Evin Code

1 August 2015
Erin Workman
ENC 2135
Statement of Goals and Choices
This composition is building of off of what was stated in assignment 2 which
pertained to journalism. My mission is to transform the research I carried out in the
previous assignment into three disparate compositions that provide a unique look into my
possible major field of study. It will be composed of an essay, a speech, and a newspaper
article. All three of these genres communicate different aspects of journalism. Since I am
considering journalism as my major of study, this assignment will hopefully expose
myself to countless aspects of the field.
In my personal essay, I will write from the perspective of a journalist that is
retelling significant events in his career. It will be styled similar to a memoir, as it
accounts for personal events. To produce an accurate work I will research the lives of
famous journalists and look for interesting events for inspiration. Writing this will give
me a better understanding of the personal aspects of journalism. It will force me to
consider what my life might actually be like should I choose to study journalism here at
Florida State University. Writing is an important skill to have for almost all career fields
therefore this will also aid my classmates in their concept of writing. I plan to write this
with a personal and conversational tone, which will not only inform the audience of the
possible adventures of journalism but also will also entertain its audience and captivate
their imagination upon reception of this essay. After researching numerous current events

from around the world, I settled on the subject of the civil war and attempted Isil invasion
of Syria. It is being told from a first person point of view in order to give detailed
accounts of possible events that only a first person point of view could provide. The main
goal of this composition that differs from the goals of the others is that it should reveal
the work and risks journalists take everyday to provide the public with information
crucial for the awareness of injustices around the world in order to fight for those who
cannot fight for themselves. My purpose is to make my classmates realize that without
these journalists, a myriad of crimes, injustices and human rights violations would go
unnoticed and therefore unpunished if it were not for the work of journalists. Unlike a
newspaper article, this will give the reader an idea of what its like to actually be in these
dangerous situations instead of just reading about them. There are some limitations that
come along with this genre. For example, because of the rhetorical situation of a story, I
cannot provide my audience with an overview of the events occurring there and all of the
details of the situation.
The next genre that will be used to illustrate my understanding of journalism is a
newspaper article. It will be a satirical piece that will expand the audiences understanding
journalism by demonstrating a different medium within the field. Similar to many satires,
one of its purposes will be to entertain the audience through the use of humor. There are
numerous writers, newspapers, and Internet sites that exclusively use satire as a genre for
communicating news and providing an interesting point of view on a variety of different
subjects. I conducted research pertaining to satirical newspapers like The Onion and The
Eggplant. This helped me to think of ideas for my own newspaper article. By writing this
type of composition I feel I am given the chance to illustrate a different side of journalism

to my classmates. The main rhetoric I am utilizing in this piece is a facetious tone to

bring up an issue many students are familiar with. I am writing about the transportation
service Uber, and the questionable drivers that they employ. While most of the drivers
employed by this company are more than capable of the job, many customers have
experienced a sketchy driver or two that have made them wonder how long theyve had a
license. The medium being implored by this composition is printed out on paper to
resemble an actual newspaper article. By writing this type of composition I am forced to
write as if I am a journalist for a newspaper. This means including a large sarcastic title
and fake quotes from people related to the subject to create a realistic yet sarcastic article
that will entertain and leave the audience thinking about the issue.
The last of the three compositions is a speech, more specifically an acceptance
speech. This speech is written from the point of view of an accomplished journalist that is
receiving one of the highest honors in the field. The speaker of this will thank those who
have helped him get to the point he is at now as with most acceptance speeches. He will
also recount pivotal moments in his career and how those around him have helped him. I
am choosing to conduct a speech because I think by orally addressing my classmates they
will gain a better understanding of journalism by seeing first hand how scholars in the
field might communicate. Also by receiving this Award my audience will see what
journalists strive for in their careers. I will include a thank you to other important people
that aid a journalist in the production and depiction of his or her work so that the
audience knows how many different people it takes to do this job.