Option 1: Article Review


Choose one newspaper editorial and one magazine article from the lists provided by your instructor and write a 250- to 350-word response to the following:

• What rhetorical devices are found in each article?
• Based on their characteristics, how can the rhetorical devices be categorized?
• What impact do the devices have on their respective articles?

Post your assignment as an attachment.

THIS IS THE ARTICLE I CHOSE TO ANALYZE:
Network kills death row commentaries: [2 STAR Edition]
Kissel, Kelly P. Houston Chronicle (pre-1997 Fulltext) [Houston, Tex] 17 May 1994: 4.
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[Mumia Abu-Jamal]'s series of nine essays was pulled from the evening news program ""All Things Considered'' because National Public Radio hadn't arranged opposing viewpoints or developed news stories that might have provided context, NPR managing editor Bruce Drake said.

Supporters say Abu-Jamal was framed because he was a black activist who helped found Philadelphia's chapter of the Black Panther Party and supported MOVE, the back-to-nature group that was firebombed in a confrontation with Philadelphia police.

Police say Abu-Jamal is a cold-blooded killer, and many spent the weekend on Philadelphia-area radio talk shows criticizing NPR's decision. ""We wanted to get the word out that we didn't want him to be gainfully employed from inside prison at 50 bucks a minute,'' said Officer Garry Bell, a former partner of [Daniel Faulkner]'s.

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HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Mumia Abu-Jamal -- the journalist, black activist, convicted police killer, who was hired by National Public Radio to talk about life inside a maximum-security prison -- found his commentaries canceled Monday just hours before the first one was to air.

Abu-Jamal's series of nine essays was pulled from the evening news program ""All Things Considered'' because National Public Radio hadn't arranged opposing viewpoints or developed news stories that might have provided context, NPR managing editor Bruce Drake said.

""If what I had heard had been so compelling and offered the kinds of insights and revelations that absolutely had to go on the air, I would have overcome my misgivings,'' said Drake, who said he first listened to the three- to four-minute essays during the weekend.

Abu-Jamal, on death row, is limited to two phone calls a month and wasn't available to comment, said officials at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon.

NPR was accused of bowing to pressure. ""We decry it as an example of journalistic cowardice,'' said Sister Maureen Fiedler, of Equal Justice USA in Hyattsville, Md.

""Mumia is on death row because he was an outspoken advocate against the police in Philadelphia,'' said his New York lawyer, Leonard Weinglass. ""Now when he attempts to speak from death row, the police have found a way of silencing him again.''

Abu-Jamal, a former mainstream radio reporter, was convicted of killing Philadelphia police Officer Daniel Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981.

Supporters say Abu-Jamal was framed because he was a black activist who helped found Philadelphia's chapter of the Black Panther Party and supported MOVE, the back-to-nature group that was firebombed in a confrontation with Philadelphia police.

Police say Abu-Jamal is a cold-blooded killer, and many spent the weekend on Philadelphia-area radio talk shows criticizing NPR's decision. ""We wanted to get the word out that we didn't want him to be gainfully employed from inside prison at 50 bucks a minute,'' said Officer Garry Bell, a former partner of Faulkner's.

The 40-year-old prisoner wouldn't have been allowed to talk about his case in his commentaries, set to run as an occasional series. He would have earned $150 for each piece but will now get the $75 ""kill fee'' for each one because the network accepted them but didn't use them.

The Pacifica Radio News network, which has 60 stations, announced Monday it would broadcast the commentaries. NPR has 426 stations that carry ""All Things Considered.''

What is your question about this assignment? The instructions seem pretty clear to me.

I am having difficulty finding/locating the rhetorical devices within the article. This assignment has really stumped me ... :-/

"Cold blooded killer", "~fifty bucks a minute.~" calling him "The 40 year old prisoner", (which is at the beginning of an irrational sentence by the way)...

Lenoard Weinglass's comments may seem to be founded in rhetoric but, since at this time Mumia has now been removed from death row as the result of evidence that informs these opinions, they are not.

To analyze the chosen article, you need to identify the rhetorical devices used in the article, categorize them based on their characteristics, and determine the impact they have on the article. Here's how you can approach each question:

1. What rhetorical devices are found in the article?
To identify the rhetorical devices used in the article, you can look for elements such as persuasive language, figures of speech, emotional appeal, repetition, irony, and exaggeration. Read through the article and highlight any phrases or sentences that stand out to you as using rhetorical strategies.

2. Based on their characteristics, how can the rhetorical devices be categorized?
Once you have identified the rhetorical devices present in the article, you can categorize them based on their characteristics. For example, if there are instances of emotional appeal, you can categorize them as examples of pathos. Similarly, if there are instances of repetition, you can categorize them as examples of anaphora or epistrophe. Grouping the rhetorical devices based on their characteristics will help you analyze their intended effects.

3. What impact do the devices have on their respective articles?
To analyze the impact of the rhetorical devices, you should consider how they contribute to the overall message and tone of the article. Do they help persuade the reader? Do they enhance the emotional appeal? Do they support the author's argument? Consider the intended effect of each rhetorical device and how it contributes to the article's purpose and tone.

Note: Remember to write a 250- to 350-word response to the questions, incorporating your analysis of the rhetorical devices and their impact on the article.