RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY
Introduction/Rationale: This first project for the semester is intended to teach students how to analyze and evaluate information to determine the overall credibility of the material and the author. As information becomes easier and easier to spread over the internet and social media, and as it continues to be easy for information to be manipulated, it becomes even more important for us to be able to sift through what is available so that we can make the most informed decisions. Assignment Prompt: To begin, locate a news article from the internet. Your article can be from any source and on any topic, but must be a decent length. Very short articles will be difficult to gather information from and will make writing this essay harder. NOTE: Regarding the topic of the article you choose — you are free to use whatever article you are interested in; however, please make sure that you choose something that you will be able to read with an open mind and focus on the structure of the argument and the facts…if the article deals with a subject that you cannot be open-minded or unbiased towards, I suggest that you find a different article because your analysis must be fair and balanced. Once you have located and read your article, you will provide a brief, but detailed, summary of the article that identifies the author′s main claim and the key points of support used to make that point. Next, you will identify the seven elements of the Rhetorical Situation (SCENE, SETTING, AUDIENCE, PARTICIPANTS, AUTHOR′S TONE, PURPOSE, AND PERSONA) and analyze whether or not they are appropriate for the subject of the article. Then, you will dive into a detailed and thorough analysis of how the author uses the Rhetorical Appeals (ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS) providing multiple examples for each, considering the author′s purpose for using the appeal in that way, and then evaluating how those examples either helped or hurt the overall argument. Finally, based on the analysis you have provided, you will write a brief conclusion which evaluates the text overall and states whether or not you feel the author was successful in making an ethical and valid argument. Minimum Requirements: Detailed Summary of Article Accurate Identification of the Rhetorical Situation In-depth and Thorough Analysis of the Rhetorical Appeals Evaluative Claim/Conclusion Grading: This essay is worth 100 points. DUE 11:59 TONIGHT ONLY 2 PAGES PLEASE