Genre Analysis 1

Global Warming: Genre Analysis of National Geographic Video and NASA Article

UTEP: Lou Herman

English 1312 M 12:00-1:20 p.m.

Luis Rene Flores 800418663

 Genre Analysis 2

Global Warming is an issue that has risen in the past recent decades thanks

to our technological advances in the research of our planet and has brought much

controversy through scientists and politics. Many are still ignorant as to what

exactly the concept of Global Warming really is and many organizations try to

inform for better debate on the topic and progress. The video on YouTube entitled:

‘Global Warming 101’ by National Geographic, is a short yet accurate and

informative clip that goes through all the facts about Global Warming. In the article

on the earthobservatory.nasa.gov website entitled ‘Global Warming’ by Holli

Riebeek, you go through an intricate set of questions and answers about global

warming. This article takes a much deeper and concise way of informing its

audience with questions, answers, statistics, and graphs. In both genres, the idea is

to inform on the topic of Global Warming.

Audience and Purpose

The National Geographic produced this video found on YouTube entitled

‘Global Warming 101’ for any viewer of its broadcasting on television and any

computer savvy individual who may search ‘global warming’ on YouTube. Because

their medium is television and the internet, they are able to reach a significantly

enormous audience, taking into consideration the number of people which watch

television and use YouTube. The discourse communities being targeted are

individuals who are interested or may want to find out more solid facts in ‘global

warming’ such as: students, professors, activists of global warming and people who

are involved in the green movement. Before watching this video by the National

Geographic channel on YouTube, viewers might very likely already have been
introduced to the topic of ‘global warming’ and want to further their knowledge on

the subject. The reason for doing so is to promote the possible solutions to the

problem suggested in the video such as: lowering the usage of vehicles, fossil fuels,

and energy. The time of this video is designed very well due

Genre Analysis 3

to the fact that it is very short and so is the attention span of most people watching

YouTube videos. The video lasts 3:04 and the whole basic information and facts on

‘global warming’ are delivered along with images and diagrams. The purpose of

this video is to inform any individual who searches the topic and hopefully initiate a

larger movement for energy saving.

Holli Riebeek directed her 7 page “Global Warming” article on

earthobservatory.nasa.gov directly to an audience which is looking into the topic in

detail and asking questions (research). Readers would begin with a small

introductory paragraph explaining what ‘global warming’ really is. Then with

knowing what ‘global warming’ is the reader can now go through the 7 pages and

read the answers to frequently asked questions, look at graphs of the climate

changes, and detailed information on every aspect. This article has been published

in previous years (2002 and 2007) and has been updated with latest information.

The discourse community the audience is in is that of people who are researching

the topic of ‘global warming’ on the internet for research purposes. The information

is designed to accurately inform on any view and question of ‘global warming’ to

give the fullest understanding in simplest forms. The audience is most likely to

already have a well developed knowledge in the topic of ‘global warming’ and wants
to find out more about it like the details in the climate patterns and cycles of earth

and what scientists theorize. The reason for them looking for this information is

most likely just to know what exactly is going on with evident climate changes in

Earth and inform others, to be aware. The time spent on this article by the

audience may very well be over just 3 minutes like the previous genre due to the

fact that this article contains far much more information and details as to what

‘global warming is’ , how it affects us, to scientific approach. The purpose of this

genre is to inform and make individuals aware of our Earth’s climate situation more

than to try and promote energy saving. Of course, being aware of the information

on this article will make you want to do something anyway.

Genre Analysis 4

Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos and Logos

Genre 1, which is the National Geographic YouTube short on “global

warming”, establishes its credibility through the name of ‘National Geographic’

which is known to be involved in earth everything about it. The video is linked to the

National Geographic YouTube channel which can connect you to the National

Geographic website where you can go and decide for yourself whether or not to

believe the information given in this video. The video establishes an emotional

response by showing images of animals struggling due to the climate changes along

with some of the facts given which in a way establish a fear of what is going on. The

music also gives a strange and eerie feeling as to what the narrator is saying and

then it ends with a happy sounding tone and how we can do things to help the

Earth. The point of the music, images, and facts are all in the effort to instill a sort
of sense of action to better the Earth’s situation. There is not much evidence to

support the information given in the video; instead it is just an onslaught of facts

and images. It is still appropriate though, due to the purpose of the video, which is

to inform and invoke a sense of action.

In the article by Holli Riebeek, the credibility is established through the well

known name of NASA, since it is on a ‘nasa.gov’ website. The credibility through

that is the fact that NASA is known to have great scientists and advancements in

the world’s technology. The credibility is also established through the article as

Holli Riebeek quotes scientists and their research and theories. The pathos of this

article is much more formal and just informative with less emotion than the

YouTube video. There is just a sense of awareness at the end where it says that the

rest of this cycle is really up to us humans. Other than that, the article is very much

so emotionless and very straight to the point. All the information given is directly

supported by great evidence such as charts, graphs, and scientific research. Each

section of the article was driven to answer a certain question about ‘global

warming’ and the evidence is

Genre Analysis 5

efficient in absolutely every way because it gives you the examples and visuals of

what the author is trying to show.

Structure

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs&ob=av3e