spread one topic across two H u m a n i t i e s

FIRST: Sign Up for the Blog

1. Look at the group blog and read my first post. First post: Reading Public Rhetorics (Links to an external site.) Main page: RPRs (Links to an external site.)
2. Check your Collin email account to find an invitation from me via Wix.com. (NOTE: This is NOT the Canvas inbox. Click here (Links to an external site.) if you need help setting up your Collin email.)
3. You will then click “Accept Now” and follow directions to create a Wix account (see detailed instructions with images on the next screen called “Signing Up and Posting to Blog”).
4. Start posting! Each post requires at least 1 image, 1 link, 1 quotation, and 100 words. At the end of your post, please show how many you used in brackets (see example posts on the blog): [1 image, 4 links, 1 quotation, 107 words].

SECOND: Upload Your Posts to Canvas for Credit:
As you create them, you will also compile your posts into one file (doc, docx, PDF only). I recommend that you copy and paste your posts into a separate document as you write them. For example, you will first post to the blog. Then, when you’re finished, copy and paste it into a Google Doc or a file on your computer. The next time you post, do the same thing and save it in the same file. That way you will have all your posts in one file to upload to Canvas by the LABS Parts A and LABS Part B deadlines (see Course Calendar).

Just to be clear, to get credit for your posts, you MUST: 1) post on the group blog, 2) paste your posts into a Word or PDF file, and 3) upload this separate file with your posts to Canvas before the deadline.

Finally, it should go without saying, but YOU are writing these posts. You will be reported for plagiarism if you decide to copy someone else’s work instead of writing the posts yourself. (See syllabus for plagiarism policy.)

Blog Post Options:

• Front Page News: Compare the different layouts (text and visuals) newspapers use on their front page by looking at Newseum (Links to an external site.) every day for a period of time. Or look at their Archived Front Pages (Links to an external site.). (This option requires a free account.) Remember, for newspapers, visual rhetoric is important!
• News Feeds: Compare different news apps or the way news is communicated in a social media platform. What rhetorical choices does each company (and app) make about how they deliver news?
• Relevant Film or Book: Watch a film about journalism like All the President’s Men (Links to an external site.), read a book about journalism like A Very Short Introduction to Journalism (Links to an external site.) or Marvels (Links to an external site.), and write a few posts about what you find.
• Investigative Journalism: Do some investigating about an issue in your community. Ask people questions and ask if you can post their responses. Analyze their rhetorical choices in your posts.
• Journalists in the Wild: Find out what interesting journalists are doing across the world and share their stories. What rhetorical strategies are they using with their words or photos?
• Finding Fake News: Research “fake news” or “disinformation” and share what you find about people who are creating or trying to stop fake news. What rhetorical strategies are they using to fool people?
• Journalism and the Future: Read over NeimanLab’s Predictions for Journalism 2021 (Links to an external site.) (or Predictions for Journalism 2020 (Links to an external site.)) and write a post about some of the issues or opportunities facing journalists today.
• Your idea: Have an idea for a post about news, journalism, or public rhetoric? Send me an email for approval!

NOTE: Since you have to write multiple posts, you can spread one topic across two or three posts. In other words, there is no requirement that you need to write about all the blog options above, so more than one post can be about a similar topic.

• NOTE WELL: These blogs are not inherently political. In other words, the point is not to get into an argument about news like people do on Facebook. The point is to briefly (100 words is not that long) tell your reader about something interesting that you found on these topics.