Desperate help required.

[BlueYoHo]

That's with "Desperate" underlined.

Anywayz: http://www.theage.com.au/national/sparks-fly-over-bushfire-warnings-20090310-8u67.html

This article is driving me absolutely crazy. I can't even work out if its an editorial or some sort of commentary article
If someone can please tell me the contention I would make love to them*.
It's really tricky because the writer is more describing... like I don't even know...


PLEASE HELP 
                                                                                                                                                         * = terms and conditions apply

[teacher28]

That's with "Desperate" underlined.

Anywayz: http://www.theage.com.au/national/sparks-fly-over-bushfire-warnings-20090310-8u67.html

This article is driving me absolutely crazy. I can't even work out if its an editorial or some sort of commentary article
If someone can please tell me the contention I would make love to them*.
It's really tricky because the writer is more describing... like I don't even know...


PLEASE HELP 
                                                                                                                                                         * = terms and conditions apply

It's not an editorial.

It's not an opinion essay.

It's not an feature article, although it does have some of the generic conventions of that form.

Let's call it an opinion article...

Did your teacher give it to you? I hate it when kids get this type of text that is more like a newspaper report than an opinion piece!

But the tone is too caustic for it to be a report, even a sensationalised one, and there is some use of emotive terms as well as that memorable pun in the concluding line.

I agree that there is not a clear contention. We could infer the contention from the choice of quotes and some of the comments though.

After careful scrutiny and considerable pulling out of my hair from frustration I have concluded that the contention is that the Government is using Black Saturday as a political tool, and in order to position us to agree, the writer pictures the politicians as hypocritical and very badly behaved. 

[costargh]

To actually explain to you how you can identify whether it is an editorial or not (which is actually a vitally important thing to know- what sort of article it is), an editorial isn't accompanied by an authors name.

[BlueYoHo]

Thanks for the help

Yeah I was thinking the same thing almost... That Government was using the tragedy for "political point-scoring". I was pretty much having trouble finding out how he goes about making us think this, but your contention sounds about right.

Something else I picked up on but not sure if I should mention as I still haven't figured out to integrate it into my analysis yet, is that he uses a couple of like war terminology: detente, attack, trump, loud and excessive? Yeah so I don't know what it means, lol, but I just noticed it 

Thanks again.

Did your teacher give it to you? I hate it when kids get this type of text that is more like a newspaper report than an opinion piece!

Yes she did, and yes I hate it too.

[teacher28]

‘IT'S the end of détente’: you are right about the war jargon – good pick-up.  8-)

Here are some ideas and what I consider key words and phrases for you to think about.

’Sparks fly over bushfire warnings’ -- Include the heading in your analysis.

You also need to consider the visual text and its caption: "…confers with his leader"

"Forget that month-long cessation of hostilities as a mark of respect to the 210-plus victims of the February 7 bushfires."
Note the tone here – it is derisive and makes me lose respect for them, laugh at their transparency and think "Well, what do expect from pollies?" It's reinforced by this wryly dismissive observation: "Politics as usual - loud and excessive"

"John Brumby and Ted Baillieu shook hands across the table and spoke in measured tones" carefully constructed. As a reader I don’t trust them. It’s all about tactics.

"Parliament was acting with bipartisan commitment to honour the dead, help the survivors and ensure devastated communities could rebuild. "
Listen to the tone here… what creates it? What's it effect?'

"were accusing"

‘hatching a "secret plan" ’

"nobble"

"accusing the Opposition"

"exploiting"

"political gain". They sound like two naughty schoolboys. This diminishes their credibility for readers.
"Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron could not wait for the 2pm start" And this – where is the dignity and the poise?

"Enraged"

"Opposition counterpart" both as bad as each other.

"Enraged by comments in The Age by his Opposition counterpart, Andrew McIntosh, that the Government had failed to adequately warn people about the fire threat before Black Saturday, he called a media conference before the house sat."
This makes him sound like a brat throwing a tantrum. Do I want him to help run my state?

"weak"

"dirty work"

"demanded"

"stand up for decency"

"despicable"

"manipulate"

"political point-scoring"

"rage"

"attack"

" disgraceful "

"trump" (it’s a game)

"the era of détente"

"demand"

"castigate"

"The politics of Black Saturday are getting hotter. "
Readers should expect more of the government’s shenanigans and take their promises with a modicum of scepticism.

 

[TrueTears]

That's amazing analysis teacher28, absolutely stunning.

[BlueYoHo]

Woahh! Thanks so much teacher28.

This helps a lot, thanks.

[wombifat]

Sometimes in the section with news articles there's a column that says "analysis" and it kind of analyses the issue without forcefully trying to persuade people of anything. Could that be what this is?