The Power of Sports Media: How Rhetoric in Media Fuels Rivalries in Sports and Affects Fan Behavior

The Power of Sports Media: How Rhetoric in Media Fuels Rivalries in Sports and Affects Fan Behavior

Spring 2023

Essay 3: Research Argument

Overview

This semester, we’re researching the narrative and persuasive nature of visual rhetoric. You’ll join a cluster topic group that will read, research, and reconsider visual images within that particular topic. From these discussions, you’ll create an original question that requires research.

Purpose

This paper is the culminating project of the semester. It will reflect the careful critical thinking, evaluation, and logical reasoning skills that you have honed over the past several weeks in this class. You will judiciously select sources to support a convincing and discerning thesis that is related to your assigned cluster topic.

Assignment Prompt

For this paper, identify a problem related to your visual rhetoric cluster topic, ask a researchable question, and formulate a well-supported argument for a specific audience.

Cluster Topics (Visual Rhetoric)

1. Graffiti or other “Banned” print images
2. