Blog Post 3 – Rhetorical Situation and Genre

A strange intrigue of mine is watching videos of news reactions at the time of historical events. There a stark differences between contemporary analysis of past occurrences riddled with hindsight and instant reactions the day of or day after an event that I like to look at to get the whole picture. Even more interesting is how much less emotion is shown by TV journalists during actual events when there is much more to be emotional about, as opposed to later debates on the topic. Often, when I see the news report a tragedy such as a school shooting, I see the host present the facts with calmness and candor. I’ll see the same host in a different rhetorical situation weeks later, passionately arguing their point about gun laws and safety on their show.

The same can be seen in news articles. Initial reports or articles from the day of have a very matter-of-factly genre of text. The writers typically focus on small details and descriptive language. After the event becomes a memory, writers begin to publish articles speaking in analytical terms about the bigger picture.

It seems those in the journalistic profession are trained to present a certain genre in response to different rhetorical situations. Their style of writing, tone, and verbage are dependent on the rhetorical situation. To meet the daunting task of reporting tragic news while maintaining credibility with their audience, newscasters and journalists match dramatic events with calm rhetoric. To keep their ratings consistent, they insert captivating language and analysis during less dramatic moments.