[🔍] Important infographic conventions include titles, subheadings, icons, charts, graphs, color, typography, information reliability, visual metaphors, statistics, labels, comparisons, and interactive elements.

[🌐] Analysis of a poverty infographic reveals a problemsolution structure, emphasizing the visual pathway, language nuances, and personalization of data.

[🎨] The color palette, with the use of yellow and serious colors like black and gray, conveys a sense of alarm and caution regarding the severity of poverty.

[🚧] The logo of an organization focusing on chronic poverty features a cautionary yellow square falling off, symbolizing incompleteness and the need to address missing elements in society.

[🌐] Interactive elements in infographics, such as buttons and links, signal that understanding and addressing complex issues like poverty requires further exploration and action.

Visual narrative

Rhetorical devices - pathos logos ethos, direct address and inclusive language

KEY FEATURES OF INFOGRAPHICS

• Audience: normally infographics are designed to reach as wide an audience as possible. As always look out for technical language that might indicate a niche audience.

• Simplification: the main purpose of infographics is to simplify complex knowledge or data. Look out for all kinds of simplification techniques including summary, bullet points, images with captions and more.

• Illustrations: they say a picture is worth a thousand words and nowhere is this more true than in infographics. Icons are simplified mages that symbolize certain ideas from the text.

• Copy: infographics are multimodal, meaning there will be some brief text included. Look out for headlines, labels and snippets (brief chunks of text).

• Structure: good infographics are little visual narratives that tell a simple story, so look out for structural elements that help you decode the sequence of events.

• Design: infographics are supposed to be eye-catching. Color, typography, font and other design features should combine to help you get information and also engage your interest.

• Emotive Language: Look for words that evoke strong emotions in the reader or listener.

• Rhetorical Questions: Questions that don't require a direct answer but encourage reflection. They prompt the audience to consider your perspective.

• Repetition: Repeated key phrases or ideas emphasize their importance and make the appeal more memorable.

• Appeal to Authority: Look for cited experts or reputable sources that support arguments and lend credibility to the appeal.

Infographics are usually read quickly and displayed in poster form so consider what are the main ideas that stand out to you. These can form your body paragraphs. You can talk about the fonts or the graphs used and how these enhance readability.

2. The use of colour

This is important as your exam paper is printed in colour so you can use this to structure your “tone and mood” aspects which are necessary for a holistic analysis. Certain colours are associated with different values, “blue” and trust, so you can draw upon this depending on the purpose of the text.

3. How do language and structural elements work together?

An infographic fuses these together to present and deliver the purpose to the target audience so consider how these are formatted to appeal to that particular reader. Perhaps the use of jargon or diction so that the reader can relate and be draw towards the text which bridges the gap between readers, writers and text.

Pathos: "Oh yes, and I confess that I am thinking, if not the burqa, then maybe the tummy tuck."

"Besides asylum-seekers, plump and fat people are the only other group in our society we are allowed to bully, reject and openly abuse." The use of hyperbole and an over-exaggerated and generalized tone through negative diction such as "bully" and "abuse", emphasizes the allienation of overweight people by society. Furthermore, the author's use of hyperbole underscores that being "fat" is not stereotypically accepted.

Logos: "88 per cent of British women have dieted". The use of logos by presenting hard facts to the audience highlights how many women have been affected by diet pills and dieting culture."

Tone:

The author also creates a critical narrrative and tone towards diet culture, "A sceptic, I somehow now know about the Pritikin and Zone diets, the Fat Flush Plan, the slimming pill Xenadrine, Jane Scrivner's Detox." Again, their use of allusion to diet pills and attempts by society to force one to slim down their body, and the author's critical tone portrays a skeptical viewpoint towards these diets to the audience.

Persuasive and indicative, as well as imperative tone is also utilized by the author to underline that a range of clothing sizes should be accepted in society. "Obesity is a serious problem, but being a size 12 or 14 shouldn't be.". The use of indicative and imperative tone emphasizes how the claimed opinion of the author is being presented objectively, similarly to a fact. It also underscores the author's us of voice, which is more accepting of other body sizes and argumentative for what should be defined as obesity.

Other literary devices:

Use of pathos here creates a confessional mood, emphasizes relatability between author and reader. It also highlights patriarchal standards women are trying to reach. Furthermore the use of allusion to the burqa and tummy tuck reference commodities for women. While the burqua is positively connotated by the author, "One day I may just want to take shelter within the secretive folds of a burqa. At least under that cloak your body can turn, age, loosen up and relax. Maybe this is one reason why so many Muslim women (and droves of white women converts) are choosing the hijab to escape from our awful, oppressive "world of slim"." Simultaneously, the author describes through negative connotations and the metaphor "world of slim" the oppressive standards of society when it comes to the female body and pressures by society to stay thin. Contrastingly, the author uses allusion when referencing a cosmetic surgery "tummy tuck", which emphasizes the readers pessimistic and defeated attitude towards not conforming or changing stereotypical beauty standards.

