Every Rhetoric and Composition class worth its salt includes rhetorical analysis. Students learn to dissect arguments using the rhetorical triangle, a concept popularized by James Kinneavy in his 1980 book A Theory of Discourse.
This tool helps diagnose where an argument is strongest by examining three key elements: ethos (appeals to the writer’s trustworthiness), logos (appeals to reason), and pathos (appeals to emotions).
To demonstrate the contextual power of these appeals, let’s look at a recent hot topic: NBA media coverage. This example showcases how different networks leverage ethos in particular to connect with their audience.
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