Claire's Organizational Rhetoric

http://www.wmlu.org/

https://twitter.com/WMLUradio

https://twitter.com/SportsWmlu

https://www.instagram.com/WMLURadio/

1) The official WMLU website is a great way to find out information about the station and the services. However, a constraint that apply to their risk rhetoric is their lack of promotion. As we discussed last class, there is no where on the website that has a list of general assembly member that are part of the station. In addition, the have information about meetings, but not if they are cancelled. They are heavily reliant on their social media platforms to keep their audience in check. This may cause risk for audiences that don’t part-take in social media and the Public Relations chair is dpended on to update all the platforms. For some reason, the official website is hardly touched.

2) Both students and business inquiries are WMLU’s target audiences. The more people that join the station, the more they can participate in collaborations with other businesses. However, WMLU is not exclusive to just it’s members or people who want to join, they encourage all Longwood students to come to their events or request them to DJ at their event. However, the station struggles to even have their own members show up to some of their events. This give off a misleading idea that WMLU is an exclusive organization and makes them appear less inviting.

3) In regards to risk, WMLU’s website  remains consistant on what it’s organization promotes. By only offering an experience that wpuld be beneficial to students with Communication Study majors. For example, someone who is not a Communication Studies major may not be interested in joining the station or what they have to offer, because it may not apply to them or their field of study, However, WMLU is open to any Longwood student regardless of major and is welcoming to all kinds of people. They could advertise how students with various majors are involved with the station so it appears more inclusive to students on campus.

4)  I observed that WMLU’s twitter and instagram offers more information about upcoming events, meetings, shows, etc. The social media accounts are updated daily for the most part as long as there is news about the station to promote. While this does give the audience more indepth information, it doesn’t help those who don’t have those specific social media platforms.

5) How does the organization portray self as qualified or authorized to speak about a particular risk topic? Because WMLU needs improvement on promoting to a wider audience, I would assume that, as college students, they are not entirely educated on how to reach different kinds of audiences. For an example, it is true that most college students are on social media, however there are still some that don’t use it at all. I would recommend keeping up with the social media and maybe updating the website, but also using old-school techniques like actually being present on campus grounds and handing out flyers.

6)Since there is always room for improvement in terms of risk, WMLU invites participation in the risk assessment process. One way the station can provide participation is by having students that are not Communication Studies majors take leadership roles in the station (which they do currently) and have general members of various majors promote how the station impacts them.

7) Does the organization present information in ways that allow audiences to make fully informed choices about whether a risk situation is likely to occur and what the consequences of that occurrence might be? WMLU website offers a lot of useful information about the services they provide to both the Longwood and Farmville communitiy, it allows the audiences to make fully informed choices on whether risk is likely to occur. A potential audience member may want to know how this organization will be beneficial to them if they were to join, or in the case of business, how the station will help boost their own organization.

http://www.wmlu.org/

One of the biggest problems WMLU 81.3 FM faces is being heard in an environment full of messages. This organization has a lot of potentials to have an impact on campus, but they struggle to get their message out to students on campus. For the most part, the members of WMLU are the only ones that support the station and the events they put on. Since the station is run by multiple students in the Communication Studies programs, social media platforms and the station’s website are heavily relied on when promoting the station.

Rhetorical Situation:

1. Exigencies: The context of this website is to give the audience as much information about WMLU as possible. The home page contains useful information such as meeting times and ways to contact the station. While the WMLU 91.3 FM website is an efficient way to get information about the station, there are some issues that challenge the organization’s rhetoric. For one, the pictures presented on the home page are not all up to date. In addition, there is a lot of free space on the page that could be used for content. The colors are muted therefore they do not capture the audience’s attention very well. Apart from the slideshow of pictures, the website is very plain.
2. Audiences: WMLU targets a more enabling audience. An enabling audience “[is] composed of those people who allow the organization to operate,” (Hoffman, Rhetoric, 65) which is quite common in colleges and universities. Without student involvement or interest in the station, it would cease to exist.
3. Constraints and Assets: The website is very organized and professional, and at the same time the dark, muted colors reveal the calm, laidback atmosphere of the organization. Something that would help promote the station is visual appearances on campus. WMLU is so media driven that often times they don’t even consider some old-school techniques. Actually being on campus to promote their organization is an efficient way to get their message to more people outside the station. In the past, WMLU has participated in the Involvement fair where they handed out mini flyers about an informational meeting that following week. According to the board members who attended, there was a huge turnout.

