When picking a genre’s
rhetorical features, I settled on a “Buzzfeed List” type of article. Buzzfeed has become a major media and news source
for many young people over the recent years.
Buzzfeed is known for a specific type of article construction… the
list. Such lists populate their website and
can range from: “32 Magical Destinations to Visit in This Lifetime” to more
serious topics such as “Divers Reportedly Locate AsiaAir Plane’s Black Box”.
There are many specific characteristics of a Buzzfeed
list article. When you first look at the
website you notice the large intensely intriguing article title overtaking the
entire screen. This initially draws your
attention straight to the topic that is covered below. Such a title usually is accompanied by a picture
that assists the title in conveying its point to the reader. Below the large title is a quote or statement
from the article. It could be the
overall argument from the article or even a direct quote to further get the
point across.
Another major characteristic that all Buzzfeed articles share
is that of the author information, which typically lies below the title quote and
tag line. The author’s name is usually companied
by a picture of that author and something about him/her; either the location of
the writer or their specific job title. Below
all of the headings and titles, the article/list starts out always with “1.”. It is the start of the list they are writing
about. Next to each number is the
specific information about the point they are trying to get across. Below the number point lays a picture or a
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) a.k.a. a small video that better represents
the point the author is trying to make.
A lot of the specific characteristic of the Buzzfeed
list lies in the audience and tone of the article. According to digyday.com 56% of Buzzfeed users are between the ages of 18 and 34 [1]. Similarity, 56% of its users are women [1]. Such
a demographic is easily seen with the tone of the articles. Such a tone consists of informal words and
sayings. Slang and fashionable diction
is also heavily used to associate with their youth audience. The articles can been seen more directed
toward popular culture and current events.
It is even possible to note a more liberal tone within the
articles. When discussing current world
issues, such articles will include points that can be also be seen on websites
of MSNBC and other predominantly left-leaning media. This is a major characteristic that targets
the usually liberal outlook that such a young demographic usually has.
Buzzfeed articles and lists have gained immense
popularity over the years, mainly due to the demand for quick information that
can be easily processed. Such a unique
genre that Buzzfeed dominates contains many specific conventions that make them
so popular. Such features are the
characteristic of the actual list, tone of the article, and specific audience
that is targeted.
[1] Sternberg,
Josh. "13 Interesting Facts Brands Should Know About BuzzFeed -
Digiday." Digiday. Digiday, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
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