MCO 2342 Communication & Rhetoric

Course Description:

MCO 2342-01 Communication & Rhetoric, a required course in mass communication, focuses on multi-media writing, visual rhetoric, research, and critical thinking. This course incorporates the rhetorical principles of clarity, conciseness, precise language, style, and arrangement.  Assignments include new media writing for specific genres:  social media, online, texts, videocasts, podcasts, and images. We use the Associated Press Stylebook to guide grammar, spelling, social media references, attribution, and editing.

All writing produced for this class is considered public and will be posted on students’ WordPress websites.  In addition to completing in-class writing assignments and quizzes, students enrolled in MCO 2342 will complete four – five news projects for possible publication. 

 Instructional Methods:

Seminar, discussion, mini-lecture, writing workshops, group activities, multimedia, web, twitter, email.

MCO2342-01-syllabus-communication-rhetoric-last-updated-15Sep2015

Course Assignments – Updated October 15-2015

Fall 2015 Student WordPress & Twitter Information:  MCO 2342 – Student WordPress F2015

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Key Rhetorical Terms Covered :  Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Praxis, Kairos, Ekphrasis, Electracy, Montage, Puncept

Ethos > (YOU) Writer/Speaker

Pathos  &  Logos  >  Visuals & Research

Impact > Audience/Reader

Critical Question for the Semester:  How do the rhetorical appeals, your personal/professional (social) identities, and the technological interfaces you use (print, Facebook, Twitter, blog, online) invite, exclude, expand or limit your impact as a writer on your audiences?

Research Domains:  Issues selected for research will fall under one of the following domains—the most common journalist topics (as presented in Aim for the Heart: Write, Shoot, Report and Produce for TV and Multimedia, Al Tompkins):

1)    Crime, violence, drugs

2)    Accidents and incidents (on and off campus, national, international)

3)    Planned community events and announcements (on and off campus)

4)    Political and governmental news – especially news conferences

5)    Celebrity news and scandal (also philanthropy)

6)    Health stories, studies, and breakthroughs

7)    Government scandals

8)    Consumer tips

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KEY LINKS:

Research

Blogging

Grammar

Writing & Speaking

Sample Zeegas

Sample Student Zeegas