When I see the title "Samuel Johnson prize won by 'hugely important' study of Mao” on the Guardian’s web page, I decide to see what it says. It’s a feature news article which aims to promote good books to the audience. I’d like to read about it since it can be interesting to learn what foreigners’ understanding about China. Also as a Chinese I do want to know what the ‘hugely important’ study is.
This article is quite astonishing and intriguing. The lead says this book is about “how Mao’s Great Leap Forward led to the deaths of 45 million people”. When I see the “deaths of 45 million people” the author is definitely hook me in. It’s very smart for the author that putting the most eye-catching information in the lead since audience will have no choice but to keep on reading because of strong curiosity. In the second paragraph the author gives more details about what she says in the lead. Since it is a feature article, the author quoted the words of two main interviewees. Both of them are the judges of Samuel Johnson prize. Words of the two judges are all compliments. This help to address the fact that this book won Samuel Johnson prize and is definitely worth to read. The left paragraphs are information of this book’s author and his competitor’s work in this prize. Finally the conclusion is also a strong part, which is actually a re-address of the core of the whole article: Samuel Johnson prize winner and his book.
From my point of view, this article is a very successful feature article if its goal is to sell the book to the audience. After read it I do want to purchase this book. Because on the one hand I’m curious about the death of 45 million people, one the other hand this book won prize. And this is exactly what the feature article trying to tell me. However, if this article’s goal is to present news to audience I think it is kind bias. Even though the author didn’t put her own opinion in her article, the way she represents the information can only lead audience think negatively about situation in China. Since, if you noticed, the author only provided positive opinion of her interviewees toward the book, and the left is about the ugly history of Mao’s tyranny. News should be unbiased and thus quote different view toward a single topic should be helpful.
Anyway this is a great feature article because of the structure, technics it represents.
I agree with your opinion about the written approaches which the writer used.It reflects that both the title as well as the opening of the article are significant to the desire for reading.
ReplyDeleteDue to the difference in social ideology between China and the western countries，the bias can hardly be avoided.However,with the development of the international communication,i believe this kind of phenomenon would be on the decline.