Anaphora/allusion:

The use of anaphora creates a repeated outlook on the word "self". "In January, the month designated by our media-wallahs for self-flagellation, self-disgust, self-deception and impossible forms of self-control, this message has been emitted ad nauseam." This use of anaphora undermines how each individual, particularly women, are affected by the media and its standard ideals, especially through negatively connotated words "disgust, deception".

• are satire (using humor for political or social commentary)

  • make viewer laugh (irony)

• dealing with current events or global issues

  • abour conflict, showing opposing sides

political cartoonists:

• trying to provoke deep discussion or thoughts in viewer

• comment on corporate or governemtn policy

Composition:

• how is the cartoon framed

• foreground/background

• graphic weight

• angle shot

• camera distance

Narrative:

• characters

  • how are they drawn

  • what do they look like

  • what are they wearing

  • how are they talking

  • techniques that describe actions:

    • emanata

    • speech bubbles

• context

• conflict

• whats going on in the cartoon

Objects or Symbols:

• represent larger abstract ideas

  • e.g. smoke might represents industrial pollution, briefcase might represent secrecy or deception

Color:

• how colors can create a mood

• how colors can be interpreted

• shading

Language:

• connotation/dennotation of key wrods

• types of verbal irony

• look at interplay between language and image

  • how they work together to create humor

MNEMONIC for devices of an opinion article:

Honor Aunt Vera Because She Requires Care and Love

• Headlines and hooks - how does the author grab the attention and does the title/headline say anything about the content?

  
  

• Anecdotes and Stories: any personal stories/ elements, what is the effect?

  
  

• Voice of author

  
  

• Background to what the opinion is about (summarising the news story)

  
  

• Structure: (text structure, paragraph structure, sentence structure)

  
  

• Reader connection: establishing a connection with the reader --> through pathos, rhetorical questions or...

  
  

• Call to action / closing: This links to the purpose of the article, what does the author want to achieve, could very well be a call to action.

  
  

• Language: Author's choice of language (like metaphors and stuff)

  
  

Use of image usually - interplay between text and image

what is the authors purpose of the article (likely to effectively communicate information)

probably going to be use of imagery or jargon

pull quotes! drawn from the article

In general, an interview can be quantitative or qualitative. In a quantitative interview, numerical data is collected, and the aim is to objectively measure certain aspects. On the other hand, in a qualitative interview, more descriptive data is obtained, and the aim is to understand the experiences, opinions, and emotions of the interviewee. In terms of structure, an interview follows a sequence of questions. It is essential that the questions are neutral, short and to the point, to avoid influencing the interviewee's response.

• Perspective: as an expression of a personal viewpoint, the first person is most commonly adopted for opinion pieces. Look out for ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ – a clever way of implying the viewpoint is commonly held.

• Solid Arguments: an opinion piece might open your eyes to the reality of an issue, providing facts, statistics and information to help convince you of the writer’s viewpoint. Expect to see opinions backed up by studies, research or evidence of some kind. Keep an eye out for assertion, though, where a writer presents an opinion as if it were a fact.

• Anecdotes: sometimes a writer will relate a small story from his or her personal experience in order to demonstrate a thoughtful approach to the topic at hand. You may find the opinion piece begins with this story, which acts as a kind of hook into the main article.

• Structure: the writer of an opinion piece is not trying to keep you in suspense and the opinion is often obvious from the title or first few lines of the article. The rest of the article should support or develop the writer’s point in a number of ways. The ending should be strong and certain, perhaps reiterating the writer’s position.

• Register and tone: you should be especially alert to the writer’s choices in this regard. Opinion pieces are often formal, but the writer may adopt an irreverent tone, be passionate, conversational, friendly, challenging, even sarcastic depending on the tactics used to convince you of a particular opinion.

• Concession: although similar in many ways, opinion pieces are not quite the same as persuasive speeches, so the writer is not necessarily trying to change your opinion. In this case, you might find concessions to the other side of the argument or even an acknowledgement that the writer’s opinion is flawed in some way.

It's a written work about someone's life, but not by the person themself. Authored by a different person. A biography can include events or details of the person's life, usually in chronological order. It can be about a person who is still alive or lived centuries ago.

