Rhetorical Tactis

Part One

Credibility is something that is absolutely necessary to establish, so I think that it is important that we sit and reflect on ways in which we can establish more common ground with our audience as a rhetorical writer. First, in order to demonstrate Good Sense, it may sound rather obvious, but it is absolutely necessary that as an author, you sound like you know what you are talking about. In this, it is important to sound well informed without giving the audience too many details to be overwhelming. If the audience is well informed about what I, as an author, am talking about it is important to utilize language that suggests I am an insider and that I have knowledge in a particular area of interest. Additionally, we can use specialized language but most important it is crucial to demonstrate that I have done research and contemplation that was necessary to understand the issue. Here, it is also important to avoid making irrelevant or trivial arguments as well. According to the text, it is also important to consider how much an audience knows about the issue at hand.

There are many important ways in which to establish Good Character. For this particular project, ways in which it will be important to do this are to cite the relevancies of the author. Therefore, it will be important that within this context I will go about citing why exactly I am and what exactly it is that I might represent or if there is any discussion of a company that I may be standing behind, it will be imperative that I go about establishing the character of establishment that I may be representing as well as any background. According to the book, “rhetors can also shore up an audience’s sense of their character simply by refraining from the use of unfair discursive tactics: faulty reasoning or non-representative evidence, threats, name-calling or lies.” This goes to show also that it is absolutely imperative that not only does the source of the information have to appear credible, but it also importantly has to appear factual as well. Overall, a sense of ethos will convey a person as an authority either by virtue of respectable credentials or long experience in some activity. Therefore, if at any point we are talking about a reference or acting as a part of a company – it is imperative that we establish that context and credibility of who we are and what we do.

Additionally, it is also imperative for a write to establish Good Will. Here, it is crucial for a write to demonstrate their goodwill towards an audience by carefully considering what readers need to know about the issue at hand in order to follow the argument. In doing this, it is necessary to supply any necessary information that the audience might not already have but should be careful not to repeat any information that the audience already knows. In this, it will be important to tell the audience just enough, but allow for them to secure, develop and maintain their own opinions. Essentially, we cannot create opinion and force them upon our audience. We can be suggestive, but we have to give the audience enough information so that they may form their own opinions. Additionally, it is important to say why my presentation of an argument is important and what benefits it will accrue to those who read or listen to it.

Part Two

For this particular assignment, I found it particularly compelling to find authors of blogs that created that particular blog for a cause. In this case, I was able to stumble across an information forum entitled “Health Freedom Alliance” and with that there was a post and an article entitled “Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food.” Overall, I have found some articles in opposition of GM to be strongly opinionated or highly extreme, so I am always interested to see ways in which authors decide to present these arguments.

The first thing that the author Jeffery M. Smith does in this article is a quote from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in which they call on physicians to educate their patients, medical community and the general public to avoid genetically modified foods. From a reader standpoint, this is actually one of the few articles that I have read that provides medical information surrounding the debate, and from what it sounds like right away the author is only referencing highly credible sources which really draws upon the readers attention. It seems as though he is writing this blog to be informational and on behalf of another organizations message, rather than just his own. His quotes seem to establish his credibility right away that he is representing a cause greater than himself, rather than just his own opinion.

He goes into a detailed discussion as to what exactly the AAEM calls upon, including long-term independent studies and food labeling. Again, he goes onto state their position, quoting them. In this, he addresses adverse health effects and how causation is strongly related to this. He confirms that these assertions and claims are backed by study and proceeds to go in-depth as to what those claims account for – as well as the causation to their claims. One thing that is particularly compelling about his argument is how much information he cites. Every bit of information is not provided without a direct citation and his article is littered with quotes, doctors and representatives from the organization. He does this to establish credibility within his argument and effectively shows the reader that though he as an author may be unknown, the people and references he is making is not. Therefore, he has to make a case for the organization and the references he is making to be highly credible because him as a writer may not be an expert in the field.

In terms of research, majority of the article goes into science of his claims. This includes research into the toxin production within the plant as well as effects that are shown in India to the Pacific Northwest that show adverse effects of the research that he is claiming. For every claim that he makes, he provides extensive scientific evidence, real life examples of how that is affecting either the ecosystem or the animal species. In every step of the way he quotes a scientist to support his claim.

To connect to the audience emotionally, he goes onto describe the adverse effects on humans, both socially and economically; saying that GM contributes to symptoms such as obesity. The way that he presents this information is both shocking and highly compelling. He presents the information as a serious of facts. He is not making any assumptions about the audience but rather letting them infer the severity of the issue. In the end, he provides a proactive solution to what we as a reader can do to learn more. This humanizes the piece, and though it is very non-aggressive, it provides a sense of urgency about the subject matter and makes the reader feel as though they need to act. Overall, his argument is well supported. It is presented in logical sequence and is makes sense to the reader. Additionally, the facts and evidence along with the extensive quotations give him vast amounts of credibility. It is obvious this article is well thought out and has sufficient evidence to thoroughly back his claims.