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Amy Riele
Zack De Piero
Writing 2 MW 1-2:50
25 January 2016
And the Pulitzer Prize Goes to
In todays world with the internet so easily accessible, American citizens have no excuse
to be uneducated on domestic politics considering the presidential election is coming up in
November of 2016. Currently, news websites are packed with articles revolving around the
upcoming primary elections, especially the Republican debate that is going to be held on
Thursday, January 14. Articles from various news sources can be quite similar in many ways, but
after reading the content of the articles, it is simple to see that each source tailors the information
and rhetorical features based on the audience that is viewing their website in particular.
According to Carroll, "Understanding the audience helps you begin to see and understand the
rhetorical moves that the rhetor makes" (Carroll 49). CNN, the Washington Post, and Fox News
all have articles with content focusing on the upcoming GOP debate, yet each article comes from
a different angle through the use of simple, complex, or casual tones depending on the
audiences level of political knowledge.
CNN is known to be one of the most bi-partisan news sources because of the way that
news is presented with rhetorical features that do not offer a specific party bias. Because this is a
national news outlet and CNN has a very diverse viewership, each article strikes a balance
between liberal and conservative and does not seek to poke fun at one party over the other.
Rather, the articles serve to inform the general audience member of the viewpoints of each
candidate, what each candidates campaign looks like, and how they will each approach the

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upcoming debate; most people are drawn to this website because of the general, factual tone that
displays information. In the article titled 5 things to watch for at the Republican debate, one
sentence states that Trump, leading nationally but trailing Cruz in some Iowa polls, has
consistently taunted his rival" (Lee). That section goes on to explain a few instances that Trump
and Cruz have disagreed and have bickered, but both men are discussed to equal extents and
certain phrases like Hes challenged Hes tweaked Hes questioned (Lee) speak
regarding both men and leave the viewer more informed, rather than more opinionated. The style
of the writing is simple, using very few complex words or phrases in order to appeal to and
connect with even the most uninformed reader.
The Washington Post along with the New York Times, MSNBC, and Politico is
known to have a slight liberal spin on news stories in order to attract a more liberal audience
member than other mainstream news outlets. This is exemplified in the article Tonights GOP
debate features Trump vs. Cruz, and then the rest through the complex tone; the tone and
language choice really lend themselves towards readers who understand specific phrases and
humor associated with the Democrat party such as "The exchange came at the end of a tough
night for both Cruz and Rubio..." (Johnson, Zezima, Fahrenthold). This almost satirical tone
pokes fun of the Republican Party as a whole. The article states that various other candidates
are all relying on some variants of the same strategy: Survive long enough for voters to come
to their senses (Johnson, Zezima, Fahrenthold), insinuating that it would be a mistake for the
Republican Party to elect Trump as a representative in the GOP primaries. Although the purpose
of both this article and the CNN article is to present information about the debate, this article
introduces the information in a humorous light with the Republican Party as the victim of the
joke in hopes of appealing to more Democrat readers.

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Fox News is perhaps the most notorious source of conservatively biased information for
various rhetorical reasons, such as its skewed presentation of information as well as its dedicated
group of conservative followers. Like the Washington Post, the article titled 2016s first GOP
debate: Six things to look for in Charleston is written for an audience who is familiar with
Conservative topics and ideals; this is evident because of the particular set of language that is
used. Phrases like If youre counting at home... As in real estateIts a short walk In the
Low Country spirit of sippin bourbon and whiskey (Whalen) leave the reader to recognize a
very casual tone, almost as if the author and reader are dear friends and the author personally
knows the readers sense of humor and preferences. In an article such as this on a website such
as this, the author is able to use this particular tone and set of language because the vast Fox
News audience shares similar political views and lifestyles, conservative ones at that.
Various conventions can be found throughout the political news articles genre,
particularly in articles focusing on the upcoming GOP debate. According to Dirk, ...the success
lies in the fact that the writers of these headlines are rhetorically aware of whom these headlines
are directed toward... (Dirk 255), and after looking at CNN, the Washington Post, and Fox
News, one might be able to determine that each of these news sites hopes to grab the reader with
an informative, yet interesting title. The Washington Post article titled Tonights GOP debate
features Trump vs. Cruz, and then the rest eludes to the focus of the article and the author's
prediction of the debate in a humorous way, but includes a stab at the other Republican Party
candidates and their lack of importance, which is fitting for this liberally-skewed website. The
CNN article 5 things to watch for at the Republican debate, and the Fox News article 2016s first
GOP debate: Six things to look for in Charleston both begin with innovative, entertaining titles
that invite the viewer to concentrate on a number of actions during the debate. Although these

