Navigating News: Rhetorical Choices in Modern Media Platforms
- Kaitlyn Joseph
- Jun 28, 2024
- 2 min read
“Wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric. And wherever there is “meaning,” there is “persuasion.” Food, eaten and digested, is not rhetorical. But in the meaning of food, there is much rhetoric, the meaning being persuasive enough for the idea of food to be used, like the ideas of religion, as a rhetorical device for statesmen.” (Burke 172–73)
In this digital age and age of technological advancement, the delivery of news has completely diversified across these different platforms. On one hand, there are traditional news apps, like BBC News or The New York Times, that strongly uphold their values and importance in their depth and credibility, especially by incorporating in-depth and informative analysis and research and overall depth. On the other hand, and some might even say 'controversial', are the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. These platforms strive to emphasize and focus on viral content, quick social updates, and news tied to the user's engagement and algorithm. The emphasis on these key points emphasizes how these social media platforms utilize these various interactive features and report the information concisely, which then makes the viewer or reader motivated to come back.
Diversified ways of the delivery of news create an unbalance in the use of, declining, traditional news in contrast to the uprising and advancements of digital news especially from the various social media platforms listed above. After watching a TED Talk called "The Physicality of Digital Media," I was able to gain a deeper understanding and perspective of the "intersection of digital media and "real life", and how understanding these strategies help one navigate through discerning information and the different aspects of modern media.
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