is essay and speech the same

The Difference between an Essay and a Speech

If speakers began simply reciting essays in front of live audiences, no matter how fascinating the topic, they'd end up with a lot of sleepy listeners. That's because speeches are written to be spoken aloud while most essays are not.

For both an essay and a speech, a writer must consider their audience. If you're writing an essay on a scientific discovery to be published in a scientific journal read by scientists, you probably won't need to include a section that explains the technical terms used. For publishing on other types of platforms, an essay writer must assume their audience knows nothing about the subject and explain it in great detail.

For a speech, considering the audience goes even farther. No, you won't have to explain your technical scientific terms when giving a speech to scientists in the field of the discovery you're speaking about, but you do need to keep them engaged. Tone of voice, speech patterns, and physical deportment are all elements to consider when delivering a speech, and the speechwriter must consider the ways in which all of those elements will be used, as well.

In an essay, points can be emphasized using bold text, italics, and underlining. Thoughts can be organized into subtitles and sections, each of which can help make clear to a reader how the information they're being given has been structured.

A speechwriter must consider how to emphasize certain points verbally and how to transition between thoughts naturally but clearly in a way the audience will be able to understand. A good speech captures an audience's attention and holds it during a set amount of time while an essay reader can take their time, skip through points, and reread portions that are unclear on their first reading.

For an essay, sources of information to back the writer's argument or illustrate a point are often used. Whenever a writer uses a source in their written work, they must include a citation and end with a bibliography of the works they've cited. Making your source clear by properly citing them in an essay is important to avoid plagiarism, and the rules around presenting those sources are strict and must be followed closely.

Speechwriters also sometimes use outside sources of information, but a speaker won't keep an audience engaged by ending with a spoken list of citations. Instead, a speaker must attribute any outside work or statement to its source verbally, letting an audience know who the source is in a way that naturally flows throughout their speech.

Speech Vs. Essay

How to Determine the Tone of an Essay

Writing a speech and writing an essay are two different experiences. While both the speech writer and the essay writer communicate information to a live audience or reading audience, the steps the writers go through to create the final version require varying methods, such as the choice of diction and dramatic effect.

Speech writing requires that a writer communicates a specific theme or topic to an audience. She uses a tone in her writing that produces an emotional effect on the audience. A presidential speech, for example, often uses a particular diction, full of patriotic, hopeful, grave or uplifting tones. While an essay also relies on tone for dramatic effect, the essay writer has less of a demand to please all members of her audience than the speech writer. For example, if you write a personal essay about a life-changing trip, you do not need for every person to admire your essay and the tone in which you compose it --- it is more written to make a point than to win over an audience. In general, a speech appeals to a specific audience in a certain place and time, while an essay communicates with a general audience.

Each essay format --- narrative, expository or personal --- follows a basic structure. It usually includes an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs and a conclusion that synthesizes the information. A speech also has a particular format, with an introduction, examples and a conclusion, but the speech writer will often restate a point at the end of each section of the speech to ensure the audience is "with" him or her. Because the essayist understands that the writer can reread the last paragraph, or reread the entire essay again, he does not need to reiterate statements. Rather, an essay's structure relies on smooth transitions to the next theme.

Giving a Speech

The speech writer "performs" or delivers his speech in a way that gives his ideas, or themes, a particular meaning. For example, Martin Luther King wrote his "Dream" speech in the first-person "I" voice to produce an emotional impact on his listeners. In essay writing, a writer connects with her audience, whether live or on the page, without trying to win them over with her delivery.

Reading an Essay

An essay presenter only needs to look up from his paper every few minutes, while a person delivering a speech must deliver by memorization, only occasionally glancing at the page or screen. While an individual can read an essay either in an impassioned and enthusiastic or a sad and grave tone, the audience, in general, is more interested in hearing the quality of writing and information than the delivery, as they are for a speech.

Related Articles

How to Write an Introduction to an Analytical Essay

How to Establish Credibility in an Informative Speech

How to Write a Critical Analysis of a Speech

How to Analyze Expository Writing

How to Set Up a Rhetorical Analysis

How to Write an Essay in Conversation Style

How to Write a Speech About Someone I Admire

How to Write a Speech Essay

• Scholastic; Speechwriting With Karen Finney and Lou Giansante
• Inc.; Writing and Organizing a Winning Speech;Patricia Fripp; October 2000
• The University of Hong Kong Centre for Applied English Studies; Characteristics of Different Types of Essays
• Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Essay Structure; Elizabeth Abrams; 2000

Noelle Carver has been a freelance writer since 2009, with work published in "SSYK" and "The Wolf," two U.K. literary journals. Carver holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from American University and a Master of Fine Arts in writing from The New School. She lives in New York City.

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A Speech Is Not an Essay

• John Coleman

Put the paper down.

Reading an essay to an audience can bore them to tears. I recently attended a conference where a brilliant man was speaking on a topic about which he was one of the world’s experts. Unfortunately, what he delivered was not a speech but an essay. This renowned academic had mastered the written form but mistakenly presumed that the same style could be used at a podium in the context of an hour-long public address. He treated the audience to exceptional content that was almost impossible to follow — monotone, flat, read from a script, and delivered from behind a tall podium.

• JC John Coleman is the author of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose . Subscribe to his free newsletter, On Purpose , follow him on Twitter @johnwcoleman, or contact him at johnwilliamcoleman.com.

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Difference Between Writing a Speech and an Essay

• peachyessay
• December 30, 2021
• Academic Guide , Blogs

The relationship between a speech and an essay is quite distinctive despite the two being the main ways to pass information to the intended audience. The mode that is chosen to pass the information will highly depend on the type of the targeted audience.

What is Speech?

A speech is used to convey information if the targeted audience is lively and responsive. They can ask questions to the speaker and get an immediate response.

What is Essay Writing?

An essay is used to convey information if the targeted audience is reading. One that can access the written essay and read it. This falls short of providing immediate feedback.

Therefore, this means that the methodology the writers use to come up with an essay or speech will also vary.  How you make use of both diction and dramatic effect in a speech or an essay will greatly influence the type of response you intend to evoke in your targeted audience.

A speech may not contain many details since the person presenting it before the audience may give much of the explanations during the speech. An essay should be very elaborate and detailed because the readers are not a live audience and there is no room for immediate response in case there is a need for further explanation on some questions that may arise.

However, within the distinctive characteristics, there exists some level of similarity between a speech and an essay.

What is the Relationship Between a Speech and an Essay?

A speech is meant to be delivered by a speaker before an active audience. It is spoken before the audience that can be engaged in the presentation of the speech. At some point, the active audience can ask questions and get direct feedback from the speaker. This helps to enhance understanding and also gives further direction on areas that may not seem clear.

While an essay is a piece of writing meant for the readers who have no direct interaction with the writer. There will be no room to interact or even have the reading audience engaged. If a speech had to be read just like one would read an essay before an active audience, this would make the presentation boring and some of the listeners may end up falling asleep.

Below are the distinctive considerations in the relationship between a speech and an essay.

1. Audience

A writer must always take into account their audience when writing an essay or a speech. If a writer is writing an essay that focuses on a research breakthrough for publication in a research journal, he/she probably won’t need to add a section explaining the technical vocabulary employed in the publication since it is assumed that the readers of the research journal are familiar with it.

But if the same research journal had to be published on other platforms that are not research-related, then the essay writer must assume that their readership is unfamiliar with the issues in the publication and try to explain them thoroughly.

In the case of a speech, taking into account the audience goes so much further. When giving a speech to a group of researchers who are your targeted audience, you won’t need to always keep clarifying the specialized research vocabulary. You will only need to keep your audience engaged.

To keep the audience fully engaged when giving a speech, the tone of voice, speech patterns, and physical demeanour are all aspects that should be considered, and the speechwriter must contemplate how much each of these factors should be used.

A speaker or speechwriter should always think about how to illustrate particular crucial points verbally and how to transition between the ideas intended to be conveyed to the audience in a natural yet clear way that the audience can understand better by deploying a conversational tone.

An excellent speech must retain the audience’s attention for a defined period. Whereas, essay reader can take their time, skim between topics, and review sections that may seem confusing on the first reading.

However, bold fonts, italics, or underlined phrases can be used to emphasize particular points of great importance in an essay. An essay can also be arranged into different subheadings and sections that are meant to help build a free and flowing transition of thoughts.

Each subheading or section can help the reader understand how the information they are consuming has been formatted. This makes an essay have some formal tone of presentation

3. Sourcing

The sources of a given piece of information are frequently utilized in an essay. This is meant to help in supporting the essay writer’s thesis or help in demonstrating a given point to the readers. An essay writer must always offer a citation and a bibliography of the publications they have referenced anytime they utilize a source in their written materials.

To prevent plagiarism, it is crucial to make your sources of reference evident by correctly acknowledging them in an essay. Additionally, the standards of presenting those sources are stringent and must be strictly followed.

External sources of information are also often used in speeches. The difference is that, in a speech, the speaker will keep his audience engaged by finishing the speech with a spoken list of references.

However, a speaker must credit any of the outside sources of the speech or acknowledge its source verbally in a manner that transitions organically within the speech. This enables the audience to know where the source is.

4. Rigidity

Essays are rigid. This means that once they have been written they remain permanent and cannot be modified once it has been printed or written down. For as long as a particular language and writing system are still known, an essay can communicate beyond time and distance.

Alternatively, speeches are typically spoken in the heat of the moment and are utilized for instant encounters before the intended audience. A speech’s content and presentation can be changed when considered necessary. The speaker can amend and adjust the pronouncement on the go. As a result, each speech is distinct in that a speech given for the second or third time might never be identical.

5. Mode of Interaction

An essay writer does not receive immediate feedback from the readers. As a result, they cannot rely on the readers’ input to help clarify specific points to try to clarify a given subject again to make sure that the reader understands everything. Consequently, an essay writer cannot pass over information that is dull or irrelevant to the audience. These are some of the disadvantages of one-way communication as seen in essay writings.

However, a speech is frequently a spontaneous exchange involving two or more persons. Because context and common knowledge are important, it is possible to leave a lot of important content unspoken or inferred based on the audience’s input and response.

6. Punctuation

In an essay, a writer has the liberty to utilize punctuation, headings, layout, lists, colours, and other graphical effects. The writer can also make use of other structures, as well as some types of terminologies such as sophisticated scientific and medical phrases. These can only be employed in written essays. Speeches do not give room to incorporate such structures.

On the other hand, a speaker delivering a speech before an audience uses vocal diversity and other non-verbal ways to communicate. This helps to add meaning to their spoken words while delivering a speech rather than the use of punctuations.

