Introduction
The presentation of information over the media is important as it determines how the audience interprets it. Different writers use different styles of writing, but the basic rules of writing must be respected and followed. Critical analysis of articles in the media allows the development of skills in sharing information. This essay is a critical review of the article, “Anne-Marie Roy decries ‘rape culture’ at University of Ottawa after she was a target of student leaders’ sexually graphic chat”, by Diana Mehta, which appeared on the National Post on 2 March 2014. The article highlights the rising cases of rape in the Canadian institutions of higher learning, and it attributes this worrying trend to the developing culture of rape.
Article Critique
Diana Mehta, the writer of the article, uses simple language in communicating her language. The article’s message is clear and she explains the different events that occurred in the university at the time that the issue emerged. The social issue that the writer seeks to highlight is well explained and she quotes many people and their opinion on the matter. She also provides her own opinion on the issue under discussion and expresses biasness in support of the victim (Mehta par.1). The audience can easily judge the opinion of the writer regarding the issue under discussion.
The use of language in the article is appropriate and the sentence structures make it easy for any reader to analyze the content. The writer allows her audience to deduce the views and feelings of the people that she discusses in the article by quoting them. However, most content in the article is quoted from different individuals, which gives little room for the writer to give the audience her opinion on the subject under discussion. Rape and cyber bullying are contemporary social issues, and the writer uses the views of several people in the article to qualify this assertion. The length of the article is also adequate and it allows the writer to present most of her ideas in a logical manner.
The title that the writer uses is informative and captivating and it presents the article as a professional piece. The writer addresses the main topic of “rape culture” that forms the subject of the article (Mehta par.1). The information provided in the title is also exhaustively explained and discussed in the article to the expectations of any reader. The title reveals that there is an existing rape culture in the university under discussion, and it provides some details on the same. The writer uses a style that is likely to draw attention for the audience. The inaccuracy that is evident in the tile is the association between rape and sexual assault. While the writer describes a case of rape being propagated in conversation, there is no evidence of actual rape in the article.
At the beginning of the article, there is a photo of Anne-Marie Roy, who is the subject of discussion in the paper. The photography is appropriate and relevant to the article, but there are evident stereotypes. Most people associate rape with the female sex being the victims, and thus the readers are likely to interpret the same. However, the stereotype is appropriate, as the rape in this case corresponds to the widely held beliefs (Golden and Peterson 44).
Several current social issues in Canada are at play in this article. The freedom of expression in the country is among these issues. The government having made laws that protect this freedom for its citizens, the constitution is also important in safeguarding the right, and the Anne-Maries Roy uses the freedom to pass the message. The author provides her opinion as well as that of other individuals discussed in the article.
Another social issue at the center of focus is rape, which is relatively prevalent in the country and higher institutions as in other parts of the world. The author is vocal on this social issue, and she features Anne-Marie who also appears to be against the propagation or tolerance of rape. The sexuality of individuals in Canada has been focused on spotlight in the past, and the practices that promote the increase of rape cases such as drugs and alcohol use are at play in the article. The author thus uses the article to discuss these social issues affecting Canadians and she succeeds.
Conclusion
The article is accurate and it is an example of a careful use of language to pass the intended message through the media. The writer captures the audience’s attention and uses a number of techniques to pass the intended message.
Works Cited
Golden, Robert, and Fred Peterson. The truth about rape, New York: Facts on File, 2010. Print.
Mehta, Diana. “Anne-Marie Roy decries rape culture at University of Ottawa after she was target of student leaders’ sexually graphic chat.” National Post. 2014. Web.