WRIT 300 CPA Discourse Community Investigation (A2: Research ✓ Solved

WRIT 300 CPA Discourse Community Investigation (A2: Research

WRIT 300 CPA Discourse Community Investigation (A2: Research) Audience: Your instructor and other members of your discourse community. Purpose: Answer the research questions: “How does my discourse community communicate? What are commonly used genres in my community?” Length: 6+ pages and References. Instructions: Research a minimum of five different genres used by an organization within your discourse community (examples: press releases, advertising materials, websites, memos, reports, scholarly articles, social media feeds, job ads, program descriptions). Include a References page in the style of your field. Step One: Locate an organization or institution in your field. Step Two: Examine the genres used by the organization. Step Three: Draft an informative paper showcasing your research that: A) Identifies each genre and its general conventions; B) Explains how the discourse community adopts each genre (purpose, information, jargon/content, include textual evidence and citation); C) Concludes by reflecting on how the community spreads information to members. Writer’s Revision Memo: Describe research process (difficulty finding sources, where you looked, most useful sources), plan to revise the draft, and what you would do differently if starting over.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

This paper investigates how a specific discourse community—nonprofit emergency response organizations—communicates internally and externally through distinct genres. I focus on the American Red Cross (ARC) as a representative organization and analyze six commonly used genres: press releases, website content (homepage and program pages), annual reports, training manuals/curriculum materials, social media posts (Twitter/X), and fundraising emails/newsletters. For each genre I identify conventions, explain how the ARC adapts the genre to community needs, and cite textual evidence from ARC materials and scholarship on genre and nonprofit communication (Swales, 1990; Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012).

Organization Context

The American Red Cross is a national nonprofit disaster relief and preparedness organization that communicates with diverse audiences: volunteers, donors, survivors, policy partners, and the general public. Its communication strategies must be timely, authoritative, and actionable to coordinate relief and maintain public trust (American Red Cross, 2024a).

Genre 1: Press Releases

Conventions: Press releases are concise, inverted-pyramid documents that present the most newsworthy information first, include quotations from spokespeople, datelines, contact information, and often a boilerplate describing the organization (Swales, 1990). They use formal, objective language and are time-stamped.

ARC adaptation: The Red Cross issues press releases to announce disaster deployments, blood shortages, and partnerships. For example, ARC press releases open with the immediate action (deployment or appeal), include quotes from leaders, and provide links for volunteering or donating (American Red Cross, 2024b). This makes clear the purpose (inform media/public and prompt action) and situates the release within the emergency-response discourse community via specific jargon (e.g., “shelter operations,” “response teams”) and contact protocols.

Genre 2: Website Content (Homepage and Program Pages)

Conventions: Organizational websites combine multiple micro-genres—landing pages, FAQs, program descriptions, and calls to action. Conventions include navigable headings, clear CTAs (call-to-action), metadata for indexing, and accessible language for broad audiences (Bhatia, 1993).

ARC adaptation: The ARC homepage foregrounds urgent CTAs ("Donate," "Find a Blood Drive," "Get Trained") and uses modular sections for services and news (American Red Cross, 2024a). Program pages provide structured information—eligibility, locations, sign-up forms—demonstrating community expectations for usability and immediate action. The site’s language mixes lay explanations with specialized terms (e.g., "mass care") to serve both public and practitioner audiences.

Genre 3: Annual Reports

Conventions: Annual reports are formal, retrospective documents that present organizational accomplishments, metrics, financial summaries, and narratives; they often include infographics, audited figures, and donor recognition (Bazerman, 2004).

ARC adaptation: The ARC annual report compiles response statistics, financial breakdowns, and success stories to reassure donors, regulators, and partners (American Red Cross, 2023). Its conventions—data tables, narrative vignettes, audited summaries—support accountability and community memory. The use of domain-specific metrics (e.g., number of meals served, disaster deployments) signals membership in the emergency-response discourse community.

Genre 4: Training Manuals and Curriculum Materials

Conventions: Manuals and curricula use step-by-step procedures, standard terminologies, safety protocols, assessment rubrics, and instructional diagrams. They are designed for reproducibility and standardization across trainers and trainees (Bhatia, 1993).

ARC adaptation: Red Cross first aid/CPR and disaster volunteer curricula present standardized procedures, skill-checklists, and certification requirements, enabling volunteers across regions to perform consistent tasks (American Red Cross, 2024c). Jargon appears in protocols (e.g., "compressions," "triage") but is coupled with plain-language explanations to train non-experts. These documents facilitate knowledge transmission and operational readiness across the community.

