Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Personal Essay: Opening
Every Canadian needs to be aware of our contributions to our planet. Most contributions further humankind, but leave drastic effects on our earth. The matter at hand is about our environment. We as a society contribute vast damage to our surroundings. With a low population, one would think that we could control ourselves. Evidence of our control proves otherwise, as each generation of Canadians is worse than the previous. Environmental conditions need to be forced more severely onto our shoulders. We as Canadians are rich in luxuries, and because of this we feel the need to do whatever we want, without caring about the consequences of our actions.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Informal Essay: Opening Paragraph
As Canadians, our personal safety should be considered one of the most important issues to our government. We as a society believe that we are being protected. We may be entitled to security of person, but what about knowledge? Canadians should have the right to be aware of the dangerous offenders in our community. Sadly, we are not given the whole truth or even granted our rights, or even access to some of the most crucial information that could protect my family and yours. The right we are being denied is the right to be aware of registered sex offenders in Canada, and even in our community. I believe that the registered sex offenders act should be passed and ratified in the House of Commmons.
Methods of Development in "Television News"
One method of development used in John Haslett Cuff’s essay “Television News” is example. Throughout the essay, Cuff gives many examples of ways in which television is, “[serving] both the corporate and political elites.” In paragraph two of “Television News,” the author makes note of the “planned and staged event” and its contribution to the sameness of all news sources. Cuff immediately relates this example back to the thesis by using parallel ‘manufacturing’ language, and connecting it to politicians. To further develop his thesis, the author cites a television journalist who conforms to his idea, summing it up by stating that news “is bureaucratic.” Supplementing this idea, Cuff explores the manufacturing of news through the example of political news conferences. When the essay flows into the second section, the author begins to focus on examples pertaining specifically to the medium of television, as opposed to media in general. Cuff notes how “numbingly similar” images are every night, and further enforces his thesis by elaborating on the “reduction of information” through the running of the same story on every newscast. The use of example in “Television News” is significant to the development of the thesis as it allows Cuff to not only establish television’s “technical superiority and popular ascendance” but also to fully explain, in a context that all television viewers could relate to, how this medium is wasting its potential, and instead “preshrinking news.” In the context of “Television News”, the use of example is necessary as a reader would not feel the thesis was adequately proven without specific reference to ways in which the news is a “slave of format.”
As well as example, Cuff also makes use of persuasion in “Television News.” The essay is written in a way that the reader slowly conforms to the ideas presented, which is done through many types of claims, as well as logos, ethos, and pathos. In the first paragraph, Cuff plays to ethos by referring to television as a “slave.” This terminology also appears as a claim of values, bringing about humanity’s adverse opinions on slavery. Logos appears in tandem with the example method of development, as Cuff presents numerous facts and evidence relating to television’s “preshrinking of news.” He notes the sameness of television, the “newshound” reporters, the numbingly similar images, as well as specific news examples in the forms of The New Yorker and W5. This immediately establishes a credibility and knowledge of the topic, which makes the reader trust in the authors authority on the matter. Cuff makes claims of policy, but presents them in a cynical context, which gives the reader a negative view of the policy of news. By stating the preparedness of most conferences, the reader is forced to doubt the truth behind their information, and makes the ache for television news “to escape the tyranny of its hidebound formulas.” Finally, Cuff adds to his persuasion by employing pathos. By relating his topic and thesis back to the lives of humans, the reader instantly wishes for change. Posing the idea that news “rule[s] and homogenize[s] our lives” appeals to the human side of the thesis, and allows the reader to combine the emotional argument with the logical one to fully persuade them to conforming to Cuff’s own ideas. It is evident that persuasion is highly effective in proving his thesis, as Cuff feels so confident that he has done so, he spends the entire last paragraph posing rhetorical questions whose answers require either accepting or rejecting the thesis. Having been unsure if his essay was persuasive enough to convince an audience his ideas are true, one would highly doubt he would include such a personal ending.