Issues:

1. WMLU 91.3 FM is a college radio station that strives on being as close to the professional level as possible. On a professional level, this works. WMLU is treated like any other organization. Their professionalism has gained them credibility when working with other company’s to expand their brand. However, their message is not received well on campus. Although they do not directly speak about the struggles of being accepted at a professional radio station internally. At this past PR committee meetings, members discussed different ways to promote events put on by WMLU to students on campus.
2. Over the past two years, WMLU has increased its membership by 50%. In addition, their presence on campus has become more prominent, because of WMLU’s participation in various events on campus. For an example, WMLU volunteers to DJ events on campus such as Lancer Lunatics and the Grand Opening of Upchurch. According to the General Manager, Shannon Blunt, these events are big for the station, because it is a great opportunity for students on campus to learn more about the station.
3. Based on my knowledge of the rhetorical situation and rhetoric, WMLU appears to de-emphasize information about services that the station offers. This might influence the issue of how Longwood students view the station from an outside point of view.

1. Identity strategies of organizational rhetoric identified
   1. The organization employs association when use their slogan “The Music of Longwood University & Farmville, VA.,” to connect themselves to the community. This allows the station to appear professional and family-friendly. In addition, the slideshow of pictures from different events shows the viewer different ways WMLU makes themselves part of the Longwood and Farmville community. They associate themselves with community involvement and asserts that their business is a professional and friendly organization.
   2. WMLU 91.3 also uses differentiation on their homepage in their unofficial mission statement, which notes that they have been “Keeping the beat since 1981”.  By hinting at their organizational age is significant because it suggests that they have been around longer than other clubs and are thus better qualified to provide positive experiences for members and consumers alike.
   3. Several elements of branding are visible on the WMLU homepage. The multiple tabs at the top of the page suggest that the organization has put in a lot of time and effort into the website, giving the viewers plenty of content to go through. Additionally, they have very important information, such as contact information and meeting dates, on the home page which is good for recruiting new members or new customers.
   4. These strategies help audiences focus on the critical aspects of WMLU’s identity because they note what is important enough for the organization to put on their website’s homepage. Since the homepage is generally the first thing visitors to the website see, conveying a sense of community and professionalism reveals that these are central to experiences if you were to book/join WMLU.
   5. Social media is the most prominent channel of delivery for WMLU. Being a small-college radio station, it is up to the members of the organization to promote on their own social media networks. By exposing the rhetoric created by members for audiences, WMLU creates an atmosphere of professionalism and by the members boosting each other’s content, they create a sense of community.
   6. WMLU is already regarded as an inclusive organization for existing on a college campus. They are seen at certain events such as Longwood’s annual involvement fair (a day dedicated for students to get involved in organizations on campus) and special events in the Communication Studies department. To maintain this identity across time and advance their own goals, the organization might consider reaching out to other academic fields to encourage them to get involved. While WMLU mainly targets students in Communication Studies, there are many members in other majors as well.

2. Key elements of the rhetorical situation
   1. This is a situation that calls for identity maintenance rhetoric. WMLU is already known as a professional organization. They are involved with other organizations in the Farmville community which helps maintain their identity. For an example, every other Thursday, the station gets set up at Third Street Brewery for trivia night. It’s open to all students and all Farmville residents. At first, it was strictly volunteering to expand their brand. However, due to the organization’s professional nature, the brewery agreed to pay the station since trivia night was bringing them so much business. In the near future, WMLU will be holding a conference where stations from other schools will come to Longwood and the board will share tactics they use to keep the station up and running.
   2. College students are always the primary audience for WMLU. While they also looking for businesses to collaborate with, it is a student-run station and the main goal is to give Longwood students a great college experience. The committees within WMLU are always looking for ways to get students involved in the station and even come together for one of WMLU’s event.
   3. Constraints common to this identity situation presented in this case is the lack of voices. WMLU has grown a lot over the years, yet most of the support it gets is from its members. There are not enough people promoting the station to people outside of the station nor do a lot of people care. It is difficult for the station to try to get involved on campus when there is a lack of promotion to the Longwood community as a whole.

http://www.wmlu.org/

On the official WMLU, 91.3 website (wmlu.org) has lots of information presented in a way that allows audiences to make informed decisions. The different tabs allow the viewer to decide what they want to look at first. What is left unsaid in the rhetoric is the underlying struggles the station faces financially. Dues are presented on the website, but there are certain expenses such as Bandfest that are not presented. There is no specific speaker on the website, but the General Manager, Shannon Blunt, is the eyes and ears of this station. I would label her as the primary speaker. Since WMLU is open for any Longwood student to join, there is no specific group targeted. However, students majoring in Communication Studies are strongly encouraged to join the station, because it could be a future job for some students.

Personally, I think the colors are not very exciting. I would make them brighter and more exciting. This would draw more attention. I like how each page on the website is given an equal amount of care and effort. For a college radio station, it looks very professional. I would include more visuals about what the organization does and how it is an important contribution to the Longwood community.