The timing, tone, volume, and timbre can all be used to lend an emotional element to a speech. Furthermore, certain language is used exclusively or primarily in a speech. Slang idioms and tags all fall in this category.

What is the Structure of a Speech and an Essay?

There exist some similarities between the structure of a speech and that of an essay. There is no clear distinction in terms of structure between the two modes of conveying information. They both have a clear format on how information is supposed to be conveyed to the audience.

Structure of an Essay

An essay help writers to convey their in-depth knowledge about a given topic through reading and research. This helps the writer to critically discuss and evaluate ideas. The main purpose of an essay is to develop an argument or analyze a given idea. The essay is always written in paragraphs and has a structure that includes:

The title of an essay is a concise summary of the main topic that is discussed in an essay. It helps the reader to instantly identify the subject, helps attract the attention of the reader, and forecasts the tone and substance of the writing to follow.

The Introduction

The introduction is a crucial part as it sets the stage for the whole essay. The introduction helps identify the topic, the position of the writer, and why the writer considers the position taken to be the best. The introduction will normally transition from more general statements related to the question in discussion to a specific statement of the main idea or argument that is meant to disc in the body.

The body of an essay contains pieces of evidence from the writer’s research and supports in detail the reasons for the writer’s point of view taken in the introduction. The body is built through several paragraphs that create a connection to another to help develop a strong argument or discussion of the topic. Generally, a paragraph in an essay is at least four to six sentences long.

The Conclusion

The conclusion helps to summarise and make final evaluative comments on the ideas presented in the essay.

Structure of a Speech

A speaker delivering a speech before the audience must always structure the speech in a manner that makes it simple for the audience to understand the main topic of discussion. The speech must always be split into three structural sections that include:

This is the part of the speech whose aim is to introduce yourself to the audience. It is at the introduction of the speech that the speaker gives a snippet of the main subject of discussion. The speaker must be able to grab the attention of the audience by employing language that is engaging and captivating.

The Main Body

The body of a speech always contains the spoken arguments of the speaker. The main body can always have subsections depending on the number of issues that the speaker may intend to talk about. It contains the arguments that support the speech and the speaker’s point of view.

At the end of each speech, there must be a conclusion. This is the point where the speaker sums up everything spoken about and even goes further to close the speech by thanking the audience for lending a listening ear.

The relationship between a speech and an essay can be traced by looking at the differences and the similarities in characteristics that the two methods of conveying information have.  Despite the huge distinctive characteristics between a speech and an essay in terms of presentation, there exists a certain level of similarity when you focus on the structure of the two.

The choice of which methods fits you when you want to pass information to your audience will highly depend on your objective.

An essay will be the best method to convey information if your target audience is a reading audience and you don’t expect to get an immediate response. An essay will also be of importance if you want your information to last more generations to come since written information will always stay permanent.

A speech will be the best choice to convey information if you target to address the information to a live audience and immediate response is required. However, a speech will not last for a long time and cannot be kept on record for future reference.

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5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay

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When figuring out how to write a speech, the essay form can offer a good foundation for the process. Just like essays, all speeches have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

However, unlike essays, speeches must be written to be heard as opposed to being read. You need to write a speech in a way that keeps the attention of an audience and helps paint a mental image at the same time. This means that your speech should contain some color, drama, or humor . It should have “flair.” Make your speech memorable by using attention-grabbing anecdotes and examples.

Determine the Type of Speech You're Writing

Since there are different types of speeches, your attention-grabbing techniques should fit the speech type.

Informative  and instructional  speeches inform your audience about a topic, event, or area of knowledge. This can be a how-to on podcasting for teens or a historical report on the Underground Railroad. It also can relate to health and beauty, such as "How to Shape Perfect Eyebrows," or hobby-related, such as "Make a Great Bag Out of Old Clothing."​

Persuasive  speeches attempt to convince or  persuade  the audience to join one side of an argument. You might write a speech about a life choice, such as, "Abstinence Can Save Your Life," or getting involved in the community, such as "The Benefits of Volunteering."

Entertaining  speeches entertain your audience, and topics may not practical. Your speech topic could be something like, "Life Is Like a Dirty Dorm," or "Can Potato Peels Predict the Future?"

Special occasion  speeches entertain or inform your audience, like graduation speeches and toasts at celebrations.

Explore the different types of speeches and decide what speech type fits your assignment.

Craft a Creative Speech Introduction

Thoughtco.com / Grace Fleming

The introduction of the informative speech should contain an attention-grabber, followed by a statement about your topic. It should end with a strong transition into your body section.

As an example, consider a template for an informative speech called "African-American Heroines." The length of your speech will depend on the amount of time you have been allotted to speak.

The red section of the speech in the graphic provides the attention-grabber. It makes audience members think about what life would be like without civil rights. The last sentence states directly the purpose of the speech and leads into the speech body, which provides more details.

Determine the Flow of the Body of the Speech

Thoughtco.com / Grace Fleming

The body of your speech can be organized in a number of ways, depending on your topic. Suggested organization patterns include:

• Chronological: Provides the order of events in time;
• Spatial: Gives an overview of physical arrangement or design;
• Topical: Presents information one subject at a time;
• Causal: Shows cause-and-effect pattern.

The speech pattern illustrated in the image in this slide is topical. The body is divided into sections that address different people (different topics). Speeches typically include three sections (topics) in the body. This speech would continue with a third section about Susie King Taylor.

Writing a Memorable Speech Conclusion

The conclusion of your speech should restate the main points you covered in your speech and end with a memorable statement. In the sample in this graphic, the red section restates the overall message you wanted to convey: that the three women you've mentioned had strength and courage, despite the odds they faced.

The quote is an attention-grabber since it is written in colorful language. The blue section ties the entire speech together with a small twist.

Address These Key Objectives

Whatever type of speech you decide to write, find ways to make your words memorable. Those elements include:

• Clever quotes
• Amusing stories   with a purpose
• Meaningful transitions
• A good ending

The structure of how to write your speech is just the start. You'll also need to finesse the speech a bit. Start by paying attention to your audience and their interests. Write the words you'll speak with passion and enthusiasm, but you also want your listeners to share that enthusiasm. When writing your attention-grabbing statements, make sure you are writing what will get their attention, not just yours.

Study Famous Speeches

Gain inspiration from others' speeches. Read famous speeches and look at the way they are constructed. Find things that stand out and figure out what makes it interesting. Oftentimes, speechwriters use rhetorical devices to make certain points easy to remember and to emphasize them. 

Get to the Point Quickly

Remember to begin and end your speech with something that will gain and hold the attention of your audience. If you spend too much time getting into your speech, people will zone out or start checking their phones. If you get them interested immediately, they will be more likely to stick with you until the end.

Keep It Conversational

How you deliver the speech is also important. When you  give the speech , think about the tone you should use, and be sure to write the speech in the same flow that you'd use in conversations. A great way to check this flow is to practice reading it out loud. If you stumble while reading or it feels monotone, look for ways to jazz up the words and improve the flow. 

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Speaking and Writing: Similarities and Differences

by Alan | May 2, 2017 | Communication skills , public speaking , writing

Similarities and Differences Between Speaking and Writing

There are many similarities between speaking and writing. While I’ve never considered myself a writer by trade, I have long recognized the similarities between writing and speaking. Writing my book was the single best thing I’ve ever done for my business.  It solidified our teaching model and clarified and organized our training content better than any other method I’d ever tried.

A few weeks ago I was invited by a client to attend a proposal writing workshop led by Robin Ritchey .  Since I had helped with the oral end of proposals, the logic was that I would enjoy (or gain insight) from learning about the writing side.  Boy, were they right.  Between day one and two, I was asked by the workshop host to give a few thoughts on the similarities of writing to speaking.  These insights helped me recognize some weaknesses in my writing and also to see how the two crafts complement each other.

Similarities between Speaking and Writing

Here are some of the similarities I find between speaking and writing:

• Rule #1 – writers are encouraged to speak to the audience and their needs. Speakers should do the same thing.
• Organization, highlight, summary (tell ‘em what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them). Structure helps a reader/listener follow along.
• No long sentences. A written guideline is 12-15 words.  Sentences in speaking are the same way.  T.O.P.  Use punctuation.  Short and sweet.
• Make it easy to find what they are looking for (Be as subtle as a sledgehammer!) .
• Avoid wild, unsubstantiated claims. If you are saying the same thing as everyone else, then you aren’t going to stand out.
• Use their language. Avoid internal lingo that only you understand.
• The audience needs to walk away with a repeatable message.
• Iteration and thinking are key to crafting a good message. In writing, this is done through editing.  A well prepared speech should undergo the same process.  Impromptu is slightly different, but preparing a good structure and knowing a core message is true for all situations.
• Build from an outline; write modularly. Good prose follows from a good structure, expanding details as necessary.  Good speakers build from a theme/core message, instead of trying to reduce everything they know into a time slot.  It’s a subtle mindset shift that makes all the difference in meeting an audience’s needs.
• Make graphics (visuals) have a point. Whether it’s a table, figure, or slide, it needs to have a point.  Project schedule is not a point.  Network diagram is not a point.  Make the “action caption” – what is the visual trying to say? – first, then add the visual support.
• Find strong words. My editor once told me, “ An adverb means you have a weak verb. ”  In the workshop, a participant said, “ You are allowed one adverb per document. ”  Same is true in speaking – the more powerful your words, the more impact they will have.  Really (oops, there was mine).
• Explain data, don’t rely on how obvious it is. Subtlety doesn’t work.

Differences between Speaking and Writing

There are also differences.  Here are three elements of speaking that don’t translate well to (business) writing:

• Readers have some inherent desire to read. They picked up your book, proposal, white paper, or letter and thus have some motivation.  Listeners frequently do not have that motivation, so it is incumbent on the speaker to earn attention, and do so quickly.  Writers can get right to the point.  Speakers need to get attention before declaring the point.
• Emotion is far easier to interpret from a speaker than an author. In business writing, I would coach a writer to avoid emotion.  While it is a motivating factor in any decision, you cannot accurately rely on the interpretation of sarcasm, humor, sympathy, or fear to be consistent across audience groups.  Speakers can display emotion through gestures, voice intonations, and facial expressions to get a far greater response.  It is interesting to note that these skills are also the most neglected in speakers I observe – it apparently isn’t natural, but it is possible.
• Lastly, a speaker gets the benefit of a live response. She can answer questions, or respond to a quizzical look.  She can spend more time in one area and speed through another based on audience reaction.  And this also can bring an energy to the speech that helps the emotion we just talked about.  With the good comes the bad.  A live audience frequently brings with it fear and insecurity – and another channel of behaviors to monitor and control.