As well as example, Cuff also makes use of persuasion in “Television News.” The essay is written in a way that the reader slowly conforms to the ideas presented, which is done through many types of claims, as well as logos, ethos, and pathos. In the first paragraph, Cuff plays to ethos by referring to television as a “slave.” This terminology also appears as a claim of values, bringing about humanity’s adverse opinions on slavery. Logos appears in tandem with the example method of development, as Cuff presents numerous facts and evidence relating to television’s “preshrinking of news.” He notes the sameness of television, the “newshound” reporters, the numbingly similar images, as well as specific news examples in the forms of The New Yorker and W5. This immediately establishes a credibility and knowledge of the topic, which makes the reader trust in the authors authority on the matter. Cuff makes claims of policy, but presents them in a cynical context, which gives the reader a negative view of the policy of news. By stating the preparedness of most conferences, the reader is forced to doubt the truth behind their information, and makes the ache for television news “to escape the tyranny of its hidebound formulas.” Finally, Cuff adds to his persuasion by employing pathos. By relating his topic and thesis back to the lives of humans, the reader instantly wishes for change. Posing the idea that news “rule[s] and homogenize[s] our lives” appeals to the human side of the thesis, and allows the reader to combine the emotional argument with the logical one to fully persuade them to conforming to Cuff’s own ideas. It is evident that persuasion is highly effective in proving his thesis, as Cuff feels so confident that he has done so, he spends the entire last paragraph posing rhetorical questions whose answers require either accepting or rejecting the thesis. Having been unsure if his essay was persuasive enough to convince an audience his ideas are true, one would highly doubt he would include such a personal ending.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Television News
The first method of development I came across was Classification. The author separated ideas into different groups, which all related back and enforced his thesis. The use of this method was excellent as it separated ideas such as news conference and competition in paragraphs 3 to 5 from “pictures” in 6-8. The news conference and competition further develops his thesis by proving that each holds a specific characteristic. For News Conference it depicts that it’s the biggest staple, because there are prepared statements and arguments. “And whether it is called by a prime minister or president, an eco-activist or native dissident, it almost always consists of a prepared statement, followed by prepared answers to prepared questions”. This directly relates back to his thesis, by proving that television has technological superiority. The second part is Competition. This section proves that all that are competing, including newspapers, radio, and television. “All of the players are competing, yet are largely content to have the same story, the same information and, in the case of TV, the same pictures.” This relates back and furthers proves his thesis that the technological superiority and popular ascendance over print is the reduction of information. When looking at “pictures”, it proves that they are similar. “The pictures are numbingly similar night after night: a head of state getting in and out of a car, surrounded by reporters, besieged on the steps of some official building or posed at a lectern in front of an obedient, orderly group of newshounds.” This further develops Cuff’s thesis by again, proving that there is preshrinking of news to serve both the corporate and political elites.
The second method of development is Argument. Throughout the essay there is a vast amount of details that convinces the reader. These details can all be directly related back to what was previously stated for classification. Throughout: News Conference, Competition and “pictures” each brings its own form of persuasion. For News Conference there was the phrase “And whether it is called by a prime minister or president, an eco-activist or native dissident, it almost always consists of a prepared statement, followed by prepared answers to prepared questions”. For Competition, “All of the players are competing, yet are largely content to have the same story, the same information and, in the case of TV, the same pictures.” Lastly for “pictures” there was “The pictures are numbingly similar night after night: a head of state getting in and out of a car, surrounded by reporters, besieged on the steps of some official building or posed at a lectern in front of an obedient, orderly group of newshounds.” All of these quotes make direct development of Cuff’s Thesis. They provide supporting details, and further advance the essay.
The first method of development I came across was Classification. The author separated ideas into different groups, which all related back and enforced his thesis. The use of this method was excellent as it separated ideas such as news conference and competition in paragraphs 3 to 5 from “pictures” in 6-8. The news conference and competition further develops his thesis by proving that each holds a specific characteristic. For News Conference it depicts that it’s the biggest staple, because there are prepared statements and arguments. “And whether it is called by a prime minister or president, an eco-activist or native dissident, it almost always consists of a prepared statement, followed by prepared answers to prepared questions”. This directly relates back to his thesis, by proving that television has technological superiority. The second part is Competition. This section proves that all that are competing, including newspapers, radio, and television. “All of the players are competing, yet are largely content to have the same story, the same information and, in the case of TV, the same pictures.” This relates back and furthers proves his thesis that the technological superiority and popular ascendance over print is the reduction of information. When looking at “pictures”, it proves that they are similar. “The pictures are numbingly similar night after night: a head of state getting in and out of a car, surrounded by reporters, besieged on the steps of some official building or posed at a lectern in front of an obedient, orderly group of newshounds.” This further develops Cuff’s thesis by again, proving that there is preshrinking of news to serve both the corporate and political elites.
The second method of development is Argument. Throughout the essay there is a vast amount of details that convinces the reader. These details can all be directly related back to what was previously stated for classification. Throughout: News Conference, Competition and “pictures” each brings its own form of persuasion. For News Conference there was the phrase “And whether it is called by a prime minister or president, an eco-activist or native dissident, it almost always consists of a prepared statement, followed by prepared answers to prepared questions”. For Competition, “All of the players are competing, yet are largely content to have the same story, the same information and, in the case of TV, the same pictures.” Lastly for “pictures” there was “The pictures are numbingly similar night after night: a head of state getting in and out of a car, surrounded by reporters, besieged on the steps of some official building or posed at a lectern in front of an obedient, orderly group of newshounds.” All of these quotes make direct development of Cuff’s Thesis. They provide supporting details, and further advance the essay.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Observations from on High
Mike LeSouder and Rob Lamond? Where are you? Where are your posts? Heellllooo? The remaining three are doing a good job. You should be commenting on each other's posts with more vigour. Keep up with all the recent topics. No one's posted about Freud yet. Continue to develop your writing voices.
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