Critical Thinking About Public Discourse

Being Aware of Rhetorical Devices That Impact and Change Attitude

Oct 23, 2009

With unlimited access to unfiltered information and knowledge it is increasingly more important to critically think about public discourse and the information presented.

With current technological advances and numerous media outlets, there is increasingly easier access to knowledge and information through the click of a button at almost any time and place. Examining how this information is presented, and whether the source or speaker is credible or the claim refutable, is invaluable for sifting through bias and rhetorical persuasion.

According to Neil Postman, in his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business," news media presents information in a segmented manner with debates and argument rarely touching on more than a superficial level of an issue before moving on to another completely separate topic. This makes it difficult to fully engage in a debate and develop a logical perspective on an issue. Similarly, mixing this flight of information with increasing amounts of advertisements and promotions, muddles content and leads public discourse and media toward irrelevant discussion and emotional persuasion; lacking the presentation of a true argument.

It is becoming more important to learn how to critically think and develop a personal perspective through the many rhetorical claims presented in news media and public discourse. This involves being aware of how rhetoric is used and the impact it can have when encountering an unfamiliar topic or using peripheral reasoning in decision making.

Rhetoric effects perceptions through "psychological" force, touching on emotional appeals to persuade and alter opinion without actually providing reasons for an argument. Understanding the difference between the emotional force of a claim, compared with the logical force of an argument, provides a means to establish beliefs and values more rationally and meaningfully while avoiding the pitfalls of deceptive claims.

Impacting the Perception of a Claim: Rhetorical Devices or "Slanters"

A major impact of rhetorical devices are presenting a distorted description of an object, person, or idea, and coating the facts with opinion and emotional plies. Rhetorical devices distort public discourse and the underlying issue becomes skewed. Stereotypes are a major type of rhetorical description that distorts a concept and plays on negative emotional appeals.

Rhetorical techniques also make a claim look stronger or weaker that it really is. This is done through something called weaseling and downplaying. Weaseling falsely bolsters a claim and gives the speaker a way out of the claim if challenged. It uses words such as "perhaps" and "maybe." Similarly, downplaying is used to play down or diminish the importance of a claim or speaker through the use of words such as "mere" or "so called.” For instance, the phrase "that so-called doctor" belittles the expertise of a doctor without providing a logical premise and conclusion.

Rhetoric also insinuates a claim without explicitly stating it. This is done through innuendos and loaded questions. These eliminate the responsibility or culpability of the speaker and provide a means to disparage another person without appearing politically incorrect. An example of a loaded question would be, "are you dumb or something."

Even less logical, is the use of rhetoric to eliminate the need for argument altogether. Through horse laugh or the use of heavy sarcasm and outright laughing at a comment or topic, one can ridicule and derogate the speaker or idea to sheer folly, making it difficult to develop a rebuttal and meaningful consideration. Similarly, hyperbole is a form of speech used to exaggerate and inflate a claim making it more outlandish in order to persuade, such as, “we’ve seen him do it a million times.”

There are evolving changes within media presentations to renounce bias and partisan agendas. Though, the importance of content in a message appears to be continually replaced with opinion mixed with a stirring image or story. Today, through numerous forms of media that engage the viewer with perpetual innuendos and temptations the resounding impact media holds is even more influential.

Tangential images grab at the viewer to distract and possibly distort from the underlying message. Now that interactive and visual mediums have assimilated all institutions in western society, there seems to be an inevitable inclusion and integration of multimedia in society. Entertainment has become an essential value of the consumer or viewer and continues to be of increasing demand. Hopefully, recognition can emerge for the irrelevant and incoherent content that is at times presented, and a deflection of scanty information can occur to hinder the breeding of incorrigible beliefs and attitudes, and critical thinking can develop to maintain integrity of knowledge.

The copyright of the article Critical Thinking About Public Discourse in Media Bias is owned by Joseph Wilner. Permission to republish Critical Thinking About Public Discourse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.