Running head: GENRE ANALYSIS 1

Genre Analysis; Krokodil Tears

Marcos Castillo
University of Texas at El Paso

GENRE ANALYSIS 2

Abstract:
This paper is the analysis of two very common genres, a website video and a newspaper
article. It starts by giving background history of the origination of newspaper and videos. It
begins by providing information about newspapers, like its origin and the advancements it has
had since it was created, then it does the same with videos. It goes on to explain why a similar
topic for both genres has been selected in order to compare each other in more detail. After all
this, the paper introduces the subject of which both genres will discuss in detail. Finally it will
analyze the different genres, starting with the YouTube video. It talks about the rhetorical
strategies that are used in order to deliver its message. It provides examples and explains why the
use of these persuasive strategies was easy to use throughout the entire video. At last it compares
both the video and the newspaper article by comparing their flexibility as well as their use of
rhetorical appeals.
GENRE ANALYSIS 3

Genres categorize various communication forms, separating them by content and or style.
The year three thousand five hundred B.C, marks a very important day in the human
communication advancement. It was the era when the first form of writing, known as cuneiform,
was invented. Since then humans have created various forms of writing as well as other methods
of communication, which have been separated into genres. Its amazing to see how we began by
drawing simple stick figures inside caves and now we are capable of communicating with people
all around the world in just a matter of seconds. With so many different ways to communicate we
are now able to choose which type of genre we would like to use in order to convey any message
we are trying to deliver. But how could we know which genre is the best for what we are trying
to say? By knowing at least a few things about each genre we can eliminate the obvious, after
this first elimination we can compare the remaining and decide which one would be the best fit
for the subject and message we are trying to convey. For this paper two genres, created in
different times, have been selected and compared on the following paragraphs.
Newspapers, one of the most common genres, go all the way back to the year 131 B.C,
invented by the Romans, later to be adopted by the Chinese, then by most of the world after the
invention of the printing press. The very first newspapers were carved in stone and hung in
public places for people to read. Only a few copies were made and the messages they delivered
were only the most important. Compared to todays newspaper were we have millions of
copies and numerous articles, advertisement, and even comics or games, newspapers have come
a long way. Todays newspapers vary from local news to worldwide news. Reading them has
become a daily routine for thousands of people. Due to its large audience newspaper has become
one of the most used methods to deliver a message.
GENRE ANALYSIS 4

The second choice of genre is a documentary video from YouTube, a more modern and
more technological advanced than newspapers. The very first form of video was a videotape
invented in the 20
th
century by Charles Ginsberg with the help of his research team inside the
company Ampex. Same as newspapers, videos have come a long way within todays technology,
there is no telling what we are able to do and it is only getting better. With the help of the
internet, videos and newspapers can now be viewed by anyone anywhere. By accessing a popular
YouTube video we are able to gage YouTube standard audience. Since YouTube has over one
billion users per month we can conclude that the video has a massive number of intended
audiences.
In order to compare the two genres with more ease both have been chosen with a similar
topic. The topic of choice is, Krokodil Tears a flesh eating drug created by heroin dealers in
order to replace heroin with a cheaper and easier substance. It originated in Russia and has been
spreading into different parts of the world including the United States and Mexico. Even though
Krokodil Tears can create serious health issues, unfortunately thousands of people have already
began to use the drug. Heroin addicts have been the primary users of this drug. The explanation
for this is that Krokodil Tears stimulate a similar high that of heroin. Since most often heroin
users end up unemployed and homeless, the urge to get high has led them to Krokodil Tears
because of its more affordable price, disregarding the horrific effects that it can cause. The
average lifespan for a Krokodil Tears user is approximately no more than two years.
Vice, a Canadian media outlet, has uploaded a documentary video to YouTube in an
attempt to inform the world about Krokodil Tears and its effects. Vice interviewers and camera
crew flew to Siberia Novokuznetsk, Russia where drugs have seemed to make their biggest
effect. Twenty percent of its population is addicted to heroin and slowly turning their addiction
GENRE ANALYSIS 5

to the new drug Krokodil Tears. In order to make the audience feel more connected to this issue,
Vice starts the documentary on the side of the city with the biggest drug problem. Images like
abandon buildings, trash thrown everywhere, no pavement on the streets, and syringes all over
the place really make the viewer feel the struggle these people are going through because of their
addiction. All of these images as well as interviews of addicts and filming of their everyday life
were included in order to establish pathos with the audience.
Ethos and logos are also used by Vice in order to persuade the public into never trying
the drug. The way they present ethos and logos really goes hand by hand, some examples can be
seen in the way the video demonstrate footage of addicts, so that the audience is able to learn
about the drug as well as it terrifying side effects. This can be interpreted as both ethos and logos
because as well as serving as credibility to the information presented it also can be used as logic
as why the drug should never be taken. Documentary footage of a rehab center includes
successful ex-addicts in order to demonstrate to users that they are not alone and that rehab is
possible with help. Although this cannot be taken as logos it does represent ethos because it
demonstrates credibility by showing that the struggle is real, but that it has also been overcome.
Ethos, pathos and logos are used throughout the entire video, because of the type of genre
these persuasive strategies can easily be used to convey its message. With no time limit and
many visual examples Vice has a lot of liberty to present the information needed in order to
convey their intended message, which in this case is to inform and persuade. Unlike the video,
the newspaper article makes it harder for the author to use these kinds of strategies. Having a
limited space for text and only limited visuals, the author becomes limited to what he could and
could not include. However, besides being limited the newspaper article from Sinembargo.mx
does an adequate job delivering its message.
GENRE ANALYSIS 6

Sources like the Municipal Public Security Secretariat of Mexico are included in order to
create credibility with the audience. Pathos is not actually used in the article because its purpose
is to inform about the arrival of the drug, unlike the video thats purpose is to persuade the public
into never using the drug. Logos is the most used by Sinemargo.mx newspaper agency. They
provide facts and information collected to prove how and why the arrival of the drug in El Paso
and Juarez is thought to be true. After analyzing both genres the conclusion is that it does not
matter if some genres are more flexible and easier to work with, at the end even those with more
limitation can be used to convey their messages without any problems as long as you use them
the correct way.

GENRE ANALYSIS 7

References
Capper Andy, Severs Alison (2012, May 17) Vice, YouTube, retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsUH8llvTZo
Mark J. Joshua (2011, April 11)Ancient History Encyclopedia, retrieved from
http://www.ancient.eu.com/cuneiform/
Sinemargo (2013, December 9) Sinemargo.mx, retrieved from http://www.sinembargo.mx/09-
12-2013/839467
Unknown (2011, January) Inventor of the Week, retrieved from
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/ginsburg.html