Speaking and writing are both subsets of the larger skill of communicating.  Improving communication gives you more impact and influence. And improving is something anyone can do! Improve your speaking skills at our Powerful, Persuasive Speaking Workshop  and improve your writing skills at our Creating Powerful, Persuasive Content Workshop .

Communication matters.  What are you saying?

This article was published in the May 2017 edition of our monthly speaking tips email, Communication Matters. Have speaking tips like these delivered straight to your inbox every month. Sign up today  and receive our FREE download, “Twelve Tips that will Save You from Making a Bad Presentation.”   You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Essay and Speech Examples, Essay Writing Notes, English Speech and Essay Topics

You can learn all about essay writing and English speech with the key points and explanations provided here. There are basic rules for a presenter to lay out the points while either talking or writing. You just need to understand the elements of expression, argume nt, references and some language rules to produce a good essay and correct form of speeches .

Read the entire article to understand the ways for writing the best essays and also learn about the use of English speech. We have provided some speech examples for you to comprehend the rules of language along with some good essay topics for practising.

Essay Writing

Essay writing holds a major place in a student’s academic life. It teaches a student to express their opinio ns and offer a valid perspective. This validation is refined with the use of some certain standard essay writing techniques . Learn all about them by reading the listed points below:

Types of Essays:

1. Descriptive Essays: This type of essay paints a picture of the scene to the reader. Here, the writer should supposedly appeal to make the reader feel, smell, hear and see the things that they are describing. This essay is very detailed in nature, allowing the reader to experience the scene. Writers can use this essay genre to create a piece of text which is extremely stimulating.

2. Narrative Essays : A narrative essay creates a plot for the readers by introducing the characters, settings and leading to a climax then conclusion. This essay follows a traditional reading type- the format of a beginning, middle and the end of a scene. This essay is meant to be very interactive and it engages the reader to listen to the facts that the writer has to say and successfully convince the reader.

3. Expository Essays: This type of essay is most used in school writing classes to help students express their ideas concisely. This style of writing is used to freely express an opinion. This essay follows the format of an introductory paragraph, discussion paragraphs and then the conclusion. This essay should include evidence and references to support the opinion that is expressed. The writer here provides the reader with a final thought by the conclusion to make an impact on the reader’s perspective.

4. Persuasive Essays: As the name suggests, this type of essay attempts to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view. It is about stating your opinion, laying down some facts and convincing the reader to consider the writer's perspective. In this essay, the entire focus should be on proving the opinion as correct. Writer should be clear and considerate while writing the essay.

5. Argumentative Essays: This type of essay is majorly written on a controversial topic or an issue and the writer attempts to provide certain evidence to support his argument. This kind of essay is similar to persuasive writing style but argumentative essays require a tremendous amount of research and all the different viewpoints are considered rather than just the writer’s. The conclusion of this essay is persuasive; however, the argument is supported with plenty of evidence.

Essay Writing Format

The following format is considered as the common writing style to write every type of essay.

Introduction  

Introducing the topic/setting/scene/argument

Laying down of the major discussion points

A concise paragraph

Points put forward/narration of the scene

Main discussion which includes putting forward the opinions/expressions/evidences

Maintaining the flow of description/narration/argument.

Restating all the points in a very short and concise manner.

Giving the final conclusionary point.

Stating the call of action or opinion.

Essay Topics

You can practise essay writing on the below listed topics:

Pollution due to urbanisation

Education Essay

Social Media Essay

Wonder of Science

Newspaper and it’s current value

Children’s day

Republic Day

Contribution of technology in education

Abraham Licoln

Subhash Chandra Bose

Swami Vivekananda

Rabindranath Tagore

My Aim in Life

Father's Day Essay

Save Earth Essay

Environmental Pollution

Natural disasters

Essay Topics for College Students

Academic interest

Social consciousness 

Self-introspection 

Globalisation 

Political air on college students

Education system

Points to Remember When Writing an Essay 

There are some techniques to write a beautiful essay which is stimulating yet understandable. Read the following points to enhance your essay writing skills:

Analyse the topic carefully and decide the content matter which centralises that topic.

Students tend to deviate from the topic when they get engaged in writing a longer essay; to avoid this from happening, you should practise writing small paragraphs on the suggested topics above mentioned then gradually increase the length of paragraphs.

Introduce the setting or the argument first then define your argument.

Use reasoning to support your point of view such as giving real life examples or proven facts.

You can also support your argument by referring to reasonable perspectives.

Organise your essay as a coherent piece of writing. You should keep all the points linked with each other and present them chronologically as mentioned in the essay writing format.

Write clearly, don’t attempt too hard to use difficult words or phrases between your lines. You can add a quote once or twice.

A speech is a verbal presentation that is meant to prove a certain point. Speeches are delivered with the goal of convincing the audience to buy into your idea or to attract attention to your discussion. Making a speech or even writing one can sound a bit intimidating but with the right techniques and plenty of content knowledge, anyone can write a speech.

Here, you can learn about the structure of speech, know about a sample of speech, its elements and aspects. You are advised to take note of the further below mentioned points and get an idea about how to write a brilliant speech. We have provided the accurate format of speech along with speech examples for students to learn.

Types of Speech

Learn about various types of speeches:

Demonstrative : this type of speech provides information on a subject and educates the audience about a topic. Here, the context is focused on demonstrating a way of doing a particular thing.

For example- A company gives the instructions to use their product along with demonstrating how the product works, this is a demonstrative speech.

Informative : Informative speech uses facts, reasonable arguments and statistics to support the assertions made. This type of speech is used to discuss social or economic issues. Informative speeches are used to inform the audience and not necessarily persuade or convince them.

Persuasive : Persuasive speech delivers the information along with evidence to persuade the audience and receive their support. The best example of persuasive speech is the work of a lawyer. When a lawyer delivers a speech, the facts and statistics are mentioned along with the stance of argument. This is the way persuasive speech works. This type of speech is also used to impact the emotions of the audience through the speaker/writer’s feelings.

Entertaining: This type of speech amuses the audience and it is less formal than traditional speech. Entertaining speech communicates through feelings rather than facts. They include humour or emotional elements and are often heard in birthday parties and weddings.

Speech Examples (Topics to Practise)

Should there be age restrictions on video games?

Are self-driving cars a good idea?

Allowing social media at school

Online interaction becoming a threat

Electric cars- an idea

Effect of television

Personal password security

Does social media broaden our viewpoints?

Importance of fitness

Value of time

Are dreams worth it?

Pursuit of happiness

Meaning of life

Importance of culture in our urban lives

India’s education system

Literacy rate of india 

Strategies to build a good educational platform

Is online education leading our country?

How will recycling secure our future?

How can school teach practical life skills?

Tips for Speech Research 

To write a good speech, the research behind the content should be accurate and vast. Here are some tips to help you enhance your writing and research skills for a making a speech:

Gather information about your topic by asking questions to the people around you, get to know the practical information first about the topic with the help of common opinions in your area.

Move on the theoretical knowledge, read some articles or content pages available online regarding the topic. You can also refer to books for acquiring information at a vast scale.

Frame your argument or opinion according to the facts you gathered, do not deviate from the reasonability of a point of view. In the case of entertaining speech, you can collect materials from the society you live in and create an entertaining speech.

While writing your speech, make sure to keep the content coherent and clear.

While delivering your speech, make sure to pay attention to your body language and enunciations. You can engage the audience by asking questions and replying to them as a part of your speech performance.

This was a brief discussion on essay writing and speeches. You can learn about the types of speech, essays, find topics to write short English essays on and practise writing with the help of essay topics and speech topics provided here. The tips to create the best piece of text are provided here to assist students in producing excellent essays and speeches.

FAQs on Essay and Speeches

1. How do you write an essay?

When you are about to write an essay, keep the question in mind while you gather relevant information. Focus on collecting data first and then frame it in the format of the essay. You can follow the traditional format of beginning, middle and end or some other format as well of your choice. Imagine the place or the emotion you are writing about and attempt to use such words so that the reader experiences the validity of your argument. Integrate your facts, evidence and information carefully while you write.

2. How to start an essay?

Some common ways to start an essay are:

Picking a tone for your essay by stating the argument as the first thing.

Asking a question.

Sharing a shocking fact.

Sharing an amusing fact.

Dramatise your introduction of the topic.

3. How long is a good essay?

In school, you are expected to deliver a short essay that contains 4 to 5 paragraphs. However, essay length varies on the level of studies.

Essay length guidelines:

High school essay: 300-1000 words

Undergraduate essay : 1500-5000 words

4. What is the best topic for speech?

In contemporary society, the best topic to deliver a speech on would be education. The issue of mobile phones, uniforms, co-education and the country's education system is discussed on a large scale.There are plenty of topics under the education category, you can choose from a wide range of topics for making a speech.

5. What is a good speech?

A speech that is delivered slowly and in the usual tone so that the audience is able to understand clearly is considered a good speech. One important feature of a good speech is that it is not entirely biassed and neglectful of some important facts. A good speech always includes ubiquitous facts and stays focused and driven on the main theme of the topic.

6. What are some good short speeches?

These are a few examples of good short speeches: 

Abraham Lincoln’s “The Gettysburg Address”

Neil Armstrong’s Speech on The Moon

Winston Churchill’s “Never Give in”

Baz Luhrmann and Mary Schmich- “Everybody’s Free”

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Essay Vs. Speech – What’s The Difference?

Introduction

In any area of fields across the society, communication plays an important role. However, this communication could be consisted of different forms, such as, verbal as well as written. These two types of communication could generate some attention of the people of different fields. However, both essay as well as speech could be considered as the form of communication through which one can convey their feelings to others. Now in accordance to this, it can be stated that essay could be known as the form of written communication whereas the speech can be considered as the form of both written as well as verbal communication. Hence, in this article, researchers would be able to find out that whether there is any differences in speech and essay or they are similar.

