In a recent article on Mashable.Com, entitled Internet Surpasses Television as Main News Source for Young Adults, Meghan Peters insists that the culture of television viewership has undergone a dramatic shift. This shift is evident in the increasing popularity of news both domestic and abroad being consumed by millions of viewers through the internet. Peters argues that social network cites such as Facebook and Twitter have offered young adults the opportunity to view up to the minute information on issues that effect them personally. No longer do people have to wait until their local broadcast of the six o'clock news to get traffic and weather reports. The internet offers the convenience of live traffic cam videos, alternative route directions, and in-depth meteorological reports. These tools that are offered online are so beneficial for young adults, especially those who have to travel due to school or work related obligations. Peters reminds us that a 2010 Pew Research study found that nearly two-thirds of all adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine credits the internet as their number one destination for news stories. These findings further support her argument that the internet is not only being used to fulfill entertainment needs but is also being used for a greater purpose; the internet know can offer users an opportunity to witness news from various informed and impartial journalist around the world. With television, viewers are limited to the thoughts and opinions of those affiliated with their local news. Rarely do those who seek the news through television viewership have the option to hear analysis from an expert that does not come off a show that is being aired on FOX, NBC, CBS, or ABC. How often do people in America get to hear a voice from an independent news company? Independent news companies are largely viewer supported and seldom accept advertising, government, or corporate funding. This means that a majority of the independent news that can be found online can be broadcast by individuals who don't have to worry about funding being taking away if they openly challenge the status quo. This brash and in your face style of journalism is intriguing to a lot of young adults and numbers from the Pew Research Center reflect that online news feeds have grown into the millions. Peters acknowledges that the internet has more viewing options than traditional cable/satellite programming. It can be inferred that this is why the trend for young adults who view their news online is continually on the rise. Quite frankly the internet has continued to evolve and push the limits with the content it offers.Conversely the demise of television has been expedited by the incessant production of family friendly and politically correct news casts.To conclude, Peters emphasizes that the ability that online users have to personalize the content they receive is just another benefit that television news cast can't offer their viewers. If a individual only wanted the latest news on specialized topics such as mixed martial arts, fashion, or celebrity scandals they could find websites totally dedicated to relevant stories in those areas. With a sixty minute television broadcast the content has to be much more spread out and diverse in order to maintain the interest of the general viewing audience.
In the article Peters failed to use a variety of rhetorical strategies to strengthen her stance. It was a very straight forward argument backed by statistical data from the Pew Research Center. There were no analogies, no anecdotes, and no attempts at humor. Peters simply just expound on the results provided by the research study and let the numbers speak for themselves. It may have been beneficial to implement the commentary of those involved with journalism to see what their theories were in regard to the cultural shift in television viewership. Although insight from different authorities in the field of journalism would have been intriguing, their absence from the article did not subtract from the credibility of Peters. The only alarming aspect of this story was a footnote at the end of the article that stated, "figures add to more than 100% because respondents could volunteer up to two main news sources." For all intensive purposes this detail should not largely affect how readers view Peters argument, because the numbers seemed to be more quantitative then qualitative. All things considered the rhetorical strategies used by Peters were effective in making a a sound and provable argument.
In the article Peters failed to use a variety of rhetorical strategies to strengthen her stance. It was a very straight forward argument backed by statistical data from the Pew Research Center. There were no analogies, no anecdotes, and no attempts at humor. Peters simply just expound on the results provided by the research study and let the numbers speak for themselves. It may have been beneficial to implement the commentary of those involved with journalism to see what their theories were in regard to the cultural shift in television viewership. Although insight from different authorities in the field of journalism would have been intriguing, their absence from the article did not subtract from the credibility of Peters. The only alarming aspect of this story was a footnote at the end of the article that stated, "figures add to more than 100% because respondents could volunteer up to two main news sources." For all intensive purposes this detail should not largely affect how readers view Peters argument, because the numbers seemed to be more quantitative then qualitative. All things considered the rhetorical strategies used by Peters were effective in making a a sound and provable argument.
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