Paper #2: Analyzing a Podcast
As with your first paper, this assignment calls upon you to apply the tools of rhetorical analysis to a single episode of a podcast in order to understand the effect the message is likely to have on its audience and by what means it seeks to have that effect.
First, find a podcast you want to explore. Choose from the list below or any other podcast. Find a time and venue where you can listen closely and are free from distractions.
Start with some pretty basic questions:
Who puts out this podcast and who is the “voice” behind it (or voices)?
How would you characterize the ethos of the host(s), that is their credibility and the values they project?
Who seems the most likely audience for this podcast and why?
What seems to be the purpose or main message of this episode?
What context is most helpful in understanding the subject and what makes it relevant now?
What features of the podcast help listeners understand the subject?
What features are most persuasive?
What other choices could they have made to improve its effectiveness?
After answering each of these questions for yourself, you should return to the episode and try to locate those parts that really grabbed your attention (if a transcript is available, that can be very helpful in finding your place). Begin your analysis by trying to isolate the specific things that made this message compelling or persuasive. Craft the rest of your essay around these findings, being sure to also include the details you will need to summarize for your readers.
Purpose: Your goal is to show that you are a critical listener who can comprehend an argument or message delivered using the medium of sound and understand how it works to persuade its audience.
Audience: You should imagine your audience to be anyone who shares an interest in the subject of this subject but whose understanding of this specific podcast will be shaped by how you analyze and explain it to them. Do NOT assume your readers are familiar with this podcast but do assume they have a basic familiarity with the issue. You should clearly identify the title and host(s) of the podcast in your first paragraph and provide anywhere from a single sentence to a full paragraph summarizing the main aspects of the episode. Keep in mind that your audience may include people from very different backgrounds from your own in terms of race, class, ethnicity, religion, or political worldview.
Format: Essays must be 3-4 double-spaced pages and must conform for MLA citation guidelines (12-point font, Times New Roman or similar font, 1” margins, proper heading, etc.) You should include a heading in the UPPER-LEFT margin of your paper with your name, my name, the course title, and the date. You will need to include a separate Works Cited page citing the one source you are using but otherwise do not need to include in-text citations, as it will be understood that all citations will refer to this single podcast.
Assessment: This assignment is worth 15% of your course grade. Drafts and other preliminary work will not be graded, but you must submit each part of the assignment listed below in order to receive full credit and prevent point deductions on your final paper.
Choose any ONE episode of ANY podcast. Below are some recommendations, but you may choose whatever episode of whatever podcast you would like:
Death, Sex, and Money: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/2
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