The Risk of Being a Spy by Tom Cheshire - Article Example

Analysis of The risk of Being a Spy Article The purpose of this document is to analyze the article titled, “The risk of being a spy.” The article is written by Mr. Tom Cheshire and illustrated by Mr. Matteo Berton. It is published in Mr. Porter (www.mrporter.com) journal. The research article talks about the risky business of being a spy. Mr. Tom describes the life of a spy and the perils that come with the job. A comparison between the ancient days and thee modern-day spook defines the dangers of the job between then and now. In his opinion, 2017 isn’t too dissimilar from the Cold War and the golden age of spying. Undercover agents remain vital. An example of Russia returning as the bête noire of western intelligence illustrates the magnitude of change. Mr. Anderson. Says that for as long as he can remember, Russians have always meddled in Western elections. And likewise, the Americans have messed in Russian politics. The article investigates the use of technology in the field of spying. It present the possible risks that come with use of technology in spying. For instance, the risk of having the enemy outsmart them. The enemies are technology advanced as well and therefore the CIA agents are at risk of having the opponent outsmarting them in missions. In his opinion, human intelligence remains the most effective mechanism. In conclusion, the author sites how the process of spying has changed, but mechanisms are almost similar, says Mr. Palmer. What has been consistent is the bravery of small numbers of people doing extraordinary things and taking risking themselves and their families to ensure that we are all safe. Below is a table that presents the analysis of this article. The table will scrutinize the article using five analytical categories: format, organization, graphics, citation, and vocabulary: Table 1: Summary of the Risky Business of Being a Spy Article Analysis Analytical Categories Results Format The article has no header or footer. The article is presented in one column throughout. The article has paragraphs that are double spaced and not indented. The article has 1-inch margins all around. The article has only one heading. The rest of the article is not presented in sub headings. The article has images with no captions or numbers or tables. The article uses 12 pt font for the content of the article and uses 24 pt font for the article title. The article differs from APA format in mostly font styling and paragraph presentation. The heading and the article do not have the same font style and paragraphs are not indented. Organization The article has one heading. There are no subheading to present information in the paragraphs. The images in the article are not aligned with the rest of the text. The article has no abstract or introduction or conclusion. The author does not define the key words so as to make it easier reader know what they need to know prior to reading. The article has no reference section to assist in verifying the information provided or to enable more research. Graphics The article uses images as graphics throughout the article. The graphics are not referenced in-text in APA or any other format. The graphics are placed in between the paragraphs. There is no commentary that comes after the graphic. The images are not labelled. There are no tables or figures in the article. Citation The article has zero sources cited in-text. The author has quoted the opinions of the sources of the information. He has only provided the names of the interviewees. There are no references at the end of the article. Vocabulary Technical terms are not defined because the readers of this article are assumed to be educated in the field The article uses formal language Technical terms are not defined because the readers of this article are assumed to be educated in the field The author has used different words for different purposes As shown in Table 1: Summary of the Risky Business of Being a Spy Article Analysis, there are highlighted results that the author of this memorandum found interesting. The first is lack of presentation of information in heading and subheadings. The author presents the article without giving directions using heading to separate the different ideas. Second is the use of images as graphics that are neither referenced nor explained. The author has illustrated the scenarios through art by Mr. Matteo. However, the drawings are not numbered, explained, or given any reference. They lack commentary that can assist in understanding of the risks in the spy business. The author of this article have used technical terms such as GCHQ and SIS and M16 and RAF. The terms are used without being explained so that someone who is not in the spy profession can understand. The article cannot be understood without prior knowledge or research of the field. In addition, there lacks full definition of the abbreviated terms. It is difficult to read and understand the article right away. Perhaps where the technical terms are used, the author should insert reference links for the reader to do more research. Another important thing to note is that the article lacks any form of referencing. The article has no list of references at the end. Also, it lacks in-text citations within it where the author has quoted other sources words. The use of quotations of what the opinions of the sources in regard to the subject matter is not enough. The author ought to have given their names, dates, company and perhaps the title of the report in which we can find their opinions. This memorandum recommends the following to a member of this discipline looking to write an article. First the author should adopt a format and be consistent with it throughout the article for instance APA, Havard or MLA format. Secondly, the author needs to organize his work using subheadings. The following can be used to organize his work; title page, table of content, a list of definition of the keywords, an executive summary, and reference list. Third this memo recommends that the author uses references in-text and at the end of his work. In the in text citation, the writer should at least state the author/company/organization, title, where the source is from (i.e. the magazine/journal and pages, facility of association, symposium and or conference. And the reference list needs to at the end of the article in a logical order. Another recommendation is for the writer to use interpretation in the graphics he uses to explain the subject matter. Read More