This interview fulfils the website’s stated purpose of getting ‘insider’  information about television celebrities. The person being interviewed is Ben, who recently won Big Brother, a reality TV show competition involving a group of people living together in a house with no access to the outside world. Each week, a member of the group is voted out by the TV audience until only one is left – the winner. Because he won, Ben was the final participant on the show and able to ‘exit the house with Sonia Kruger’, the host and television celebrity in her own right. In effect, he was granted access to the celebrity world, which is normally ‘off-limits’ to people like Ben. Overall, the text follows a trend in the mass media of putting celebrities on a pedestal and creating a ‘them-and-us’ divide between celebrities and ‘ordinary’ people, such as the contestants on the show. This divide is mirrored in the format of the interview, question-and-answer, with the questions presented in bold type and the answers in regular type, a visual representation of the two worlds of celebrity and ‘everyone else.’

Therefore, the interviewer’s questions attempt to uncover how Ben’s experience was ‘special’ and lead Ben to answer in a way that suggests access to the celebrity world is an extraordinary event. He uses words like ‘thrilling’, ‘scary’ and ‘terrified’ to describe the emotional intensity of his experience. His responses involve hyperbole and superlative, especially when he says, ‘This was the most amazing experience.’  He uses the word ‘overwhelmed’  and, at certain points, he just says, ‘Oh my god,’ as if words cannot describe the experience of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.  He also employs figurative language to describe the moment that he discovered he would be the winner of the competition; ‘I felt like my head was going to explode’ and ‘time stood still.’  All in all, the reader is left in no doubt that being in the celebrity world is an intense experience, almost magical and completely ‘out-of-the-ordinary.’

In this way, Ben’s answers reveal the difference between an ‘ordinary’ person and a celebrity. He admits that ‘I felt privileged to be there’. The interviewer is happy to develop this line of thought later in the interview. She mentions his association with Sonia Kruger, the host of the show. Ben describes her as an ‘icon,’ a word which means ‘to look up to’ or even ‘worship.’ He speaks about meeting a celebrity in person in tones of gratitude, saying that ‘to meet her and then have that one-on-one chat was incredible.’  Once again, his use of hyperbole (‘incredible’) and figurative language (‘lose my mind’) suggests a difference between a celebrity and a ‘normal’ person. The magazine controls Ben’s position through the photo of him as well; he’s presented against a plain background, wearing a simple t-shirt with the collar turned up, as if he’s ordinary. Despite winning the show, he has not attained true celebrity status so has to remain ‘on the ground’ looking up at his idols. 

It is undoubtedly in the magazine’s interest to foster a celebrity obsession amongst its readers, which might explain the focus on Ben’s Nicole Kidman t-shirt. Ben’s use of the word ‘obsession’  plays into the interviewer’s hands in this regard, and she immediately asks another question about being a ‘big fan’. Perhaps aware of the way he is presenting himself, Ben backtracks slightly and makes the point that he’s ‘not like a crazy fan.’  He actually repeats this to ensure that the readers view his type of celebrity worship as ‘healthy.’ He emphasises the positive aspects of his Nicole Kidman celebrity-crush using words like ‘family’, ‘strong role model’ and ‘good presence.’  He tries to control his own image by walking back the ‘big fan’ suggestion and presenting his wearing her image on his t-shirt as a kind of respectful tribute, but this too furthers the divide between him and a ‘real’ celebrity.

The final question reinforces the ‘them-and-us’ divide though naming conventions. The interviewer states, ‘you said that being part of the final three, with Layla and Estelle, was hard.’ It’s noticeable that, when speaking about famous celebrities, the interviewer uses full names (‘Sonia Kruger’ and ‘Nicole Kidman’) but when speaking about contestants on the show, uses only first names; ‘Ben’, ‘Layla’ and ‘Estelle’. The shift from formal to informal naming implies the interviewer ‘sees’ ordinary people and celebrities as different. Once again, it’s clear that the interviewer is able to lead Ben’s response by loading the question with a keyword, ‘hard’, as he repeats this word three times in his answer (and uses the word ‘difficult’, which means the same thing, at the end). Just like when talking about his hero-worship of Nicole Kidman, though, there is evidence that Ben is conscious of his own image here as well. He qualifies his criticisms of Estelle with the interjection ‘– while I think Estelle is an incredible person –’ perhaps afraid of coming across as too negative to readers of the interview.

In conclusion, this text is an excellent example of how an interviewer can set an agenda and control the response of the interviewee. It suits the interviewer’s purpose to hear Ben’s hyperbole and cliched answers about how ‘amazing’ and ‘incredible’  being part of a TV show can be. The interviewer then steers the interview towards meeting celebrities in person, as if this is an aspiration or a dream come true. It is at this point that Ben attempts to take back control of his own image, presenting himself as something more than an avid fanboy; but arguably the damage is already done. Despite being the winner of the show, he’s still on the wrong side of the celebrity divide.

• Tense: the imperative tense (also called the command tense) can be recognized by the position of the verb at or near the start of the sentence.

