MDIA 301 Media and Rhetoric
Considers mass media in light of traditional rhetorical principles. Introduces students to classical persuasion theory: rhetoric vs. sophistry in Plato and Aristotle; the invention of character, emotion, and persuasive reason, with attention to dialectical reasoning (syllogism, enthymeme, formal and informal fallacies); the functions of arrangement and style with emphasis on Roman theories of rhetorical tropes and schemes. Applies these concepts to written analysis of contemporary media texts such as televised speeches, advertising, propaganda, and socially mediated news, paired comparatively with modern rhetorical analysis, including dramatism, ideological critique, and media semiotics.
Cross Listed Courses
ENG 430 & MDIA 303