Concept Of Speech

According to essay typer speech is an important form of the communication which is used in a formal way, like, in any meetings, seminars as well as conferences. Therefore, it can be stated that speech is the human vocal communication using the human language in different situations. Each language in speech while using the phonetics, consists of combinations of consonants as well as vowels sound, which further formed the sound of its words. Most of the people give or use speech while they want to communicate with other people, a large audience or address any situations (Lansford, Borrie& Barrett, 2019). On the other side, there might be certain situation when people use the speeches but at that time, they don’t want to convey any feelings or communicate with anyone. In that way, they want express their urgent emotions as well as any desires. Sometimes, people can communicate with themselves and that is also considered as the speech as well. this is because, this kind of expression can be considered as the psychological form of the people’s behaviour. Most of the psychologists have termed this behaviour as the silent speech in this context. In accordance to this, it can be stated that, researchers have studied different aspects of the speech in different ways. These different aspects in this context could be, like, speech production as well as speech perception which can be used in language, speech repetition or speech errors. However, it can be seen that speech needs to be studied for cognitive science, linguistics, psychology, computer science as well as speech pathology and many more. Relation to this, it can be stated that the origin of the speech is totally unknown and it contains too much debate from different areas (John, Brooks&Schriever, 2019). Animals in this situation can be seen a communicator as they also communicate with sign language which can be considered as a part of the speech.

Concept Of Essay

Considering the above discussion, it can be seen that communication is important and essential for every individual across the society. Therefore, like speech, essay can be considered as a form of communication and this type of communication only can express through written mode under different circumstances. In accordance to this, it can be stated that the definition of essay is quite vague and sometimes it can overlap with other forms of written communication, like, paper, letter, article as well as any short story. It can be stated that essay can be considered as the piece of writing which could give the own argument of the author. This should be noted that there could be both formal essay as well as informal essay. Formal essay in this context can be characterised by some serious purpose, logical organisation, length as well as dignity whereas the informal essay can be characterised through some personal element, like self-revelation, experiences as well as any confidential manner along with humour, rambling structure, graceful style as well as novelty of theme in this situation (Sultana, 2018). Things or activities like, literacy criticism, learned arguments, political manifestos as well as observations from daily life, essay could play an important role. If any people or individual wants to convey their feelings through written form, they can easily take help of this essay under different situations. In relation to this, it can also be stated that in different countries essay has been considered as a part of the formal education as in schools or universities essay has become an integral part. The students are taught structured essay format for enhancing their writing skills. On the other side, some universities need the students to write essays for their admission purpose. Therefore, the necessity of the essay in different sectors can be easily find out which strengthen the overall communication process of individual.

Similarity Between Speech And Essay

Based on the above discussion, it can be stated that both speech as well as essay is considered as the form of communication as people can easily transfer any message as well as their emotions through these forms. Now before identifying the differences among these two forms of communication, therefore essay and speech, this is important to identify whether there are any similarities between these two forms or not. However, in accordance to this discussion, it can be stated that these two forms of communication are not same in nature, the applicability of these two forms are different, but there are some similarities between these two (Latifi et al. 2021). These similarities could be as follows, such as,

• Both speech and essay have same genus, but there are not from the similar species. Both necessities have their own craft and structure
• Both is the form of communication and one can use both of these forms to attract their audience in different ways
• To convey the feelings to others one can, use these speeches as well as essays but the applicability will be different

Therefore, based on the above discussion, it can be stated that there might be certain factors which could create some similarity between these speeches as well as essays under different circumstances. But this needs to be noted also that rather than more similarities, people would be able to find out more differences of these two forms of communications in this context which needs to be analysed properly (Toba& Noor, 2019). To know more about Essay vs Speech take assistance from SourceEssay online experts.

Difference Between Speech and Essay

Now this is important and essential to discuss about the differences between speech and essay. It has already been found out that both of these forms have several differences in terms of nature, applicability as well as necessities under different circumstances. However, these differences are as follows, such as,

Audience: Selection and consideration of the audience is an important thing as both essay as well as speech are different in this context, hence, the essay writer or speaker should identify their target audience carefully. Any unnecessary and non-relatable content shouldn’t be accepted by the audience for both cases, therefore, the content should be made with proper care. For essay in a published article, the writer should assume that most of the audience don’t have any knowledge about the content or subject. Therefore, the writers should write in a detail manner with broad explanation. On the other side, in a speech, the terms or terminologies don’t need any broad explanation as audience wants to hear from the speaker about their discoveries in that certain field (Noroozi et al. 2020). But during the speech, this is important for the speakers to remember about the voice tone, speech patterns as well as physical deportment as speakers need to engage all the audience in this context.

Tone: The voice tone plays an important role both in speech as well as essay. Thus, this is important to properly maintain the tone in this context. For essay, writers should emphasize the text by using bold or italic text or underlining. The overall thoughts can be organised into the sections as well as subtitles. Each of these parts therefore help the writers to make a clear idea for the readers or audiences and transfer properly the necessary information. Comparatively, a speech should consist of all the points which can be expressed verbally and determine the way through which inner thoughts can be transmitted naturally but in a clear manner. In this way, it can be expected that the audience will be more engaged and they will understand the overall thing properly.

Sourcing: Sourcing is another important factor which needs to be considered while doing the differentiation between the essay as well as speech in this context. For the essay the sources from where information has gathered to support the writer’s argument can be used often. Therefore, this is important during the writing an essay, to cite those sources and include a bibliography at the end of the essay in that situation (Org, 2019). In this way, the essay writer can remove the plagiarism and follow the ethical way to present their opinions. On the other side, during the writing any speech, some sources can be used, but as this is the verbal presentation, therefore, speakers won’t give any speech about the list of sourced to their audiences. Rather than that, the speakers could attribute any outside research or work by saying that verbally and letting audience know from where this idea has come. They convey that message in a way, so that naturally that source can be flowed throughout their entire speech.

Relationship Between Essay And Speech

In context to exploring the relationship between essay and speech, it could be said that speeches and essays are from same genus, however, they are not exact same species. It can be seen that essay and speech both would necessitate their own structure as well as craft. If the individual is a great writer, then, it would be completely wrong, so it can be assumed that written piece can be translated immediately to spoken words or speech. Therefore, it can be said that a speech would not be an essay on hinds’ leg of it and great speech writers as well as public speakers would adapt accordingly (Ardiasih&Rasyid, 2019). On the other hand, if theoretical viewpoint is considered, then it can be viewed that essay writing have been restricted to certain one-way relationship with speech. Therefore, there can be seen a unidirectional influence towards writing of essay from the core of speech. Moreover, it is to state that essay writing would be derived from speech and would simply represent the speech.To know more about relationship between essay and speech students can take help from essay writing help experts online.

Argumentative Analysis

Considering the above discussion, this can be found out that both essay and speech are different though these two are the forms of communication in this context. In accordance to this, it can be stated that sometimes speech can be considered as the essay as one can easily write their own speech like a form of essay for their own purpose. But the nature of both communication forms are totally different in this context. Most popularly, this essay can be used while one are expressing their feelings through any written form, but one should conduct speech whenever they want to show the audience about their discoveries or any innovations under different circumstances. Following this discussion, it can be seen that though these two forms of communication are different in nature and applicability, still both of these communication forms need to engage their target audience in more effective manner (Al Abri, Al Baimani&Bahlani, 2021). In relation to this, it can be identified that essay contains more information as it’s intended to read while speech is made for listening purpose. Hence, it can easily be stated that both essay and speech are totally different which has their own essence in their own areas. This is the responsibilities of the essay rewriter and speakers how to carry out all the activities properly without wasting their own source and nature.

Based on the above discussion, it has been proved that both essay and speech are total separate from each other, therefore, both of these communication forms have their own applicability. Now this is the key fact that most of the researchers or academicians can’t understand the difference between these two and often make several mistakes as they assume speech as an essay. Hence, by analyzing these differences between two, one would be able to understand the distinction between these two and how these two are separate from each other. Moreover, they would be able to understand their applicability in different areas which could educate the researchers more. They can understand overall usability of these two communication forms in this context.

Reference List

Al Abri, A., Al Baimani, S., &Bahlani, S. (2021). The role of web-based peer feedback in advancing EFL essay writing.  Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal (CALL-EJ) ,  22 (1), 374-390.

Ardiasih, L. S., &Rasyid, Y. (2019). Online Collaborative Writing Technique Using Wiki: How Effective Is It to Enhance Learners’ Essay Writing?.  Journal of Asia TEFL ,  16 (2), 531.

John, P., Brooks, B., &Schriever, U. (2019). Speech acts in professional maritime discourse: A pragmatic risk analysis of bridge team communication directives and commissives in full-mission simulation.  Journal of Pragmatics ,  140 , 12-21.

Lansford, K. L., Borrie, S. A., & Barrett, T. S. (2019). Regularity matters: Unpredictable speech degradation inhibits adaptation to dysarthric speech.  Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research ,  62 (12), 4282-4290.

Latifi, S., Noroozi, O., Hatami, J., & Biemans, H. J. (2021). How does online peer feedback improve argumentative essay writing and learning?.  Innovations in Education and Teaching International ,  58 (2), 195-206.

Noroozi, O., Hatami, J., Bayat, A., van Ginkel, S., Biemans, H. J., & Mulder, M. (2020). Students’ online argumentative peer feedback, essay writing, and content learning: does gender matter?.  Interactive Learning Environments ,  28 (6), 698-712.

Org, A. (2019). The process of essay writing in a literature course: the student’s views and the tutor’s feedback.  EestiHaridusteadusteAjakiri. Estonian Journal of Education ,  7 (2), 100-127.

Sultana, F. (2018). The false equivalence of academic freedom and free speech.  ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies ,  17 (2), 228-257.

Toba, R., & Noor, W. N. (2019). The current issues of Indonesian EFL students’ writing skills: Ability, problem, and reason in writing comparison and contrast essay.  DinamikaIlmu: Jurnal Pendidikan , 57-73.

How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay

A compare-and-contrast essay is a style of essay that points out the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. It’s ideal for showing what separates and unites related things or concepts, particularly if the subjects are often confused for each other or unjustly lumped together. 

Compare-and-contrast essays have a lot in common with other essay types, but differ in many ways, too—and that’s the heart of comparing and contrasting! By seeing the differences and similarities, the reader better understands each of the subjects by using the other subject as a frame of reference. 

Give your essays extra polish Grammarly helps you write with confidence Write with Grammarly

In this guide, we explain how to write a compare-and-contrast essay, including some advanced tips and examples. We discuss how to structure your essay and how to frame your thesis , but first, let’s take a broader look at why comparison essays are so useful. 

Purpose of a compare-and-contrast essay

Let’s say you want to write an essay about how great renewable resources are, but you spend a lot of your time explaining how fossil fuels work. To truly understand why renewable resources are so amazing, your reader needs a little background on their alternative, fossil fuels—but the essay’s attention is divided so equally that it’s like there are two topics. 

That’s when compare-and-contrast essays function at their best. If two topics relate to each other or define each other, you can better explain them both by showcasing their similarities and differences. That goes double for topics that are often conflated or confused for each other; it helps readers when someone points out exactly what’s the same about them and what’s different. 

