Free Example of Comparison of Articles Essay

One has viewed two examples of newspaper articles on the same topic from different newspapers and came to the conclusion that there are no identical articles. Each writer has his/her own way of revealing the topic. The way of writing depends on the author's way of thinking, life experience, and creativity. It is important to mention that the most important factors which affect the reader are objectivity, veracity, and precision. Some authors pay much more attention to the description, others – to giving information. However, to write a good newspaper article, the author must be the witness of the event which he describes, have large baggage of knowledge, orient on the reader's interests, and be the master of his/her affair. Without a doubt, the same theme can be expressed differently by many authors, because they differ in characters and in attitudes to the same events they have different moral principles.

One can compare two articles taken from the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune devoted to the problem of the teachers’ strikes in Chicago.

The article of Monica Davey “Teachers’ Strike in Chicago Tests Mayor and Union” from the New York Times

The article is detailed and reveals the problem completely. It is descriptive and informative. The author reflects events realistically; it proves that she is a witness to the teacher's strike. Monica Davey describes the place, time, and clothes of strikers. With the help of direct citation of the teachers who defend their own rights, the author explores the problem from the teacher's own lips. It means that Monica Davey is an objective author. Her style of writing is very vivid and expressive. The use of citations helps to clarify the idea of the article. The direct quotes are from witnesses, bystanders, and participants of strikes.

The author describes not only the day of striking, but conditions that provoked the teacher's striking, and the reaction of the government to this problem. She pays attention to education problems that should be solved immediately: rising class sizes, the necessity of social workers, the bad conditions in classrooms, and the absence of necessary books.

However, reading this article, one does not feel Monica Davey's attitude and emotions to the news that she tells. It means that she is an independent reporter and the professional of her affair. Monica Davey does not explore only the entity of the problem; she analyzes the causes of the strike from different sides: politics and social factors.

In conclusion, one would like to say that by writing an article in such a way Monica Davey wants to inform people about the problem, to make the government think about how to solve this problem. People see that she is not indifferent to the destiny of teachers who strike.

The article of Ron Grossman “Teachers strikes roiled schools for decades” from the Chicago Tribune

It is very short, laconic, and informative. This article differs from the article of the previous author because he informs people about the problem without any descriptions and without any ways of solving this problem. He does not use citations like the previous author. However, he compares the present strike with those which were 25 years ago. Ron Grossman remembers dates of strikes to support and reinforce what he says and to be objective in revealing this problem. The author indicates the dates of striking in order to make the government think about why the strike repeats constantly. It means that nothing was done to prevent such problems and to do all demands of teachers. The author puts the most important information at the beginning of the article to attract the attention of the reader.

As one can see, the headlines of the two articles are very interesting, catch the reader's attention and incite to reading them.

As one can see, the two authors are very professional, because they reveal one problem in two different ways. However, readers understand that they incite the government to find the right solution, to calm the striking teachers and give them the possibility to work in normal conditions.

Positive and Negative Effects of the Developments in Technology on the Quality of Communication

Without a doubt, the developments in technology have a positive and negative effect on the quality of communication.

First of all, it is crucial to reveal the positive impact of technologies on communication. In everyday life, people are too busy with their work and family problems to meet with friends and use face-to-face communication. Of course, people communicate with the help of phones and the Internet. This means of communication help to save time and talk with people without coming out. Ones can check e-mail and use one’s cell phone simultaneously and also perform any work. The development of technology favors the development of communication. For example, typing messages on a computer develops typing and writing skills.

The Internet makes it possible to stay in touch with people from any place in the world. One can also communicate by using text messaging and mobile phones.

Let's distinguish all positive sides of technology:

1. Time and money-saving (when one is abroad, it is expensive to go to another country to see relatives and friends, it is cheaper and quicker to communicate with them with the help of the Internet);
2. A quick way of getting information and education (one does not need to go to the library or to buy books, one can find them on the Internet);
3. Video conferencing and online communication (these mean saving money on flights and accommodation and bringing families/friends together across distances.);
4. Access anywhere. (people can do shopping/banking/chat at any time they like).

One is convinced that the developments in technology make people’s life easier; they make it an open window in the endless world of information and broaden human possibilities, knowledge, and worldview. Nowadays, distance is not a problem for people.

The problem is how to use these new technologies in order to make them safe for people. One can guess that now one will talk about the negative impact of technology on the quality of communication.

The development of technology reduces face-to-face interaction and causes a bad quality of communication between people. People begin to forget what is to talk with friends and not sit in front of the computer. People are more isolated, and when they communicate face-to-face, they do not know what to say, they doubt in sincerity of their communicator. They feel uncertain and uncomfortable.

Without a doubt, new technology isolated people from society and does not make them masters of machines, but slaves. It is an important problem that face-to-face interaction decreases.

Communicating with people face-to-face allows one to watch the nonverbal means, such as a frown or a smile, and this is another way of communication. Dr. Pam Hayes, a psychologist from Alaska tells in his paper: "I think there is the potential for greater richness in face-to-face interaction because you lose the body cues and facial expressions when you're doing work on the Internet. The subtle forms of communications are lost over the Internet."

People communicate on the Internet without paying attention to what they are writing. They violate the rules of grammar, make mistakes and use informal language.

In my opinion, one should think about the problem of the bad influence of technology on people’s communication. One cannot live without communication as without water or the air. Machines can not replace people; they have no emotions and feelings. Humans are living beings; they need communication with feelings and emotions.