ConsumerReports.org

ConsumerReports.org is the companion website to the venerable 66-year-old magazine.  The non-profit organization states its purpose simply:  "Our mission since 1936: Test, Inform, Protect.  We accept no ads."   The site, like the magazine, provides detailed information on a wide variety products that their researchers buy in retail stores and test against one another.  The key to their success is their claim to unique,  "unbiased" consumer advice.

Much of the information on ConsumerReports.org is for subscribers only. You can browse through "Free Highlights" on both the website and in the electronic version of the magazine's current issue.   By reading some of the free material, you will get a good idea of the site's services and presentation style.  Click on "See a sample report" under "Ratings" to learn how their assessment process works.

In order to assess goods accurately, Consumer Reports' testers must compare and contrast each product with related products.  Empirical observation, which includes finding similarities and differences between objects, is at the core of Consumer Reports' testing method.  Because its audience is comprised of consumers who have to make choices between products, the organization must test merchandise against other merchandise.   As a result, the reviews and reports often use Comparison/Contrast as a primary method of development.  Notice how the writing presents both whole-by-whole comparisons and point-by-point comparisons to provide comprehensive and easily understood material.  Pay careful attention to how the rhetorical strategy is crucial to every stage of Consumer Reports' intended purpose of "testing," "informing," and "protecting."


Visit ConsumerReports.org

Q & A

1. Click on "See a Sample Report" under "Ratings" on ConsumerReports.org's main page.  Skim through the sample report on refrigerators.  You will see marginal notes that describe how the report works.   How do the notes describe the rating and reporting process?  How and where does Comparison/Contrast come into play?  How do the notes emphasize the importance of this rhetorical strategy?  In one or two paragraphs, explain and analyze some of the marginal notes for your instructor.



2. Examine the rating chart in the sample report on refrigerators.  Notice how the chart includes both whole-by-whole and point-by-point comparisons of different kinds of refrigerators.  After reviewing the chart, go back to the "Recommendations" section of the report.  How does this section synthesize the chart information to make a recommendation?  Is the writing in the recommendation as effective as the chart in conveying information?  Why or why not?  In one or two paragraphs, offer an analysis of the chart vs. the recommendation.



3. From the home page, click on "Free Forums."   Browse through some of the messages posted by readers to get a sense of the site's audience.  What kind of audience responds to the information on the site?  How do they respond?  Do they seem to appreciate the use of Comparison/Contrast?  Do they use Comparison/Contrast in their own writing? Give a general description of the audience in a paragraph with examples from the forum.  In a second paragraph, explain how effective the site is in reaching and influencing its audience.



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