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How does the media influence public perceptions
Media's influence on the public
How does the media influence public perceptions
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In recent years, President Obama and the way he handles things has become a very controversial topic. In the article “Obama’s ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Presidency” Ruth Marcus describes that controversy, in which she gives her opinion of President Obama. Marcus begins by discussing how in Barack Obama’s campaign he talked about “change we can believe in”, but she later tells the reader that he has “been missing in action” (Marcus, Paragraph 1). Throughout the article, she tells of numerous issues that Obama seemed to be missing on, and presents the reader with the question, where is President Obama? President Obama is always missing and late to weigh in on current issues, or at least that is Ruth Marcus’s central claim. She argues that Obama seems to …show more content…
A great example is when Marcus tells that Obama “did not want to say anything too tough about Libya for fear of endangering Americans trapped there” (Marcus, Paragraph 3). This is a great example because this is an issue that stirs up the emotions of many individuals living in America. It seems that Marcus tries to make the audience sympathetic towards her whenever she says, “I was unfair to Goolsbee because I asked him a question he didn’t have the leeway to answer” (Marcus, Paragraph 14). Another great aspect of pathos in her article is in paragraph fourteen where she uses vivid language such as; ‘ducking’ and ‘when the boss fudges’. Marcus certainly succeeds at using pathos to appeal to her audience, but there are too many facts and credibility missing in the article. She made some very strong points, but with the lack of facts to back up her claims, the article is weak. As a writer, Marcus did well moving the audience to agree with her, but she was entirely too opinionated. Overall this article was interesting and can be believed to be true to an extent because it is easy to convince and be convinced if someone speaks with enough authority or enthusiasm, but one must be interested in the
One of the ways Gladwell uses pathos is by displaying examples of human problems. When he is explaining his reasoning as to why ethnicity ties in to plane crashes, he states, “But then again, it was one in the morning, and he'd been up since six a.m. the previous day”(212). Gladwell says this because he knows that his readers may have had days like
Stephen Skowronek writes about political time and how one can determine the legacy a president will leave behind at the time their presidency is done. The president has immense powers when he comes to office, but the challenges they each face vary depending on the time they take office. Skowronek analyzes and demonstrates that the most essential factor for a president to attempt to legitimize his actions and orders will be the actions of the president before him. Following the actions of George W. Bush is how we can determine where Barack Obama falls under and follow the chain to the next president. If Hillary Clinton were to win the 2016 election, she would fall under the politics of articulation and Barack Obama would fall under the politics of pre-emption.
Pathos is the appeal to an audience’s emotion. Aside from the other two appeals that I have outlined in this essay, pathos is by far the most recognizable appeal in Lamott’s article. The humorous tone of the article is very easily recognized and frankly, it is hard not to laugh at some of Lamott’s uncalled-for sarcastic remarks (whether it be in your head or out loud). For example, when writing about how every writer she knows never writes an elegant first draft, she continues, “All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. We do not think that she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her” (1). By making such presumptuous claims about this person, some audiences might find this type of language comical or entertaining, which in turn makes them want to believe Lamott and continue reading. In a way this helps Lamott seem credible to some readers, in which case she has created a successful argument. On the other hand, some readers might find this kind of language unprofessional and inappropriate. Because much of the article deals with language that is full of humor and sarcasm, it would make sense to say that Lamott has directed this article towards an audience who is looking for something more entertaining than a typical statistic-filled essay that one might consider mainstream in this field. Whether it be entertaining or absurd, Lamott most definitely uses the appeal of pathos in her
It takes on the role of pathos in that sense because it is difficult for the audience to imagine moving to a foreign country, knowing no one, and not being able to speak the native language and trying to make a living. Mr. Sanchez as well as the other two gentlemen has risked so much to be where they are today. It states in the article that, “Mr. Sanchez is part of a small class of immigrants who arrived in the United States with nothing and, despite speaking little or no English, became remarkably prosperous.” By putting this in the text, it instills a sense of sadness for the reader and makes the reader feel that if someone can come from nothing and have to face so many obstacles and still become successful, then anyone can do the
In creating a character so obvious in his irascibility, duality and selfishness, Reginald McKnight also creates a character we can sympathize with. McKnight created a sense that Marcus was an eager individual, who set himself apart from society, but in doing so, he set himself up for failure. This, if anything, makes use aware that negative remarks and statements can lead to a very negative end result. We are forced to form our own conclusion and conform to the fact that no matter how many miles away, one person may never change.
