https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/us/florida-school-shooting-first-responders/
Faith Karimi February 25, 2018 19 year old former student Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School wearing heavy armor and began shooting in the freshman building. Using an automatic weapon, he was able to shoot through windows, walls, and human flesh. The controversy however lies on why the student was not taken into questioning before and why the school officers waited outside for four minutes as the shooting went on.This massacre has made international headlines with audiences around the world wondering what happened and how the police response could have been better. This information came to light in the days following the shooting as those involved are being investigated. The author used informal diction and first-person testimonies from responders such as Coral Springs Police and officers to describe the events that took place in a vivid and concise manner. The informal diction was used to remain both realistic and as close to the sources’ speech patterns since they used informal diction in conversations and testimonies. There was bias in the author’s article against the confessed shooter by describing both him and his actions in negative terms. Author Karimi described the situation as a “massacre” and used quotes from officer Crawford that described the situation as “haunting”. While the author did not explicitly comment on the shooter to express her opinions, her choice of sources and information presented made her opinion clear. The article appealed to the reader’s ethos and pathos. For ethos, she used interviews and quotations from people that first-hand experienced the scene--many of which have respected positions among fellow police and first responders in the area. This establishes credibility for her article because you can assume that these people are well educated on the topic and are providing correct information. A few credible sources used in the article were Officer Chris Crawford of Coral Springs, a former Marine, and Kathy Liriano of the Coral Springs Police and Fire Communications. For Pathos they used vivid wording and descriptions of “officers covered in blood [of the victims] ”, students and staff lying dead in the hallway, and the fear of victims trapped in rooms. These descriptions can almost paint a picture for the reader who can almost imagine the school itself. The purpose of the article was to inform readers about the first responders to the school shooting and provide further information on the situation. The author had a very serious tone and expressed rather tearful emotions throughout the piece. Overall the author did a great job writing a compelling article while maintaining a professional tone on a “touchy” subject.
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https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/pompeo-russian-spies-meeting/index.html
Jim Sciutto and Nicole Gaouette, CNN February 1, 2018 Sciutto and Gaouette of CNN explain the current controversy regarding the CIA director Mike Pompeo and his meeting with sanctioned head of Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency. In a tweet released by the United States Russian Embassy, the Sergey Naryshkin had come to the United States for official government business. Pompeo and his agents supposedly followed a strict protocol for meeting with the Russian official, claiming that they had the safety of America in mind. Many officials however, are saying that by going directly against the 2016 sanctions Pompeo and his agents created a “serious national security issue”. This information coincidentally came to light amidst the backlash the Trump Administration is receiving for not imposing new sanctions against Russia earlier this week. This article was written for anyone who enjoys politics or is interested in the US and Russia’s odd relationship. The authors utilized informal diction through the use of words like “ target”, “barred”, and “destabilizing” to describe the events that take place. The informal diction was a rather effective way to explain the political controversy in terms that anyone would understand.After analyzing the article, I was able to determine that there was no apparent bias shown by the authors in either favor. However, the evidence and testimonies presented in the article --which were almost entirely against Pompeo-- show a more underlying prejudice against the CIA agent. Regardless, the authors maintained a professional tone throughout the article while being careful to leave out any personal emotions. Sciutto and Gaouette appealed to the reader’s Ethos and Pathos. For Starters, almost the entire article used quotes from politicians and involved members of both sides on both sides to show the legitimacy and accuracy of their information to the reader. These people included Pompeo himself along with fellow Politician Chuck Schumer and Andrew Weiss. Because the three gentlemen are rather directly related with the topic, it makes it easier for the reader to trust the information presented. Furthermore, they appealed to the reader’s Pathos by stirring up fear in the reader about our current relationship with Russia. The Authors used words like “war”, “political