Claire's Organizational Rhetoric

Social/public issue: WMLU 91.3 FM does a good job at recruiting new members throughout the years. Students with majors in Communication Studies are a primary target because these are skills they could use in future jobs. However, you may have noticed the lack of Longwood students featured in the Bandfest video. It was mainly members of the station having fun at work. One reason for this is that the artists we had were barely recognizable. Cruz Production is a DJ group made up of now Longwood Alums, Riverside Lights is a cover band the events committee just happened to stumble across, and Young Rising Sons is a small up-and-coming alternative band, that only a few people have heard of. WMLU 91.3 FM struggles to come up with the finances to book artists that most students would enjoy. By not booking popular acts, the Longwood students tend to not trust WMLU 91.3 to put on an exciting concert for Spring Weekend. With a history of smaller acts, the students at Longwood could look at Bandfest and WMLU as a whole as for amateurs.

Method: I used ideology critique methods to analyze these artifacts and the organization as a whole. The two artifacts emphasize what ideas and benefits come with joining this organization. The Bandfest video shows the audiences how WMLU 91.3 expects their members to take on leadership roles and use real-world techniques to put on a successful concert. In addition, the second video is an example of how Longwood uses both the Communication Studies department and the WMLU station to prepare their students for their dream job (if that were to be a radio personality). The second video, featuring the WMLU General Manager Shannon Blunt, advertises how the radio station helps students find their passion and helps them learn skills used in the real world which will make them better prepared after graduation. Both of these artifacts reveal the main purpose of this organization and how it’s ideas are put into action.

Interest: WMLU 91.3 FM is really just interested in promoting their brand and trying to be more credible. If a student sees the video about Bandfest and wants to be apart of the event planning process, all they have to do it wait for the end of the video to see what organization is behind it. It is an example of the many opportunities WMLU offers to its members. The second video ties in both the station and the Communication Studies department. With more masterminds behind events like Bandfest, the surer the organization is that the Longwood students will enjoy it. WMLU can be expected to use other forms of rhetoric to emphasize how the station benefits Longwood students in becoming citizen leaders and more prepared for future jobs in their fields.

Audience: While the primary audience is communication studies majors at Longwood, WMLU 91.3 is open to all Longwood students. The organization has students of all kinds of majors other than communication studies. Amination design, music, psychology, physics, and computer science are some examples. WMLU offers a place for everyone. They are not exclusive to communication studies majors only. From the Bandfest video, you wouldn’t be able to tell, but some of the members working Bandfest were not communication studies majors. It takes some extensive research because radio is normally associated with communication studies, but again, the station is welcoming to everyone.

Assumptions: After experiencing the Involvement Fair from the other side, I observed that a lot of students are under the impression that if you are part of the radio station that you have to be on the air. I assumed the same thing when I was a freshman before I even joined the station. While student shows are highly encouraged, it is not a requirement to have one. The only requirement WMLU has when regarding membership is that students sign up and participate in at least one committee and pay the $20 membership fee. Another common assumption about WMLU is that they don’t like to play the music students want to hear. WMLU 91.3 represents Longwood University, therefore they cannot play music that contains explicit language. In addition, a lot of students don’t realize that WMLU is in charge of the bands that come to Bandfest, not the Longwood. WMLU has the privilege of choosing the bands that will perform for their fellow peers during the infamous Spring Weekend.

Visual Rhetoric: The visual rhetoric used in both of these artifacts highlight the student-run station as a fun, easy-going, welcoming organization ready to give their members the skills to be part of a radio station in the real world. They emphasize how the station gives them tools and skills that make them more confident and help them become citizen leaders in the Longwood community.

Interests: Both of these artifacts target any Longwood student who is interested in having their own radio show or simply just looking to join an organization on campus.

Approach: My hope is that my readers will be more informed and appreciate college organizations. A lot of hard work is put into this station. Since it is completely run by students, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears is put in to make it seem professional and worth paying attention too, even at a professional level. There are rules and guidelines that members must follow and the heads of the station take it very seriously as if it was the real deal. WMLU takes a lot of pride in preparing their members for the real-life radio experience and being professional enough to be able to start their broadcasting careers early.