Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Daily Mirror Essays

The Daily Mirror Essays The Daily Mirror Essay The Daily Mirror Essay I have decided to compare two newspaper articles, one from the tabloid The Daily Mirror and the other from the broadsheet The Guardian. Both papers on Friday January the 13th 2006 covered the tragic story of the 345 deaths, caused by stampede at the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Since the story is relevant to current issues, I believe it will conjure an array of diverse language. The comparison of language usage will be predominantly achieved through my analysis of grammar, semantics and lexis. Since the mirror is aimed at readers requiring a quick fix off the news I expect it to use short simple and compound sentences, with brief vital information only included, whereas the Guardians appeal to an educated audience will result in the usage of subject specific lexis, and longer complex sentences, creating a text of standard English throughout the extract. This will be contained in longer paragraphs with the increased use of Latinate and French origin words, compared to the Mirrors predominantly Anglo-Saxon content. Being a tabloid the mirror will dramatise the issue through use of journalese and utilising highly emotive words with strong, relevant connotations to maximise impact of the writing. I hypothesise both extracts will use this emotive language but will be exaggerated in the Mirror in order to appeal to its target audience. Finally the visual layout of both papers will be evident through the Mirrors typical use of enlarging and emboldening headlines in order to stand out, whereas the guardian will use a more subtle, informative title. The mirrors slightly facetious, informal and straight to the point title often tells half the information contained within the text anyway. There are many short paragraphs in the Mirror, made up of generally one to four sentences. Having more paragraphs means that points are succinct and therefore sustaining the attention of a reader. These short paragraphs are predominantly used at the beginning of an article, acting as a caption to lure the audience to continue with reading the article. This is evident in the opening statement of the mirrors report where a sixteen word sentence briefly opens and describes the incident, At least 345 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death yesterday at a holy festival. This is a typical brief, succinct opening we can expect from a tabloid publication such as the mirror. The Guardian on the other hand opens with one sentence that consists of a lengthy 46 words. In the broadsheet publications such as the Guardian, paragraphs are typically longer due to their readership. However, surprisingly in the remainder of the article paragraph lengths are typically between one and four sentences like, much like the mirror. Broadsheet publications have the tendency to use different sentence structures and complexities in order to retain a readers interest and to make further explanation of a point more coherent. In spite of this I have identified a range of sentence structures in both articles. Generally though, the guardian uses compound and complex sentences, while complex sentences are less common in the mirror, making it easier to read. The second paragraph in the mirror states, Around 1000 others were injured- at least two of them Brits-as people surged towards the Jamarat Bridge in mina, Saudi Arabia for a stoning ritual during the annual Hajj furthering the single sentence paragraphs that are evident in the mirror. However this is a complex structure, the other stereotypical sentence structure I expected to see in the Mirror. These complex sentence structures from the Mirror were unexpected as the use of the sub-ordinate clause elaborates upon the main clause giving the story more detail therefore sensationalising the incident making it more interesting for the readers. Furthermore in this quotation hyphens are used on two occasions to break up the text. This gives the text pause like features similar to the qualities of speech, these pauses hold the text back creating tension and suspense, subsequently dramatising the depiction of the event even further than the choice of sentence structure. The Guardian also typically uses a complex sentence structure with subordinate clauses for its first sentence to add detail- Thousands of Muslim pilgrims rushing to the complete a symbolic stoning ritual during the annual hajj tripped over baggage yesterday, causing a crush in at least 345 people were killed and hundreds injured, despite Saudi attempts to prevent stampedes that have plagued the annual event. This single complex sentence forces the reader to endure a brief but informative sentence about the incident and then makes them want to read further as it shows the article will contain useful knowledge of the incident as the sub-ordinate clause in the complex structure adds this detail. Neither piece contains many co-ordinators in the transcripts despite them being typical to a tabloids write up. Co-ordinators are used predominantly at the beginning of sentences for example but to reflect speech patterns, and as these are less formal grammatical structures they maintain momentum throughout an article. The mirror uses it at the start of a paragraph to divert attention to a new point- But West Yorks assistant chief constable this is the contrary to what you would expect in the guardian as co-ordinators are less formal hence the use of grammatically complete sentences in the Guardian. Adverbials are used at the start of sentences to change the focus yet keep the reader involved. They can be used for example by writing meanwhile or on the other hand the Guardian typically uses adverbials in a variety of positions depending on the emphasis most appropriate to the meaning. In the guardians sentence- This years event was also marred by the collapse of another building this is a more formal and subtle way of changing focus whereas the mirror would typically use meanwhile as it subtly includes added information and represents a similarity to informal speech that is easy to comprehend.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Top 15 Mistakes That Will Get You Fired

