Critical Analysis of Journalistic Report
‘What the reader of a critique is really interested in is hearing your assessment’ (Jones 2001)
The article is a journalistic piece, published in the broadsheet newspaper “The Independent” (March 2008). Under the title of:
“Does a degree guarantee you a good job?”
The article focuses on whether or not the best path to professional success, loosely defined as a “good job”, is for individuals in the UK to invest time and money in getting a University degree. It poses questions related to the main topic highlighting, the value of a degree in the current job market, the relative difficulty of getting a higher class degree now compared to the past and the importance attached to degree qualifications by employers. The author uses commentary from external specialists in a question and answer format by putting them into “yes” and “no Camps”. Significantly credentials to add weight to the views of the contributors are limited to details of their employment.
The general consensus is that ‘The Independent” has no political affiliation. Conversely author bias will affect any article, as can the social and political profile of the readership. Kate Hilpern (author) holds a first class degree from London Guildhall University. Understandably she may associate her successful journalist career to that of her academic achievements.
Much like the author, the qualifications and experiences of the specialist commentators may affect their impartiality but are not presented. We cannot determine if their views are representative.
Assuming the academic argument is that a university degree does not guarantee a good job then the article is unsuitable and fails to convince the reader for reasons of: restricted scope in consideration of associated issues, limited reference to broader political and economic influences and weak definition of the terminology and statistics used.
The article is written for a newspaper and designed to attract the reader’s eye rather than
The article is a journalistic piece, published in the broadsheet newspaper “The Independent” (March 2008). Under the title of:
“Does a degree guarantee you a good job?”
The article focuses on whether or not the best path to professional success, loosely defined as a “good job”, is for individuals in the UK to invest time and money in getting a University degree. It poses questions related to the main topic highlighting, the value of a degree in the current job market, the relative difficulty of getting a higher class degree now compared to the past and the importance attached to degree qualifications by employers. The author uses commentary from external specialists in a question and answer format by putting them into “yes” and “no Camps”. Significantly credentials to add weight to the views of the contributors are limited to details of their employment.
The general consensus is that ‘The Independent” has no political affiliation. Conversely author bias will affect any article, as can the social and political profile of the readership. Kate Hilpern (author) holds a first class degree from London Guildhall University. Understandably she may associate her successful journalist career to that of her academic achievements.
Much like the author, the qualifications and experiences of the specialist commentators may affect their impartiality but are not presented. We cannot determine if their views are representative.
Assuming the academic argument is that a university degree does not guarantee a good job then the article is unsuitable and fails to convince the reader for reasons of: restricted scope in consideration of associated issues, limited reference to broader political and economic influences and weak definition of the terminology and statistics used.
The article is written for a newspaper and designed to attract the reader’s eye rather than
References: Gold, S. (2011) Define critical analysis. Retrieved on November 14, 2013 from http://library.bcu.ac.uk/learner/Study%20Skills%20Guides/4%20Critical%20analysis.htm Jones, B.J. (2001). Rhetoric and composition: Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved on November 14, 2013 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/b/j/bjj6/ENGL015-2001Critique.html Hilpern, K. (2008) ‘Does a degree guarantee you a good job?’ -The Independent online. Retrieved on November 2013 from http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/does-a-degree-guarantee-you-a-good-job-795996.html