After you read the chapter on “Ethical Proof” in Ancient Rhetorics for Wednesday, I’d like you to pick one of the regular columnists from the Denver Post and read three or four pieces by this writer. (Note: You can do this instead of reading all of the op-ed pages.) Feel free to choose from any of the regular columnists from the opinion section, including Dan Haley, Vincent Carroll, David Harsanyi, Ed Quillen, Mike Rose, John Andrews, Susan Barnes-Gelt, Fred Brown, Joanne Ditmer, Tom Noel, or Susan Thorton. You can also choose to explore pieces by the local news columnists, too, like Susan Greene, Tina Griego, or Mike Littwin, or Bill Johnson. You can find links to their columns through our Blackboard page if you look under “Course Documents.”
Once you’ve read their columns, write one paragraph in which you describe the writer’s invented ethos or the persona that this writer cultivates in his or her column. How does this writer establish his or her expertise and credibility? What kind of values does he or she stand for? How do they secure the goodwill of his or her readers?
In a second paragraph present three brief quotations—a sentence or so—that offer evidence for the discussion in your first paragraph. Explain how these quotes support your ideas.
Please post your response as a comment to this post on our course blog before class on Wednesday, February 3.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dan Haley establishes himself as a writer who looks to write about the smaller things, the things that are harder to notice upon first glance at something. His column topics are usually not on the front page and are interesting looks into different parts of our lives. Haley establishes himself as a "common" man and gives most of his credibility to his ability to relate to and grasp a reader's attention.
ReplyDelete"And if they don't, the cash-strapped, taxpayer-funded schools will be punished with monthly $1,000 fines."-Mascot battle is a trivial pursuit. Haley speaks of a congressional resolution that forces schools that don't obtain permission to keep a Native American mascot have to pay thousands in monthly fines. He argues his case by continuing with : "The use of American Indian mascots is hardly the most pressing issue facing our schools, or even Native American students, who saw their graduation rate slip in 2009." In another column, Haley talks about political families and how all problems within the family are exaggerated purely because they are in the public spotlight. "Being governor is like being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company — but without the salary. There's tremendous pressure to perform and produce. People are counting on you to make the right call, and everyone has a different idea about what that might be...The job is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While you're eating rubber chicken dinners in small towns, your family is home trying to get by without you." The small issues that Haley brings up may not be healining news but it sheds light on minor ideas that should be written about.
David Harsanyi's persona is cultivated out of the foreseen outrage of his audience at the actions of the federal government (at least in the majority of his columns - those of a political nature). Harsanyi gains his strength and credibility as a writer from the premise that he is speaking to an audience which values limited government and fiscal restraint. Much of Harsanyi's writing serves an enlightening role, hoping to make some sort of revelation to an audience disillusioned by empty promises. What Harsanyi does, however, that distinguishes him from many of his colleagues, is distance himself from much of the far-right agenda, to earn the trust of the independent American voter frustrated with not one, but both, parties and tired of irresponsibility and a government too large for its own good. This allows many of his claims to register with the reader more so than they would if he were to establish himself as an anti-Obama far-right ideologue. Harsanyi's criticisms of the new administration are more widely accepted because he makes a conscious effort to position himself as the moderate who, like so many, is fed up with a government that mistakes its own agenda and desires for that of the American people.
ReplyDeleteIn his column, "Obama's Rhetorical Retreat," Harsanyi writes that, "You will, almost certainly, not be surprised to learn that a deficit reduction commission, according to the president, is "urgent," as the country faces a serious fiscal crisis…one empathizes. Yet, this grievance would hold more water if the Obama administration hadn't spent more than any president in history in its first year." Harsanyi is able to reveal to readers the truth that is often lost within the soaring rhetoric and political tug-of-war. He does not strike down the validity of the president's wish, but instead reinforces its importance while also noting the double standard by which the new administration has shown to operate.
Later on in the same column, he writes, "Now, with the shadow of Scott Brown descending on D.C., we're in for a rhetorical recalibration. Obama will sound like an ardent fiscal conservative while simultaneously ratcheting up populist anger regarding banks, risk, profits, and make-believe unfettered capitalism." He is able to continue by further revealing the administration's double standard and mixed political messages; calling for fiscal responsibility and a strengthened economy while still attacking business and the very backbone of the private economy.
In another column, "Our so-called leader," Harsanyi appeals to the common belief in the private sector, and basic market forces in defending that the state of our union will be just fine, if our "so-called" leaders will let it be: "Obama tells us a real economic expansion will be based on legitimate, tangible, economic drivers like high-speed rail systems no one wants and government-subsidized 'clean energy' nobody uses." Harsanyi's choice of phrasing here earns him credibility as a writer and the goodwill of the reader, indicating to the reader that the government is attempting to control economic progress versus the power of the private sector.