fallout”, and “ threat” to describe the United State’s relationship with Russia. Although they did include a few opposing quotes that mentioned the importance on working together against terrorism, the negative comments greatly outweighed the positive, clearly meant to sway the audience. The purpose of the article was to inform readers about the latest United States-Russia scandal. This is a rather serious topic since the two countries have had a rocky relationship in regards to the 2016 election hacking controversy. The authors used appeals to Ethos and Pathos, quotes, and tweets by the politicians involved to support their information. Overall the authors did a great and convincing job on delivering a message with minimal levels of bias present. https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/us/mckayla-maroney-lawsuit/index.html
Ray Sanchez 12/20/17 Ray Sanchez’s article told the heartbreaking story of Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney’s sexual abuse by her team doctor Larry Nassar. The scandal first became public when Maroney joined the twitter tag #MeToo which began during the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal. The article was written to inform readers, and specifically young women who have faced sexual assault that speaking up is the right thing to do. The article maintained a warm tone in reference to the many gymnasts but a critical one when it came to Nassar. The author used informal diction throughout the article. He created feelings of bitter sympathy for Maroney and the other sexual assault victims using words such as “abuse of minors”,“medically necessary treatment", and “victims”. These word choices automatically pull at the heart strings, especially if the reader has young female family members or friends.The words showed the author’s sympathetic tone as well. However, Sanchez personally seemed to have little emotional attachment to the topic. Rhetorical devices that were heavily relied on are Ethos and Pathos. He uses these to appeal and persuade every part of the audience’s mind and shut down any possible criticisms that they may have. Firstly, Ethos was used by directly quoting Maroney’s verified twitter account on her experiences stating, “It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was 'treated'”. Sanchez also used snippets of the lawsuit that was filed against Nassar discussing the terms of the confidentiality agreement she had to sign, "I was forced to agree to a non-disparagement clause and confidentiality provision". Next, he used Pathos to make the reader sympathise with the long term abuse that went on in the victim's gymnastic world: “Maroney went public in October with allegations that Nassar repeatedly molested her, starting when she was 13 years old ”. The effects of these rhetorical devices came together to make a compelling argument in favor of McKayla and her family. The author’s tone was somewhat neutral, however sympathy for McKayla and a critical tone against Nassar was clearly present. Although testimonies were presented from both sides, the majority of opinions and details used in the article were clearly biased in favor of the young victim. For example, details of Nassar’s 60 year prison sentence and descriptions of the sexual misconduct as “horrific” illustrate this point. The purpose of the article was to inform the reader of the sexual abuse happening in Olympic gymnastics, specifically the victims of Larry Nassar. The entire article however was centered around the Maroney Case and the “treatments” she received from the age of 13 until she left the sport. Additionally, the article was an example for many young victims that sexual abuse happens all over the world and that speaking up is necessary. Considering that the author is a male, I found it very courageous of him to go out and write a condemning piece on sexual assault. Not only did he show zero sympathy for the abuser, he also showed a courageous example about standing up against sexual assault- something that I do not believe many men are comfortable doing. http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/27/europe/prince-harry-meghan-markle/index.html
Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Max Foster 11/27/17 Foster and Moorhouse report the engagement of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. This article was specifically made to spread the news and inform the world-wide audience of the history-defying event happening in Kensington Palace. The interracial couple not only sparked headlines because of their border-shattering relationship, but also because Markle is will be the first mixed-race person marrying into the royal family. The authors maintained an informal diction throughout the piece, using cheerful and romantic wording to reflect the emotion of the engagement, including words like “the one” or “delight”. They also used quotes from the happy couple to elaborate on how the two are personally feeling about the engagement, somewhat reflecting the authors’ personal tone. Besides that, Moorhouse and Foster personally seem to have little emotional attachment to the topic, speaking of the engagement as any average person would. Rhetorical devices Ethos, Pathos, and Logos were used throughout the article to elaborate