Text analysis can help to examine diverse texts types for varying purposes. This paper will focus on the characteristics of company websites, as a special kind of hypertext. In order to do so, I chose the specific context of the debate about sugar and health between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the global sugar industry in the years after 2003.
Varying newspaper and journal articles point out that Big Sugar tried to damage the WHO global strategy on diet, health and physical activity, including sugars intake. Some of these articles, as well as the 2015 WHO guideline, will be presented at the start to build a foundation for the following analysis of the web presence of U.S. Sugar and British Sugar. The objective of this paper is to present the characteristics of hypertexts in regard to the seven standards of textuality by Beaugrande & Dressler and to apply these to the company websites of U.S. Sugar and British Sugar in view of the before mentioned debate.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Objective
1.1. The Nutritional Value of Sugar
1.1.1. The WHO´s Guideline for Sugars Intake
1.1.2. Other Voices on Sugars and Health
1.2. Articles on Big Sugar´s Politics against the WHO Guideline
2. Hypertexts and the seven Standards of Textuality
2.1. Hypertexts and its main Features
2.2. Cohesion and Coherence
2.3. Intentionality and Acceptability
2.4. Informativity and Situationality
2.5. Intertextuality
3. Analysis of Selected Websites
3.1. Company Websites as special Hypertexts
3.2. Analyzing the Websites of U.S. Sugar and British Sugar
4. Conclusion
5. References
Objective and Research Scope
This paper examines how the global sugar industry utilizes company websites as a specific form of hypertext to communicate their stance in the debate regarding sugar consumption and the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2015 nutritional guidelines.
- Analysis of corporate communication strategies through web presence.
- Application of the seven standards of textuality as defined by Beaugrande and Dressler.
- Investigation of how digital media interfaces influence the presentation of nutritional information.
- Comparison of U.S. Sugar and British Sugar websites in the context of the WHO health debate.
Excerpts from the Book
2.1. Hypertexts and its main Features
Hypertexts can be described as non- or multi-linear, multimodal or -medial texts that can be computerized (cf. Brinker, Cölfen & Pappert 2014: 81, Luginbühl 2005: 427ff.). According to Schubert (cf. 2008: 118) hypertexts do not necessary have to be computerized. Printed texts can also show some kind of non-linearity or multimediality, for example if they include footnotes which link to notes or other references. Printed texts can also include any kind of pictures and graphs, still electronic hypertexts are multimedial to a higher extent, as seen above (cf. Schubert 2008: 120). They can additionally include acoustic signals, video clips and animations.
Electronic hypertexts can be interactive or multimodal to a high extent, since the user is able to freely navigate through the hypertext and furthermore comment on any web content he likes and communicate via Chat or E-Mail in a dialogue form (cf. Schubert 2008: 118, Luginbühl 2005: 428). Hypertexts are non-linear, since the user is free to choose his or her way of reception of the different nodes of a text (cf. Schubert 2008: 118, Luginbühl 2005: 428, Storrer 2004: 13). If we think of any given website, we can clearly see that the whole content of a web page is organized modularly. Via links, which is functioning as a trigger, the user is able to move from one root text to another target text within the given website (cf. Schubert 2008: 119). Usually there is some kind of global orientation device, which helps the user to capture the full web content and to jump from one node to any another content of the same website and back (cf. Ibid: 123). In Fig. 1 the navigation bar of the U.S. Sugar homepage is firmly anchored on the top of the page, so that it can be accessed at any time while browsing.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction and Objective: This chapter introduces the context of the debate between the World Health Organisation and the sugar industry, setting the framework for the subsequent linguistic analysis.
2. Hypertexts and the seven Standards of Textuality: This section defines the technical characteristics of hypertexts and discusses how the seven criteria of textuality are applied to digital media.
3. Analysis of Selected Websites: The author conducts an empirical analysis of the U.S. Sugar and British Sugar websites to evaluate how they communicate (or withhold) nutritional information.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes findings, noting that the analyzed websites prioritize positive corporate identity over addressing WHO nutritional concerns.
5. References: A comprehensive list of academic sources and web references supporting the study.
Keywords
Hypertext, Textuality, World Health Organisation, Big Sugar, Digital Communication, Corporate Websites, U.S. Sugar, British Sugar, Nutritional Guidelines, Cohesion, Coherence, Informativity, Intentionality, Sugar Industry, Web Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the characteristics of company websites as a specific type of hypertext, analyzing them within the context of the debate between the global sugar industry and the World Health Organisation regarding sugar intake.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The main themes include digital textuality, corporate branding, the nutritional value of sugar as presented by different stakeholders, and the political opposition of the sugar industry against WHO strategies.
What is the central objective or research question?
The objective is to present the characteristics of hypertexts based on the seven standards of textuality by Beaugrande & Dressler and to apply these criteria to the specific web presence of major sugar companies.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses linguistic text analysis, specifically focusing on the principles of hypertext theory and the standards of textuality to evaluate how information is structured and delivered on websites.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the nutritional debate, technical features of hypertexts, and a detailed analysis of how U.S. Sugar and British Sugar websites organize information to present themselves to the public.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include hypertext, textuality, World Health Organisation, Big Sugar, corporate websites, and nutritional guidelines.
Does the U.S. Sugar website align with WHO nutritional recommendations?
No, the analysis indicates that the U.S. Sugar website avoids the topic of nutritional values entirely and focuses instead on corporate social engagement and traditional farming values.
How does British Sugar differ from U.S. Sugar in its web communication?
British Sugar provides more detailed information by linking to external hypertexts, such as Sugar Nutrition UK, although the information provided there still does not align with the 2015 WHO guideline.
- Quote paper
- Henriette Frädrich (Author), 2016, Debating the Nutritional Value of Sugar. An Evaluation of the Websites of U.S. Sugar and British Sugar in Connection to the WHO Guidelines for Sugars Intake, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/337288
