Blog #4: Op-Ed vs. JSTOR

Welcome back! 

This weekend was awesome. Not really. But it's fine. It's in the past now.

Here we are people, finally getting to the best part of this class…what Erin called our “first real writing assignment.” Because 1000 word blogs and 350 word responses aren’t real. Anyways, when I heard we were going to be writing either an op-ed or JSTOR type article, I kind of freaked out because I didn’t exactly know what that meant. I was about to pull out my handy dandy Keys for Writers book. I ended up reading all of the op-ed and JSTOR articles that were posted on Blackboard. I didn’t know I liked this specific genre until I realized that op-eds are most of the links I read on my Facebook feed.

I like op-eds. Unlike research papers, they allow us to see a more personal view of the writer while still maintaining an academic standpoint. In Gloria Allred’s op-ed, I was immediately hooked on the fact that I watched the The Cosby Show growing up and knew exactly whom she was writing about. Allred barely even had to try to get my attention. Using familiar references to make the topic feel relevant certainly uses more of an emotional appeal. Since I know the background of Bill Cosby as an actor and as the man with numerous sexual assault accusations against him, I find Allred’s op-ed very interesting. While it is based on a few facts, the commentary is made up of opinions.

In op-eds, the author uses facts and other pieces of information to support his opinion. The op-ed genre is not so different from other types of writing I’ve seen in academia. It’s a nice middle ground between the way we’ve been writing a blog and a five-paragraph essay. If a blog and a five-paragraph essay had a baby it would be the most beautiful op-ed. A bit of research is there to support a claim made by the author. But it’s understood that the author still has the freedom to express their opinions. The “evidence” they provide is usually a small bit of information covering a large topic that’s somehow relevant to the current times.

Op-eds minimize Western ideologies of keeping emotional connections to the literature at a minimum, and instead, reinforcing subjectivity and opinions. They are meant to explore the topic at a very personal level. Not proving that the things being said in the op-ed are of facts, but providing a very real opinion on the matter based on facts. They value both opinion and fact. This causes the reader to feel more knowledgeable on the subject. It tends to be a fairly short reading. It makes sense because there is factual evidence. It’s also relatable.

Now it’s time to move onto JSTOR Daily Articles. You probably don’t really want to keep reading this According to their About JSTOR Daily tab on jstor.org, JSTOR is a “digital library of more than 2000 academic journals.” These articles are closer to blogs than an op-ed. JSTOR Daily articles are like those 5-minute after class conversations with a teacher who just wants to share their opinion (regardless of whether or not you actually care). You respect them because of the facts they bring up and the knowledge they are trying to present to you, but you don’t really care because this convo is the reason you’re now late to your next class. In the article Stranger Things and the Psychic Nosebleed by Liz Tracey, she talks about a new Netflix series and its familiarity to older science fiction movies and references to telekinetic power and nosebleeds. I loved binge watching this series with my family, so I was really interested in reading what Tracey had to say. However, looking at her article from the perspective of someone who hasn’t watched Stranger Things, she does a good job of explaining the sci-fi occurrences in the Netflix series by using older movie references people may recognize. This way, she builds her ethos without ever having to prove herself.

Answering these questions made writing this blog really difficult. This is the longest it’s ever taken me to complete one of these. I’m also not very good at explaining things without diving into the super academic sounding Erin. I totally lose all kind of personality in the middle of this blog up above. I’m still trying to figure out which style of writing to do for the first real writing assignment. I don’t quite understand which one would challenge me as a writer more.