J.D Applen’s piece on different forms of media as it relates to rhetoric and the human mind was very interesting to read. I would be lying if I said that I walked away from this reading with a confident, secure understanding of the entirety of the content.
However, there were some ideas and concepts that resonated with me. I will do my best to tie those concepts into my answer regarding how content and medium interplay with rhetoric.
Lev Manovich and Medium
Manovich challenged the “myth” that modern communication technologies are more “interactive” than traditional texts. His reasoning boils down to the fact that the texts are not truly interactive. This is basically because they lack the capability to do so. These technologies cannot yet reflect the ideas and emotions that the reader is experiencing.
If we accept that line of thinking, then I wonder if the medium of the content affects the persuasiveness or general effectiveness of communicating a message. If both types of texts (digital or paper) are equally as interactive, then does it matter which form is used?
Manovich argues that a tool such as a hyperlink is really there to program the way the reader digests the content. This would mean that readers are being given the sense of independence or freedom.
False.
When deciding what link to click, in reality, they are being programmed to do so.
Therefore, I would assert readers are being persuaded more when interacting with digital text as opposed to print text.
Content
Another part of the text touched on how content in terms of imagery is composed for advertisements to persuade a particular way of thinking.
This can be seen n page 11 Applen states, “Perhaps we can see this in images used in advertising, where the wants and desires of us all are reduced to a one-size-fits-all imagery.”
This ties into how content interplays with rhetoric because the content is being manipulated to push a mass message.
What do I mean by that?
Companies reduce the independent needs of consumers into one generally accepted image or advertisement. This limits the accuracy of the actual process and imagery going on in the consumers mind. They are then unknowingly forced into accepting the message that advertisement pushes. As is their neighbor, despite the differences in what they may be thinking independently.
All in all, content and medium are both important aspects to consider when looking at rhetoric. Effectiveness, purpose and independence may all be factors that change based on the content or medium.
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