ENGL 193

J. Clary-Lemon

Notes Document: PUS Journalism “Baby” Articles

Use this template to take notes on both of your “Baby” PUS articles. Write the title of each article into the left column, and answer the question(s)
for each article. Finally, answer the question below the table once you have finished taking notes. Turn in on Thursday, March 2 by 10:00AM in the
Dropbox.

Baby 1: Science News, This butterfly is the first U.S. insect known to go extinct because of people:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/xerxes-blue-butterfly-first-human-caused-us-insect-extinction

Title: Are any of the words, terms, ideas used in the article title the - Article does not name to scientific name for the genus of the
same as the parent title? blue butterfly, instead it names it “this butterfly.”

- Reference to previous viewing of the butterfly is less detailed

(does not include the age of who found it, and the circumstance
it was found in.)
Audience: What is the audience for each source and how does they - Audience for this source is much more general, does not use
differ? complex terms in the title (like the genus of the butterfly)

- Does not focus on giving an introduction on diversity.

Visuals: What visuals from the parent article does it use or modify?
Which visuals are new?
Quotations: What quotations from the parent article is it using?
(Important for scientists to understand other extrication of
other genus and species.
Visuals from the parent not used, instead.
- A picture of the extinct xerces butterfly is shown (from a
museum)
- Another picture of analyzed Data from Chicago’s field museum
(of DNA), to demonstrate that the species was distinct.
There are some direct quotations:
- “mitogenomes” – the name of the gene that shows that all
butterflies are similar to each other.

Stats: How are statistics used in each text?
What particular ones were chosen from the parent article? Are they
correct?
Narrative: What kind of “story” does each piece tell?
Complexity: What has been removed, lost, or simplified in the baby
articles?
Sources: What kind of sources are used? How easy is it for the reader
to access the parent article?
Publisher: Who is the publisher of each piece and what are their
overall mission statements/goals?
- “We sort of lost a piece of the biodiversity puzzle that made up
the tapestry of the San Francisco Bay area when this species
was driven to extinction,”
- There are also furthermore some quotations of one of the
researchers “Moreau” who spoke about this (in first person),
not in the article.
- No statistics used
- Summarizes the use of multi genomes in the study to prove that
they are related to other butterflies.
- Direct lines the scientists said about extinction
- Portions about genes, nucleotides removed.
- Discussion about RNA overlaps omitted.
- (all for simplicity for readers)
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/resurrecting-extinct-
species-raises-ethical-questions
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0123
- Cited in hyperlinks, easy to access
- Jake Buehler
- Freelance science writer
- Master’s degree in zoology (from university of Hawaii)
- Writes frequently about a lot of wildlife.
Baby 2: Xerces Blue Butterfly Wiped-Out Due to Urban Development; First Distinct Insect Species Extinct by Human Activity
https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/32409/20210722/xerces-blue-butterfly-wiped-out-due-urban-development-first-distinct.htm

Title: Are any of the words, terms, ideas used in the article title the
same as the parent title?
Audience: What is the audience for each source and how does they
differ?
- References extinction due to human activity
- Xerces butterfly (common name), not the scientific name
(genus)
- Audience for this source is much more general, does not use
complex terms in the title (like the genus of the butterfly)

Does not focus on giving an introduction on diversity.

Visuals: What visuals from the parent article does it use or modify?
Which visuals are new?
Quotations: What quotations from the parent article is it using?
Stats: How are statistics used in each text?
What particular ones were chosen from the parent article? Are they
correct?
Narrative: What kind of “story” does each piece tell?
Complexity: What has been removed, lost, or simplified in the baby
articles?
(all for simplicity for readers)
Sources: What kind of sources are used? How easy is it for the reader
to access the parent article?
(Important for scientists to understand other extrication of
other genus and species.
- None from study used, used from museums etc
- Quotation of the tiltle of the parent article.
- No precise statistics used from parent
- Cloning tech
- Revival of an extinct species
- Portions about genes, nucleotides removed.
- Discussion about RNA overlaps omitted.
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/xerxes-blue-butterfly-
first-human-caused-us-insect-extinction
- https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/20/world/xerces-blue-
butterfly-extinction-scn/index.html

Publisher: Who is the publisher of each piece and what are their - Ron Jefferson
overall mission statements/goals? - Writes for the Science Times
- Not too much information about him, but will look into it.
1. What evidence from your notes points to major points of analysis that you will definitely use in your paper? Does the evidence point
specifically to raw science, rhetorical framing, or a critical view?
- Not including the information about the DNA sequence nucleotides
- Does not use the genus name (simplicity purposes)
- Title simple and catchy for general public to seek interest.
- Brief history about the sighting provided.