Define writing- information rich articles in newspapers; formal writing in contracts; aesthetic and expressive forms such as poetry, music composing and narratives.
All types of writing specialize in their own genre and niche and would definitely not be as effective or applicable in other categories. It would be too simplistic to base a writing’s significance or superiority relative to the others based on a set criteria as all of them are unique in their functions. Therefore, I am more inclined to believe that all types of writing are of equal standing although it is understandable that some of them are more applicable today where information is key, whereas the creative and imaginative aspect of writing are not appreciated as much.
The effectiveness of a writing form is dependent on the type of genre they are applied to and it would be extremely unfair to judge which form is more superior based on any common set of criteria. The various writing forms are engineered to cater to different purposes and fulfill unique objectives. It is illogical to subjugate a type of writing to other forms based on the appeal to different target audiences as well as their distinctive roles in society. In news, the primary objective of the journalistic form of writing would be to provide a clear and direct source of information that can be easily digested, perfect for those who can scan through information and read for the sake of obtaining knowledge about current events. This form of writing is very applicable today where large amount of information and data are concise into mere pages, taking into consideration the limited reading time one has. The aforementioned news style of writing would not fit into poetry or music composing which primarily acts as a platform for expression and entertainment. It is fallacious for both types of writing to compete in the first place as both of them are specifically made to specialize in their own sphere.
Also, the determination of the effectiveness of a writing form is dependent on the skill of the writer rather than the type of writing as the former plays an integral part in the quality of the piece of writing. Regardless of any type of writing, its effectiveness of achieving its intended effect would be downplayed so long as the author lacks the capacity to express his thoughts in written form due to his inadequate mastery of the language.
Those who believe in the superiority of certain writing types may argue that the journalistic and persuasive style of writing are more applicable today in a globalized world while poems and novels are considered to be less relevant. The former is omnipresent and is used in both traditional and new media. Big businesses rely on them to gleam valuable insights from current events and how certain action plans and decisions would have to be tweaked to accommodate changes around the world. Earlier this year, the news regarding the unprecedented fall of oil prices had to be explicitly and clearly conveyed with short succinct sentences without flowery language that will distract data analysts and cause certain misinterpretation by those that are unable to appreciate complex linguistic styles. Yet, the practicality of journalistic and persuasive writing is more suited to the political and business arena. However, that does not justify that the artistic form of writing should be neglected. There is currently a global shift towards the emphasis of knowledge and information. However, it would be extremely parochial to assume that it would remain that way and that the arts would always be subjugated and play the lesser role in our lives. Singapore hosts an annual national poetry festival at the Laselle College of the Arts which promotes literary excellence in a multicultural and multilingual setting for poetry lovers. Therefore, while we focus primarily on refining our ability to write in a way that deals with objectivity, it would also be wise not to neglect the type of writing that explores the beauty of the language.
