This article begins with a soft lede that goes on for about four paragraphs, enticing the reader with background on how false rumors began about Barack Obama being a Muslim. The author does not reveal the "man behind the whispers" immediately in the lede, which keeps the reader hooked.
The nut graph follows the lede in the fifth paragraph, showing the reader why Andy Martin's actions are important and necessary to understand. Following the nut graph, the author provides backup information, giving the reader a better idea of who Andy Martin is and what he has done to hurt Obama's image.
The continuation of the article does not seem to have a predictable ABAB structure, but the ideas flow well from one to the next. After the nut graph, the author describes Mr. Martin's history of false accusations and adds in effective quotes that reveal opinions from individuals who have worked with him in the past and who have investigated his actions on the Web.
The author then gives the reader accurate information about Obama's heritage to emphasize Mr. Martin's wrongdoings and talks about how other Web users have fed off of his inaccurate statements, spreading them far and wide.
The portion of the article that impacted me the most was towards the end, where the author uses a handful of quotes and fairly short sentences to not only describe Mr. Martin's outward displays of anti-Semitism, but also to show how he has unknowingly steered many Jews away from Obama by accusing him of being a Muslim.
The article has a strong kicker; the author recalls a statement made by Mr. Martin that finishes off the negative picture that the article paints of him: '"He said he had at least come to "accept" Mr. Obama's word that he had found Jesus Christ. His intent, he said, was only to educate."'
1 comment:
Allie,
I thought that this was a very extensive and thorough analysis of an article about a very complicated issue.
I especially liked how you talked about what you thought of the article instead of simply analyzing it. I also thought you ended the analysis very artfully; even though it was an analysis of an article, you ended on a quotation that could have been a kicker for its own article.
Good job!
-Maris
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