This week, I searched the internet for articles relating to sustainable fashion. While a lot of the content relating to sustainable fashion tend to be opinion based articles, I was able to find a few news sources relating to the topic.
The first news article came from Vogue Business. I would consider this a news article because it is presenting the reader with unbiased information. The article gives facts from numerous different sources, and links to them in their article so the reader knows exactly where the information is coming from.
Though the article is taking a stance on how to mend sustainable fashion’s multi-billion dollar funding gap, per the name of the article, it develops this stance through the commentary of professionals in the sustainable fashion industry and not the writer’s own opinion.
The article is timely and relevant to the happenings in the sustainable fashion industry today, which are two key elements of what makes a topic news. This funding gap is something that, if not addressed, could lead to challenges in the industry moving forward, and this is important for both those in the industry and those who support it, whether they are consumers of sustainable fashion or just have an interest in the topic. .
Vogue Business, while sharing Vogue’s name, operates as a separate journalistic entity from the fashion magazine. Vogue Business works to offer a “ truly global perspective on the fashion industry, drawing on insights from Condé Nast’s network of journalists and business leaders in 31 markets to empower fashion professionals to make better business decisions,” as noted in their about page.
I would consider this a very credible article. Vogue Business does a good job of not inserting themselves into their stories, and the fact that they link to all of their sources in the text is important for transparency. The reader knows that these thoughts aren’t just coming from the journalist’s head, but are backed up by facts.
The second news article I wanted to discuss was this one from The Independent. I would consider this a news article because it is discussing information that was released recently, and that is a big deal in the world of sustainable fashion.
Big box retailer H&M, who in the past have been known for being particularly unethical, is introducing new recycled textiles into their clothing come spring 2020. This is something people both need and want to know about, and it holds even more news value because of H&M’s relationship to sustainable fashion in the past as well as them just being one of the biggest fast fashion (opposite of sustainable) brands in the world.
If H&M can start being “sustainable” it gives hope that maybe all the hype around sustainable fashion right now will have an impact in the long run, and that is what readers of these articles are going to care about.
However, I wouldn’t consider this article particularly credible. In general, The Independent is known for being a liberal newspaper. I think that this can be seen in this article because even though H&M is trying to do something good, The Independent is still focusing on the negative and trying to make H&M seem like the bad guy.
Most of the article has to do with H&M being accused of greenwashing by anti fast-fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna. She is the only one interviewed for this article and obviously has a clear stance against the company.
The article could have given both sides of the story and interviewed someone with an opposing view to have a less biased tone throughout.
The next two articles I’ll be discussing are going to be opinion based stories.
This first article comes from Vogue. While the article does present some good information and facts, I would consider it an analysis piece because of how the author inserted themselves into the story.
There are also times throughout the story where she addresses the reader specifically as “you.” To me, this makes the reader think about their own choices in comparison to the choices of the writer and again, is a key element in drawing readers into an analysis orientated piece.
The author is being relatable so that when you read their argument further down in the story about how circular fashion is the future, you are already agreeing with their stance. In the concluding paragraph of the article, after giving all of their information, the author tells the reader what to think.
She says, “What won’t make sense in the next decade? Spending $300 on a designer T-shirt or indulging in a cheap fast-fashion thrill,” and you agree with her, because she conditioned you the rest of the story to do so.
Because of this I would not consider the article credible. The author clearly has an agenda, and despite presenting facts and interviews from big upcoming names in the sustainable fashion industry, the reader isn’t really prompted to form their own opinions.
This last article comes from Forbes and is about fashion sustainability in 2020. This is a pretty cut and dry opinion piece written by Simonetta Lein, a social media entrepreneur and fashion influencer.
The article is all about what she believes will be trendy in regards to sustainable fashion, and where she sees the industry going.
There is not a ton of presentation of facts in the article. She does link to outside sources, but uses them to support her stance and argument. She uses phrases like “I believe” to assert her opinion and discusses how she “hopes” that “the new decade will see the fashion industry tackle the issues of minimizing waste and making the most of resources with a new and determined resolve.”
This type of language is very loaded and is not presenting any facts. It is only discussing her personal thoughts and feelings.
I would not consider this a credible article at all. In fact, it’s probably the least credible of all the articles discussed today.
Lein is not even a part of the sustainable fashion industry, she’s an influencer and marketer, and this makes me skeptical about whether she is qualified to be giving her opinion about the topic. If she were to have worked in the industry, I think I would be more obliged to take what she has to say to heart, but nowhere in the article does it discuss her qualifications for this.
I think that forbes should have also been more upfront about this being an opinion piece. Sustainable fashion is such a trendy topic right now, and it’s important that facts are being reported.
If you scroll your mouse over where it labels the article as a “council post” it says that all opinions expressed are those of the author (pictured above), but this is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. I think many readers could easily take this piece as fact without knowing who the author is, or seeing that Forbes has in fact labeled it as opinion.
