Tianyi Ma

Writing 2
De Piero

Discovering the Features of Economic News Articles

We are living in a world awash with news concerning all aspects of our livespolitical
news, science news, sports new and etc. Either reading it physically from up-to-date newspapers
or virtually from the resource-abundant internet, news has become a crucial channel for people to
know what is happening all around the world. A myriad of news is produced every day; however,
reading such amount of news does not leads to receiving as much desired information in return.
After all, reading every word and mark is absolutely time-consuming and unproductive. But as
long as you know the features of this genre - the way they are structured and arrange messages,
the abundance of news is no longer a double-edged sword. For the sake of specificity, the scope
of my argument is narrowed on economic news. Based on the three news articles (from The
Economic Times, CNN, and The New York Times, respectively), which share similar conventions
and all address the same topicChinas slowing economic growth ratewe can assert that
economic news reports are data-oriented and unbiased, they arrange their essential information
towards the beginning, and all these features save readers time reading them.
First and foremost, data are widely employed in economic news as a tool to convey
information. When you take a glance at the article from The Economic Times, if you are not a
hasty reader, you must have noticed that the title, China's economy grows 6.9% in 2015, slowest
pace in 25 years (PTI 1), really contains very informative numbers. 6.9%, in 2015, and
slowest in 25 years are only three numbers, whereas they can quickly inform readers of what
happened, when it happened, and what does it mean. Another example from CNN, But the

growth data released Tuesday didn't appear to trouble investors. The Shanghai Composite was
broadly flat in morning trade and later rallied to close up 3.2%. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong
gained 2.1%. (Mullen 1) Without any lengthy explanations, but via two numbers (Shanghai
Composite and Hang Seng indexes), the author very persuasively shows the audience why the
growth data didnt appear to trouble investors.
In addition to their efficacy of conveying information, data are also used due to their
appeal to the audience of economic news. The audience of economic news varieseconomists,
investors, or just normal citizensbut they all at least be capable of understanding the meaning
behind each number. To predict the prospect of economy by analyzing data in depth may be a job
of professional economist, however, to understand the economic status according to the
magnitude of these parameters (such as GDPs, market indexes) is a common ability. Therefore,
oftentimes, numbers speak far stronger and faster than plain words in economic world.
Also, among three economic news reports, using data, such as Chinese economy growth
rate, Shanghai Composite/Hang Seng indexes, mentioned above, brings strong credibility to the
article itself because the sources of these data are national departments and agencies or reputable
economic organizations. Moreover, according to Laura Bolin Carroll, the use of data is a
rhetorical action called logo (52), which appeals to an audiences intellectual side. Therefore,
using data can contribute to the reliability of the news.
According to Kerry Dirk, rhetorical actions meant to bring about a specific response
develop a specific genre. (254) Using data makes economic news article a distinct genre because
it is a successful rhetorical method that can further a precise but concise discourse with its
audience. In all three chinas economy-related news articles, data effectively convey information,

enhance reliability, save audiences time to read, and eventually orient audience to the truth.
Therefore, the presence of data is an indispensable convention of economic news articles.
Aside from drawing up data, another feature of economic news articles is that they are
inclined to avoid possessing their own opinions. They present economists opinions, but reserve
the right to judge to readers. In such sense, economic news is unbiased. In China G.D.P.
Growth at Slowest Pace Since 2009, Data Shows from The New York Times, opinions from
relevant individuals, groups or authorities are commonly quoted throughout the entire article.
Here is one from the chief economist for greater China at the Australia and New Zealand
Banking Groups, Li-Guang LiuSigns of growth bottoming out are nowhere to be seen.
Instead, we will see at least another two years of further growth slowdown. (Gough 2)This is a
pessimistic opinion about the outlook of Chinas economy. Nonetheless, the author did not
attempt to use it to counter other opinions or support his own. Neither did he put his own
comments about Li-Gang Lius judgement nor showed any effort on persuading readers of its
foresight and correctness. In fact, as a good economic news journalist does, he only left the
opinion there for readers to decide whether it is right or not.
The purpose of doing so is not to instill an opinion into readers mind but to inform one
as requested by audience. In this context, China economy now is suffering from a disturbing
slowdown and its stock market is in a volatile turmoil. Hence, it is no wonder that readers want
to know what is actually happening to Chinas economy in a deeper level and what will happen
in the future. To respond to such exigence, quoting voices from reputable economist become
necessary and indeed it is effective in the sense that these quotations contribute to the ethos. As
Laura Bolin Carroll claimed, ethos refers to the credibility and gives power to the credibility of