In creating a character so confident, insecure, manipulative, and unstable, Reginald McKnight also creates a character we can sympathize with. McKnight created a sense that Marcus was a confident individual, who set himself apart from society, but in doing so, he set himself up for failure. Where the one woman who could make all the difference began to fear him. Once that happened, everything went downhill as soon as Marcus began to dismiss Ritas response at any given point. Whether or not he was fully aware, Marcus built walls around him and avoided speaking about his personal life with any sort of depth. This, if anything, makes us aware that negative remarks and statements can lead to a very negative result. We are forced to form our own conclusion and conform to the fact that no matter how many miles away, one person may never change.
Though Mr. Gerson is an experienced and seasoned bureaucrat and has also served on advisory committees for the President of the United States, the article under analysis here published by the Washington Post has many rhetorical elements to capture and engage the reader. Rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos and logos are clearly used in this article. We shall now document the occurrence and of such statements by through extracts from the article ...
...echniques employed are persuasive and subtle, and this allows Carr to take advantage of all emotional arguments at his disposal. In conjunction with sources pertinent to the topic, Carr’s emotional appeals seem to get his audience thinking, and from the article it is easy to agree with the points he has made. Carr’s use of logos and pathos does bring into question his ethos, however. Fortunately, Carr’s ethos should not be questioned, as he has written several books and articles on the topic. This does not excuse his bias, but it does permit him to speak on the topic at hand. Carr definitely presents himself as a strong literary figure, and his views on the internet are reasonable as well as relatable. This combination of ethos, pathos, and logos successfully allows Carr to write as an expert in this field, and his article and thoughts are not to be taken lightly.
Richard E. Neustadt, the author of Presidential Power, addresses the politics of leadership and how the citizens of the United States rate the performance of the president's term. We measure his leadership by saying that he is either "weak or "strong" and Neustadt argues that we have the right to do so, because his office has become the focal point of politics and policy in our political system. Neustadt brings to light three main points: how we measure the president, his strategy of presidential influence, and how to study them both. Today we deal with the President himself and his influence on government action. The president now includes about 2000 men and women, the president is only one of them, but his performance can not be measured without focusing on himself.
I disagree with Stephen Hess’ contention that modern President’s are woefully miscast in the role of manager of the Executive Branch. The Office of The President in its infancy acted strictly as a Chief Executive, by enforcing Congressional legislation that had been passed into law. As the government continued to develop, The President took on more responsibility acting in the capacity as Chief Administrator; by initiating legislation through a top-down process. Today, the President has developed into a combination of the aforementioned roles. The President manages his White House staff, as well as the nation, in order to attain a less hectic, more structured, effective leadership. Constitutional empowerment, presidential character, and public expectations have always and will continue to shape the fundamental managerial role of President of The United States.
Obama emotionally influences the nation to move forward from the issues of race that is hindering America. Without dwelling on his family tree, Obama reminds us that his father was black and his mother white, that he came from Kenya, but she came from Kansas: “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slave and slave owners — an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
Emily Bazelon brought up a controversial point, “Republicans in Congress denounced the Obama administration for going soft” (9). Although this statement w...
Hargrove, Erwin C. The Power of the Modern Presidency. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974. Questia. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
The Power of the Modern Presidency. Vol. First Edition. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974. George C. Edwards III, Wayne Stephen J. Presidential Leadership, Politics and Policy Making.