P.O.W.E.R. Learning - Robert S. Feldman

Try It! Survey - What Can You Believe?

Understanding the purpose of a piece of writing is a crucial step in assessing how valid and reliable it is. Is the author trying to sell a product, an idea? Is the piece a response to an argument? An objective report on a news item? A subjective analysis of data? The results of a survey?

The first step in reading is to note the source of the article or essay. Is it from an academic journal, a daily newspaper, a tabloid, a government Web site, a commercial Web site intending to sell something, or a personal Web site where the author's background is not mentioned. Each type of publication will have its own purpose and style. The obvious ones are easy- the Web site for the Democratic or Republican parties will have its own particular point of view; while a Web site discussing the advantages of herbal medicine will lose some objectivity if it's also trying to sell you herbal products; and USA Today will cover news items in much less depth than the New York Times. Therefore, you need to assess what kind of information you're looking for and determine its validity for your purpose.

Begin by reading the introductory paragraph, as this is where the author will generally provide his/her point of view. If you aren't sure it's stated there, try reading the last paragraph of the section, or the last paragraph of the entire piece. This is where the author generally summarizes his/her ideas.

Practice determining the purpose of a piece of writing and,author's perspective by reading the two excerpts below. Both excerpts are taken from Web sites and hence, are out of context. You should, however, still be able to determine their purpose. Once you've done so rewrite the paragraphs from the opposite perspective. You may even want to visit the sites themselves when you've finished the exercise, as they contain important and interesting information.

A. First Excerpt:

Timothy McVeigh case - McVeigh's execution was delayed because the FBI failed to provide more than 3,000 documents to his defense attorneys before trial. The evidence may have been irrelevant, but it may have also contained information about whether McVeigh was part of a broader conspiracy, as his defense attorney believed.

This is troubling twice over. First, although not probable, McVeigh's lawyers could have used the mistake to win a new trial, dragging out the prosecution of a confessed mass murderer by several more years and millions more dollars. Second, and of deeper significance, the error illustrates that the capital system is far more prone to error than its defenders admit. If the federal government can't prosecute a "slam-dunk" case without making potentially prejudicial mistakes, imagine what's happening in the states, where less-skilled lawyers with fewer resources are trying capital crimes. ¹

1. What, in your opinion, is the purpose of this excerpt?

2. What is the perspective of the author?

3. Write your version of the opposite perspective in the box below:

From: USA Today - "McVeigh Errors Raise Doubts About Other Capital Cases"
Examines McVeigh's case and questions how often death-penalty cases are flawed.

B. Second Excerpt:

Sam Sheppard case - "New DNA evidence taken from the exhumed body of Dr. Sam Sheppard provides the most compelling evidence that he was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife" in 1954 in Ohio. (N.Y. Times, 3/5/98). The prosecution had sought the death penalty for Dr. Sheppard, but - after one of the most sensational trials of the century, he was given a life sentence. His conviction was overturned and he was acquitted at retrial. The case was a basis for a popular TV series and a movie, both entitled "The Fugitive." Recent DNA evidence tends to squelch lingering suspicions that Dr. Sheppard was guilty, and instead, tends to incriminate Richard Eberling, a former window washer at the Sheppard residence, who is now imprisoned for another murder. ²

1. What, in your opinion, is the purpose of this excerpt?

2. What is the perspective of the author?

3. Write your version of the opposite perspective in the box below:

From: The Death Penalty Information Center
A nonprofit organization providing information about many issues related to the death penalty, such as those incarcerated but innocent and those released from death row upon findings of innocence, executions, etc.

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