The online encyclopedia commonly known as Wikipedia houses a wealth of information that a physical encyclopedia would never be able to hold. Pages within this “encyclopedia” focus on a specific topic, but then use hyperlinks to link to other pages about people or topics that are mentioned in the article. Some users of this encyclopedia have questioned the accuracy and credibility of Wikipedia page since they don’t state a real author of the article. By taking a deeper look at the ethos, pathos, and logos, we can find the credibility of the information on these pages. For this assignment, I decided to take a deeper look at the Wikipedia page of the band The Lumineers.
When looking at a Wikipedia page, some people are often question the credibility behind each article. By focusing on the ethos of the article, readers can find the credibility in what they are reading. The first place that credibility is built on this page is in the first sentence of the opening paragraph. The article states “The Lumineers are an American folk rock/Americana band based in Denver, Colorado." By reading this first sentence and continuing reading more about the band’s origin, readers can see exactly what it is they are reading about and can decide from there whether to keep reading or not. The second and biggest way I think the author builds credibility in this article is by taking direct quotes from the band members. As the article continues, the author highlights their history, the albums and songs the band has written, their musical style and influence, and what awards they have been nominated for. Not only do the direct quotes build credibility on this page, but they also give a deeper connection to the credibility and story of the band as a whole. Each subheading starts off with a direct quote from a band member, and then continues with analysis and information from that quote. In the Musical Style paragraph there is a quote from lead vocalist Wesley Schultz that says “I write the lyrics, and I co-write the songs with Jer," adding "It's never the same thing with each song.” The inclusion of this quote from the lead singer shows the audience of this article how they write music, but also gives them credibility in this statement with the fact that it is coming directly from the lead member himself. The use of direct quotes from band members in this article shows ethos and reassures the reader they are getting accurate information because it is coming directly from a member of the band. The last way this page uses conventions of a Wikipedia page to build credibility is by using various pictures throughout the article, and the extensive list of resources that is located at the bottom of this page. In addition to these conventions, the author of this article has also included many hyperlinks within this article that show the reader the validity and truth in the words of this article. Trying to identify logos and pathos within a Wikipedia page can sometimes be more difficult than ethos, but there are ways that authors include them. I think that pathos is the hardest to identify in Wikipedia articles, just because a lot of articles don’t have an emotional appeal to them. The main purpose of Wikipedia articles is to give information, not to give the reader an emotional story. With that being said, the author of this article does show instances of pathos by including direct quotes from the band members, which can provide emotion within the article. The author can also show logos by providing pictures of the band performing, and the tables and charts about the awards the band has received, and the overview box that gives the reader a quick glance at the band as a whole. Although logos and pathos aren’t the main topics of Wikipedia pages, the author still finds ways to put them in their article. Wikipedia as a whole serves many different purposes for users. The main purpose behind this site and these articles is to house information on individual topics about subjects or people, and contain hyperlinks within articles to link to other outside information. The purpose behind the Lumineers Wikipedia page is to give their fanbase more information about their band, and general information to anyone looking at their page. The audience is anyone who is wanting to learn more about this band. With sharing information about these topics on Wikipedia, the author uses ethos, pathos, and logos to get their point across to their audiences in these articles.
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AuthorAbby Fauss Archives
April 2018
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