My Rhetorical Action Plan

In this post, I will be answering questions in order to develop my rhetorical action plan for Project 3.

Beltz (2007) "World Map" via Wikimedia
Public Domain License

1. Audience

• Knowledge
• My audience will have a lot of background on my topic/controversy. It is a very well known topic because it had such a large impact when it first occurred. The audience will have gotten their knowledge from the original article written by Rolling Stone, the articles written in response to Rolling Stone's article being retracted, the news, blogs, tweets, etc. Additionally, I am from Virginia and have many ties to the UVA campus and this news of Jackie's alleged attack and Rolling Stone's article were a huge deal in the area for a very long period of time. They still are, because the rumors continue to haunt the UVA campus, whether or not they are true. 
• Values
• The values of the audience vary; some people argue that Rolling Stone is in the wrong and UVA is the victim while others argue that Jackie is in the wrong for lying and Rolling Stone is the victim. The audience that will agree with my argument will have the values of ethical journalism and the following of SPJ's Code of Ethics for professional journalism (like Rolling Stone). Additionally, regardless whether or not Jackie is telling the truth, particularly because we don't know, the audience will expect empathy towards Jackie in writing. She could have been attacked but fabricated her story. 
• Standards
• I will be using a lot of research found in my articles I used for Project 1 (QRG). The information against Rolling Stone's credibility as a news source can be easily translated to my audience by provided various examples of where and why Rolling Stone went wrong and why it is their fault, not Jackie's. 
• Visual Elements
• I don't really understand this question, however, if I am interpreting this right, my audience will respond to visual images/elements that evoke emotion. My information against Rolling Stone's credibility and how the public cannot trust them as a source will evoke emotions possibly of anger or disappointment.  
• Purpose
• My audience will be reading/interested in my argument because they share the same values and beliefs as me regarding Rolling Stone. I hope to expand their understanding on how Rolling Stone and its writers failed as journalists by not following SPJ's Code of Ethics. It will encourage my audience of journalists to write ethically in order to maintain credibility and it will encourage my audience of news seekers to be wary of things reported in the media.

2. Genre

• Blog
• The genre of blogging is personal/reflective writing and can often be opinionated. It is supposed to be informative on the author's thoughts and opinions for the audience. I am considering creating a blog post for Project 3 because I think it would be an effective way to share my own opinions on my topic while also making the writing a bit more personal and fun. Blog posts are generally written and published on the author's blog page; blog pages keep all of the author's posts in one place and they could follow a certain theme/topic or they could also be random posts the author wanted to write about. If I were to write a blog, it would be very opinionated and I would use various rhetorical strategies to evoke emotion from my audience and gain their support. I would also take advantage of the logical aspects in rhetoric with my writing because I will be referencing the SPJ Code of Ethics in professional journalism. In a blog post, I could add a picture or two to add more of a visual element. The style of blog posts are commonly informal however, some people enjoy writing formal blog posts. 
• Example 1
• Example 2

• Article
• The genre of an article in a newspaper or magazine (online or in print) can often be opinionated and is generally for informational purposes. Articles are usually written to report on a specific happening and provide detailed information about that happening. I think that an opinionated article would be an effective way to inform my readers on my topic as well as express my values and beliefs on the subject. Writing in this genre, I would use rhetorical strategies to evoke emotion from my audience and gain their support. I would also take advantage of the logical aspects in rhetoric with my writing because I will be referencing the SPJ Code of Ethics in professional journalism. An article could have a header image and an eye-catching title. Articles are generally formal, academic, and informative. These aspects of articles would suit my topic well. Additionally, many articles have already been written about my topic.
• Example 1
• Example 2

3. Responses/Actions

• Positive Reactions
• I would like for my audience to reconsider the importance of ethics in journalism not only from the writer's position but from the people seeking information as well.
• I hope that journalists who read my article will be encouraged to practice truthful/ethical journalism.
• I hope my audience will share my values/beliefs after reading my work.
• Negative Rebuttals
• Some people will argue that Jackie is the one at fault and Rolling Stone is the victim. To this, I would argue that whether or not that is true, Rolling Stone is still responsible for what they publish on their website and in their magazines. They knew that they didn't have sufficient research but decided to post the article/story anyways. 
• Some people would argue that we still don't know if Jackie told the truth or not regardless of the fact that there is no evidence and that it is unethical to say that she lied. To this, I would argue that sufficient evidence has been found to rightfully assume that Jackie lied, regardless to whether or not she was attacked at some point.
• Some people would argue that Rolling Stone couldn't have prevented their faults. To this, I would argue that they definitely could have. It was Rolling Stone's responsibility to publish truthful work and they failed to do so.