Analysis of Nicholas Kristof's Writing for the New York Times

Most of Nicholas Kristof's 2006 editorial articles for the New York Times deal with similar topics of poverty and misfortune in Africa, simply because Kristof was in Niger at the time, and could write about his experiences, and then relate them to politics. Unlike many editorial writers who fill the entire essay with their opinion, Kristof uses a style more reminiscent to that of a reporter. He includes individual stories that help bring a specific perspective to a major problem, and attach names and faces to numbers that can often seem meaningless. Kristof is very good at taking the specific stories he gets from conversations and observation and relating them to world events, economics, and politics. He is passionate about solving the problems caused by extreme poverty in Africa, and urges individuals, organizations, and the government to help solve them. He is also an optimist, believing that government intervention, as well as goodwill from individuals can solve these problems. As his editorials are designed to be persuasive essays, Kristof utilizes his passion to create an intense emotional appeal to the reader.