Running Head: NEWS BROADCASTING

News Broadcasting and Controversies

Adrian Almanza
University Of Texas El Paso
Professor Falcon
Rhetoric & Composition 2

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News Broadcasting and Controversies

Since the beginning of the 21st century, it seems that we are living in an entirely new
America. From Legalization of Marijuana, to Gay Marriage, the social standard in The United
States has changed drastically. America is no stranger to war, or to conspiracy, so it goes without
having to be said that there are two sides of the spectrum when it comes to informing the public
when major events around the world occur. Major news outlets are accused of using obscure
tactics in order to convey a message that favors their ideals, even though, there are other
journalists that wish to report on things that are being hidden in plain sight. In a documentary
titled, Dirty Wars, written by Jeremy Scahill, it sheds light on controversial operations being
carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) all around the world. As compared
to, an article by Dr. Cynthia Boaz, a news analyst for truth-out.org, the article titled, Fourteen
Propaganda Techniques Fox News Uses To Brainwash Americans. The article explains the
methods that we as viewers are being exposed to when we watch newscasts like Fox News.
These two genres are about similar topics, one about how news is broadcasted, and the other
about the concealed truth behind acts of war. The following information will be analyzing these
two genres using rhetorical appeals, the intended audience, and the purpose of the genres.
Audience and Purpose
The documentary written by a reporter for The Nation magazine, Jeremy Scahill,
uncovers information that was previously kept secret by the United States Government. Due to
the fact that it discusses controversial topics, and uses elevated language. This genre tries to
attract professional adults that stay up to date on current events, and even politicians from around
the country. It also sparks a sense of activism as the main character, which happens to be Scahill,
goes in front of congress and discusses the information he has gathered. He also speaks to many

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high-ranking government officials, military personnel, and foreign leaders regarding the situation
that is occurring in the areas where JSOC operates. The documentary shows images of suffering,
death, famine, and poverty, so this genre is not intended for young audiences due to the graphic
nature that is expressed in the genre. Throughout the entire documentary, the audience is
captivated by its strong imagery, such as children speaking about how their family members
were killed, some as young as five years old. Another way it holds the viewers attention is by
showing many scenes were the main character is in mortal danger when he travels to war-torn
countries. The total length of the documentary is about eighty-six minutes.
In the second genre, an article written by Dr. Boaz from truth-out.org, contains ways that
the news outlet, Fox News, attempts to hide and pass off false reports as facts in many ways. It
uses clear examples of when they have used each of those techniques in their broadcasts. The
article lists fourteen specific ways that the author of the article believes Fox News uses to
brainwash Americans. Fox News is one of the largest news organizations in the United States,
in the article the author states, Pause for a moment and ask yourself what it means that the
world's largest, most profitable and most popular news channel passes off as fact every whim,
impulse and outrageously incompetent analysis of its so-called reporters. How did we get here?
This article uses provocative language that creates a feeling of frustration while the audience is
reading the information presented. Due to the aggressive tone of the genre, it is written for a
more mature audience with a better grasp of what it means to look at something objectively, for
example, adults that are interested in politics, stay up to date on current events, and usually from
the early twenties onward. Another example is that some people will be reading the article and be
angered by the accusations that the author is expressing in the genre, instead of stepping back,
and looking at the entire picture as a whole and not allow their personal feelings get involved

