17 Aug Using the skills you have gained at identifying appeals argumentative strategies, propaganda, and logical fallacies, write an essay in which you analyze one magazine/newspaper editorial or article

Find an argument on the editorial page or op-ed page in a recent newspaper. Read it carefully and critically, taking time to make sure you understand the claims it is making and the evidence that backs up the claim. Then analyze it rhetorically, using principles discussed in this chapter. Show how it succeeds, fails, or does something else entirely. Perhaps you can show that the author is unusually successful in connecting with readers but then has nothing to say. Or perhaps you discover that the strong logical appeal is undercut by a contradictory emotional argument. Be sure that the analysis includes a summary of the original essay and basic publication information about it (its author, place of publication, and publisher).

Op-ED definition:

An op-ed, short for “opposite the editorial page”, is a written prose piece typically published by a newspaper or magazine which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication’s editorial board.[1] Op-eds are different from both editorials (opinion pieces submitted by editorial board members) and letters to the editor (opinion pieces submitted by readers).

Using the skills you have gained at identifying appeals argumentative strategies, propaganda, and logical fallacies, write an essay in which you analyze one magazine/newspaper editorial or article, a political essay, or a comparable contemporary text where the writer uses “irresponsible” language.  (I suggest you choose one of the publications you subscribe to or like to read.)  Who is the audience, and what is the author’s rhetorical purpose?  Clearly identify in your essay how the people or organization who write the piece slant their arguments, employ propaganda techniques, or commit logical fallacies.  Also, remember the expectations the typical reader of the magazine, newspaper, or other text brings to that reading.  How does the author use language to try and confuse, manipulate and generally bamboozle the audience? 

Assignment:

           Your task for this assignment is two-fold; present an analysis of the text you have selected, and then think critically about what the results of your analysis imply.  Use the “guide to writing a rhetorical analysis” questions located in Chapter 6 on pages 125-131 and answer as many of them as you can (at least two bullet points under each Bold subject heading: Finding a Topic, Researching Your Topic, Formulating a Claim, Examples of Possible Claims for Rhetorical Analysis, Preparing a Proposal, Thinking about content and organization, Getting and Giving Response: Questions for Peer Response etc. Although your conclusions as to what the text implies may be arguable, any summary of the text must be accurate and your analysis should be clear.  You must again decide who the audience is and state the author’s rhetorical purpose.  How is the rhetorical purpose “irresponsible?”  What logical fallacies is the author trying to hide and why?