Analyzing My Audience

Analyzing My Audience

In this blog post, I will analyze my audience by answering the six bulleted questions in the "Identifying Your Audience" on Student’s Guide page 41.

Who am I writing for? What are the audience's beliefs and assumptions?

I am writing for new and incoming students in the dietetics program. These students likely do not know how to deconstruct or analyze an argument in the discipline. The audience probably is likely to agree with what I have to say because I am older and more knowledgable than they are. My age and task of teaching them provides me some credibility.

What position might they take on this issue? How will I need to respond to this position?

I would assume that they would side with me. However, I am going to assume that there are going to be a mixed number of people for and against artificial sweeteners. In order to respond to them, I am going to state both sides of the argument. They will then have to decide what they believe in more. However, I will respond more with the harms and seriousness of fake sugars because fake sugars are actually detrimental to one's health.

What will they want to know?

The will want to know both sides of the argument. In order to do this, I will list and explain all of the perceived benefits and harms to health of artificial sugars. I plan on explaining to them that fake sugars are more bad than beneficial because there is more evidence against it than for it.

McGuire, Ryan. "Audience Seats Chairs Theater Gym Performance Sow" 10/04/14 via pixabay.
CC0 Public Domain License.

How might they react to my argument?

They will likely agree with me because I will provide them the resources to fight for both sides. However, my argument leans toward one side. In order to make an argument, it is important to state your thesis and claims.

How am I trying to relate or connect with my audience?

I know that I can relate and connect with my audience because they all have prior knowledge of nutrition. Nutrition is their passion. Therefore, I will discuss the nutritional aspects of the fake sugars. Also, I will connect the sugars back to their lives. I will mention the foods that contain the harmful sugars in order to make them realize that this is a serious issue.

Are there specific words, ideas, or modes presentation that will help me relate to them in this way?

I think graphic pictures of the negative effects and the amounts of sugars in their foods will shock them. It will create an urgency for them to be against artificial sugars. Not only will they want to be against it, but they will hopefully decrease their artificial sugar intakes as well. Lastly, I plan to use ethos, pathos, and logos in order to help them feel persuaded by my topic. I think that ethos, pathos, and logos are essential in any rhetorical analysis.

Reflection

I read Olivia Wann's blog post. In her post, she discussed the audience that the author of her source was trying to reach. She did not address the audience that she was trying to reach through her essay. I thought that this assignment was more about you and your audience and not necessarily about your author and theirs. Overall, she developed her ideas well and wrote about the same amount as I did.

I read Lia Ossanna's blog post. In her post, she discussed in detail the audience and how she will address the audience. I like how she specifically mentioned ethos, pathos, and logos, because they are essential in a rhetorical analysis. I think we spent about the same amount of time developing our audience post. However, she was more detailed and direct about her audience than I was. However, I think both seem to accomplish this post.