Newspaper Feature Analysis

Here's a link to my Newspaper Feature:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/business/17student.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Families%20Strain%20to%20Pay%20Tuition&st=cse&oref=slogin

And, my analysis:

While browsing through various online newspaper sites, I came across the article “In Downturn, Families Strain to Pay Tuition” from nytimes.com. This article, by Jonathan D. Glater, takes a look at how the current economic crisis is affecting one particular group of people – college kids as well as their parents and families.

Glater’s article was of interest to me because, well, I am a college kid and see in my own circle of friends how the economic crisis is affecting their school, their funding, and their debts. And I found this article most interesting because it took a look at our economic crisis from a unique perspective. In a way, it was like the article about the Indian call center that showed the crisis from the eyes of a specific group of people. I think it is important to write feature stories that show how the economic crisis is affecting different segments of the population because only then will everyone be able to see how truly devastating it is. People will then become more aware of how this crisis is affecting everyone, not just some people. Also, breaking the article down into different perspectives could also break a complicated topic, such as this crisis, down into a more understandable form.

As Donald Murray would say, your story needs to have conflict and tension. With any article that has been or will be written about the current economic situation, tension is there no matter how you spin it. With sixteen days until our country chooses it next president, people of all sorts sit in their offices, classrooms, and kitchens unsure of what will happen with our economy. Writers of these articles need not write with tension, the tension is already there. All they need to do is tell the stories of those affected by this crisis. The tension and conflict is apparent. Basically, sometimes you just need to let the story tell itself. And, this is what Glater used to drive his feature story. He simply told the stories of the people the interviewed, and let those stories, rife with tension, drive the article.

Along the same lines, the first sentence in the story grabbed my attention, specifically the first four words: “In difficult dinner-table conversation.” In campaigning for the presidency, both candidates have used some form of that phrase when talking about the struggles average American families face in their day-to-day lives. By using those four words, Glater made me think of what people really are facing nowadays. It also served as a reminder that this upcoming election is one of the most important and historical elections in our nation’s history. I am not sure if Glater was trying to allude back to the election with his opening line, but I think it may resonate as well with other readers who have been following the campaigns.

Donald Murray feels that the voice of a text is very important. According to Murray, “the good writer seeks a voice that is consistent throughout the story but varies its volume and rhythm to the meaning” (72). I believe that Glater does this within his story. He lets the readers “meet and hear the people in the story” (72). He also used a balanced amount of quotes between struggling families and university officials and other experts. Also, his tone within the rest of the story is one of concern. I believe in his writing style, he is letting everyone know just how distressing this economic situation really is. Glater then tries to explain what exactly is going on with regards to how this crisis is affecting college students and their families. I think by both the interviews and quotes used and Glater’s writing style, this piece’s voice and point is consistent. Both show the tension and struggles of American families trying to send their children to college in the midst of an economic meltdown.

He was able to, as Murray puts it, “(weave) context throughout the story” (72). In between quotes from stressed out families and students, along with quotes from university officials and lending institutions, came explanations of the trouble they are facing, the credit crisis, and different types of student loans. All of the technical or complicated information was broken down into easily digestible paragraphs within the story. Glater did not try and throw all of the facts at the reader at once, which could cause them to become overwhelmed and possibly stop reading the article. Quotes from university officials and lending institutions also, I think, make what is going on within their end of the problem seem easier to understand. I would call what this author did, by weaving quotes and facts together throughout the article, a quote kabob! And, as I have learned, good writers use this form of writing to keep their reader engaged.

This article would have been nearly as effective or engaging if Glater had only used interviews or only reported facts about the problem. His balance between fact and quotes worked nicely with one another. Likewise, the article would not have been as effective if he had only quoted one side of the story. Hearing from all those involved with how the economy is affecting college students gave a more well-rounded edge to the story.

One thing I did notice in the print-friendly version is that some paragraphs of this article run a little long. And in newsprint, those paragraphs might seem to drag on. Some of his sentences are a bit lengthy, causing three-sentence paragraphs to feel much longer than they are. These paragraphs could be broken up into a two-sentence paragraph and a one-sentence paragraph so that not as much information has to be taken in all in one time. Also, paragraphs that contain both quotes and explanations could be broken up. This way the quotes stand out, and the paragraphs as a whole do not seem so long.

Author Jonathan D. Glater has a grasp on how to write effectively to engage readers. He lets his interviews’ stories tell themselves which, in turn, allows the readers to relate to those people featured in the article. And his quote kabob writing format allows for his readers to fulfill their need for meaningful quotes while explaining the technical side of the economic crisis in as simplified way as he can. Still, in simplify what is happening to college students and their families, Glater does not take away at all from the importance or severity of their struggles or the economy as a whole. In fact, his tone and voice of concern remains strong throughout the entire piece of writing.