Words Matter: Week 3

"Hillary Clinton And The Populist Revolt"

New Yorker
31 October 2016



"As she plunged into the details, her eyes widened, her color rose, and her finger occasionally gave the table a thump for emphasis."


 What description! It shows how much observation and attention to detail the author has. He was really watching what Ms. Clinton was doing, not just listening to her voice. Journalism is just as much observing as it is listening. These observations make the story come alive and interest the reader.

Words Matter: Week 4

"Online, Everything Is Alternative Media"
NY Times
10 November 2016


"And the self-identified alternative media of this election was, on the other hand, unembarrassed by its ideology, aggressive not merely in the pursuit of stories but in the election of one candidate and the destruction of another." 

This could be a very simple sentence. "The alternative media puts out whatever it believes, and openly supports one candidate." But the author used descriptive language that makes the sentence stand out. "Destruction" is a very strong word that adds a weight to the sentence, showing how hard the media is trying to put down a candidate. "...unembarrassed by it's ideology..." is another part that really caught my attention. It's just good writing.