on the news of the engagement. To start off, Pathos was heavily used in the beginning of the article when Harry was quoted describing how he knew Meghan was “ the one”, reportedly smiling and responding “ [from] the very first time we met.” A heart pulling response, sure to give romantics of all ages a heartwarming response. The authors then used Logos to elaborate on the significance of the engagement on the history of the royal family: “Markle will be the first American to marry a British royal since the marriage of ... King Edward VIII, a union so controversial that he was forced to give up the throne… to go through with it.” This harsh but true fact clearly shows the social norm being shattered today not only racially but nationality wise. Lastly, Ethos was used for credibility multiple times when the authors quoted the palace and their spokesperson on how the family felt about the engagement. This not only validates the engagement, but also provides insight on the engagement as well. Authors Lauren and Max had an overall happy tone throughout the article, clearly shown through word choice and details provided. In other words, the authors included strictly positive quotes and statements on the engagement, almost disregarding the controversy likely brewing in the homes of many. Although they slightly touched on the American-British relationship triumph, they spoke more about the current couple than about King Edward and his unfortunate relinquishing of the throne for the sake of his love. In addition, they used words describing love, relationships, and happiness, throughout the article, clearly reflecting their tone. When describing harry, they spoke of his smile and of his romantic proposal. When describing Meghan, they described her success on Suits and her ring design. If they personally were against the engagement, they would have pointed out flaws and problems with the couple, not the positive aspects involved. The purpose was to inform and publicize the marriage proposal of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This was entirely throughout the article and spoke through the reader particularly when the authors used the Ethos, Pathos, and Logos described above. CNN has a worldwide audience and the British royals influence all over the world, bringing more current news to its viewers. Although the purpose of the article was more lighthearted than many of the other harder-core, CNN subjects, it is still important news that needed to be shared.CNN is not only the news outlet for reporting world-wide chaos, they are responsible for presenting viewers with all news, regardless of whether or not it is good or bad. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/16/us/tina-frost-vegas-shooting-victim-recovers/index.html
Cassandra Santiago and Josiah Ryan, CNN 10/16/17 Santiago and Ryan -along the victim’s mother- explained how Tina Frost was shot in the Vegas concert, followed by details of her road to recovery. Frost is one of the 500+ victims shot by Stephen Paddock at the Jason Aldean concert, a tragedy that has captivated the entire world. However, two weeks after she was shot, Frost walked a total of 6 steps around her hospital room; she also began breathing on her own for 6 hours. Since the authors kept a rather uplifting and hopeful tone, this piece was a reminder to the millions world-wide, of the light at the end of this dark tunnel. The authors used informal diction consisting of mainly factual words to make the article appear bias free. However, they did use many positive words to describe Frost’s recovery, giving the piece an overall uplifting emotion. Specifically, they used the words “progress”, “strength”, and “ upswing”.The words were primarily to allude to the emotion and attitude that was likely felt by the victim herself in this recovery process. They also sound like small forms of encouragement that the doctors could’ve used on Tina to speed up her recovery .Based on the length of the article and the factual diction, I don't believe that the Santiago and Ryan were emotionally attached to the the topic. It seemed to me as reporters merely doing their job. Santiago and Ryan appealed to Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. The article began with an appeal to both Ethos and Pathos by using details on Frost and her small accomplishments with quotes from her GoFundMe page. For instance, the article stated, “... [ Frost] continues to… progress. Frost squeezes hands, taps her foot to music and gives a thumbs up to her boyfriend Austin on request”. These were specifically used to give the reader a visual image of her hardships while tugging at their hearts, making them more invested in the story. In addition to publishing the article on a world known news source, the authors strengthen their credibility by frequently citing information from the GoFundMe page run by her family. An appeal to Logos was made by mentioning specific facts/statistics within the article. For instance, according to her donation page, “ [ Frost’s] GoFundMe page, which had an original goal of $50,000, has raised more than $556,000 for her medical expenses”. This established their knowledge on the subject and gave further information on the topic. The authors maintained a supportive and uplifting