Thesis Final Draft2.docx

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF NEWSPAPER’S EDITORIAL COLUMN

ON EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS

IN THE PHILIPPINES

By: Anabel A. Abuso IV-AB English

Kristine Flores IV-AB English

University of Mindanao, Digos Branch 2016

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CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

What is called "rhetorical criticism" in the Speech Communication discipline is often called "rhetorical analysis" in English. A rhetorical analysis refers to the process of analyzing a text, given source or artifact. The text, source, or artifact maybe in written form or in some different sort of communication. Through this analytical process, an analyst defines, classifies, analyzes, interprets, and evaluates a rhetorical artifact. Through this process a critic explores, by means of various approaches, the manifest and latent meaning of a piece of rhetoric thereby offering further insight into the field of rhetorical studies generally and into an artifact or rhetor specifically. The process of analyzing a text or artifact so called “rhetorical analysis” will be the focused of the study in order to determine the writer’s purpose in writing the article, the messages it tried to conveyed and the rhetorical devices being used by the writers. The study is focused to analyze twenty (20) editorial articles culled from the websites of the four (4) local newspapers in the country namely: Sun Star newspaper, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Cebu Daily News and the Philippine Star with the specific issue, the issue of extrajudicial killings which is one of the biggest problem of the country now a days. The main goal of the study is to determine the rhetorical strategies, how newspapers writers use rhetorical devices to promote, persuade, and strengthen their arguments and interests in the issue of extrajudicial killings.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The purpose of this research is dual. On one hand, it attempts to identify the rhetorical devices and structure and on the other hand, it endeavors to find out as well the writer’s messages on writing the article on the issue of extrajudicial killings in the four published newspapers in the country namely; Sun Star Newspaper, Cebu Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star newspaper. Since the study revolves around rhetorical analysis to determine the rhetorical strategies and devices used, the following research questions have been designed: 1. Determine the rhetorical strategies used by the writers of the four local newspapers; 2. The rhetorical devices used by the writers in writing the editorial to address the issue on extrajudicial killings; 3. Determine the writer or the author’s message or stand on the issue of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

I.

Related Literature

Editorial

Editorials are comments on news items of national concern which attract the attention of the editor. Such news items may be political, economic, educational, religious or general socio-cultural issues that border on the welfare of the people. These written comments are published in the national dailies or magazines and are collectively known as “editorials”.

According to Butler (2011) all dailies have editorials which may not be published in thesame page for all magazines and it is always obvious that an article is in fact and editorial... editorial is one part of the paper which is based more on personal opinion than facts and for this reason the article may deliberately support one rather than another of the argument.

Ogunsiji (2001) asserts that editorial is the view of a magazine on a particular public issue. An editorial may criticize, praise or merely discuss the actions of some public functionaries or group.

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Rhetorical Modes or Strategies According to Aristotle, rhetorical strategies are the methods for "finding all the available arguments" (Bk. I, Ch.2) on a particular issue. A rhetorical mode is a strategy, a way or method of representing a subject through writing or speech. Below is a table of representation of the different rhetorical strategies/modes that can be used when rhetorically analyzing the text. STRATEGY

DEFINITION

Exemplification

Provide examples or cases in point

Description

Detail sensory perceptions of a person, place, or thing

Narration

Recount an event

Comparison and contrast

Discuss similarities and differences

Division and classification

Divide a whole into parts or sort related items into categories

Definition

Provide the meaning of terms you use

Cause and effect analysis

Analyze

why

something

happens

and

describe

the

consequences of a string of events Repetition

The constant use of certain words

Counterpoints

Contrasting ideas such as black/white, darkness/light, good/bad

Imagery

Language that evokes one or all of the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell

Metaphor and simile

A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by “like” or “as”

Style, tone, and voice

The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous, sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-incheek, solemn, objective

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Analogy

The comparison of two pairs that have the same relationship

Flashback

A memory of an event in the past

Hyperbole

Exaggeration or overstatement

Personification

Giving human qualities to animals or objects

Irony

An expression or utterance marked by deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning, often humorous

Oxymoron

A contradiction in terms such as “faithless devotion,” “searing cold,” “deafening silence,” “virtual reality,” “act naturally,” “peacekeeper missile,” or “larger half”

Paradox

Reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory; Red wine is both good and bad for us

Symbolism

Using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning; A skull and crossbones symbolize death.