Unlike argumentative essays or persuasive essays , compare-and-contrast essays deal with multiple topics instead of focusing on one. The downside is that they don’t describe the individual subjects as much as single-topic essays. They’re also a common assignment for college essays since they show the instructor how well you grasp both subjects. 

How to write a compare-and-contrast essay 

When writing a compare-and-contrast essay, it helps to figure out two things: what your thesis is (the subject matter) and how you plan to structure it. 

First things first: You need to choose which subjects you’re comparing. This isn’t always easy, especially if you have to pick the subjects on your own. 

For inspiration, here are some compare-and-contrast essay example topics:

• fossil fuels and renewable resources
• Coca-Cola and Pepsi 
• Mona Lisa and The Girl with a Pearl Earring
• ’80s punk rock music and ’90s grunge music
• Dorothea Lange and Diane Arbus
• London in the 1600s and London now
• the LGBTQIA+ community before and after Stonewall
• Roman Empire and Greek Empire
• loop quantum gravity and string theory
• evolution and creationism
• liberalism and conservatism
• fascism and despotism

Once you’ve settled on your subjects, you can begin generating ideas. It helps to first list all the similarities and differences between your subjects . When you see them all written down, you can start formulating connections and decide what structure to use for your compare-and-contrast essay. 

If you’re stuck, try making a Venn diagram . This is a visual aid that helps you understand which characteristics your subjects share, and which ones are exclusive. 

Looking at your lists, you can then decide on the thesis. To do so, ask yourself a few questions: What are you trying to show in your compare-and-contrast essay? What do you want your reader to take away? For example, do you want to emphasize that Dorothea Lange’s work influenced Diane Arbus, or that they are two very distinct artists? 

Organization

Compare-and-contrast essays follow our own recommended essay structure . While the linked guide goes into more detail, in a nutshell, your compare-and-contrast essay should follow a simple format of beginning, middle, and end: 

• Introduction: where you explain your thesis or what your essay will discuss
• Body: where you actually list the similarities and differences of your subjects; the largest section
• Conclusion: where you wrap up and summarize your points

The introduction, usually one or two paragraphs, should include a thesis statement to show the reader what to expect for the rest of your essay. You can write your introduction following the same guidelines as other essay types, though be sure to mention all your subjects. Likewise, you can write an essay conclusion with the standard rules and best practices. 

It’s the body where compare-and-contrast essays get tricky. Do you write about both subjects at the same time, or switch back and forth? Let’s talk deeper on this below. 

How to structure a compare-and-contrast essay

The hardest part of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay is knowing when to talk about which subject. Essentially, you have three options: 

• block method (subject by subject): You discuss one subject in full and then move on to the next subject.
• alternating method (point by point): You discuss one subject’s take on a certain aspect and then another subject’s take immediately afterward, followed by a new aspect.
• similarities and differences: You discuss all the similarities between your subjects and then all the differences, or vice versa (differences first and then similarities).

No matter which option you choose, you have to pay particular attention to topic sentences . Paragraphs in compare-and-contrast essays can get complicated, so it’s crucial to have a good topic or introduction sentence for each paragraph to make the flow of ideas clear. 

Block method (subject by subject)

The block method is usually divided into paragraphs: a paragraph about one subject and then a new paragraph about another subject. Take the compare-and-contrast essay example When Nothing Lies Beyond the Mask: Comparing Moby Dick and The Raven . In the first paragraph after the introduction, the author talks only about Ahab from Moby Dick , but in the next paragraph talks only about the narrator from The Raven . Each subject gets its own paragraph. 

Using the block method, you can go back and forth like this for pages, covering as many topics as you need. This approach is best for giving each subject its own attention but tends to slightly weaken the connection between the two. 

Alternating method (point by point)

As another option, you can break paragraphs up by a specific topic and issue, and in each paragraph discuss both or all subjects. Let’s look at another compare-and-contrast essay example, The Reality of Science Fiction: Comparing Clarke to Cruise . Here, both subjects are discussed in the same paragraph, one right after another. 

This approach works best when you want to emphasize the connection between your subjects, or lack thereof. In our example above, the author wishes to highlight just how different the aliens of Arthur Clarke are from those of other authors, particularly H. G. Wells. To emphasize this, the essay author juxtaposes the two points right next to each other in the same paragraph. 

Similarities and differences

The third option is quite similar to the alternating approach, with each subject being discussed side by side in the same paragraph. However, the paragraphs aren’t divided by different topics, but instead by what the subjects have in common and what they don’t. 

Take a look at the compare-and-contrast essay example Government by the People, for the People has Perished from the Earth , which compares the dystopias of George Orwell’s 1984 and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We . The first paragraph after the introduction discusses what the governments in the two books have in common, but the next paragraph explains how they differ. 

This method works best if you want to focus on a particular similarity or difference between your subjects, or if you want to build up to a powerful conclusion or reveal at the end. 

The writing process for compare-and-contrast essays

Want to know how to write a compare-and-contrast essay step by step? The writing process is the same as all essay writing, although adapted specifically for drawing comparisons:

1   Brainstorming — As mentioned above, brainstorming should involve listing all the similarities and difficulties; creating a Venn diagram is a useful method. 

2   Preparation — Looking at your brainstorming lists, decide which structuring method would best get your point across: block, alternating, or similarities/differences. 

3   Drafting — Here you write your rough draft ; this is the longest and toughest phase. 

4   Revising — Does the structure you’ve chosen work? With the first draft finished, you can more easily identify any areas that need to be fixed, revised, or rewritten from scratch. 

5   Proofreading — Finally, you want to make sure you corrected all the spelling and grammatical mistakes in your draft. With a writing assistant like Grammarly, this phase is a breeze. 

If you want to learn more about this process, read our comprehensive guide on essay writing , which better explains the details. 

Tips for writing compare-and-contrast essays 

Beyond knowing the full process for crafting a compare-and-contrast essay, it helps to learn a few tips to ensure it shines.

Choose topics that are related 

In other words, choose topics that have plenty in common, otherwise, your essay will be all contrasting and no comparing. Typically, subjects in compare-and-contrast essays share a strong connection, such as two people in the same profession or two products in the same category. 

Without this unifying thread, the reader is left wondering, “What’s the point of comparing these two things?” Not only will it confound your audience, but you’ll also struggle more to come up with points when writing. Solve these problems before they start by smartly choosing your subjects at the beginning. 

Write for clarity

Essays with only one subject can be confusing enough—imagine how complicated it gets with two or more subjects. One of the biggest obstacles with compare-and-contrast essays is communicating clearly so your reader knows which points relate to which subject, and what conclusion the entire essay is building toward. 

But when you’re in the heat of a writing session, it can be difficult—and distracting—to stop and evaluate your work for clarity. Luckily, Grammarly offers suggestions to rewrite entire sentences in order to improve the clarity of your writing.

If the writing in your compare-and-contrast essay starts getting messy, Grammarly’s writing suggestions recommend alternative phrasings to clear things up. Just one click and your writing gets the professional editor treatment. Try Grammarly now and see how your writing improves. 

4.3 GRAMMAR: Reported Speech

There are two basic ways: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include direct speech in your writing, enclose the words in “quotation marks.” Indirect speech is a restatement of what someone said or wrote. Indirect speech does not use the person’s exact words. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.

Direct speech (quoting)

One way to report what a person said or wrote is to repeat their exact words. This is called direct speech. The person’s words are called a quotation.

To use direct speech, you must repeat the person’s words exactly. You use a verb of attribution and specific punctuation. Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words. Often, you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and capitalized words.

Look at these examples:

• “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls,” said philosopher Michel Foucault.
• Michel Foucault said, “I’m no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls.”
• “I’m no prophet,” said philosopher Michel Foucault. “My job is making windows where there were once walls.”

They all mean exactly the same thing. The difference between these three options is merely a matter of style. What is important, however, is the punctuation. Pay attention to quotation marks, commas, periods, and spaces.

Use single quotation marks to enclose a quote within a quote. For example: “He said, ‘The futurist told me to buy stock in plastics.'”

• A quotation must be exactly the same as the original text.
• A quotation must use “quotation marks” surrounding the exact text.
• A quotation must give credit to the original author or speaker.
• According to  Sports Illustrated , “Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge.”
• “ Eliminating drug use from Olympic Sports would be no small challenge,” according to  Sports Illustrated .

Indirect speech (paraphrasing)

Another way to report what a person says is indirect speech. Here, you don’t need to use the other person’s exact words. In informal situations, you may change only a word or two (such as the verb tense). Other times, such as in formal academic research writing, you paraphrase, or say the same thing using different words or a different word order. When you paraphrase, you usually use a verb of attribution followed by a noun clause, often introduced by the relative pronoun  that . Here’s how you can paraphrase the example from above:

• Philosopher Michel Foucault says he doesn’t see the future, but instead helps people find ways to put windows in walls.
• Michel Foucault says he’s not a philosopher; rather, he helps people see beyond what is immediately in front of them.

The 4 Rs of paraphrasing

According to the Virtual Library, here are four steps to paraphrase:

• Reword  the text by using synonyms or different parts of speech; change verb tense or change active verbs to passive and vice versa.
• Rearrange  by moving words to make new sentences or reorganize the sentences in a passage.
• Realize  that not all words or phrases can be changed; you won’t be able to replace names, dates, titles, or technical words.
• Recheck  your work to make sure it carries the same meaning as the original; a paraphrase does not add or omit any information, and it does not include your personal opinion.

NOTE: In formal academic writing, we often use a reporting verb in the present simple tense. Example:  The author of this book suggests that the real reason for the wildfires was human carelessness.

Let’s look at another example:

Using quotation :  Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. In his article “Mind Over Mass Media” in  The New York Times (2010), Pinker says, “Genuine multitasking, too, has been exposed as a myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the familiar sight of an S.U.V. undulating between lanes as the driver cuts deals on his cellphone” (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Using paraphrase :  Many people believe they can get more done if they do several things at the same time. However, Steven Pinker disagrees. Pinker (2010) writes that people cannot really do more than one thing at a time; one can see this from scientific research projects and also from just watching a car moving unpredictably down the highway while the driver is talking on a cell phone (A31). Pinker goes on to explain that there are better ways to be more effective and efficient …

Note the three steps we took in making this paraphrase:

• We defined the key term. (“Genuine multitasking” = “do more than one thing at a time”)
• We used different vocabulary. (“laboratory studies” = “scientific research projects”; “an S.U.V. undulating between lanes” = “a car moving unpredictably down the highway”)
• We used different grammar. (“has been exposed” = “one can see”; “by the familiar sight” = “from just watching”)
• A paraphrase has the same meaning (all main ideas included; no new ideas added).
• A paraphrase is different enough to be considered your own words (uses no more than a few words in a row from the original source; changes vocabulary and grammar as much as possible)
• A paraphrase refers to (cites) the original source.