tone. They spoke little on the murders or tragedy of the shooting. Instead, they focused on every detail of Tina’s recovery, regardless of the significance; showing that every little bit of progress was a reason for celebration. The authors also created this tone by including an interview with the victim’s mother who spoke of Tina’s strength and her full confidence in her daughter's recuperation. As I learned in Psychology, repeated exposure to anything makes it seem normal and more likely to happen again. By repeating words such as “progress”, or minor details such as Tina’s newfound ability to tap her foot, families of other victims, and people across the country, will be more optimistic of the other’s convalesce. Which could possibly have been the author's’ goal. The purpose was to inform readers of the vegas shooting victims, the possible recoveries, and to make readers aware of needed donations .Personally, as a reader, this piece made me feel hopeful. Since the day of the shooting, I have heard nothing except the death tolls or details about the shooter, Stephen Paddock. This article was a way of saying, “ Hey, I know that there has been a tragedy! Get up and do something about it”. This was clear from the repeated mentions of GoFundMe accounts and the success that it has been having.This topic is extremely important right now because America is in a state of tragedy. With all of the hurricanes, wildfires, and mass shootings that we have all been hearing about, nobody seems to be stopping and taking a minute to look at the positives that came out of it. If more articles, or news outlets focused less on the hard facts or negativity surrounding these tragedies, maybe people will be less likely to commit these kind of acts in the future. http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/30/politics/trump-tweets-puerto-rico-mayor/index.html
Trump Attacks San Juan Mayor over Hurricane Response Juana Summers Summers explains the growing tensions between the Mayor of San Juan, Carmen Cruz and the US President Trump. In a series of tweets, Trump accused Cruz, under the orders of democrats, of being ‘nasty’ towards him. His tweets along with Cruz’s responses can be seen globally by anyone on the social media site Twitter. Trump and his supporters claim that Cruz’s comments on the lack of US aid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria had to do with her disdain for the president. He felt that her ‘disrespectful’ comments took away from the efforts of American Volunteers and federal workers currently in San Juan in an attempt to bash his name. Summers used formal diction and quotes from both sides of the argument in order to keep a political tone and remain objective of her own opinions. She included the tweets of many angry celebrities and politicians, in addition to Trump and Cruz, that spoke out on the controversy. These included congressmen Ed Markey and Don Beyer, in addition to Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Summers’ personal opinions and emotions were mainly objective. There was little to no clear emotion from the author or the stating of her opinion. However, based on the amount of anti-Trump tweets and quotes that she referred to in the article, I can infer that she is in support of Cruz. She also emphasized the devastation in Puerto Rico by using words such as “domestic disaster”, “ humanitarian crisis”, and “ full range of devastation not yet known”. Some rhetorical devices used in the article include alliteration and oxymorons. Summers stated that, “ Trump's comments were criticized by a number of Democratic lawmakers, who took issue with the President's rhetoric in the middle of a domestic disaster.” The words “domestic disaster” were examples of skillful alliteration used by the author in an effort to draw attention to the damage done on the island. The ‘double D’s’ have not only a literal meaning that applies to the situation, but also sounds that make you focus on the words slightly longer than you would have. She also used the oxymoron “fake news” a term coined by Trump, throughout the article. This oxymoron not only shed light on the opinions of Trump on trusted news sources CNN and NBC but also, showed Trump’s criticism on the comments being made and spread by Cruz through these sources. This also showed his strong emotion on the reliability of information reaching Americans. Cruz has done a number of interviews with CNN where she spoke of the ‘nasty comments’ that she supposedly said to Trump. She publicly denied any such behavior. The purpose of the article was to inform readers of the ongoing political divide amongst the American President and the Mayor of San Juan. This was done through quotes, tweets, speeches, and a variety of other sources that were used to put together the article in a factual manner. It is important that we as both citizens and readers know what is going on across the world and more specifically what is happening with our President from a honest and objective point of view. Although there was some slight bias, Summers did a great job of really explaining both sides of the argument despite her own feelings. |
AuthorHarar rhetorically analyzes popular CNN articles. Archives
February 2018
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