the article. (54) By quoting these authentic and authoritative comments, authors of economic
news article quickly provide readers with convincing and wanted answer to their queries.
Last but not the least, in an economic news article, the information considered as news is
always presented at the beginning of the article. In all three chosen articles, it is very intriguing
that they tell exactly the same thing within the first ten sentences, which is China post its slowest
quarterly growth rate 6.8% since the last financial crisis and 6.9% for 2015. Also, when we look
at the title of each article, the similarity becomes even more manifest: China G.D.P. Growth at
Slowest Pace Since 2009 , China posts slowest annual economic growth in 25 years.,
China's economy grows 6.9% in 2015, slowest pace in 25 years. The reason of these
similarities among three articles is apparent: they are talking about a same news. Based on this
similarity, we can conclude that economic news reports include every essential information in the
title and the first a few sentences. Since the most primary function of a news article is not to
unfold a suspenseful story to its readers but to serve as a media to spread out news, telling people
what happened at the very beginning so that readers can quickly get what they want and then
decide whether or not keep reading. The remaining content of economic news articles may vary
significantly because relevant information and data available for each author, which determine
how each of them perform further analysis on the news, differ in amount, type and quality, but
the news, upon which all analyses pivot, is always presented at first.
In conclusion, the most primary purpose of economic news articles is to inform people of
events in economic world quickly and efficiently. In order to do so, they employ data for
straightforward demonstration, introduce experts opinion as reference, and address the news at
the beginning. After we study the genre of economic news articles, we will no longer read them
in the same way as read a novel or email. As Kerry Dirk argued, by studying the genres that we

find familiar, we can start to see how specific choices that writers make result in specific actions
on the part of readers, therefore all genres matter because they shape our everyday
lives.(254)In economic news articles, each convention is the final product of such interactional
process between writers and readers. For either writers or readers, learning genres will spur
them to do their own job more efficiently.

Reverse Outline

Main point:
we can assert that economic news reports are
data-oriented and unbiased, they arrange their
essential information towards the beginning,
and all these features save readers time
reading them.

How/why it supports your argument

data are widely employed in

economic news as a tool to convey
information.

To support my argument that

economic news reports are dataoriented, I analyzed how and why
data are used in three articles in this
paragraph.

data are also used due to their

appeal to the audience of economic
news.

Data-oriented is an abstract
concept, and I want to relate it to
the audience of economic news,
analyzing why data are used from
another aspect. Also, taking the
audience into account can help me
explain why using data saves
readers time to read.

Therefore, using data can contribute to the

reliability of the news.

Thesis statement.

Another advantage of using data.

Also addressing the question what
kind of data is used in three articles.

the presence of data is an indispensable

convention of economic news articles.

Since there are three sub-arguments

I made related to use of data in
economic news articles, I wrote a
brief conclusion to sum them up and
echo the larger argument that
economic news reports are dataoriented

Economic news articles are inclined

to avoid possessing their own
opinions.

This paragraph is mean to support

the argument that that economic
news reports are unbiased

The purpose of doing so is not to

instill an opinion into readers mind
but to inform one as requested by
audience.

The analysis about why economic

news articles tend to quote other
economists opinion but in an
unbiased manner. And how can it
save readers time to read.

Last but not the least, in an

economic news article, the
information considered as news is
always presented at the beginning
of the article.

Support my argument that

economic news reports arrange
their essential information towards
the beginning, and explain how
such feature saves readers time
and why doing so.

Structure analysis:
Compared to my unrevised wp1, the most obvious changes I have made is
breaking down big paragraphs. The entire second paragraph I wrote was
meant to support my argument that economics news articles are dataoriented. But I found that there were too many sub-concepts included in a
too large paragraph, therefore I split it into three smaller paragraphs
elaborating each sub-concepts individually. I think, now it is easier for
readers to follow up my trail of argument than before. Similarly, I have

divided all other page-long paragraphs into smaller and one-idea-at-a-time

ones throughout my paper. It is also worthy to mention that I decided to
delete my original paragraph #4 because I found it is not necessarily
relevant to my argument and influenced the overall coherence of my paper.

Works Cited
Carroll, Laura Bolin. "Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps tpward Rhetorical Analysis."
Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Vol. 1. Parlor Press, 2010. 45-58.
Document.
Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating Genres." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Vol. 1. Parlor
Press, 2010. 249-262. Document.
Gough, Neil. China G.D.P. Growth at Slowest Pace Since 2009, Data Shows. 18
January 2016. News. 18 Janunary 2016.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/19/business/international/china-gdpeconomy.html?ref=business&_r=2>.
Mullen, Jethro. China posts slowest annual economic growth in 25 years. 19 January
2016. News. 19 January 2016.
<http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/18/news/economy/china-2015-gdpgrowth/index.html>.
PTI. China's economy grows 6.9% in 2015, slowest pace in 25 years. 19 January
2016. 19 January 2016.

<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/chinaseconomy-grows-6-9-in-2015-slowest-pace-in-25years/articleshow/50633053.cms>.