Reviews and redefines a concept known as the "rhetorical situation" through an examination of the political discourse of China during the 19th-century Opium Wars. Arrives at three alterations to the "rhetorical situation" concerning the role of the audience, the role of the culture's discourse tradition, and the interactive and…

Discusses Victor Page, one of the first people to make a living as a technical communicator. Focuses on his 33 automotive and aviation books, popular with the public and critics, which contained information on novel technology, profuse illustrations, and easy-to-access information. States that Page published quickly, had firsthand expertise, and…

Zitkala-Sa, a 19th century Native American woman who won second place in an 1896 Midwestern oratorical contest, resembles many students who daily cross borders--geographical, economic, linguistic, and cultural--balancing on a tightrope of assured losses and uncertain gains. Known as Gertrude Simmons before and Gertrude Bonnin after her marriage,…

A study examined three eulogies offered by Adlai Stevenson upon the deaths of important public figures (Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Sir Winston Churchill), in order to determine how each address fulfilled the purposes of this unique rhetorical genre. Each eulogy was examined with the purposes of eulogistic speaking in mind: (1) to…

States that Crystal Eastman and Alice Hamilton, organizers of the Workers' Health Bureau, helped shape the early 20th-century health and safety communication field by targeting texts to professional and popular audiences which sought to prevent occupational accidents and disease by promoting voluntary efforts by employers, government regulation,…

Cites legibility, distinctiveness, handsomeness, and appropriateness as benchmarks for creating and assessing constants used in newspapers and magazines. Presents a history of where these elements originated. Adds that the masthead usually anchors the editorial page and should carry a smaller version of the logotype--other information should…

Considering the rhetorical strategies four 19th-century black women employed to address various audiences can be helpful in the continuing struggle to find effective means of teaching writing to college students. These four women used a variety of strategies to reach audiences which were, to one degree or another, hostile to them because of their…

Newspaper and magazine coverage of the Spanish-American War represents the apex and the eventual eclipse of the hand sketch artist as news-gatherer and simultaneously the birth of the modern-day photojournalist. Perhaps of even wider impact was the strong new role of visual reportage. The daily barrage of drawings and photographs by William…

This paper discusses how "The Ladies' Home Journal" was used by its editor, Edward Bok, in his crusade for food and drug regulation in the United States between the years 1890 and 1906, and whether these efforts were influential in bringing about the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. The first section describes "The Ladies' Home…

At the turn of the century, Gertrude Buck developed a progressive language theory in which writer, reader, and language all participate in the making of meaning. Over the course of her career as a professor, Buck developed a theory of reader empowerment in composition and literature that prefigured some of the main tenets of reader-response theory…

Examines General Beauregard's inability to communicate in his report of the First Battle of Bull Run. Suggests that Beauregard's success on the battlefield came from the initiative of his junior officers. Concludes that Beauregard failed to consider political ramifications of certain statements in his report, offending President Davis and leading…

To gain insight into how critical standards for broadcast drama evolved with time, this paper examines the critical response to the development of broadcast drama in the first two decades of radio (1920-1940), as reported in the periodical press. The paper is based on two underlying assumptions: (1) that the stories a society tells are indicative…

One of the greatest myths or fictions of nonfiction is that it contains no fiction. Ben Franklin's flight from Boston to Philadelphia illustrates how changes occur in the retelling of the "facts" of a life. In his "Autobiography," Franklin writes that his friend, Collins, arranged for a ship's passage for Franklin by telling…

Studies the development of a political ideology that draws on the resources of myth. Analyzes how Pat Robertson's concepts of apocalyptic fulfillment provided an ideological basis for his 1988 presidential campaign, but resulted in significant rhetorical problems. Finds that the transformation in Robertson's apocalyptic vision stemmed from his…

Intended for all performing artists and students in the performing arts, this book begins with a history of mime through the ages (Chapter 1). Chapter 2 (Warming Up) discusses technique and artistry and offers an illustrated class exercise. Chapter 3 (Premise Work) continues with class exercises and considers how a teacher designs exercises and…