Use the following exercise to check your understanding. This exercise is for practice; it is not graded, and you may complete it as many times as you wish.

1.  Which of the options below describes this sentence best? The artist said the studio smelled like “paint and possibility.”

• The sentence uses a quotation to explain what the artist said.
• There is no paraphrase (because there are “quotation marks”), but there is also no direct speech because the quote is not a full sentence.
• The sentence uses a quotation, but the whole sentence is incomplete and therefore only a fragment.
• The sentence paraphrases what the artist said.

2. Paraphrasing, which is also called “indirect speech,” uses the exact same words as the original source.

3. Here is a sentence from an article by Mary Lynch:  The value of education is more than knowledge. How would I report this as indirect speech (paraphrase)?

• The value of education is more than knowledge, believes Mary Lynch.
• In Mary Lynch’s opinion, “The value of education is more than knowledge.”
• Mary Lynch suggests that knowledge is not the only important thing about learning.
• Mary Lynch says education and training are very important.

4. Here is a sentence from an article by Doug Drial: Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. How would I report this as direct speech (quotation)?

• Doug Drial writes Oregon as a state in 1859.
• According to Doug Drial, February 14, 1859 was the date when Oregon became a state.
• Doug Drial says Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.
• Doug Drial says, “Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.”

5. In formal academic writing, we should …

• use a variety of both direct and indirect speech
• use only direct speech
• always use only my own ideas and never support from outside sources
• use only indirect speech

6. Which of the following are ways to help you paraphrase? (choose all that apply)

• change only the punctuation
• change the word forms
• change the word order
• use the other person’s exact words
• use synonyms
• use quotation marks
• change the verb tense
• use a metaphor or simile

7. In formal academic writing, you usually use the __________________ tense to report what others have said or written.

• present perfect
• simple future
• simple present
• simple past

8. A comma or period usually goes outside (after) the quotation mark.

9. Which of the following uses correct grammar?

• My teacher said me to cite my outside sources of information.
• My teacher told me to cite my outside sources of information.
• My teacher says me to cite my outside sources of information.
• My teacher tells to cite my outside sources of information.

10.  A quotation, which is also called “direct speech,” must use the speaker’s or writer’s exact words.

Some text has been adapted from “Quotation Marks | English 112: Exposition and Persuasion.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/ivytech-engl112/chapter/quotation-marks/ . Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.

Synthesis Copyright © 2022 by Timothy Krause is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Differences between Speech and Writing.

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• Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Article and Essay

An article is nothing but a piece of writing commonly found in newspapers or websites which contain fact-based information on a specific topic. It is published with the aim of making the reader aware of something and keeping them up to date.

An essay is a literary work, which often discusses ideas, experiences and concepts in a clear and coherent way. It reflects the author’s personal view, knowledge and research on a specific topic.

Content: Article Vs Essay

Comparison chart, definition of article.

An ‘article’ can be described as any form of written information which is produced either in a printed or electronic form, in newspaper, magazine, journal or website. It aims at spreading news, results of surveys, academic analysis or debates.

An article targets a large group of people, in order to fascinate the readers and engage them. Hence, it should be such that to retain the interest of the readers.

It discusses stories, reports and describes news, present balanced argument, express opinion, provides facts, offers advice, compares and contrast etc. in a formal or informal manner, depending upon the type of audience.

For writing an article one needs to perform a thorough research on the matter, so as to provide original and authentic information to the readers.

Components of Article

• Title : An article contains a noticeable title which should be intriguing and should not be very long and descriptive. However, it should be such that which suggests the theme or issue of the information provided.
• Introduction : The introduction part must clearly define the topic, by giving a brief overview of the situation or event.
• Body : An introduction is followed by the main body which presents the complete information or news, in an elaborative way, to let the reader know about the exact situation.
• Conclusion : The article ends with a conclusion, which sums up the entire topic with a recommendation or comment.

Definition of Essay

An essay is just a formal and comprehensive piece of literature, in which a particular topic is discussed thoroughly. It usually highlights the writer’s outlook, knowledge and experiences on that particular topic. It is a short literary work, which elucidates, argues and analyzes a specific topic.

The word essay is originated from the Latin term ‘exagium’ which means ‘presentation of a case’. Hence, writing an essay means to state the reasons or causes of something, or why something should be done or should be the case, which validates a particular viewpoint, analysis, experience, stories, facts or interpretation.

An essay is written with the intent to convince or inform the reader about something. Further, for writing an essay one needs to have good knowledge of the subject to explain the concept, thoroughly. If not so, the writer will end up repeating the same points again and again.

Components of the Essay

• Title : It should be a succinct statement of the proposition.
• Introduction : The introduction section of the essay, should be so interesting which instantly grabs the attention of the reader and makes them read the essay further. Hence, one can start with a quote to make it more thought-provoking.
• Body : In the main body of the essay, evidence or reasons in support of the writer’s ideas or arguments are provided. One should make sure that there is a sync in the paragraphs of the main body, as well as they,  should maintain a logical flow.
• Conclusion : In this part, the writer wraps up all the points in a summarized and simplified manner.

Key Differences Between Article and Essay

Upcoming points will discuss the difference between article and essay:

• An article refers to a written work, published in newspapers, journals, website, magazines etc, containing news or information, in a specific format. On the other hand, an essay is a continuous piece of writing, written with the aim of convincing the reader with the argument or merely informing the reader about the fact.
• An article is objective in the sense that it is based on facts and evidence, and simply describes the topic or narrate the event. As against, an essay is subjective, because it is based on fact or research-based opinion or outlook of a person on a specific topic. It analyses, argues and criticizes the topic.
• The tone used in an article is conversational, so as to make the article easy to understand and also keeping the interest of the reader intact. On the contrary, an essay uses educational and analytical tone.
• An article may contain headings, which makes it attractive and readable. In contrast, an essay does not have any headings, sections or bullet points, however, it is a coherent and organized form of writing.
• An article is always written with a definite objective, which is to inform or make the readers aware of something. Further, it is written to cater to a specific niche of audience. Conversely, an essay is written in response to a particular assertion or question. Moreover, it is not written with a specific group of readers in mind.
• An article is often supported by photographs, charts, statistics, graphs and tables. As opposed, an essay is not supported by any photographs, charts, or graphs.
• Citations and references are a must in case of an essay, whereas there is no such requirement in case of an article.

By and large, an article is meant to inform the reader about something, through news, featured stories, product descriptions, reports, etc. On the flip side, an essay offers an analysis of a particular topic, while reflecting a detailed account of a person’s view on it.

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Anna H. Smith says

November 15, 2020 at 6:21 pm

Great! Thank you for explaining the difference between an article and an academic essay so eloquently. Your information is so detailed and very helpful. it’s very educative, Thanks for sharing.

Sunita Singh says

December 12, 2020 at 7:11 am

Thank you! That’s quite helpful.

Saba Zia says

March 8, 2021 at 12:33 am

Great job!! Thank u for sharing this explanation and detailed difference between essay and article. It is really helpful.

Khushi Chaudhary says

February 7, 2021 at 2:38 pm

Thank you so much! It is really very easy to understand & helpful for my test.

Dury Frizza says

July 25, 2022 at 8:18 pm

Thanks a lot for sharing such a clear and easily understood explanation!!!!.

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Opinion | NPR suspends an editor for his essay blasting … NPR

The firestorm caused by Uri Berliner’s critical essay in The Free Press continues to rage

When a senior editor at NPR recently wrote a 3,500-word essay for another outlet, blasting where he works and saying that NPR had “lost America’s trust,” my first thought, quite frankly, was, “ … and he still works there?”

Well, it was learned on Tuesday that the editor in question, Uri Berliner, is currently serving a five-day suspension without pay. NPR media writer David Folkenflik reported the suspension began last week. Folkenflik wrote, “In presenting Berliner’s suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a ‘final warning,’ saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR’s policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR’s newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.”

Berliner, who has been at NPR for 25 years, wrote his scathing essay for the online news site The Free Press, a publication on Substack. Folkenflik described The Free Press as a “site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal.”

The suspension does not mean the firestorm created by Berliner’s essay has been suppressed. Folkenflik wrote, “Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner’s essay for the online news site The Free Press. It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network’s coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.”

The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin wrote , “After Mr. Berliner’s essay was published, NPR’s new chief executive, Katherine Maher, came under renewed scrutiny as conservative activists resurfaced a series of years-old social media posts criticizing former President Donald J. Trump and embracing progressive causes. One of the activists, Christopher Rufo, has pressured media organizations into covering controversies involving influential figures, such as the plagiarism allegations against Claudine Gay, the former Harvard president.”

Maher was not at NPR at the time of her posts and, furthermore, the CEO has no involvement in editorial decisions at the network.

But Berliner told Folkenflik in an interview on Monday, “We’re looking for a leader right now who’s going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about. And this seems to be the opposite of that.”

In a statement earlier this week, Maher said, “In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen. What matters is NPR’s work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests.”

As far as Berliner’s essay, many, particularly inside NPR, are pushing back against his various assertions, including that NPR has a liberal bias.

Mullin wrote for the Times, “Several NPR employees have urged the network’s leaders to more forcefully renounce Mr. Berliner’s claims in his essay. Edith Chapin, NPR’s top editor, said in a statement last week that managers ‘strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism,’ adding that the network was ‘proud to stand behind’ its work.”

Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor for standards and practices, pushed back against specific claims made by Berliner and told the Times, “To somehow think that we were driven by politics is both wrong and unfair.”

NPR TV critic Eric Deggans tweeted , “Many things wrong w/terrible Berliner column on NPR, including not observing basic fairness. Didn’t seek comment from NPR before publishing. Didn’t mention many things which could detract from his conclusions. Set up staffers of color as scapegoats.”

So what happens now? Will Berliner be in further trouble for criticizing the CEO in an interview with Folkenflik, his NPR colleague?

Berliner told Folkenflik, “Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think.”

I urge you to check out Folkenflik’s piece for all the details. And, by the way, kudos to Folkenflik for his strong reporting on his own newsroom.

CNN’s response

In Tuesday’s newsletter , I wrote how “King Charles” — the limited series featuring Gayle King and Charles Barkley — has ended after 14 shows. I wrote that the network had “pulled the plug” on the show.

CNN said that description was inaccurate and that I was wrong in framing it the way I did.