• Tone: authoritative, reasonable, commanding or trustworthy. Look out for opinions presented as if they are facts.

• Modality: modal verbs such as ‘must’, ‘will’, ‘should’ and ‘ought’ transmit strength of feelings.

• Credibility: expert sources, research and scientific evidence might be used to establish credibility.

• Register: official advice will be formal and persuasive; friendly advice will be delivered in a reassuring or intimate way. Sometimes, advice will include a warning.

• Structure: look for cause-and-effect structures, step-by-step guides or linear structures that are easy to follow.

• Introduction: Clearly stated the purpose of the appeal and provided an overview of the key points it will address.

• Body Paragraphs: Arguments are presented logically and supported with evidence, examples, and reasoning.

• Conclusion: Summarized the main points and restated the appeal in a compelling way. Ending with a call to action.

Colourful Fruits Like Cherries Pack Good Flavour.

Composition:

• What draws your attention first

• Regions of the image (horizontal/vertical)

Focus and Framing:

• Foreground

• Background

• What is in focus?

• What is blurry/out of focus?

Light:

• What is light and what is dark?

• Significance of light/dark

Colour:

• Meaning of the colours

• Warm/cold colours

• Colour connotations/shape meaning

People and place:

• What is in the image: people/places/things

• People:

  • Description (race, class, gender)

  • Facial expressions/ body language

• Places:

  • Rural/Urban

  • Inside/Outside

  • Town/region/state/country

  • Open/crowded

  • Calm/disorientating

Gaze:

• Where people are looking

• Aware of camera/attitude towards camera?

• Significance on where person is looking

Framing and cropping:

• A lot of background?

• Crowded/spacious

• What is not shown in the photograph

Salutation: Is there a "greeting" of some sort, Dear or To whom it may concern for example.

Statement of Purpose: Often found in the first paragraph is a short and clear statement outlining the reason for writing the letter.

Register: What seems to be the relationship between the sender and recipient.

Call to Action: Often found towards the end of the letter, telling the recipient what they are expected to do in response to the letter.

Closing: Much like the salutation, the closing statement can reveal loads about the reader and writer of the letter. Look for formal or informal here.

• Hook

• Lead in (title, text-type, author, date of publishing, publisher, what is it about)--> link to audience and purpose (the sooner you introduce audience, the better)

• Thesis: reword the guiding question is a good tip; through the use of ....

Body:

• Magic sentence for point (Author + Verb + Technique + purpose + deep idea/theme)

• How ( Technique) + Why (purpose)

• Need many examples

• Try and explore the deeper idea in your body paragraphs (more than just saying it again and again)

  
  

Conclusion:

• Basically just rephrase your thesis

• remember to link to audience + purpose

• Explore the deeper idea properly!

• if applicable: talk about the meaning of the title (could also go in body)

• if you can: perhaps even criticise the text for lacking something

Both texts are written about a certain person and includes background information and their impact on society

Differences

Biography is written in third person while autobiography is written in first person as the author is the main character. In Biography it can be a person who is still alive or lived centuries ago.

Look for the author and the website that it was published on. Is it sponsored? A collaboration with someone else? This gives a lot of information about the audience and the purpose of the website. This can be helpful for the introduction, where it is common to mention the audience, as well as the purpose of the author and why this blog has been published here. It can also be helpful to gain context about whether the author wishes to provoke a response (call to action) and/or shift perspective and/or suggest something (travel blog).

2) Title, subtitles

Look at the title and the subtitles. Is it a structured blog (maybe more formal)? Are the titles a question, Is the blog trying to answer a question?

3) Images/photos

There is almost always an image in blogs, which can help give a first impression and information about the purpose of the blog. This image can be analysed like a photograph:

• composition

• color (what do the colours allude to? do they set a certain mood or tone for the blog?)

4) Icons/buttons

This is a chance for the reader to share the blog, suggesting the author wants their blog to reach a greater audience, have the possibility to gain revenue, or share an important message.

Placement: was it before the blog or after?

NOW... analyse the text itself

5) Rhetorical devices:

It is very common to find pathos in blogs, as the author wishes to appeal to the reader's emotions and feelings, either to make them feel a certain type of way (the purpose) or to compel them to read more of their blogs.

There is also logos sometimes, when the author tries to express their expertise or knowledge about the subject. Further, it can be useful for the reader to know more about the subject.

Ethos: the website or credentials of the author can often be an appeal to ethos, especially if there is a section about the author (common in blogs). Thus, it can help the author create credibility to make their opinions and writing sound and feel more trustworthy.

6) Verbs

Especially in travel blogs, there is often a use of modal verbs to make the reader feel a NEED to do something (e.g. TAKE the train to...). This further gives a sense of certianty and ease to the reader, because everything is set out and planned for the reader.