Parody

Reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory; Red wine is both good and bad for us

Sarcasm

Using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning; A skull and crossbones symbolize death

Satire

Literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack

Diction

An author's choice of words

Parallelism

The use of identical or equivalent constructions in corresponding clauses

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Rhetorical Appeals An appeal is an attempt to earn audience approval or agreement by playing to natural human tendencies or common experience. There are three kinds of appeals: the pathetic, the ethical, and the logical. Ethos Ethos is related to the English word ethics and refers to the trustworthiness of the speaker/writer. Ethos is an effective persuasive strategy because when we believe that the speaker does not intend to do us harm, we are more willing to listen to what s/he has to say. Pathos Pathos is related to the words pathetic, sympathy and empathy. Whenever you accept a claim based on how it makes you feel without fully analyzing the rationale behind the claim, you are acting on pathos. They may be any emotions: love, fear, patriotism, guilt, hate or joy. Many texts from the modern press are heavily dependent on pathetic appeals. Logos The Greek word logos is the basis for the English word logic. Logos is a broader idea than formal logic--the highly symbolic and mathematical logic that you might study in a philosophy course. Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the intellect, the general meaning of "logical argument."

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Rhetorical Devices Alliteration - the recurrence of initial consonant sounds Allusion - a reference to an event, literary work or person Amplification - repeats a word or expression for emphasis Analogy - compares two different things that have some similar characteristics Anaphora - repeats a word or phrase in successive phrases Antanagoge - places a criticism and compliment together to lessen the impact Antimetabole - repeats words or phrases in reverse order Antiphrasis - uses a word with an opposite meaning Antithesis - makes a connection between two things Appositive - places a noun or phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes Enumeratio Epanalepsis - repeats something from the beginning of a sentence at the end Epithet - using an adjective or adjective phrase to describe Epizeuxis - repeats one word for emphasis Hyperbole - an exaggeration Litotes - makes an understatement by denying the opposite of a word that may have been used Metanoia - corrects or qualifies a statement Metaphor - compares two things by stating one is the other Metonymy - a metaphor where something being compared is referred to by something closely associated with it Onomatopoeia - words that imitate the sound they describe - plunk, whiz, pop Oxymoron - a two word paradox Parallelism - uses words or phrases with a similar structure Simile - compares one object to another Understatement - makes an idea less important that it really is

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II.

Related Studies

The study of Galacgac and Viray (2012), Styliaitic Analysis on the Editorial Coverage of the Maguindanao Massacre concluded that the editorial coverage of the Mindanao Daily Mirror, Sun Star Davao and Mindanao Times exhibited the following stylistics: introduction that give background information, clear statement of opinions, reasons and evidences are organized on the basis of relative strength, conclusion, restates opinion, direct terms euphemisms and the use of Standard English spelling, punctuation, capitalization, sentence and paragraph structure, grammar usage and diction appropriately. The present study is related to the study of Galacgac and Viray (2012) since the present study analyzes editorial article however, they differ in the method of analyzing the text since Galacgac and Viray’s (2012) study is focused on the stylistic devices while the present study focused on the rhetorical devices. Stevanovich’s (2012) study on Rhetorical Analysis of Successful Brands in Social Media Discourse illustrated that the connection between phatos and social media’s success as well as building relationships and communities with the audience was another important take-away from the study. That in order to produce a persuasive message and achieve success in social media discourse; brands must produce engaging and compelling content in the same way the brands in the study have been doing. Stevanovich’s (2012) study is related to the current study in terms of utilizing the rhetorical analysis as the method of study. However, they differ in the scope of the study since Stevanovich’s (2012) study analyzes Successful Brands in Social Media Discourse while the present analyzes editorial article on the issue of extrajudicial killings. Dr. F. Farrokhi, S. Nazemi study on The Rhetoric of Newspaper Editorials based on the rhetorical analysis of editorials from The New York Times and The Australian based on Hyperbole and Metaphor and Metonymy concluded that The New York Times and The Australian, were identical and similar in their use of rhetorical device categories. This identical way of approaching the issue might be the result of the language the editors

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speak and its direct influence on the thought pattern and cognition of the community members. The present study is related on the Dr. F. Farrokhi and S. Nazemi’s study in for both studies utilizing rhetorical analysis of editorial as the method of the study. On the other hand, they differ in the scope since the present study focused on the editorial from the 4 local newspaper of the Philippines namely Cebu Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sun Star Newspaper and Philippine Star while Farrokhi and Nazemi’s study focused on the editorial from the New York Times and The Austrian.

THEORITICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The Rhetorical Triangle and Three Rhetorical Appeals

Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the ability to see or identify in any given circumstance the available means of persuasion. Analyzing rhetoric focuses on the "how" and "why" of persuasion rather than what specific things people say or write in order to be persuasive. One way of breaking down the components of a rhetorical strategy is to use the Rhetorical Triangle. This model puts into a generalized framework the interactions among various actors and devices in persuasion. The Three Rhetorical Appeals are the main strategies used to persuade an audience and are also important devices to understand when constructing or deconstructing an argument.