While I did say that CNN announced from the beginning that the show was a limited series, I also wrote that the show reached its ending “a little ahead of time.” The network, however, said it was clear all along that the show was scheduled to end in the spring, that it is spring right now, and the show was not canceled early.

A CNN spokesperson told me, “‘King Charles’ has come to the end of its limited run, as we announced when it launched last fall that it would run through spring. The show was a great addition to CNN’s lineup, with the youngest, most affluent, and most diverse P2+ audience in its cable news time period and brought new audiences to CNN. It’s inaccurate to report that the show was canceled as it went through its full run and duration of the limited series. We hope to work with both of these incredible talents in the future as they balance their very busy schedules.”

With the NBA playoffs about to begin, Barkley is about to head into extra duty at his main job as studio analyst for TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”

The show’s average viewership was under a half million and lagged behind competitors Fox News and MSNBC, but CNN said it was pleased that the King-Barkley broadcast brought new audiences to CNN. It pointed to this statistic from Nielsen via Npower that said 43% of the “King Charles” audience was nonwhite, compared to 7% for Fox News and 27% for MSNBC during that Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern hour.

Smartmatic and OAN settle suit

Smartmatic, the voting technology company, and One America News, the far-right TV network, have settled their lawsuit. Smartmatic was suing OAN, claiming the network lied that the company rigged the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden and against Donald Trump.

Neither side disclosed the terms of the settlement.

Smartmatic still has pending lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax. And OAN is still facing a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. That’s the company that Fox News settled with out of court a year ago by agreeing to pay Dominion a whopping $787.5 million.

Missing at the Masters

According to Sports TV Ratings , Sunday’s final round of The Masters golf tournament on CBS averaged 9.58 million viewers, which was down 20% from last year’s final round, which averaged 12.05 million. This shouldn’t be a surprise. This year’s final round lacked drama, with winner Scottie Scheffler pretty much in control throughout the day.

Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis noted that in the past three decades, only COVID-era Masters in 2020 (5.64 million) and 2021 (9.54 million) had fewer viewers. Those were the least-viewed Masters since 1993.

But Lewis also points out, “As one would expect, the final round of the Masters still ranks as the most-watched golf telecast and one of the most-watched sporting events of the past year — placing ahead of four of five World Series games and every Daytona 500 since 2017. It also goes without saying that the Masters dominated all other weekend sporting events.”

Just for fun, however, I will mention that the 9.58 million was nowhere near the number of viewers (18.7 million) that watched the NCAA women’s college basketball final between South Carolina and Iowa (and star Caitlin Clark) one week earlier on a Sunday afternoon.

Other media notes, tidbits and interesting links …

• Speaking of Clark, Tom Kludt writes for Vanity Fair: “Behind the Scenes With Caitlin Clark on WNBA Draft Day: ‘I Definitely Know There’s Eyeballs on Me.’”
• Axios’ Sara Fischer with “Dozens of Alden newspapers run coordinated editorials slamming Google.”
• For the Los Angeles Times, Greg Braxton and Carolyn Cole with “What ‘Civil War’ gets right and wrong about photojournalism, according to a Pulitzer Prize winner.”
• For The Washington Post, Dave Barry, Angela Garbes, Melissa Fay Greene, John Grogan and Charles Yu with “How does the election feel around the country? 5 writers capture the vibe.” Barry, as always looking at things a bit differently, writes, “Greetings from the Sunshine State! The mood down here, as we anticipate the 2024 presidential election, is one of hopefulness. Specifically, we’re hoping that a large, previously undetected meteor will strike the planet before November.”
• For NPR and “Morning Edition,” Elizabeth Blair with “50 years ago, ‘Come and Get Your Love’ put Native culture on the bandstand.”

More resources for journalists

• Thursday webinar : Covering transgender issues with authority and accuracy.
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Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] .

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, sign up here .

How a longtime local film critic’s death represents the great dissolve of local film criticism

Bryan VanCampen of The Ithaca Times was an institution in the central New York college town of 32,000. He might have been the last of his kind.

Opinion | An NPR editor is now a former NPR editor after his resignation

Uri Berliner, an NPR business editor who wrote a scathing essay about his organization in another publication, no longer works at NPR.

No, Stormy Daniels didn’t ‘exonerate’ Donald Trump

The adult film actor denied she had an affair with Trump in a 2018 statement. She has since recanted that statement.

Taylor Swift has not endorsed Joe Biden for president

As of mid-April 2024, Swift has not issued a public endorsement for the 2024 presidential election, despite social posts claiming otherwise

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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NPR Suspends Editor Whose Essay Criticized the Broadcaster

Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at NPR, said the public radio network’s liberal bias had tainted its coverage of important stories.

By Benjamin Mullin

NPR has suspended Uri Berliner, the senior business editor who broke ranks and published an essay arguing that the nonprofit radio network had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage.

Mr. Berliner was suspended by the network for five days, starting Friday, for violating the network’s policy against doing work outside the organization without first getting permission.

Mr. Berliner acknowledged his suspension in an interview with NPR on Monday , providing one of the network’s reporters with a copy of the written rebuke. In presenting the warning, NPR said Mr. Berliner had failed to clear his work for outside outlets, adding that he would be fired if he violated the policy again.

Mr. Berliner’s essay was published last week in The Free Press, a popular Substack publication.

He declined to comment about the suspension. NPR said it did not comment on personnel matters.

The revelation of Mr. Berliner’s punishment is the latest aftershock to rattle NPR since he published his essay. Employees at the public radio network were taken aback by Mr. Berliner’s public condemnation of the broadcaster, and several have said they no longer trust him because of his remarks. Mr. Berliner told The New York Times last week that he did not reach out to the network before publishing his essay.

After Mr. Berliner’s essay was published, NPR’s new chief executive, Katherine Maher, came under renewed scrutiny as conservative activists resurfaced a series of years-old social media posts criticizing former President Donald J. Trump and embracing progressive causes. One of the activists, Christopher Rufo, has pressured media organizations into covering controversies involving influential figures, such as the plagiarism allegations against Claudine Gay, the former Harvard president.

NPR said on Monday that Ms. Maher’s social media posts were written long before she was named chief executive of NPR, and that she was not working in the news industry at the time. NPR also said that while she managed the business side of the nonprofit, she was not involved in its editorial process. Ms. Maher said in a statement that “in America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen.”

Several NPR employees have urged the network’s leaders to more forcefully renounce Mr. Berliner’s claims in his essay. Edith Chapin, NPR’s top editor, said in a statement last week that managers “strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism,” adding that the network was “proud to stand behind” its work.

Some employees have begun to speak out. Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor for standards and practices, took issue with many of Mr. Berliner’s claims in an interview with The Times on Tuesday, saying Mr. Berliner’s essay mischaracterized NPR’s coverage of crucial stories.

Mr. Cavin said NPR’s coverage of Covid-19, one of the lines of reporting that Mr. Berliner criticized, was in step with reporting from other mainstream news organizations at the time. The coverage, he said, attributed the origins of the virus to a market in Wuhan, China. He also defended NPR’s coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, another area Mr. Berliner focused on, noting that Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating the issue, concluded that Russian state actors had made attempts to sway the election.

Mr. Cavin also pointed out that NPR had no way to verify early articles about Hunter Biden’s laptop after the story broke but pursued follow-up stories examining the situation. Mr. Berliner wrote that NPR had “turned a blind eye” to the story about Mr. Biden’s laptop.

“To somehow think that we were driven by politics is both wrong and unfair,” Mr. Cavin said.

Benjamin Mullin reports on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact Ben securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or email at [email protected] . More about Benjamin Mullin

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between an expository essay and an argumentative essay.

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

Frequently asked questions: Writing an essay

For a stronger conclusion paragraph, avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the main body
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

Your essay’s conclusion should contain:

• A rephrased version of your overall thesis
• A brief review of the key points you made in the main body
• An indication of why your argument matters

The conclusion may also reflect on the broader implications of your argument, showing how your ideas could applied to other contexts or debates.

The conclusion paragraph of an essay is usually shorter than the introduction . As a rule, it shouldn’t take up more than 10–15% of the text.

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

Let’s say you’re writing a five-paragraph  essay about the environmental impacts of dietary choices. Here are three examples of topic sentences you could use for each of the three body paragraphs :

• Research has shown that the meat industry has severe environmental impacts.
• However, many plant-based foods are also produced in environmentally damaging ways.
• It’s important to consider not only what type of diet we eat, but where our food comes from and how it is produced.

Each of these sentences expresses one main idea – by listing them in order, we can see the overall structure of the essay at a glance. Each paragraph will expand on the topic sentence with relevant detail, evidence, and arguments.

The topic sentence usually comes at the very start of the paragraph .

However, sometimes you might start with a transition sentence to summarize what was discussed in previous paragraphs, followed by the topic sentence that expresses the focus of the current paragraph.

Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument.

In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.

You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.

Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.

Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

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Politics | Illinois House OKs measure to give mental…

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Politics | Illinois House OKs measure to give mental health workers called to emergencies the same benefits as other first responders

SPRINGFIELD — Lawmakers are moving ahead with a measure that would make mental health professionals who get sent on emergency calls alongside law enforcement eligible for the same benefits as other first responders if they’re also hurt in the line of duty.

Mental health advocates for years have pushed for a more holistic approach to many emergency calls by having police officers team up with social workers, clinicians or similar practitioners to help quell potentially volatile situations.

When that approach is in practice, mental health workers should be entitled to the same benefits as the police officers who are putting their lives on the line, said state Rep. Lilian Jiménez, the main sponsor of the bill in the House.

“We’re really doing one thing and that is extending benefits to all crisis responders. We’re extending disability benefits, death duty benefits, burial benefits,” Jiménez, a Chicago Democrat, said during House debate on Tuesday. “We’re talking about situations where people are intervening in a crisis situation and we just want to make sure that the benefits that local municipalities (provide) are equal across the board to crisis responders.”

Under the legislation, the mental health professionals are defined as those persons “employed and dispatched by a unit of local government to respond to crisis calls received on public emergency service lines instead of or in conjunction with law enforcement.”

Jiménez’s bill passed through the Democrat-controlled House on a 80-27 vote and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2022 signed into law a measure that would eventually create a pilot program for social workers or other mental health professionals to work with police officers during mental health-related emergencies. The pilot was initially intended for Peoria, Waukegan, East St. Louis and Springfield. In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has made its own version of the program permanent through its Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, or CARE, team.

While a handful of House Republicans  joined Democrats in voting for the benefits bill, some expressed opposition during the floor debate.

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, a Republican from Beecher City, questioned whether the co-responders — who are not trained as police officers — receive any law enforcement training “since they’re going to be on the front lines.”

