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.

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.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/wmlu913/

One of the main situations WMLU 91.3 faces is budgeting. The student-run organization has fees that cover the station, airwaves, events, and DJ equipment. In order to get their brand out there, the must go through Longwood University and the Student Government Organization (SGA) for financial assistance. Organization members pay a $20 membership fee at the beginning of the year, but that only covers PR gear like T-shirts and permission to use the station and broadcast your own radio show. WMLU 91.3 is responsible for putting on performances like Bandfest for the spring weekend. In preparation, committee members meet up to decide what kind of bands the students at Longwood would enjoy seeing perform. The list then goes to a booking agent who reports the cost of each performer and reliability (if they’ll be able to fit Bandfest into their tour schedule). However, WMLU struggles to come up with the finances to get a headliner that would draw a huge crowd. They are not the only organization on campus, of course, so Longwood University and the SGA have to be careful about how they distribute the money. In addition, since the station can’t always draw in a huge crowd for Bandfest, it is seen as an unpopular even among students, therefore it is given less financial attention. In addition to Bandfest in the spring, WMLU 91.3 puts on a Fall event to promote the station. This event is normally not as grand as Bbandfest (mainly because of the budget) and is more low key and chill.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/wmlu913/

WMLU targets a more enabling audience. Enabling audiences “are composed of those people who allow the organization to operate,” (Hoffman, Rhetoric, 65) which is quite common in colleges and universities. When the station is asked to DJ events on campus, Longwood requires the lyrics and message in each song to be clean. This concept alone is a rhetorical strategy used by the university in order to make the campus seem friendly and professional. You never know who could be walking around campus that day and you would want to make a good impression. By respecting this rule, WMLU 91.3 is given more credibility and respect by the university. This allows WMLU to be high on the list of organizations the school needs to put more effort into in order to promote the Longwood and persuade students to come. In addition, the Communication Studies department is one of the largest fields on campus, and that is because the technology is up-to-date and it gives students a hands-on experience for future occupations. If the station were to abuse the high-end DJ equipment or violate the rules regarding clean song lyrics, then the university would have the right to take away those privileges and not help finance the organization.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/wmlu913/

Increasing the budget would help the organization solve their problems in a big way. This organization promotes their brand solely by entertainment. The station’s main use of rhetoric depends on their high-tech equipment and high-quality musical performances. In order to expand the organization, they require more money from the university to put on high-quality performances the student body demands. Without an increased budget, WMLU 91.3 is stuck in this rut of few members performing multiple tasks at once or even having to decline opportunities because of lack of financial support and members. If given the finances to properly execute the organization, more Longwood students can be made aware of communication studies opportunities and can be better prepared to be citizen leaders after they graduate. In addition, members of WMLU 91.3 care about the quality of their events. They want to put on the best fall event or Bandfest possible for Longwood students and the community to enjoy. With little money for these events, it could come across to Longwood students that WMLU 91.3 doesn’t care about what they want or the quality of music they want to be played. With many rules and restrictions, it can be very frustrating for members of the station to please their audience and boost their credibility.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/wmlu913/

Budgeting is a huge rhetorical situation that is common in many organizations regardless of size. It can be known that the more money an organization has, the more they can promote their message and increase the quality of their advertisement method. Keeping with the theme of radio organizations, stations like BBC Radio 1, has a large budget system, which allows them to promote high-quality content and a large quantity of it. However, smaller, local radio stations, have a harder time expanding their airwaves and consistently gaining viewers, because they can’t afford to always have celebrity guest stars in the station promoting their newest album. In addition, they would not have the finances for enough advertisement to make their station known to a wider audience.  

WMLU 91.3 has many forms of rhetoric to promote their brand and their message. For this post, I will be focusing on the official WMLU 91.3 website.

(This screenshot come from the wmlu.org)

WMLU 91.3 is a student-run radio station at Longwood University. This allows students on campus to get involved in an organization on campus and obtain skills needed to be in the radio industry at a professional level. With many smaller committees within the station, WMLU makes it easy for students to get involved and become part of something bigger than themselves.

On the website you can find links regarding the station including show schedules, sport updates, PSA Requests (these PSA’s will be read on the live air), DJ requests (different organizations can request the WMLU DJ committee to come and play music at their event), The station’s history, and how to join. Beneath is a picture slideshow of members participating in the many WMLU events. This allows the viewers to visually see the community aspect the station has to offer. There slogan “Keeping the beat since 1981”emphasizes that this station has been a huge part of the Longwood campus offering good vibes and promoting the love of music. Their logo is the infamous Longwood Rotunda symbol wearing a pair of headphones. This is a fun twist that merges both the tradition of Longwood and the creativity of the station.

The WMLU 91.3 website offers a modern, hip atmosphere for college students to get involved with the campus and explore the world of radio production. The color scheme is primarily various shades of blue and white. These colors represent Longwood University, but also offer a calm and chill vibes from the organization. The station has also mentioned their six consecutive years of winning VAB Awards. Some of these awards such as the “Best Promotion for a Sponsored Event” in 2011, has increased their credibility and professionalism as a station.

For my Analysis of Organizational Rhetoric Paper, I am proposing to do research on WMLU 91.3, the radio station for Longwood University. I am choosing this organization because I am apart of it and have an inside look of how the Public Relations committee uses rhetoric to persuade other Longwood students to join the station or tune in to student shows. In addition, WMLU partners with Third Street Brewery every other Wednesday for Trivia Night. This helps persuade Farmville residents to tune in and expands their audience.

WMLU strives to reach out to Longwood students to join the organization, but for the radio station as a whole, their main goal is to reach the Farmville community and expand their brand to surrounding counties in Virginia.

Understanding WMLU’s rhetoric is beneficial because there are radio stations everywhere. By understanding the basic rhetoric techniques for a college radio station, you already have your foot in the door for more professional radio stations. In addition, it is good for the students themselves to practice rhetoric techniques on their own so they are more prepared in real-world scenarios.

As a current and very active member of WMLU 91.3, I already have preliminary observations about the station’s overall message. WMLU encourages Longwood students to become self-made leaders. They offer students a platform to find their voice and be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves. WMLU has inspired me to not wait for opportunities to happen, but to make them happen myself. In the PR committee, we are encouraged to create the designs for our T-shirts and buttons. In the events committee, we reach out to managers and book the performers for Bandfest. It is truly a student-run organization and they offer great leadership skills.

WMLU is an American non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve the community of Farmville, Virginia. The station is owned and operated by Longwood University. Any type of promotion you see on Longwood campus or throughout Farmville is solely done by the students who are part of the organization. They are a nonprofit organization and the people who are in WMLU are their for the experience and love for the radio industry. Their work is driven by a passion for the station and they take pride in their work.

Background image by: pixabay.com

Hey, Y’all! Welcome to my first blog post!

Who Am I?: My name is Claire Baugh, and I am a sophomore at Longwood University. I’m majoring in Communication Studies with a concentration in Digital Media and I am minoring in Rhetorical and Professional Writing. After I graduate I plan on being a radio personality or a music critic.

What Can You Find on this Blog?: On this blog, you will find how different organizations use rhetoric to promote their brand or get a particular message across to a wide variety of audiences. We will focus on the ethos, pathos, and logos the organizations use and other rhetoric techniques.

Why Am I Here?: This blog is an assignment for my Organizational Rhetoric class this semester. However, creating a blog is something I’ve always been interested in doing, I just never had the proper guidance or motivation to actually sit down and start one. In addition, this blog will be good practice for future careers.