Genre Analysis

Affordable Housing: Analyzing a Billboard and a Website

There are many people who will like to buy a house but do not have the economical capability. They believe that they need to be reasonably wealthy to purchase or rent a home. However, there are many ways they can obtain help or apply for programs. The genres are resources that people use as a way to educate themselves about affordable housing. The picture from the website hoboken411.com and the governmental webpage of hud.gov represent good examples of two genres discussing the topic of affordable housing. Therefore, it is important to take to accountability the presentation of the genres and the context.

Audience and Purpose

The affordable housing bill board from the website hoboken411.com, shows people that they are able to afford a place to live even though they are struggling financially. The billboard is intended for the unemployed or people who are looking for convenient housing such as young couples that are trying to establish themselves. The audience knows that the housing will be at a low price even though they are unemployed but they would like to know the conditions of the housing. The audience would also like to know how much this housing will cost, what the benefits will be, and how will they qualify? When people are passing by the billboard they need two to four seconds to read it because they may not have much time to read a lot when the vehicle is moving at fast speeds. It’s a quick message when you are passing by the billboard, you will easily understand the meaning of it. The billboard is meant to inform and persuade the reader to get and buy affordable housing even if you are not a city employee.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development website is intended for an  audience who specifically will like to buy or rent a house but are not economically stable nor know how to look for help from the government. The readers can probably find this website and the information only at a Real State’s office because its only intended for a specific audience. The intended audience before reading the website’s information might know that the government offers certain programs that can help them obtain a house. On the other hand, the audience might not know the qualifications, what the program offers and how to apply for the programs. The webpage is easy to read and it will only take a few minutes. The webpage is good resource of information for people seeking a house and are not familiar with the programs that the government offers to aid them. In contrast, the billboard does not offer important information that the audience might want to know.

Rhetorical Issue: Ethos Pathos, Logos

The genre does not show credibility because there is no reliable information on how they will provide affordable housing. It is not a fact that there will be a housing, it is only information that is given so the answer is “no” credibility within this billboard. The billboard is trying to evoke the audience with excitement knowing that he/she will be able to afford housing at a low cost. There is no evidence to support the claims because the billboard does not give any factual information about the housing that is offered, though it does give a website and the picture from the billboard and maybe you can find the information there.

The website of the U.S Department of Hosing and Urban Development establishes its credibility because it’s a website created by the government and it demonstrates it due to the URL ending in .gov instead of .com. The credibility of a website is really important for the reason that it shows that the information is believable and it correctly includes ethos. The pathos on the webpage are not clear, it doesn’t have any pictures or words that can automatically tie it to an emotion. However, the website can evoke a sense of enthusiasm because people who do not have the resources can have an opportunity to have their own house. The billboard, in comparison to the website does not have credibility and it clearly show more pathos.

Structure

The billboard is organized to convey the message by giving big bold letters and white bright colors to catch the readers’ attention. The billboard has several limitations such as the space in which the message is going to be delivered. Since the billboard has a limited space, the picture is special because it helps to express a message. On the contrary, the fact that the message is expressed in a billboard is important because anybody passing by can read it. Also, since the billboard is big anyone who is somewhat far can read the message.

The information is organized in sections or paragraphs which each explain the different governmental programs which are designed to help people acquire a house. The first paragraph briefly introduced the three programs founded by the government. The second paragraph answers the question of who needs affordable housing? The rest of the paragraphs are about the programs and their qualifications. The website does not have limitations because is a website and the author can express freely. In comparison to the billboard, the website has a better structure and it has no limitations.

Style and Language

The language in the billboard is informal since the space in limited, it does not convey full sentences. The billboard only shows a couple of words and leaves the idea of the ending to the audience. The grammatical signs in the billboard such as question mark, helps the audience know that the message is a question. The vocabulary used in the billboard is simple and minimal due to the lack of space. Anyone who is literate can interpret the message correctly.         

The hud.gov is a well written website which expressed its message clearly with a understandable vocabulary. The website does not include a high vocabulary, however is very formal because it’s dealing with government programs. The website can be read by anyone, however someone who has a limited vocabulary might have trouble understanding the meaning of certain words. In contrast, with the billboard the website is more formal and has a better vocabulary. The billboard lacks a lot of words and vocabulary which can lead to a misunderstanding to the message.

Conclusion

The billboard from the website hoboken411.com lacks of a lot of elements that could help the audience understand the meaning its trying to send. The billboard does not have a good structure nor a good language because it has a lack of space. On the contrary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website is an example of a website that has all the elements to be a good genre. The website correctly includes: an audience, a purpose, rhetorical issues, a structure, a style and language. There is an extreme difference between the two genres and it is clearly that the website is better at informing the reader more than the billboard.

References

Donovan, S. (2011, September 13). Affordable housing. Retrieved from http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/

Hoboken411. (Photographer). (2008). Affordable condo controversy. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://hoboken411.com/archives/13669