Top 15 Mistakes That Will Get You Fired It’s hard enough to get a job- let alone your dream job. Alas, it can be very easy to lose that job. Here are 15 mistakes that will get you fired from your job. Get your dream job- and keep it. 1. Ignoring Zero Tolerance RulesWhatever the specifics, every company usually has a couple of rules that shall not be broken- and if you break them, you’re out. No second chances. Whether it’s dating subordinates, dating coworkers at all, lateness, or something else entirely, you should find this out within your first week and be very mindful never to break it. Don’t ever assume the unbendable rules will make an exception for you!2. Substance AbuseIf you’re working for a company that drug tests, you should take this seriously. It’s not enough to bring in clean pee for the interview process. They will test you again. Stop using whatever it is you’re using and focus on your career. You will get caught otherwise. And fired.3. Too Much BoozeIf you c an’t drink it responsibly, don’t drink. Being sloppy or not holding your liquor at a work event once is bad enough. Doing this multiple times is absolutely cause for firing- and good luck getting a reference. And don’t ever come to work or try to do your work intoxicated.4. Dating Co-WorkersFirst step is, see #1, to check the zero tolerance policies for any mention of inter-office dating. Second is to try and talk yourself out of it. Third is never to actively pursue a relationship with someone you work with. There are so many ways your overtures could be read as harassment†¦and get you fired.There are plenty of fish in the sea. Go find one that doesn’t work at your company.5. Too Many JokesJokes are great ice breakers. They’re funny. They score you points at parties. But they don’t belong at work. Most of the good ones have an off-color or racy element- which has no place on the job. So many others can have bigoted overtones and could deeply offend people you respect (and get you fired).And don’t make comments you think are funny that might be misconstrued as sexual harassment either; even if the person you said it to understands the context and isn’t offended, someone else might overhear and turn you in.6. Abusing Expense AccountsPadding your expense account is basically stealing from your company. The more blatant the theft, the more likely you’ll get caught.If you really need to make more, earn it. Ask for a raise. Don’t throw in a bunch of bogus expenses hoping for a payout and that no one will notice. Someone always will. And you’ll get fired.7. Raging OutWe all have bad days or weeks at work and get angry. Do not vent this in any public forums- least of all social media. If you leave work steaming from the ears, turn off your Facebook and your Twitter. Call your significant other or your mom- or tell your roommate you need to go to happy hour and rant a while. Just donâ₠¬â„¢t say anything publicly, or somewhere it could be overheard. The last thing you want is for your negative comments to get back to your boss.8.  Office Hanky PankyYou shouldn’t have to be told that it is pretty much a hard and fast rule that you should never get busy  at the office- or anywhere on company grounds. But people do. And they get caught, and fired. Don’t let this happen to you. Get a room.9. Pulling PranksThese are hilarious, some even bordering on legendary. But most are far too risky or silly for a workplace. Watch in awe as others pull off epic pranks (some will lose their jobs); don’t try anything yourself.10. Not Understanding You’re ReplaceableAs in, never assume that you are. It’s a tough market and no matter how great you are, there’s probably another you out there, standing outside the hiring manager’s office with a hopeful resume. Act as though you could be replaced any day and avoid doing the things that will give your boss cause to have to replace you.11. LyingYou should adopt a zero tolerance policy about lying. Just don’t do it. And in particular don’t do it to get time off. Don’t develop wacky illnesses or kill off fake elderly relatives. You’ll probably get caught- and fired.12. Ignoring Your ManagerAlways  stay in tune with your boss’s concept of your job performance- not your own. Always check in to take his or her  temperature to make sure they think you’re pulling your weight. If you have room to improve, do.13. AbuseIt should go without saying, but: don’t be abusive. And don’t sit idly by and watch others be abused. There’s no place for this in everyday  life or in the workplace.14. Speaking for Your CompanyUnless specifically told to be a mouthpiece or to spread some news, keep your mouth shut in public about your company. The minute you get on social media and purport to speak for your company- particul arly about something potentially controversial- is the minute you’re in shaky territory. People like you get fired all the time for inappropriate posts or for spreading misinformation.15. Not Trusting Your GutIf you have a flash of insight that says: â€Å"maybe I shouldn’t do this,† then you should honor it. Every time. When something is borderline, and not so blatantly obvious as a no-no, check in with yourself. If you have even the slightest hesitation, chances are it’s not a good idea. Play it safe and keep your job.