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articles are both attempting to convey the same points, CNN presents the information to its
bipartisan viewership very factually, whereas Fox News once again hopes to appeal to its
primarily Republican audience by using a relatable word. Many readers will come across the
word Charleston and feel an immediate connection with the Conservative capital in South
Carolina and will, in turn, read the article despite the fact that Charleston is simply the location
for the debate.
Since these creative titles give the articles a structure to follow, each article has multiple
subheadings with different aspects of the debate to look for; in theory, the reader will then watch
the debate and see the predictions that the author had mentioned, which will in turn give
credibility to the author. Different subheadings such as Johnny Walker and The elephant in
the room: electability (Whalen) allow the author to discuss distinct aspects of the debate; the
author is able to jump from a particular set of information to another in an exciting manner rather
than in a seemingly irregular way. Overall, each of the articles are titled in a way that is
informative and attention grabbing for a particular audience because of the concise, humorous
language and the extremely large fonts and bold outlining.
In the internet world today, stimulation is key, so there is no such thing as a plain article
with only text; each of these websites use additional features to positively enhance the readers
opinion of the article they have just read. On all of the websites, there is a Suggested Articles"
section, in addition to various inserted hyperlinks throughout the article, that connect the reader
to previous or more in depth articles from the same website that focus on similar, yet broader
topics. Often, when news articles are focusing on particular topics like the upcoming debate, the
article will omit specific details about the candidate or their campaign if they do not directly have
to do with the main focus of the article, the debate. Because of this, these similar articles are

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attached in order to pull the audience member whomever they may be deeper into the
website, so that they can recognize an even greater personal connection with the language and
content of the article. CNN and Fox News also have a constant video stream at the top of the
article that automatically plays short clips presenting information associated with the article topic
to enhance the readers knowledge on the subject. In both of these cases, the videos are clips
focusing on topics similar to the GOP debate, but each are tailored for the specific audience
members seeing as Fox Newss list of clips focuses primarily on Trump since he is overall the
most talked about candidate, whereas CNN has more general, informative clips to appeal to the
everyday, unbiased reader.
The word genre means so many different things to so many different people, but the
knowledge of the academic description and characteristics of genre can benefit or disservice a
person well beyond belief. The complex set of characteristics usually associated with a particular
genre can give a person insight on the necessary formalities that must be included in a genre as
well as the appropriateness of certain actions in a single genre. Dirk mentions that after learning
about genre, people are able to recognize the rhetorical situation of an action and in turn,
subconsciously choose to act in a certain way that will cause their desired outcome (Dirk 253).
However, without the knowledge of these specific aspects, a person can be fired, humiliated, or
failed; the possibilities are endless. Genres are an absolutely necessary aspect of communication
today because, paraphrasing Bitzer, when something new happens that requires a response,
someone must create that first response (Dirk 252). Therefore, learning about genre early in life
definitely gives a person an advantage; throughout academia, students are asked to analyze
compositions, and as Carroll states, The more we know about how to analyze situations and
draw informed conclusions, the better we can become about making savvy judgments about the

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people, situations, and media we encounter (Carroll 46). The scope of various genres is so vast
that genre ultimately defines the way people think, read, write, and learn; and whether these are
conscious decisions or not, Individuals who understand rhetorical analysis and act to make
change can have a tremendous influence on their world (Carroll 57).
After analyzing articles from various news sources focusing on the upcoming GOP
debate, it is simple to see that although the political news article genre has a solid set of external
conventions, a specific tone and set of content will be established for each individual website
depending on the projected audience for that particular website. This proves that genre is not just
a formula and that writing cannot simply be a fill-in-the-blank puzzle game; however, in the case
of relevant news articles, knowing ones audience and understanding the various rhetorical
features associated with a particular genre can lead any author one step closer to the Pulitzer
Prize.

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Works Cited
Carroll, Laura Bolin. "Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis." Writing
Spaces: Readings on Writing. By Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. Vol. 1. West
Lafayette, IN: Parlor, 2010. 45-58. Print.
Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating Genres." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. By Charles Lowe and
Pavel Zemliansky. Vol. 1. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor, 2010. 249-62. Print.
Johnson, Jenna, Katie Zezima, and David A. Fahrenthold. "Tonight's GOP Debate Features
Trump vs. Cruz, and Then the Rest." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Jan.
2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Lee, MJ. "Republican Debate: 5 Things to Watch for Tonight - CNNPolitics.com." CNN. Cable
News Network, 14 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Poggi, Jeanine. "CNN Charging 40 Times Its Usual Price for Spots in Republican Debate."
Advertising Age Media RSS. N.p., 2 Sept. 2015. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Whalen, William. "2016's First GOP Debate: Six Things to Look for in Charleston | Fox News."
Fox News. FOX News Network, 14 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.