David Harsanyi develops an ethos in his column representative of a libertarian whom is very apt in challenging his opponents. He believes in a small government that supplies fewer services. He opposes many of the Obama administrations ambitious goals and speaks to an audience of more conservative thinkers. His expertise is shown through his “homework.” He cites the Pew Research Center and the Washington Post. He pulls meaningful statistics that back his claims when he says majority or speaks for the American populous. The reader knows he is educated in politics with his many citations of Senators and various situations as well as citing the State of the Union address. His voice is heavy. Harsanyi is filled with attitude that makes his persona and hopeful audience less distant. One can identify with him and feel the same personally or at least consider what he is saying as he expresses it rather lively.
ReplyDeleteHarsanyi cites statistics from the past decade, both showing he has done his homework and speaking to the growth brought about in the last decade without Obama, saying “Teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. have declined dramatically and higher education enrollment has exploded, with 40 percent of adults between the ages of 18 to 24 enrolled in college. Our "so-called" prosperity saw the GDP rise from $9.7 trillion to $14 trillion the past decade.” He goes against many of the ideas liberals are pushing stating a view, “Our recent prosperity, on the other hand, was built on a house of cards — intellectual innovation, risk, free-wheeling markets and international trade — and nothing more than an illusion.” He does not believe this at all but is always bringing out the oppositions arguments as a means to state his own case. He appeals to our sensibilities after ranting about the president saying, “None of this is to say we don't have many genuine problems to deal with. Yet, with all our tribulations, the past 60 or so years (in a historic context) have seen unrivaled prosperity. Moreover, it's prosperity that's real.” The common person can hear his argument, understand that he has knowledge in his field and if you share the same view can find a message worth hearing.
Bill Johnson establishes himself as a local writer who focuses on the happenings of Denver. He writes about smaller things that are controversial or charitable in Colorado. Johnson makes it clear that he is well versed in the laws of the land and has interviewed many people to come up with his opinions. Through his writing he is able to come alive and show the reader his personality and opinions.
ReplyDelete"You might have sat the kids down and read them the 33rd paragraph of the speech he gave the night before he was killed, the one where he says 'all we are saying to America is to be true to what you put on paper,' that if you are truly a society that teaches democracy, you ought to do the kind of things for citizens that are consistent with a democracy." Johnson is talking about the controversy of a local school serving fried chicken in honor of MLK day. In his article he illustrates the stereotypical attitude that this school has taken in honoring Dr. King in this way. If they were to really care about the things he accomplished in his lifetime they would teach the kids something that would benefit them. Johnson also quotes in an article "It doesn't make me happy," she said, "to just think of myself anymore. I want people to think of what they have in their basements or their closets, of what they have to give." This statement shows that Johnson is interested in what this woman did to help out those less fortunate than her. He took the time to look for someone who is trying to make a difference in the world and promote change. In another article about the controversy of medical marijuana in Colorado Johnson says, "You would think they were handing out AK-47s in the state's proliferating number of dispensaries. The Denver City Council now wants to keep them 1,000 feet away from schools. What is that about?"This illustrates his sarcasm and disdain for some of the things that the government is doing. His voice and style of writing shows in the quote, he is not afraid to break away from the norm and do something different.
Family, community, and self recovery is the main focus that Tina Griego writes her news articles about for the Denver post. Reading many of Griego’s articles, she captures the audience by telling life stories of real issues of people that goes unnoticed. The way Griego incorporated her ethos in her articles is by interviewing the local community and their stories that may relate to others in the world dealing with these situations. I believe that Griego’s establish her credibility by researching and getting into the lives of other to tell a true story that a reader wants to read. This can show that her values are on community and reaching out for the people who need a hand in Colorado. I also believe from her articles, it enables to get the audience to relate and sympathize with the people in the article and have people view it in a different way. When reading these articles, the titles help capture me in a story and reading on, she tells their story and how they are to overcome these situation. No more politics but real life stories about kids our age and that is her main focus. She wants teen like us to read these stories and get inspired by the lives of other teens as she did.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Learning to be the Fathers They Didn't Have, Griego tells a story of teen fathers that were able to overcome the pressure of being so young and a father that they were able to get support from their local church. Griego states in her article, “They're all young fathers, though Ray is the youngest; his baby was born when he was 14.” In this article Griego tries to persuade her audience that even if you have the pressure of being a father, there is always a way to make it worth it. In another article, A 35-year-old replay on school suspensions, Griego’s main point in this story is about the school education system and how the minority are the ones that receive the most punishment. In this quote she states in her article, “18 of every 100 black students and 11 of 100 Latino students faced serious discipline, compared with 6.5 out of 100 white students.” She uses statics to prove her story. Finally in another article that captured me was Such a together kid, gone so soon, She writes her article on a high school teenager that was well rounded in school and his life was ended in mere seconds when he fell asleep on the road. “Joel ran head-on into a semi-truck. State troopers said he must have fallen asleep. They found no skid marks. No drugs. No alcohol. Joel was killed instantly. He was 18.” This was stated in Griego’s article because she wants to let teens just like us to be more aware of our surroundings because something that is least expected can happen in a flash. Reading these three articles the quotes relate to Griego’s ideas because she wants mainly young adults to know that there are many resources and support that can be related to this stories and that we are not alone when help is needed. She is trying to help the community’s children by providing information through the lives of others.
