Rhetorical Situations: Applying Analysis, Advertising, and Evaluating Information 

Rhetoric Terms to use... so far

Rhetorical Canons:

• Invention
• Arrangement
• Style
• Memory
• Delivery

Rhetorical Appeals:

• Pathos
• Ethos
• Logos
• Kairos

Rhetoric impacts: Message, Audience, Speaker

Analysis: Break into parts/how it works

Evaluate: Effective/ineffective

Propaganda:

• Name-Calling, Glittering Generalites,
• Plain Folks Appeal
• Argument to the people/man
• Transfer & Bandwagon
• Faulty Cause & Effect
• False Analogy
• Begging the question
• Two Extremes
• Card-Stacking & Testimonials

How False Information Spreads...

Have you had experience/discussion lately with friends, roommates, family about an issue presented with news media? Jot down some thoughts/notes while watching (what stands out connected to rhetoric?)

Criteria in Misinformation Versus...

What's in the Title?

- Are the titles too long?

- Are there weird ALL CAPS? Weird words?

- Are they sensational claims?

- More verb phrases?

What's in the Content?

- Fewer technical words, fewer analytical words?

-Smaller words? 

-Fewer Quotes?

-Less information or substance? More focus on claims?

How are they trying to Persuade?

- Are they using sources, studies, reasoned arguments or relying on theories, shortcuts, and reactions?

The Weasel Words...

How are we manipulated by the following strategic words in advertisement? Consult Lutz reading in Canvas

• "Help" The Number One Weasel Word
• Virtually Spotless
• New and Improved
• Acts Fast
• Works Like Anything Else
• Like Magic
• Can it be up to the Claim?
• Unfinished Words

What message, product, or service is being sold to you? How are they trying to "bamboozle" you into their way of thinking?

Every freakin' Covid-19 ad... Weasel words aplenty

What are some instances you can recall during or post-pandemic where people may be using "weasel word" tactics on us still, or situations where we can see rhetoric used (in text, music, video, company messages)?

Showdown Analysis (Getting Started) 

• Once you have your TWO artifacts in mind, you will analyze them based on what we are learning about rhetoric. How do they fit into the conversation of:
  • Cannons of Rhetoric (Invention, Style, Arrangement, Memory, Delivery)
  • Rhetorical Appeals (ethos, pathos, logos, kairos)
  • Propaganda tactics (From Cross reading)
  • Advertising "Weasel" Word Tactics (From Lutz p.316)
  • Visual Strategies for rhetoric (Week 5 readings)

It would be helpful to create a WORD DOC, where you list or "information dump" all of your major talking points about the TWO artifacts. and then connect to our readings and concepts of rhetoric. 

Duffy "Choose your Own Adventure"!

• Of the Duffy article's 10 statements on "Rhetoric is..." PICK 3 that you feel is a good combination for you to explore and explain why. How can you use rhetoric to strengthen your writing?
• • Briefly describe what the sections mean: "Rhetoric is..."
  • How it relates to you and your current understanding of rhetoric.
  • If you were to SHOW an example of what your Rhetoric section means, what would it look like?

Later in Groups...

Then think about how you would APPLY Duffy's ideas to a topic for your Showdown Analysis (we will use these later in class within groups). Using the past slides, consider what category or where your TWO artifacts will fall under or come from:

• My Major/Field of Interest

• Recreational/Hobby Expert (Opinions)

• Digital Platform or Site Analysis

• Content Creator or Influencer

• Rhetoric & Propaganda in Storytelling

• Interactive rhetoric in gaming or tech

• Social Media Message Campaign

Showdown Analysis (Getting Started) 

• What will you analyze (discuss details of rhetoric, propaganda, words, images,)? and evaluate (effective vs. ineffective, on a scale of 1-10).
  • TWO commercials/ads (may expand to their website/social media)
  • TWO stories (either written or in media; film, episodes, music videos)
  • TWO YouTube Profiles about X topic.
  • TWO Sports Websites or Player Blogs/Social
  • TWO Content creators on X Platform.
  • TWO Social Media Profiles
  • TWO Ideas expressed on Different medium
  • TWO Video Game story/character arcs, ad/strategy campaigns
  • TWO Film/Video Game studio sites.

Kickstarter (3-5 minutes):

From our last session, why did you choose those artifacts or online texts to analyze for your next essay? How might writing more about these examples better help readers understand the rhetorical situation (e.g. audience, purpose, message) connected to your content?

What is your Rhetorical Situation? (How are you writing with texts?)

Referring back to Week 5's content on Rhetoric.

Discussion Board (Pair and Share)

1. From last class session, give the titles for the TWO ARTIFACTS you are looking at right now.

2. Copy/Paste the site URLs (where your texts/artifacts are)

3. Ask your partner near you to briefly browse those sites, and CREATE THREE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS for them about their content that would help them talk and write about their rhetorical artifacts for the Showdown Analysis. Post these under their name for Pair and Share - after taking a look, together discuss what is helpful about the questions you left for your partner.

In-Class: Showdown Writing Session

1. First things first, you want to type out or "information dump" all of the important content, features, aspects, audience, messages of the TWO artifacts you are looking at so you will have a way of writing about them effectively.

2. The first things to really establish in your writing is the Argumentative Thesis and Topic Sentences you will want to include. Go to our Canvas activity for resources to get started.

Practice citation/documentation Resources

• You will be citing/referencing two categories of things in your essay:
  • ONE, your artifacts or points of analysis (e.g. sites, videos, stories, online content)
  • TWO, our class reading concepts about rhetoric, propaganda, or advertising language (consult handout); essentially Week 5-8 readings mostly.

Activity #1

Out of the 8 Major "Weasel" Words Lutz describes with Advertising, choose at least THREE to discuss what they mean, and find some examples that make use of these weasel words in an online ad sample. What other ways does your chosen Ad use rhetoric? What appeals does this consist of? Could it be propaganda?

Activity #2

Horne discuss elements of Fake News as a propaganda technique. What from these readings expand what you know about news media and how they manipulate audiences? What is "Fake News" and its qualities? Consult the following to build from the readings and support your answer. What strategy and fake news cite did you focus on?