Objectives: Conduct a rhetorical analysis of a text/artifact found in the media, you choice of media can range from commercial, music videos, print ads, political campaign ads, and so on. You will continue to develop your writing skills as a means of fine-turning and understanding media in a larger rhetorical lens than just entertainment. Finally you work to continue developing your critical thinking skills as a means of understanding media as well as your own writing process.
We are continuing to work and evolve the ideas of media analysis through rhetorical criticism. While I want you all to have an opinion about the artifact you are writing about, please keep in mind the essential components needed to accurately and responsibly make claims, provide evidence, and back up your opinion and arguments been made within your analysis.
By completing this paper you will demonstrate the following criteria:
• Describe your artifact (include contextual information)
• Complete rhetorical analysis according to instructor specifics, including identification of ethos, pathos, and logos.
• Look at the larger cultural context of a piece of media you are studying.
• Determine effectiveness of media artifact.
• Identify the primary and secondary audience(s) for this artifact and your reasoning for that.
Your analysis should include:
• A thorough descriiption of the artifact (include the citation of the artifact at the end of your paper on your work Cited page). This is to provide context of the ways you are going to begin interpreting this artifact.
• An interpretation of the artifact. In this section, you will a case for an argument by using evidence from your artifact. Below are some guidelines to help you interpret your artifact:
o Invention (content of a message)
Who is the rhetor (speaker)?
What was the rhetor’s purpose/goal?
Who was the intended audience?
Who is the extended audience?
What message strategies did the rhetor use?
• Provide specific examples of each strategy present (ethos, pathos, logos)
o Arrangement (how the message is organized)
Give us ALL of the details, you are the expert on this artifact, show your reader specific things within the artifact that we might miss.
o Style
Tone
• Funny, dramatic, etc?
• Cause immediate action?
Cultural context
Color strategies
Use of text/lack of text
Use of Imagery
Use of Sound/Audio
Evaluation– In this section you will evaluate the significance of the argument you are making about the text’s message.
o Is the rhetor effective? Why/Why not? Give specific examples
o How might this artifact cause the intended audience/extended audience to behave/react?
o What unintended messages might be embedded within the artifact?
o What impact might it have on individuals/groups?
o Can you identify any ways that this media artifact reinforces or tries to subvert societal norms? Why and how does it do this?
Conclusion–In this final section you’ll recap what you have discussed and give a final synthesized synopsis of your artifact, its effectiveness, and any other information you want us to know.