David Harsanyi creates his own ethos by showing how well versed he is in the areas that he writes about. He doesn't just tell the reader what is on his mind like other writers do. He gives facts, statistics, and quotes. He makes himself credible by providing information that is not up for discussion, theres not much opinion in his peices that don't have facts to back them up. He also has a realistic view of the the world. He looks at all the sides of an argument and doesn't just argue for his sides. He also looks at the negatives in things alot, and not in the ways alot of political writers do. He isnt out for blameing people or making his opposition look bad. He just tells it like it is, and that gives him his ethos.
ReplyDelete"One glorious day all of us will awaken in our mixed-use neighborhoods, rustle up a nutritious garden-grown breakfast and pedal our bikes to a "green collar" jobs using a path generously provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." With this quote he is really trying to get people to see the way the world is, not what people wish. People think that if the government can pass a couple bills it will change the world into some weird, eco friendly place, and that just wont happen.""We can't afford another so- called economic expansion like the one from the last decade — what some call the 'lost decade,' " Obama explained. The president went on to promise he would do all he could to stop any pesky so-called expansions in the future. And I believe him." THere he quotes obama to strenthing his argument. Then in this next quote he is trying to make us believe that there were positive aspects to the last decade, so again he spits facts "Meanwhile, teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. have declined dramatically and higher education enrollment has exploded, with 40 percent of adults between the ages of 18 to 24 enrolled in college. Our "so-called" prosperity saw the GDP rise from $9.7 trillion to $14 trillion the past decade."
David Harsanyi is a columnist who seems to be optimistic, and simplistic about the future. He takes complicated and possibly dull topics and makes it simpler, so that he could reach a wider range of audiences. So by doing this, he seems like an insider because he provides certain details that are relevant to convince this group of readers of his views. Because of his optimism for the country, it helps secure his goodwill. His patriotism showed that he cares for the welfare of the country, therefore his view and solutions to the problems is looking out for the general public. Most of the people that read his column care about this topic and seek for an opinion/direction to help them push their future forward.
ReplyDeleteFrom Harsanyi’ article “The Problem is the Idea” he said, “If, with all that, the progressives could not convince voters that the central cause of their movement was necessary, then it is not a messaging problem, it is not a leadership problem, it is not a Republican problem, it is an idea problem.” Within that same article he also said, “I say, keep fighting, Mr. President. Those of us who believe in capitalism need you.” Through these two quotes, his sense of patriotism and optimism showed through. He has faith in the government, the system, saying that we should’ve point finger but use the system and persevere. Also, his use of first person closes the gap of rhetoric distance. Another article that displayed confidence in our country was the article, “Our ‘so-called” leader”; in it, it said, “as always, the state of the union will be just fine—if only our so-called leaders in Washington would let it be.” In this article he provided statistics of past decades and compared it to the one that just passed, showing that everything’s fine if people looked at the big picture and not momentarily. By doing this not only does he show faith in our country, but it showed that he did his homework.
I read some of the columns written by Dan Haley of the Denver Post. In the majority of Haley’s articles, he establishes his credibility and expertise by stating how knowledgeable he is on the particular subject, either by naming something he read or by researching the history or status, and he uses quotes from interviews. In most of his writing, Haley tends to side with the people, usually the people most affected by the subject of which he is writing about. He secures the goodwill of his readers by not being belligerently offensive no matter how strongly the subject but also including the entire side of a topic.
