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Archive for October, 2018

on Oct 25th 2018 Uncategorized

Post #9: Risk Rhetoric

Due by 4:00 p.m. on October 30th

As usual, respond to the following questions with the website (or social media page) of your selected organization in mind. If you are doing the alternative project option where you are developing a website for an organization which doesn’t have one, select a model website for this posting. Include in your posting a link to the website and, if possible, embed at least one image (screenshots, etc) from it. If the website has an abundance of content, at this stage you may choose to focus only on the homepage or another page to answer these prompts. You can answer each in a few statements; you don’t have to write your entire review of the website yet. However, feel free to write as much as you can, since you can use this content in your Organizational Client Project (formal report) later.

1) Based on your reading on risk rhetoric and previous analysis of the organization’s rhetorical situation, are any of the constraints most common to risk rhetoric present in this situation?
2) What risk perception frames do people in the audiences appear to have?
3) Are there strategies in the rhetoric that seem to account for those frames?
4) Are there strategies in the rhetoric that seem designed to enhance the organization’s credibility? That appeal to emotion? That appeal to values? That use claims and evidence?
5) How does the organization portray self as qualified or authorized to speak about a particular risk topic?
6) Does the rhetoric invite or limit participation in the risk assessment process? If so, which rhetorical strategies accomplish the invitation or limitation?
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?

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on Oct 19th 2018 Uncategorized

Post #8: Rhetoric about Issues

Due by 4:00 p.m. on October 24th

As Hoffman and Ford (2010) note, “Issue management rhetoric is constrained by a number of factors and potentially supported by other factors. Organizational rhetors often change face challenges of (1) being heard in an environment full of messages, (2) developing rhetoric under time limitations, (3) analyzing and presenting complex ideas, and (4) working within the context of existing organizational identity and prior organizational rhetoric” (149).

Respond to the following questions with the website (or social media page) of your selected organization in mind (if you are doing the alternative project option where you are developing a website for an organization which doesn’t have one, select a model website for this posting). Include in your posting a link to the website and, if possible, embed at least one image (screenshots, etc) from it.

If the website has an abundance of content, at this stage you may choose to focus only on the homepage to answer these prompts. You can answer each in a few statements; you don’t have to write your entire review of the website yet. However, feel free to write as much as you can, since you can use this content in your Client Project (formal report) later.

For this posting, begin evaluating and/or critiquing your selected organization’s possible rhetoric about issues (or lack thereof). This will require you to first overview the rhetorical situation of the organization, so the following include prompts about that as well. If a prompt doesn’t apply to your organization, make sure to state that, as well, and explain why/how.
Rhetorical Situation:
  1. Exigencies: What elements in its rhetorical situation (surrounding context, etc) appear to be challenges or opportunities for the organization? Is there an imperfection or an opportunity?
  2. Audiences: What audiences seem to be the most appropriate target in the situation? What are the characteristics of or interest of members of these audiences?
  3. Constraints and Assets: What things might make it more difficult or easier for the organization to answer the exigencies? Are there pre-existing beliefs, attitudes or values, or past rhetoric or experiences that will affect how the message is interpreted by audiences?

Issues:

  1. How does the organization portray itself as qualified or authorized to speak about a particular issue?
  2. Is there evidence in the rhetoric that interested audiences have been consulted and have had a reasonable opportunity to influence the process?
  3. What is said about an issue and what is not said?
  4. Based on your knowledge of the rhetorical situation and rhetoric, does the organization appear to conceal or de-emphasize information that might influence the issue?

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on Oct 11th 2018 Uncategorized

Post #7: Identity Creation and Maintenance Rhetoric

Due by 4:00 p.m. on October 17th
If you haven’t already, go to Canvas to make a posting (at the related assignment link) on the organization you have selected for your Client Project.
Respond to the following questions with the website of your selected organization in mind. Include in your posting a link to the website and, if possible, embed at least one image (screenshots, etc) from it. If the website has an abundance of content, at this stage you may choose to focus only on the homepage to answer these prompts. You can answer each in a few statements; you don’t have to write your entire review of the website yet. However, feel free to write as much as you can, since you can use this content in your Client Project (formal report) later.
Please enumerate your answers to each prompt at this point to help me identify how you have addressed a particular prompt.
1. Which of identity strategies of organizational rhetoric can you identify in the sample? (You may want to refer to the Worksheet for Identifying Rhetorical Strategies in Organizational Texts in the appendix of our course textbook.)
a) Does the rhetor use association strategies? If so, with what does he or she associate the organization and how?
b) Does the rhetor use differentiation strategies? If so, from what does he or she disassociate the organization and how?
c) Are there examples of branding strategies in the rhetoric?
d) In what ways do these strategies help focus on what is central and enduring about the organization?
e) How do the channels of delivery (social networking media, a race car) contribute to identity creation or maintenance?
f) In what ways might the rhetoric use an already-existing identity to advance the goals of the organization?
2. What are the key elements of the rhetorical situation? (You may want to refer to the Worksheet for Describing Rhetorical Situations in Organizations in the appendix of our course textbook.)
a) Would you say this is a situation that calls for identity-building rhetoric or identity maintenance rhetoric? Or both? Why?
b) Which types of audiences seem to be target audiences in this situation?
c) What constraints common to identity situations are present in this case?

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on Oct 5th 2018 Uncategorized

Post #6: Revising Organizational Messages

Due by 4:00 p.m. on October 10th
Choose an organization (a business or a social initiative organization).
Case Study: You have been appointed as the marketing coordinator of your selected organization, and you would like to improve your organization’s rhetoric for a better marketing of the organization’s ideas, products, or services. In other words, choose an organization whose messages you would like to revise.
Respond to the following prompts with the organization’s official website in mind:
1) First, perform a short analysis of the website. Is the information presented in a way that allows audiences to make informed decisions? What is left unsaid in the rhetoric? What information is omitted, and what topics are not addressed? Who is speaking? Which groups’ interests are revealed? Which are concealed? Are the ideas or values of a few power parties presented as the ideas or values of the whole? Does the discourse invite participation from all interested parties?
2) What would you do to improve this site’s rhetoric? You can make general comments about what to include in or exclude from the website, how to revise it, etc? You may also provide some specific examples (how can certain content be rephrased, redesigned, etc)?

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