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The Columnist Project

A Study of Rhetorical Style

Newspapers and magazines pay individuals to write op-eds (articles that were once situated opposite the editorial page) on the events going on in the world. These individuals simply write what they think. The more intelligent, trustworthy, entertaining and readable these opinion pieces become, the more newspapers and magazines will want to publish their pieces. Some of these writers work exclusively for a particular publication, while others freelance and work independently.

GATHERING THE COLUMN:

Over the next few months, you will track one columnist.

Below is a list of several columnists. You have been given one columnist to follow (random selection). You should read his/her article on a regular basis. Occasionally, you will print and annotate articles. The articles you will annotate should not be more than one month old. (Note: If you don’t have access to a computer, the school librarian can give you copies of the newspapers to which our school subscribes.)

|Conservative Columnists |Liberal Columnists |Centrist Columnists |

|Jay Ambrose |Charles M. Blow |Anne Applebaum |

|Max Boot |Frank Bruni |Ron Brownstein |

|David Brooks |Ruth Conniff |Jonathan Chait |

|Steve Chapman |Richard Cohen |Thomas L. Friedman |

|Mona Charen |Roger Cohen |Nick Gillespie |

|Adriana Cohen |Gail Collins |Fred Hiatt |

|Ross Douthat |E.J. Dionne Jr. |Jim Hoagland |

|Andrew Ferguson |Maureen Dowd |David Ignatius |

|Georgie Anne Geyer |Michelle Goldberg |Carl P. Leubsdorf |

|Jonah Goldberg |Froma Harrop |Ruth Marcus |

|Michael Goodwin |Ezra Klein |Ann McFeatters |

|Paul Greenberg |Nicole Krauss |Andres Oppenheimer |

|Victor Davis Hanson |Nicholas Kristof |Stephen Rattner |

|Jeff Jacoby |Paul Krugman |Chuck Roasch |

|Charles Krauthammer |David Leonhardt |Mary Sanchez |

|William Kristol |David Litt |Dan K. Thomasson |

|Kathryn Jean Lopez |Bill McKibben |Cokie Roberts |

|Michelle Malkin |Clarence Page | |

|Ruben Navarette Jr. |Leonard Pitts Jr. | |

|Peggy Noonan |Catherine Rampell | |

|Kathleen Parker |Frank Rich | |

|Andrew Rosenthal |Eugene Robinson | |

|Robert J. Samuelson |Matt Rothschild | |

|Bret Stephens |Jennifer Rubin | |

|Andrew Sullivan |Trudy Rubin | |

|Cal Thomas |Robert Scheer | |

|George Will |Joan Vennochi | |

|Walter Williams | | |

READING AND ANNOTATING THE COLUMNS:

While reading the columns, there are many ways you could annotate an article. Consider all

or some of the following:

• Track changes in the tone, the writer’s attitude toward the subject:

o look at how word choice (diction), word order (syntax), imagery and figurative language creates the tone.

o look at how the syntax: sentence length, word order, and punctuation, help to convey the author’s ideas and thoughts and feelings about the topic.

• How soon does the writer announce the thesis (central idea)?

• Summarize sections (to check your own understanding of what you are reading).

• Note passages that seem inconsistent or generate a strong positive or negative response. What places in the text evoke a reaction from you (laughter, anger, confusion, etc.)?

• Note relationships between concepts (cause & effect, comparison, contrast).

• Point out techniques the author uses to create or reinforce his/her argument. Examples might be analogy, anecdote, humor, facts, statistics, experts, exaggerations, details, etc.

• Organizational shifts: Consider the overall structure of the column. How does the writer open the column? How does s/he appeal to the reader, move from point to point, and then conclude?

• Which sections of the column appeal to your emotions (pathos), logic (logos), and a sense of doing the right thing (ethos)?

Later articles will include these annotations:

• How does the writer develop the argument?

o Concrete detail: The details, or specifics, are vital to any argument.

o Juxtaposition: This is an important rhetorical technique, one in which the writer places different elements (viewpoints, situations, images, etc.) side by side, in such a way as to stimulate thinking on the part of the reader.

o Rhetorical strategies: How much is based on observation? Personal experience? Interviews? Fact?

• What stark contrasts/shifts/connections/similarities are there from other columns from the same author?

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: Columnist Assignment #1.

Read the handout for the assignment “Columnist Assignment #1.” Do not forget to gather citation information for each article. If you found your article online, it would be a good idea to save the column for later use. All handouts may be found on “Op-Ed Columnist Style Study” tab on my website.

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