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Aden Worsham
Richman
ENC 1101 Comp 1
9/4/2016
Fact or Fiction
When the Orlando Shooting happened people needed to know what was going on. There
were speculations how many shooters there were, how many casualties there were, and what had
happened to the shooter. They needed a reliable source to get their information from. This
informative article by Ralph Ellis delivers. He uses credible sources and logical reasoning to give
you the necessary information to help the reader understand what is happening. The information
is solid and non-negotiable. The author also has neither an agenda or bias while writing this
article.
The reader goes into the article unsure about what has happened, when, and how. The
facts are simply given, without fluff or filler. An American born man whod pledged allegiance
to ISIS gunned down 49 people early Sunday at a gay nightclub in Orlando. That single
sentence, although full of controversial topics, was factual and to the point. Throughout this
article the writer paints a chronological picture leading up to, during, and after the attack.
The author quotes many people and gets their position on the subject to better the readers
understanding without putting any sway in the readers mind. The quotes used are very straight
forward and not one sided. We know enough to say this is an act of terror and act of hate,
President Obama said in an address to the nation from the White House. This direct quote from

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President Obama has no speculation or allegation by the author. The shooters mental state and
religious beliefs are claimed by his wife, but are not used as evidence towards any claim or
controversy. Although mentioning that the shooter, Omar Mateen, was religious. Ellis also quotes
both Mateens ex-wife and parents as saying that they do not believe religion had anything to do
with the shooting. Amongst all of the political, sexual, and religious controversies in this article,
the author stays true to the formality of the article.
The article does not feel like a way of using controversy to get people to read it. There is
no ridiculous title or main point, and the information is not skewed or said in a way that would
make the reader think anything but what is stated. There are many opportunities to make claims
towards his religion or sexuality, that could entice more people to read the article, but the author
does not stoop down to such techniques. This article is written without any of the slander that
now comes pre-written in most stories online today. Ellis makes it hard to quote a point where he
uses filler words or meaningless information to get word counts or ratings.
After reading the article I do not feel changed in my opinions or my beliefs about the
topic. It was not meant to be persuasive and it did a good job of recognizing what it could and
could say. Ellis keeps the language in the article very formal and impartial. The claims were
few and far between, and the facts were in steady supply. I was unable to get the writers stance
on the shooting simply because it is not apparent in the article. This article does a very good job
at sticking to the meaning of informative.
While reading this entire article, The reader is gaining knowledge about an event without
the author subliminally planting opinions in the facts. The only claims made, were the ones made
by outside sources. It didnt feel as though any bias was shown. You sat down to read an
informative article about a shooting in Orlando, and that is exactly what happened. The reader

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comes out of reading the article with the information to form their own opinions on the Shooting.
This is a well written article worth a read from anyone who wants more understanding of the
Orlando shooting without the usual fluff that is put into most articles today.
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