Genre 5: Social Media Posts (Twitter/X)

Conventions: Social posts favor brevity, timely updates, hashtags, links, and conversational tone; they are designed for rapid dissemination and two-way engagement (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012; Waters et al., 2009).

ARC adaptation: The Red Cross uses Twitter/X to post urgent alerts (shelter locations, blood shortages), recruit volunteers, and amplify fundraising campaigns (American Red Cross, 2024d). Posts mix calls to action with situational updates and multimedia; hashtags and tagging connect the ARC to broader disaster conversations. Social media allows the community to mobilize quickly and engage supporters directly.

Genre 6: Fundraising Emails and Newsletters

Conventions: Fundraising emails use personalized salutations, narratives that create emotional connection, concise asks, and clear donation links. They balance storytelling and accountability to cultivate donor trust (Sargeant & Lee, 2004).

ARC adaptation: Red Cross fundraising emails often open with a vivid story of a family affected by a disaster, followed by a direct donation ask and impact metrics; they conclude with unsubscribe options and contact information (American Red Cross, 2024e). The use of mission-centric language and donor-centered framing positions readers as community partners.

Analysis: How Genres Spread Information within the Discourse Community

The ARC’s multi-genre communication strategy ensures that information reaches varied audiences through appropriate channels: press releases for media and partners, website pages for public service and resources, annual reports for accountability to donors and regulators, manuals for operational consistency among volunteers, social media for rapid mobilization, and emails for fundraising and relationship maintenance. Each genre uses conventions—structure, tone, and content—that align with audience expectations and community norms (Swales, 1990; Bhatia, 1993). Jargon and specialized metrics mark texts as part of the emergency-response discourse, while accessibility choices (plain-language explanations, CTAs) broaden uptake.

Conclusion

In sum, the American Red Cross adopts a genre-rich communication ecosystem that balances immediacy, authority, and relational messaging. Genres function as tools for coordination, persuasion, education, and accountability; together they enable the ARC to inform members, mobilize volunteers, secure resources, and maintain public trust. Understanding these genres reveals how the discourse community negotiates expertise and access across public and professional spheres.

Writer’s Revision Memo

Research process: I located sources using the American Red Cross official website, the organization's annual report PDF, public press releases, and the Red Cross X/Twitter account. I supplemented organization materials with scholarship on genre theory (Swales, Bhatia) and nonprofit communication studies (Lovejoy & Saxton; Waters et al.). Finding documents on the ARC site was straightforward for press releases, web pages, and training information; locating an accessible, current annual report required navigating the site’s archival pages. Academic literature was found through the university library and Google Scholar.

Planned revisions: I will strengthen textual evidence by quoting brief excerpts from a specific press release and a newsletter (with exact dates and links) to satisfy the requirement for textual evidence. I will add subheadings linking each genre to specific community audiences (volunteers, donors, media) and will refine transitions to improve flow. I will also cross-check APA citations for accuracy.

If I restarted: I would choose a narrower focus—either internal communication (memos, training, volunteer manuals) or external communication (press releases, social media, fundraising)—to allow deeper textual analysis of fewer genres. I would also gather screenshots and archived email examples (with permissions) to include primary textual excerpts.

References

  • American Red Cross. (2024a). About us. https://www.redcross.org/about-us.html
  • American Red Cross. (2024b). News and events: Press releases. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-releases.html
  • American Red Cross. (2023). 2023 annual report. https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/annual-reports/2023-annual-report.pdf
  • American Red Cross. (2024c). Take a class: First aid/CPR/AED. https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class
  • American Red Cross. (2024d). Red Cross (Twitter/X) account. https://twitter.com/RedCross
  • American Red Cross. (2024e). Email/newsletter and donation pages. https://www.redcross.org/donate
  • Bhatia, V. K. (1993). Analysing genre: Language use in professional settings. Longman.
  • Bazerman, C. (2004). Speech acts, genres, and activity systems: A perspective from writing research. In C. Bazerman & P. Prior (Eds.), What writing does and how it does it (pp. 309–339). Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community, and action: How nonprofit organizations use social media. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(3), 337–353.
  • Waters, R. D., Burnett, E., Lamm, A., & Lucas, J. (2009). Engaging stakeholders through social media: A framework for public relations practice. Public Relations Review, 35(2), 123–126.
  • Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.
  • Sargeant, A., & Lee, S. (2004). Donor trust and relationship commitment in charitable giving. Journal of Business Research, 57(8), 1369–1378.

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