This featured text, at first glance, really doesn’t do anything to persuade readers to lean one way or another on the issue. It is a factual article that leaves out any opinions the writer, Michelle Tuzee, may have on the subject. However, after looking further into the article, I noticed that it is not what she says that is opinionated; it is what she didn’t say. For example, in the article, she says “But after the game, teammates had nothing but supportive words for Davies.” This sentence alters the reader’s mindset, making them think that everybody supported Davies and that the decision made by the school was ridiculous. The writer could have left out some quotations from teammates who were indifferent or even unsupportive of Davies.
Michelle Tuzee also repeatedly mentioned how Davies was a major factor on the team and that his absent was greatly felt by the team. Although this may be true, why is it mentioned multiple times in the article? She says “The third-highest scorer on the team, Davies' absence was clearly felt at the Cougars' last basketball game. They lost by double digits, their first loss in seven games” and then again “The sophomore was the team's leading rebounder and was considered a key player in winning next week's conference” and also “Holding Davies accountable could mean the end of BYU's storied basketball season.” I feel like the writer could have done this to emphasize or over exaggerate Davies’ contribution to the team, which would evoke sympathy from the reader. The reader could interpret this subliminally as a terrible decision on behalf of BYU.
Other than these subtle clues toward a bias in support of Davies and opposition in BYU’s decision, the rest of the article mainly provides factual information that provides the reader with a background on the situation. Information such as “School officials won't disclose what part of the code Davies violated” and “The code requires, among other things, that students live a chaste and virtuous life” is purely factual, and provides the reader with a firm basis from which they can judge the situation. The reader also needs the basic facts so that if the writer indeed has a bias, the reader can become influenced by it.
While i do think that the author was a little repetitive with the mentioning of Davies importance, I feel that she didnt have any bias. She was more reporting facts, as to the quotations i think that everyone supported davies as a teammate.
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