Rhetorical Analysis

Although your rhetorical analysis will be written to me as your instructor, it will play an important role in your understanding of the website, its audience, and its audience's needs. In a 500–750 word essay, please answer the following questions:

• Who is the rhetor or rhetors behind the site? What is their purpose or agenda? (Remember: these purposes or agendas may be multiple.)
• Why does the site exist—what are the purpose(s) or agenda(s) of the site itself?
• Who visits the site?
• Can you describe the audience demographically? (How old are they? Are they primarily male or female? How much money do they make? Where do they stand politically? Etc.) How do you know? What direct evidence or reasoning can you offer to support your claims?
• Can the audience be divided into one or more audience profiles? That is, are there identifiable subgroups within the audience that have certain features in common or that are drawn to the site for similar reasons?
• What brings the audience to the site? What will they hope to get out of it? What kind of experience are they hoping the site will provide them with?
• What is the audience likely to be interested in? What motivates the audience? What kinds of arguments or appeals are they likely to find persuasive?
• Briefly, can you describe some of the contextual elements surrounding the website?
  • Does the organization and its website have to compete for the attention of it's audience? For instance, are there similar websites out there for organizations with similar missions? How many similar sites are there? Does the site employ any strategies for gaining the attention of its audience within this competitive environment?
  • Does the site include elements that could be considered generic—that is, elements not invented by the website's rhetor but that come from established conventions or traditions?
  • Are there any expectations for the timeliness (kairos) of the site content?
• In what ways does the website work to establish trustworthiness (ethos, character, authority)? In what ways does the site employ logical arguments (logos)? In what ways does the site employ strategies related to the emotional state of the audience (pathos)?

Use the preceding questions to help you structure your response essay, but please do not write your response as a bulleted list of questions and answers.

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