Journal #2-Jenna Kelley

Generally, a piece of writing in my every day life would be the current events section in the news, whether it be online or in print. On campus I see newspaper stands and online I even see ads about news websites and articles. Bitzer represents his idea of the “rhetorical situation” through exigence, audience, and constraints. Edbauer uses Bitzer’s theory of the “rhetorical situation” and analyzes it to show that what comprises of Bitzer’s “rhetorical situation” are just elements of rhetoric. Edbauer sees the “rhetorical situation” almost as the ‘bigger picture’. In this particular form of everyday writing (current events in the news), Bitzer would see the current event as exigence. The current event is “an imperfection marked by urgency”. It is in the news at this specific time in order to inform others about something that has occurred in the world because it has impacted the world in some way. The current events are written, in order for an audience to be aware of. These articles set up constraints for the audience by swaying a belief, or an attitude, or an image that the audience might have had. Similarly, Edbauer would agree with Bitzer. Differentially, Edbauer would go beyond how Bitzer sees one current event. For example, let’s look at a current event such as the election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. When the election is over, the “rhetorical situation” that has taken place, according to Bitzer, does not continue. Edbauer states that this theory effects so much more than just who wins the election. According to Edbauer, the rhetorical situation is continued through people’s reactions, the impact the president will have on the United States, the patriotism they instill within society, and most importantly, how society will be shaped post-election. According to Bitzer, a situation is only rhetorical if it invokes a response from an audience. Therefore, an article on the election is rhetorical because it gets the audience to think, it constrains an audience’s point of view, and makes an audience perceive the election in a different light. Edbauer would agree with Bitzer’s outlook on the rhetorical situation of the election; although, Edbauer sees a rhetorical situation as rhetoric based off of the impact and the aftermath that follows one situation. In other words, Bitzer sees the “rhetorical situation” deductively and Edbauer sees it inductively.