When looking at the two websites: http://action.thisisreality.org and http://www.americaspower.org, there are many differences that are recognizable. My first impression of the “thisisreality” website is that it is attempting to make an immediate impression. There is a bright yellow bird flying head-first into large print facts. This impression is a somewhat negative and direct way to approach the material being presented. The “americaspower” website, in contrast, is more stream lined and professional. There is more emphasis on searching through the site to find material than just giving it all away in the beginning.
The major arguments being presented are about clean coal technology. Clean coal technology is the idea that coal industries control their emissions. Clean coal is just a way of making an already existing technology more refined. The “thisisreality” website is trying to show its audience that there really is not clean coal in the world. They are not saying that clean coal does not exist, they are saying that there are no coal plants in America that are successfully containing their emissions. The "americaspower" website is focusing on the same issue, clean coal, but they are portraying clean coal as something that is in existence and something that is working.
The audiences being addressed by these two websites seems to be very different. The "thisisreality" website seems to be targeting a younger, more environmentally conscience audience. The fact that the website shows a cartoon like bird in the beginning supports my idea that this website is for a younger audience. Upon looking through the website, there is a list of who sponsors the website. The Sierra Club, and the National Wildlife Federation (to name a few) are sponsoring this website. These sponsors are geared to an environmental view of clean coal, thus so does this website. The "americaspower" website seems to be geared in a different direction. The audience that this website is trying to reach seems to be a more middle-America, working class audience. On the initial start up page of this website, there are three people pictured; Venita, Fred and Olivia. All of these people seems to be middle aged and look as though they have careers and families. Upon looking through the website, one begins to notice that the center of the argument being presented is that of a financial perspective. The website gives information that shows that coal is cheap. The site states that Coal = $2.04, Petroleum liquids = $16.67, Natural gas = $9.58 (per what? I don't know). By approaching their argument this way, it seems that the people putting food on the table will take interest. It is also interesting to check out who sponsors this website. The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity sponsors this website. Upon looking at the questions and answer portion of the website, one begins to notice that all of the questions show the use of coal in a positive light.
The last topic, and the one I find to be rather subliminal and interesting in the visual part of these two websites. The "thisisreality" website is all black, and pushes the idea that clean coal is not clean. Coal is also black. Black makes me think of soot and smoke. In contrast the "americaspower" website is all white and streamlined. This website is pushing the idea of clean coal being a great way to keep coal around. This white, airy website tries to keep everything clean. Looking through both of these websites, it is easy to see how each have their biases. I feel that maybe the truth lies somewhere in between these two very different sites.
I agree with you completely on how each website is trying to portray themselves. This is reality is trying to appeal to the younger generation. I think by doing this it loses some creditability because it doesn't bring in all the facts. America's power is a lot more professional and makes it easier to believe and follow. I feel that if I was to give money to an organization to help with research, I would give it to them.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is very interesting that you brought up the colors of both websites. I guess I really didn't think that much about it, but it makes more sense to me now that I see the massive differences in both.
I also feel that bias is going to happen, but I believe it is in any website you find. I think it is just a matter of finding one that you feel the most comfortable with and believing.