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Darien Perez
Kneece
Writing 2
27 January 2016
The Power of Genre
There are so many different genres of writing, yet a majority of the time we are still able
to distinguish one from the other. We are able to do this because each genre uses conventions
specific to its form. It is important to be able to distinguish between genres based on their
conventions because it allows us to know what specific genre to turn to, to find the information
we are seeking. For instance, if you wanted to know who received awards at this years FIFA
awards ceremony you would turn to a newspaper article, such as Carli Lloyd and Jill Ellis take
FIFAs Top Player and Coaches Honors. Newspaper articles begin with a bolded headline and
lead sentence, and include pictures, statistics, and quotes. They are informative and very detailed,
with short paragraphs that are double spaced, have a large font, acronyms, and high and low
diction. Whereas if I wanted to know more about who Lionel Messi is as a person, I would look
for an interview. Interviews also begin with bolded headlines and include pictures with captions.
However, often times the headlines will be followed by an introduction and then bolded, open
ended questions and short responses. Interviews have a very conversational tone and are very
detailed. By looking at news articles and interviews that both address the topic of soccer, we can
clearly see the differences in the conventions they use. The conventions that these genres choose
to use are not random, but are specifically chosen in order to achieve their purpose and reach
their audience.

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The main purpose of news articles are to inform on a current issue or event, and often to
entertain the audience as well. The purpose of the news article Carli Lloyd and Jill Ellis take
FIFAs Top Player and Coach Honors is to inform its audience of who was honored this year at
FIFAs annual awards ceremony. The purpose of the news article Divock Origi injury worsens
Liverpools problems up front is to update its readers on Origis recent injuries. Since news
articles set out to inform their readers, it is important that they use headlines, like shown above,
and begin with a lead. Headlines not only grab the readers attention, but often tell the main idea
of the article. This is an important convention because it allows readers to know what the article
is going to be about with a quick glance at the headline and make a decision if it is something
that they are interested in without having to read the entire article. The use of a lead sentence is
important in that it also engages the reader, makes clear the main point, and sets the tone. This is
evident in the article about Origi. The headline and lead sentence grab the readers attention, and
then the most important information is given. For example, Origi had to undergo knee surgery
after his injury and is still going to be on the sidelines for another month (Hunter). The article is
short and to the point and gives the readers the information they are looking for.
News articles purposely include evidence such as dates, statistics, and quotes in order to
provide their audience with the information they are seeking, as well as to support their
argument. Most readers who are interested in the article about Origi are likely looking to find out
when Origi will be able to play again. This article provides us with exact dates of when his injury
occurred, when he is scheduled to undergo surgery, and when he can be expected to return. These
dates are such an important convention in news articles because their purpose is to inform their
readers, who are looking for factual information. The inclusion of statistics and quotes also
provides information to the readers, but it supports the argument being made as well. For

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example, in the article about Carli Lloyd winning top player, the author is sure to include
statistics from the final world cup game. Such that she scored 6 goals and 3 in the first 16
minutes against Japan. Also included, was the exact percentage of votes from national team
captains and coaches for Lloyd at 35% (The Associated Press). This gives the reader background
and reasons on why she received the award. Quotes such as Llyod saying I honestly wouldnt be
sitting up here standing up here without my incredible teammates, or Messi saying Its a
very special moment for me to back here on the stage after being there in the audience watching
Cristiano win (The Associated Press), make the article seem much more credible and also
makes it more interesting to keep the audience engaged and entertained.
While interviews also serve the purpose of entertaining, they differ from news articles in
the sense that they provide insight about a specific persons experiences, personality,
perspectives, and opinions on the subject matter. The purpose of the interview with Mia Hamm
on Why Girls Playing Sports is so Important is to support female athletics and athletes and
inspire girls to believe in their abilities by talking about her own personal experiences. The
purpose of the interview with Lionel Messi Interview (part one) is to entertain its audience, as
well as give more background information on his experiences and what kind of person he is. The
bolded, open ended questions, followed by short responses, and often times an introduction on
the matter are conventions chosen to achieve the purpose of this genre. The question and answer
format makes it easy for readers to follow and understand. It is clear who is asking the questions,
and who is responding. Sometimes, the interviewer may not ask a question. For example in the
interview with Messi, the interviewer says When you were about to make your league debut
there were problems over your passport.(Lowe). By having this in bold, it is clear that the
interviewer is saying this and prevents the reader from becoming confused who is speaking and

