Editorials Blog - ch. 13

While reading chapter 13, I started to think about the though process that I generally go through upon reading any article. When I read,my thought process can be vaguely summarized as, "This is what its about, the author sounds this way, and I feel this way." There are factors that cause my mind to identify those things but they are generally overlooked once they have made their impression. Chapter 13 helped me understand why.

For example, typically, I don't consider how or why the author is an authority - I just figured that since they are in the paper, they are reputable. The first editorial analysis helped point out why this was. It also helped me understand that the lengths of the sentences play a role in how the article is meant to be read. This is also later introduced in the final editorial.

In the editorials about affirmative action, I was able to see more so how a picture can make a huge difference. After reading both sections, I considered how I would view each article had I removed the picture or, which I thought was more interesting, switched the pictures. How often do you see articles with white Americans speaking for affirmative action and articles with African-Americans speaking against it? What would you think?

When I got to the last editorial, I was relatively happy to be finished reading. This feeling was accompanied by a relaxation that was brought by the article. The serene image and the imagery the author used created a sense of peace despite the conflicts of what is going on globally. In all honesty, it made me want to go to the wilderness. It also reminded me of the movie "Wild America". Growing up, this movie made me very eager to learn and explore the natural world because of the adventure the characters went on.