1. The Rhetorical Triangle. Allows to effectively analyzing different texts and arguments for rhetorical strategies and devices. The model shapes the rhetorical process into manageable and distinct parts through the Rhetorical Triangle and Three Rhetorical Appeals;

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2. Rhetorical Triangle. Made up of three components which are present in any persuasive process: Author - the person who generates text. Audience - the person/people who receive/s text. Text - the message being conveyed from the author to the audience 3. Rhetorical Appeals. The three main avenues by which people are persuaded. Logos - strategy of reason, logic, or facts. Any type of argument which appeals to someone’s rational side is appealing to logos. Ethos - strategy of credibility, authority, or character. Appeals to ethos to demonstrate the author’s trustworthiness, expertise and honesty and attempt to put the author in a more positive light to the audience. Pathos - strategy of emotions and affect. Pathos appeals to an audience’s sense of anger, sorrow, or excitement. Aristotle argued that logos was the strongest and most reliable form of persuasion; the most effective form of persuasion, however, utilizes all three appeals.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Contributions to the type of Media Studies like rhetorical analysis of editorial column could be an initiative to better understand the genre of media in general and editorial sub-genre in particular among the public. The study may be able to encourage more researchers to examine editorial subgenre for better understanding of the writer’s purpose. Contribution to the Students The study can be beneficial to the students who plan to conduct study on editorial article. The study can also be their reference in the future.

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Contribution to the Student Writers The study will help student writers to have an understanding in the function of editorials and the effects of the use of rhetorical strategies and devices in reaching out its readers.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The study utilized 20 samples of editorial articles from the 4 local newspapers namely Sun Star Newspaper, Cebu Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star newspaper which covers the period from July 2016 up to December 2016 and limits it study in analyzing the samples using the rhetorical strategies/mode, appeals and rhetorical devices. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Extra Judicial Killings (EJK) - is the subject of the editorial articles gathered from the 20 sampled editorial articles which covered the period from July, 2016 to December, 2016 of the present administration. Rhetorical Analysis– rhetorical analysis is an essay that breaks a work of non-fiction into parts and then explains how the parts work together to create a certain effect whether to persuade, entertain or inform.

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY Research Design The researcher used the descriptive-qualitative method in the research because the researcher has analyzed the editorial articles in order to determine the rhetorical

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devices, rhetorical appeals and techniques used by the writers. There are 20 samples of editorial articles being analyzed. The study is of qualitative in design as it tends to interpret the editorial articles and expressed it in words. Corpora of the Study The corpora of the study includes the editorial articles on the issue editorial articles on the issue of Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines which covered the period from June, 2016 to December,2016 from the four local newspapers; Sun Star Philippines, Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Cebu Daily News. Instruments The researcher used thirty (30) editorial articles accumulated from the four (4) local newspapers culled from the newspaper's internet websites.

Procedure The following procedures were done by the researcher in accomplishing the study: 1. Visualizing the title research to be conducted; 2. Seeking the approval from the advisers for the chosen title of the study to be conducted; 3. Looking into the internet websites the description of the study and the references for the study; 4. Asking sample study related to the present study for basis from the adviser; 5. Analyzing and interpreting the corpora of the study through rhetorical analysis; 6. Validating the data through outline and final defense.

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References:

Dr. Farahman Farrokhi, Sanaz Nazemi (2015). The Rhetoric of Newspaper Editorials. English Department Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. Available at [email protected] and [email protected]. Awoyinfa, M (2009). “ABC of Column Writing” In Idowu, L (Ed.), Nigerian Columnists and Their Arts (pp. 17-23). Lagos: Diamond Publications Ltd. Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University (Retoric.byu.edu), 1994. Maja Stevanovich (2012). Rhetorical Analysis of Successful Brands in Social Media Discourse, Published by ProQuest LLC (2013) C. Galacgac, K. Viray (2012). Stylistic Analysis on the Editorial Coverage of the Maguindanao Massacre K.B.C Ashipu (2012). A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Editorials of News watch and Tell Magazines Sun

Star

Philippines:

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2016/06/16/editorial-

culture-violence-479752. Philippine

Daily

Inquirer:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/794598/kill-list-drugs-

duterte#ixzz4UTpe5fEY Cebu

Daily

News:

http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/95434/price-tag-on-criminal-

suspects#ixzz4UTrhLPMT.