ReplyDeleteIn one of his articles, Haley uses his knowledge of a book to compare to the American view of Afghanistan. “Mariam and Laila are the strong but silent women in Khaled Hosseini's ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns.’” In reading this book, it shows the readers how much he knows about the situation in Afghanistan but also gives his reasons as to why he feels for those people. In another story about the controversies on mascots, he states, “When my alma mater, Regis Jesuit High School, home of the Raiders, changed its mascot from an Indian chief to a medieval knight in the early 1990s, I fired off an angry letter to the principal”. This shows that he does have experience with this topic so therefore he is very knowledgeable with it but it also shows that he is not afraid to share his values with his readers. In another article about politics, he interviewed a boy about how this particular situation affected him. “He remembers sitting up from 2 to 6 a.m., waiting to hear the thud of The Denver Post the morning he knew the headline news would be about his father's relationship”. This shows the reader that he does interview and use real people to form his opinions.
I chose to read a couple of the articles written by the Denver Post’s columnist Mike Rosen. The reason I chose to read him was because I started with reading David Harsanyi, but decided he was nothing more than a John Stossel want-to-be so I chose someone else. Mike Rosen, from the very first line of the very first article I read, came off as pompous: “On my radio show on Monday” (Rosen http://www.denverpost.com/rosen/ci_14182963). From the very start, he is setting his ethos as an important, well connected person. Throughout this article, “Hickenlooper will be captive to his party”, he uses first person phrases such as “I never felt that he enjoyed campaigning” (Rosen http://www.denverpost.com/rosen/ci_14182963), which gives the impression that he knows the politics personally. To me, this makes him seem pompous since he gives the ethos of being buddy-buddy with the elites of society. Rosen tries to give himself credibility by making it very clear that he is a well connected individual in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteIn a different article Rosen wrote, “The fix is in for PERA”, he defines his values pretty clearly. The article is about how public workers make too much money and their pensions are too large. It becomes clear that he seems to be an extremely typical Republican or conservative who wants nothing more than to “shrink the government because it’s too big” (wow he is so original). This ideology of small federal government resonates with many across the country, as well as in Colorado which is how Rosen is able to secure the goodwill of his readers.
Tim Noel is a Denver Post columnist who establishes his ethos by writing about local Colorado environmental and historical issues not known to most people. His articles show that Noel is deeply concerned with the preservation of Colorado landmark as well as the preservation of old Colorado ideals. It is likely that Noel’s readers are concerned about the same issues as him because his topics of interest are so particular; goodwill is established by Noel reporting on the good things being done to Colorado historical symbols. Noel is clearly well informed on his topics and is audience because of the details he uses. Tim Noel’s credibility on topics of history, specifically Colorado history, is exemplified by his position as a history professor at the University of Colorado Denver, who also appears regularly on news channel 9’s segment titled “Colorado and Company”.
ReplyDeleteWhen Noel says in one of his articles that, “we have a football team called the Broncos, a huge blue Mustang at DIA, and even a giant cow and calf resting on the south side of the Denver Art Museum,” he establishes himself as a local man who is well aware and interested in the location in which he reports on and reports to about relevant issues. In another article, Noel states that, “One silver lining for these troubled times is that Coloradans are recycling and restoring landmarks rather than knocking them down.” This statement shows that he is very interested in preserving landmarks important to the history of Colorado, interested enough to see it as a ray of hope in such terrible economic conditions. Noel also shows is knowledge about his topics by incorporating state history into every article he writes about. such as in one article when he says, “Out yonder, we recently explored the nation's largest dinosaur track site, the restored adobe village of Boggsville, Bent's old and new forts, and sites of the state's greatest tragedies — the Ludlow Massacre, the Amache Japanese Relocation Camp and the Sand Creek Massacre site.” His knowledge in history helps to establish his credibility as a historian and make him more trustworthy to his readers.
In the columns written by Mike Rosen, he displays a certain persona that is clearly evident in his writing. The persona he cultivates is very conservative, displaying his Republican beliefs. He also believes in loyalty to principles and a willingness to challenge those whose policies are not good for the country in his opinion. He establishes his expertise by quoting recognized sources and historic figures, such as Edmund Burke and Franklin Roosevelt. He also tries to use rational argumentation to make his point. For the goodwill of his readers, he tries to write in a way that readers will agree with much of what he is saying – especially when he begins his articles. He uses quotations of FDR and others as statements of the past who agree or who would agree with what he is saying. This attempts to get the readers to agree as well. Lastly, he tries to use some humor, though in a limited way.
ReplyDelete“Bennet is hardly a profile in courage or principle.” This quote illustrates Rosen’s commitment and belief that principles and loyalty to principles are most important.
“FDR didn’t mince words when the Japanese struck on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. One can only imagine what President Obama might have said.” Rosen uses this to establish knowledge and expertise by citing a historical reference. Secondly, he uses this quote from FDR to illicit the good will of the reader because everyone would agree with statement, although maybe not agree with conclusion of the reference to Obama.
