Help with an essay question! About This Page:

[chezp]

OK guys, I need your help with one of my essay questions. It's exploring rhetoric in public relations. I won't say any more than that, as the question I want to ask you guys is what does rhetoric mean to you?

There are no right or wrong answers and I don't want you to look anything up, I just want you to ask what comes from the heart. These answers will be totally anonymous, but I'm hoping to then use some of them as examples of what people believe rhetoric is, before going on to academically define it - hence no cheating please to look up a definition!

Thanks for your help with this guys.

[Huntermom]

Thirty plus years ago when I was a freshman, all students at my university were required to take a course called "Freshman Rhetoric" which was basically an expository writing class, some of which was literature based. Twenty or so years later my three children were required to take similar courses at their universities (3 different ones) but all with names like first year seminar and having a subject focus but still basically a writing course.

I think of rhetoric as a way of expressing ideas, either verbally or in writing. I also think there is a more common (?) definition/usage meaning exaggerated speech to put forward a position. I often hear political speech referred to as "rhetoric."

My best effort for before 7 AM.

Hope this is helpful to your paper. If you need more let me know and I'll give you my definition after a second cup of caffeine at the office.

Diane

[Danielle Harmon]

If an idea, suggestion or position is describes as insincere by either side (with or without merit) then the idea, suggestion or position is much easier to dismiss. In my mind as soon as you dismiss someone's ideas as not holding any sincerity or merit by calling it rhetoric you engage rhetoric yourself. Public officials engage in this destructive cycle constantly and therefore accomplish very little to nothing...all in the name of forcing forward their own agenda. Open honest communication with purpose and respect are a rarity and those that do try to engage in that way are often dismissed themselves as they are not the one's who screech the loudest.

Good question!

[Sandra Bostwick]

What a great thread! I think rhetoric is using your words to try and convince someone of something!

[GATechGal]

My definition of rhetoric would be the positions/examples/facts that people use to defend their ideas and it is usually one-sided with no oposing views included. Where this becomes a problem is when information is presented as if there is no opposing side in a context that is supposed to be unbiased (as in news articles or textbooks). Where I think it is not a problem is when the writing is meant to express the author's opinion and it is clear that the the piece is opinion and therefore doesn't have to include other views for balance. Newpaper editorials are a great example of this. By the fact that they are included in the Editorial section labels them as OPINION. Way to much journalism today is not balanced, all the facts are not included, and stories tend to be written from the reporters "view point" rather than including all the facts. Journalism was not taught that way in the past. Reporters were to be unbiased observers reporting all the pertinant facts and not including thier own conclusions.

[lukeandbrookesmom]

It means using your words/language to convince or persuade someone or a group of people. The rhetoric should have the end affect that the person or people move to action.

[Nimros]

Okay, here's my very first thought on hearing the word 'rhetoric' : talking endlessly about a subject without much substance behind what you are saying.

I know it simnply means communications, but whenever I hear the word, that's the feeling I get!

[mcc0313]

To me rhetoric would be the way a person either through speaking or writing communicates their points about a certain subject, and pursude a person to follow the same line of thought.

[5SOXFNZ]

Originally Posted by Nimros

Okay, here's my very first thought on hearing the word 'rhetoric' : talking endlessly about a subject without much substance behind what you are saying.

Also, i tend to think the person "spewing" the rhetoric has not much knowledge of the subject but is just reitterating something they have heard without much thought going behind it, just "regergitating" an opinion of someone else.

[jimmymac]

The way you communicate your yjoughts and ideas to other people

[emtpej]

Just shooting from the hip on this one, I think of that term as 'hot air', or just talking about something to find out what everyone else thinks about it.

[PamelaK]

Rhetoric to me is being able to express yourself in such a way that you can inform or persuade someone to understand or agree with your position.

[Luvsun]

I think it is how you communicate your thoughts and opinions to others. Usually trying to get them to understand your ideas and agree with you.

[Chrissi]

Okay, so I didn't immediately think of the definition of rhetoric. I free associated and the first phrase to come to mind when I thought of rhetoric was "World War 2 Propaganda Campaigns". So I guess I associate "rhetoric" with politics and war propaganda.

[Tink and co.]

Rhetoric was my Junior Year English class in High School.

To me it means trying to convince someone of your position using your words, sometimes without a lot of factual support for those words.