Pick a Side...Any Side

The term taking an approach is only slightly more difficult than the name implies. Most simplistically, taking an approach is the stance you choose to take when writing in response to another individual's work. Harris defines taking an approach by outlining three key aspects for using the technique. They are, acknowledging influences, turning an approach on itself, and reflexivity.

Acknowledging influences basically means giving credit where credit is due. According to Harris there are three main ways (funny how he always outlines in threes) to give said credit to influences. You can evaluate common concerns faced by other writers, analyze methods and habits used by writers to outline and develop stories, or you can attempt to gain an understanding of the writing styles used. Turning an approach on itself would have to be one of the simplest, yet most difficult to grasp (at least for me), ideas. The foundation of this approach technique is to question, quite literally, EVERYTHING. You start with a general question on the subject and turn it into multiple specific questions on the topic until all sides of the issue are fully understood by the writer. Reflexivity is most easily defined as the author taking a look back on their work and evaluating decisions that could change the direction of the piece. This can include anything from language usage to the values and morals concerned when writing the story.

It is difficult to say news articles, such as those from the New York Times, take an approach because news writing is supposed to be unbiased. The only time it is truly acceptable to take a approach an article from one side or the other is when writing an editorial, but even then the writer has to be careful not to be too controversial. Newspapers tend to play it safe when approaching an article, unless approaching from one side would be logically impossible, or ethically repugnant. The blog I personally follow, The Ville Voice, is straightforward about their editorial and complaint/compliment system. While this blog gives you the facts with links to the source, they are not afraid to throw in their personal opinion, however harsh it may be. A prime example of this is in a story about the Louisville Metro Animal Services scandal and the stance Mayor Jerry Abramson takes on it. They say, "It’ll be a cold day in hell before Jerry Abramson takes responsibility for anything,". This blog is constantly negative about anything having to do with the mayor, obviously voicing a dislike for the fact that he has remained in office this long.