“(Sharks don’t think they’re engaged in a feeding frenzy; they’re just having lunch.) Republicans are playing the role of the loyal opposition, desperately holding back the socialist tide.” Here he shows his attempt at humor but also shows his belief that the public good is most important, so everyone has to be willing to challenge policies that aren’t good for public.
Ed Quillen’s invented ethos or the persona that he cultivates is essentially the everyday Coloradan that is focused on both national and local issues. He is able to create this persona and at the same time present his views in an unobtrusive manner by using experience from his own life and creating examples to simulate various actions by government. Both these qualities tend to enhance Quillen’s credibility and expertise with subjects and views that might not necessarily be popular to his readers. As for the values that he stands for, he presents himself as being for discussion in government, although he would appear to be fairly left-leaning with his stances on “Big Government” and marijuana. He is able however, to secure the goodwill of readers that might disagree with him by being knowledgeable on issues and to present his column more as a conversation with the reader as oppose to a lecture.
ReplyDelete“In the real world of Colorado, the numbers aren't as simple as they are for imaginary Galena, but the principle is the same.” - This example came after Quillen explained what tax exemptions would look like for an imaginary town in Colorado. An example that backs up his claim is more effective than his claim alone.
"The Senate is set up to protect political minorities, and that's been the case since 1787, when the federal constitution provided a chamber where the smaller states couldn't be overwhelmed by the more populous states. So I'd like to hear what the Republican minority has to say about health care, other than 'no.' " – This example part of a column based on his debate with someone who actually does not share his views on national political shifts. Even though it is obvious that he sympathizes with the Democrats, he makes himself appear open to persuasion himself.
“Indeed, the only seriously non-metro major-party candidate since I dropped out of college was John Vandherhoof of Rocky Ford, Stove Prairie and Glenwood Springs.”
– This final quote is from a column stating his belief that “being from Denver” is not a handicap for a candidate running for Governor in Colorado. He again uses examples from his own life to support his position.
Here's Brooke's response:
ReplyDeleteTina Griego writes heartfelt columns about people and groups living in Denver. She writes from a very personal perspective, switching between the first and third person narrative. By writing in the first person narrative, Griego closes the distance between her and her readers. Because she is writing about issues within the Denver community, I think it is appropriate that she speaks to the readers on a personal and intimate level. Griego uses facts, statistics, and studies to “show that she has done her homework” which helps prove her credibility but most of her columns rely more on her easygoing nature and sense of local perspective to shape her ethos. Her ethos appears very caring especially towards those she writes about, almost as if she knows them personally. For example, she writes about a couple who after being married for 75 years are still in love. In this article, the author uses direct quotes from the married couple as well as their children to show that she spoke to them first hand, showing that she is a credible source. Griego also recently wrote about a group of high school fathers who are striving to be the “fathers they never had” while still working to complete school. A week later, she expressed her thoughts looking back at this article. She related her feelings to a study done last month by the Yale School of Public Health which is pessimistic about teen fathers. She states that although there are a lot of issues these teens have to face, she still felt very hopeful after meeting with the families and the young men from the Young Fathers program. Here, she shows her credibility by stating the facts but then showing her “voice” by describing her feelings towards the issue.
“Together, from Day 2 to 27,394”
"One day, I saw her and I asked her if she'd be interested in marrying me, and she said, 'yes,' " the man, no longer young, recounts.
"Wait," his daughter says, interrupting the story. "Just like that?"
"No dating?" asks his other daughter.
"My father was a very strict man," their mother says. "He never let me go anywhere. We never dated or did anything. I was even embarrassed when I married him."
Their daughters erupt in laughter” This direct quote, as I mentioned above, gives the author credibility because it shows she got her information for the story straight from the source and it also shows her easygoing personality while interviewing.
“Teen Dads, Haitian Orphans”
“Look at the research on teen fathers, and you'll find a Yale School of Public Health study released last month reporting that the sons of adolescent fathers are more than twice as likely to become teen fathers themselves. You'll find these are young men, much like teen mothers, who have less educational achievement and poorer earning potential. You will find they come out of poverty. What you have, then, is children of poverty raising children of poverty.” Here, the author uses a study to help show she has “done her homework.” This demonstrates her credibility in being knowledgeable of the subject and new research being done on it.
“Students Face off to Hear Each other”
“Since the project began in December 2006, out-of-school suspensions at Lincoln have dropped by 22 percent; referrals to law enforcement are down 80 percent; tickets and arrests are down 83 percent, according to an independent analysis. This is about changing school culture, and restorative justice is one piece of that.” The author uses these numbers to show she knows how the project is helping, and can provide evidence with the factual numbers.