzzfeed also added quotes from experts, but the author also tried to
interject their own thoughts on the subject matter. The writer tried to explain
the reasoning of Apple’s actions instead of just reporting what Apple said.
Instead of saying that Apple was trying to protect your privacy, Buzzfeed
mentioned how this is a business strategy so more customers flock over to Apple
because other companies sell their data and privacy (Warzel).
Both articles were frustrating to read because one reads
like it is acting as if the read is stupid and the other reads like it is some
person telling what happened, but then giving their opinion on what really is
happening. The story itself is very important to be talking about, and it is
good that both sites are talking and reporting about it.
Both sides also seem
to be on the side of Apple not giving in to the FBI, which is a good thing.
Where NBC News gives the facts, Buzzfeed questions the motives of Apple. NBC
News approaches the subject as if it is just an everyday thing and there is no
real urgency. It is almost like it was just trying to make a story the reader
has heard more understandable for them. However, Buzzfeed treats this issue with
the utmost importance. Both are on the same side, but they are clearly written
for different audiences.
Deluca, Matthew. "Why Are Apple and the FBI Battling Over an IPhone?" NBC News. NBC News, 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Warzel, Charlie. "Apple's FBI Privacy Fight Is A Battle For Our Trust." BuzzFeed. N.p., 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
The titles of the respective articles would appear to indicate that only one was meant as a persuasive effort - while the other appears to be meant as factual reporting of a chronology of events.
ReplyDeleteGood observation regarding how the articles seem to be targeting audiences of a different age. This sort of distinction is intriguing to see - but is somewhat different from the ways arguments might be geared towards hostile and sympathetic audiences.
Good stuff!