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with the article, if not, the point of the piece will go right over the readers head. On the page
where the genre appears, there is a picture of a mans mouth, with what appears to be a stream
with the words, NEWS hannel which is presumably an illustration to portray that news stations
shove news stories down the viewers throats. The article is from the online website, www.truthout.org, which a non-profit organization with the goal of investigating and reporting social
injustices. The total length of the online article is not very long, so the audience will not spend
much time reading the entire thing, however, to clearly understand the message it is trying to
convey, some readers will find it better to re-read some parts of the article.
These two genres are very similar when it comes to the audience that they are geared
towards, and because of this, they share a lot of the same traits. They both convey a sense of
activism to try and change how things are, whether it be in covert operations, television
broadcasts, the availability of accurate news, and also mass media cover ups of important world
events. Although one genre is about government operations, and the other is about the news
organization, Fox News, both attempt to open the eyes of the audience so they can realize what is
going on right under their noses.
Ethos
In the documentary, Dirty wars, the main character travels to Yemen, Somalia, and
Afghanistan, where he interviews and listens to people on both sides that are dealing with the
situations in those countries. Scahill, speaks with high ranking officials in the United States to try
and establish credibility with the viewers. He speaks with State Senator Ron Wyden, about the
difficult situation that he has uncovered through his journalism, and even goes so far as to speak
with one of the main leaders of JSOC. Although, his encounter with that military leader was
unexpected, it shows to the viewers how Scahill was on the right track with his documentary,

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when he receives a threatening phone call from this organization. In his travel to Somalia, he
spoke to local warlords about who was paying the to carry out attacks, and who was funding
their organization. These interviews establish great credibility as it is coming right from the
source of the people that are directly involved. In the second genre, due to the fact that it is a
written article, establishing credibility is especially important for the reader. The article attempts
to show that it is credible by mentioning detailed accounts of when each of the strategies was
used. Another technique the article uses, is that it is very relatable. What I mean is that many
readers will associate what they read to their lives and be more susceptible to agreeing with the
article.
Pathos
In the first genre, the documentary by Jeremy Scahill, there are many times where
emotional appeals are used to make the viewer feel some type of emotion. Most of the time, the
documentary was trying to evoke a sense of sadness and concern, by showing images of dead
bodies, scenes of war, and children. These children are shown to be all around the dangers of a
warzone and it even goes as far as to showing a little girl explaining what some American
soldiers have done to one of her family members. Towards the end of the documentary, it
explains how a drone strike targeted, and killed a child that was the son of another wanted
person. Scenes of suffering and death were the main ways that the genre attempted to make the
viewer have some sort of feeling. The second genre did not have times where pathos was used.
The article had a sense of urgency throughout, because of this, the reader could have a feeling of
frustration or intrigue to find out more information for themselves to see if they can identify the
techniques that are described in the article.
Logos

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Throughout the first genre, the main character remained objective; he looked at both sides
and gathered information from both. The documentary remained formal and professional without
the use of profanity or strong language to deter some viewers. The second genre, the article uses
a lot of examples and references to support each claim but it is much more subjective and one
sided with their arguments.
Structure and Delivery
In the first genre, the documentary starts by stating that the main character was in a
dangerous place, attempting to gather information for his journalism. This captures the viewers
by creating a sense of drama. The main character travels to various places and uses words such
as, warlords, kidnapping, ransom, and Al-Qaeda to emphasize that the places they are in are
extremely dangerous. It was delivered in a manner that had audience members interested in the
documentary, but because of the use of monotone voices, soft music, and low lighting, it creates
a suspenseful yet interesting mood. The second genre had a lot of information that was being
given to the reader very quickly and may be difficult to follow. Although, the article was
structured in an organized manner, by introducing and giving examples of the topic, listing all
the topics, while at the same time giving information on each, and then summarizing the article
and even giving first hand examples by the author. It is not a long article, but it does not show
clearly both sides of the topic being discussed.
Conclusion
Both genres presented their arguments in different manners; the documentary shows both
sides and remains objective, while the other genre only shows their side and goes on to give
examples of their arguments even though they are not solid pieces of evidence for the claims that
they are making. One thing both genres did was show how the media is able to change and cover

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up big events. The documentary shows a story of something that most people did not know that
the United States government was doing in foreign land, and the other genre shows exactly how
some news stations use tactics in order to suppress valuable information from the public.

Refereces

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Dr. Boaz, C. (2011). Fourteen Propaganda Techniques Fox "News" Uses to

Brainwash Americans. Truthout .
Scahill, J., Riker, D. (Writers), & Rowley, R. (Director). (2013). Dirty Wars
[Motion Picture].