Compare and Contrast the presentational, structural and linguistic features of the two texts

The subject of the sentence, which opens in each respective article, is the journalist’s way of holding attention.   The Weekly Telegraph states at the beginning of its article, “A white supremacist…” and the Straits Times start with “ Iraqi president Sadam Husseim has declared that Iraq…”.  In both articles the subject opens the paragraph and sentence.  Sentences which begin with a subordinate clause are seen in the Straights Times article, “In a personal letter” .  Subordinate clauses are also found in the Weekly Telegraph, “to his neighbors Carterton, a small town in Oxfordshire…” Coordinate sentences are linked with conjunctions and are found in the two articles.  “David Tovey, 37 had equipped him to wage a one man war and police feared that his potenital targets where members of…” Direct speech frequently occurs through the Straits Times article.  An example would be where it was reported that Bush promptly declared; “It’s the same old song and dance”.  However in the Weekly Telegraph direct speech is not common.  

The Design of a newspaper is a very important feature.  It is used both to attract readers and to present material in an interesting and effective way. The Straits Times have been very successful in this article making it seem very inviting and easy to understand.  In the middle of the text there is a box with the words, “Sights N Saddam”.  The color of the box is a fading yellow, possibly intended to give the impression of a desert.  In the middle of the box there is a target circle.  It’s as if  the Americans are aiming at Iraq like a target.  This is very effective.  It helps give an idea what the text is about at the same time adds interest to the page.  In the left and the right hand corners of the page, pictures of the two presidents faces are presented.  On the left is a hand-sized picture of Saddam Hussein and on the right is a hand-sized picture of George Bush. The way the newspaper has positioned the photos is very clever.  Neither of the two are looking at each other, but in different directions.  This may give the reader an idea that there is a conflict between the two.  To emphasise this the newspaper adds a thick red line.  The colour red represents blood, and hatred, which is also very captivating.  In the Weekly Telegraph a very different image is portrayed.  The article is very plain and neat.  Some may argue that this is not as effective as the Straits Times.  The images in the Weekly Telegraph are quite clever too.  They have made it almost like a criminal record.  There are two photos of the racist using different profiles.  This is very effective and conveys that he is in trouble with the police.

The two articles being broadsheets have a very different style of writing.  The Weekly Telegraph has some advanced  and extensive vocabulary, produced for the more sophisticated reader.   Compared to the Straits Times where the vocabulary is very simplistic and designed for a light read.  Considering that the Straits Times article concerns a topic of worldwide interest there is very little text compared to that contained in the Telegraph which covers a small incident in the United Kingdom.  The Weekly Telegraph is elaborate and very detailed in its writing which makes its article much more informative.  The sentences in the Straights times are very simple.  They are put in short paragraphs, which makes it seem a shorter read.

In conclusion both articles are as effective as each other.  There are unique features that make each article enjoyable.  For the Straits times it is it’s presentational skills that makes it successful, and for the Weekly telegraph it is the complex language.