Taking and Approach

Taking an approach was more complicated than forwarding, countering, and coming to terms.  It took reading over the section in depth rather than skimming it to understand what Harris was saying.  From my understanding, I would explain taking an approach as looking at a writers concerns and broad views and understanding their approach, then using that to make your own approach.  This is different from forwarding and countering in that you don’t use phrases, single points or sentences from other writers.  Instead of commenting on the specifics, you comment on their overall views and broad points and make your own opinions known.  Harris describes that there are three strategies in taking an approach.  The three are acknowledging influences, turning an approach on itself, and reflexivity.  He says that its important to note those writers who provided the template or model for your writing, that you should ask the same questions of a writer that he or she asks of others and you should note key choices you made in constructing your text.  In the New York Times, if I understand “taking an approach correctly,” I would say that many journalists use the approaches of politician’s beliefs to make their own approaches.  This occurred in one article on the rising gas prices that I was reading.  This might not have been what Harris was talking about in this chapter but it was the closest thing to it that I could find in the Times.  The author, Helene Cooper, took the approaches of politicians on the news surrounding oil prices rising.  She used this information to forward her own opinion onto it.