“It’s important if we’re going to be putting these folks in these positions where we feel the need to have legislation for line of duty benefits that they would receive that training,” Wilhour said.

Jiménez did not respond with any specific training information.

State Rep. Jackie Haas, a Republican from Bourbonnais, said she thought the bill lacked clarity as to whether certain other “mobile” teams doing the same work as first responders would be entitled to the same benefits.

“If we’re looking at municipalities doing that too, I think we need to coordinate the effort before we move forward with this because we’re talking about the same types of entities and the same professionals having very different benefits,” Haas said. “And I think we need to do a little bit more work on that.”

House Republican leader Tony McCombie, of Savanna, who chose not to vote on the bill, questioned why workers from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services weren’t part of the measure. She referred to DCFS employees, Pamela Sue Knight and Deidre Silas, who were killed during the performance of their duties at home visits in recent years.

Jiménez told McCombie that DCFS workers were in a “separate category.”

Democratic state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, of Chicago, acknowledged that the co-responder measure signed by Pritzker has been slow to get off the ground but said she supported the benefits legislation.

“Let’s stick to the topic and make sure that folks who are accompanying law enforcement on these crisis calls have the same protections that they have,” Cassidy said.

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We can’t stop Highway 1 from crumbling into the sea. Here’s why

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Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 17 . Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• Highway 1 update and why we can’t stop it from crumbling into the sea
• The Supreme Court casts doubt on obstruction charges against hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters
• See James Dean’s apartment and more on the new TCM tour at Warner Bros.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

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Built to spill: Why we can’t stop Highway 1 from crumbling into the sea

We have an update on Highway 1, which has been closed south of the Rocky Creek Bridge after a landslide sent part of the cliff and road into the Pacific Ocean.

State transportation officials closed about a mile of the highway March 31, initially stranding more than 1,000 tourists and residents. Supervised convoys have been running through the area ever since.

The California Department of Transportation anticipates that the affected section will reopen by Memorial Day , though with limited capacity. Drivers in both directions will take turns using the northbound lane via a 24/7 traffic signal.

Meanwhile, Caltrans crews will be reinforcing the road and cliffside with rock dowels — giant screw-like anchors used to stabilize weakened rocks — then fill the lost chunk by spraying shotcrete.

Roadway stabilization work on #Hwy1 at Rocky Creek now scheduled to be completed by Memorial Day May 27. Completion will allow for installation of temporary signal system and 24/7 alternating one-way traffic control. Crews at work this week installing stabilizing anchors. pic.twitter.com/pU78KxrybO — Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) April 12, 2024

Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed the affected area and determined that the damage was caused by a common rockfall.

“The good news is that researchers didn’t see a larger landslide at work, which would suggest greater instability in the surrounding area,” my colleague Grace Toohey reported this week . “The bad news is that it’s an ongoing challenge to predict where and when another rockfall could happen along Highway 1 — the stretch of highway that the USGS considers most vulnerable to coastal erosion in California.”

That challenge was there before the highway fully opened in 1937. A Times reporter chronicling the progress of what was then referred to as the Carmel-San Simeon Highway said road builders had “invaded the last coastal frontier in California.”

“It will result in a masterpiece of highway construction,” the reporter wrote in 1935. “Our new scenic and spectacular coast highway … is destined to become a touring Mecca of America.”

But chunks of this “masterpiece” have a tendency to fall into the sea. A historical report presented to Caltrans in 2001 documented more than 50 closures on Highway 1 between 1935 and 2000. Most were for landslides and debris flows, plus a few wildfires.

Since 2009, approximately 50 slides have been recorded in the stretch between Monterey and San Simeon, according to Caltrans spokesperson Chris Clark.

The same features that give the Central California coastline its majestic views also make it volatile.

As Gary Griggs, a professor of earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz, explained, that is mainly because California is young — in a geological sense — and still settling in.

“It’s where two giant tectonic plates have collided for millions of years,” he told me this month. “We have a very active landscape, weak rocks and very steep slopes along the Big Sur coast that have been and will continue to be impacted by intense rainfall, often after fires, and also wave attack along the shoreline.”

It’s not as if Caltrans is not aware of this.

“Over a long period of time (from the mid-1930s to the present), road closures have been one of the few constants of life in Big Sur,” historical consultants noted in a report presented to the agency in 2001 . “The historic record suggests that closures will continue into the future on a reasonably predictable basis, with major closures coming in clusters that coincide with wet weather patterns and summertime fire events.”

So what is Caltrans doing about it? It will continue to rebuild and repair the parts of Highway 1 that crumble away, Clark said, but “make it more adaptable and more resilient to climate change.”

“There are few, if any, more iconic routes, not just in California but anywhere in the world,” Clark said. “It’s the Main Street of Big Sur. What this road means to the local economy, to the people of this region and to our pride as Californians is simply invaluable.”

What do those adaptive designs look like? Clark said Caltrans is installing larger culverts “to enable the passage of increased flows,” adding “debris catchments” to prevent clogged drainage systems and “looking toward nature-based solutions about designing ways to let nature do what nature wants to do safely.”

I asked Griggs, whose research focuses on coastal hazards and engineering responses, about the state’s solutions so far. He called Caltrans’ seemingly constant repair work “a Band-Aid” that will never fix the uncontrollable force that is nature.

“[Fixes] may last months or years, but failure will occur elsewhere during the next major storm,” he said. “A changing climate will produce hotter, drier summers, which makes the landscape more prone to wildland fires, and also more concentrated winter rainfall and runoff that will lead to more frequent landslides and debris flows.”

And the cost of all those repairs adds up. A list of nearly 50 projects shared by Caltrans totals more than $400 million since 2009. Storm repair work along Highway 1 in 2021 reportedly cost $11 million, while the major incident in 2023 that has kept a southern section of Highway 1 closed for more than a year has an estimated price tag of $88 million, Caltrans told the San Francisco Chronicle .

Griggs floated the idea of making Highway 1 a toll road, like what’s in place to access the similarly scenic 17-Mile Drive. Charging the millions of motorists estimated to drive Highway 1 each year “could raise some serious repair money,” he said.

And if Highway 1 is to stay open (sometimes) as the risks of its already-risky terrain intensify during a growing climate crisis, it’s going to need all the money it can get.

Today’s top stories

Housing for the homeless

• L.A. Mayor Karen Bass urges business and philanthropic leaders to help fund housing for homeless people .
• Sun Valley housing project offers stability to homeless families in LAUSD .
• A controversial landlord wants to buy six more troubled Skid Row properties .
• Coachella is bigger than ever. Where to find the best food spots for Weekend 2 .
• The best moments of Coachella 2024 in photos .
• The 15 best things we saw .
• Caitlin Clark is worth millions. Why will she only make $76,535 in the WNBA?
• The Clark show is coming to the WNBA : 36 of Fever’s 40 games will be on national TV.
• After Clark is drafted at No. 1, Sparks select Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson .

More big stories

• USC valedictorian’s graduation speech is canceled: ‘The university has betrayed me.’
• Renters across L.A. are under strain and many fear becoming homeless, survey finds.
• O.J. Simpson never paid the Goldmans the millions he owed them. Can they finally collect?
• Abortion ban has supercharged Arizona politics . What will GOP legislators do?
• Former L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar is granted a delay for his 13-year prison term .
• He shot an 18-year-old in the back of the head. A jury couldn’t decide if it was murder .
• Women at a California prison dubbed the ‘rape club’ worry where they’ll be transferred .
• The Supreme Court casts doubt on obstruction charges against hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters.
• News publishers’ alliance calls on feds to investigate Google for limiting California links.
• The EV market is in trouble: The latest sign is Tesla layoffs .
• Disneyland’s plan to expand and reimagine the park with new rides and hotels goes to a vote.
• Carl Erskine , Dodgers pitcher in both Brooklyn and L.A., has died at 97.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here .

Commentary and opinions

• Michael Hiltzik: With his Truth Social stock, Trump may be laughing all the way to the bank — but his investors have reason to weep.
• Anita Chabria: Paris Hilton came to talk about ‘abuse disguised as therapy.’ We both teared up.
• Editorial Board: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn’t a climate emergency, what is?
• Meredith Blake: ‘The Golden Bachelor’ divorce turns a TV success story into a cautionary tale .
• Robin Abcarian: A disconcerting wave of crime in Venice, caught on camera .

Today’s great reads

This trans author toured red-state libraries. What she found might surprise you . “The goal of My Red-State Library Tour was to defend an institution I loved and to send the message that the book bans are a fascist-style campaign of cultural erasure, which our media has failed to grasp,” Diana Goetsch writes. “I don’t know if I succeeded, though I would love for there to be copycats — other authors who travel to libraries to speak, repaying the favors they do for us.”

Other great reads

• ‘It’s the best job ever’: ‘Family Guy’ cast reflects on 25 years of irreverent humor .
• Did you feel that L.A. earthquake? Here’s why you might be a ‘never-feeler.’
• It’s time for an Oscar for stunts. ‘The Fall Guy’ is the best argument for it .
• 1 million Mexican Americans were deported a century ago. A new L.A. audio tour explores this ‘hidden’ history .

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected] .

For your downtime

• 🌼 This iconic wildflower spot can be dazzling . Is it worth the trek from L.A. this year?
• 🍴The team behind Michelin-recognized Liu’s Cafe opens an ode to modern Korean favorites .
• 🎥 Classic film lovers: See James Dean’s apartment and more on the new TCM tour at Warner Bros.
• 📕He wasn’t a crier, but then his wife died — and the tears wouldn’t stop. How one father found his way forward .
• 📺 Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough shine in Hulu’s dark true-crime drama ‘Under the Bridge.’
• 🥦 Here’s a recipe for broccoli with pumpkin seed jazz .
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games .

And finally ... a great photo

Show us your favorite place in California! We’re running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Christina House at the first weekend of Coachella .

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter Defne Karabatur, fellow Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor and Saturday reporter Christian Orozco, assistant editor Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

Check our top stories , topics and the latest articles on latimes.com .

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Ryan Fonseca writes the Los Angeles Times’ Essential California newsletter. A lifelong SoCal native, he has worked in a diverse mix of newsrooms across L.A. County, including radio, documentary, print and television outlets. Most recently, he was an associate editor for LAist.com and KPCC-FM (89.3) public radio, covering transportation and mobility. He returns to The Times after previously working as an assistant web editor for Times Community News, where he helped manage the websites and social media presence of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun. Fonseca studied journalism at Cal State Northridge, where he now teaches the next generation of journalists to develop their voice and digital skills.

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