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not finishing the article. By including an introduction before the interview questions and
answers, readers are able to gain an understanding of what the interview is going to be about. For
example, in the interview with Mia Hamm, there is an introduction about some of the many
accomplishments she made as a female athlete, and the ways in which she has supported female
athletics, before the question and answer begins (Dockterman).
The intended audience of a news articles also plays a major role in the conventions used.
In general, the audience of news articles tend to be older, more educated people looking for
factual, news based information. The targeted audience of both of the news articles from above
are people who read newspapers, sports fans, and more specifically soccer fans and followers.
The author uses conventions that will draw in the attention of its audience and keep them
engaged. Including pictures grabs the readers attention and attracts their interest right away. The
format of short paragraphs, large font, and double spacing is extremely important as well. The
large font and double spacing make reading the article super simple, and the use of short
paragraphs keeps the readers from becoming bored or overwhelmed. Acronyms and high and low
diction are also commonly used in news articles. For example, in the two news articles
referenced above, the acronyms FIFA, UEFA, and the use of language such as hat trick are
specific to the intended audience of soccer fans, or at least people who understand soccer.
The audience of the interviews above is similar to the audience of the news articles, such
as soccer fans and followers, because they both address the same topic. However, the audience of
interviews in general is ordinary people looking to be entertained through more specific
information of the experiences and perspectives of a particular person. The specific audience of
the interviews above, are people who read magazines, girls, and girl athletes. The conventions
that are important in attaining this specific audience are pictures, the conversational tone, and

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details. All of these conventions are used to grab the readers attention and keep them interested.
Pictures, aside from the headlines, are the main thing that is going to attract a readers attention.
In the interview with Messi, for example, he is asked What happened to that team? Why did it
fall apart so quickly (Lowe)? These open ended questions, as well as the use of two questions,
pushes Messi to answer in detail rather than just a few words. This is critical because the
audience wants to be both entertained and feel like they are getting to know the person. A short
answer wouldnt keep the audiences attention. This leads us to the importance of a
conversational tone. If the tone of an interview was too formal it wouldnt seem genuine and
readers would lose interest. They want to feel like they are truly getting to know what that person
is really like so that they cant help but continue reading.
The context in which a piece of writing is going to be used is also very important to
consider. News articles can be found relatively easy, whether it be in a newspaper that gets
delivered to your house, or a newsstand, or online. This is very advantageous to writers because
it allows them to reach their targeted audience quite effortlessly. Where news articles are found
also affects how they are written. For example, the headlines and short format of news articles
are partly a result of them being found in newspapers. You arent going to see a three or more
page article featured in the newspaper, so writers must write accordingly. Like news articles,
interviews are cheap and easy to access almost anywhere. Interviews like the ones seen above,
are commonly found in magazines or online. Since we find magazines almost everywhere we go,
such as in grocery stores, hair and nail salons, bus stops, college campuses, and doctors offices,
the intended audience of interviews is very easy to reach. Magazines are the perfect place for
these interviews in that they are kept at a relatively short length, and readers are looking to be
entertained as well as gain some insight into celebrities lives.

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Although we may not be completely aware of it, we are constantly distinguishing

between genres. For example, when we want to find out when Origi will return from his surgery,
the first place we are going to look would be news articles. We know we arent going to find this
information in a novel or an advertisement for instance. If we want to be entertained and just
read about soccer players and get to know more about them as a person, we tend to look for
interviews. The conventions that these genres use serve an important purpose in writers
achieving their goals and reaching their audience. They have to take into consideration the
context in which their writing will be found, and then write accordingly. They are able to follow
general forms from the genre of which they are writing and therefore produce a very successful
piece!

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Works Cited
Dockterman, Eliana. Mia Hamm on Why Girls Playing Sports Is So Important." Time. Time, 11
Sept. 2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
Hunter, Andy. "Divock Origi Injury Worsens Liverpools Problems up Front." The Guardian, 11
Jan. 2016. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
Lowe, Sid. "Lionel Messi Interview (part One) - World Soccer." World Soccer. World Soccer
Magazine, 31 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
The Associated Press. "Carli Lloyd and Jill Ellis Take FIFAs Top Player and Coach
Honors." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.