Classwork, 2.24.11

1. Read each of these articles covering the same news event.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/obama-doma-unconstitutional_n_827134.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/23/obama-administration-drops-defense-anti-gay-marriage-law/

http://jezebel.com/#!5768352/good-news-obama-stops-defending-defense-of-marriage-act

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/02/obama-says-it-wont-defend-law-that-bans-recognition-of-gay-marriage/1

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/23/133996797/u-s-will-no-longer-defend-anti-gay-marriage-law

2. As you read, take notes on the rhetorical devices used in each source, particularly titles, images, vocabulary, and tone.

3. Review your notes and compare with your partner's (if you choose to work with one). List the publications and attempt to determine, based on these articles, each publication's stance on this issue (i.e. is the publication pro, anti, or neutral?).

4. Determine similarities and differences among the articles in the way they present this story (i.e. in the rhetorical devices they use). What aspects does each source highlight? What background information does each source include? What, if anything, does each source ignore?

5. Write a paragraph in which you discuss these differences. In this paragraph, please do the following:

• Make arguable claims about the content, technique, and/or rhetorical devices used in the various articles (e.g. "The images of dying children in the New York Times piece evoke greater sadness than the more neutral flag images shown in the Huffington Post piece.")
• Include direct quotations from the articles when you make claims about them.

6. When you have finished, please call me over to discuss your paragraph.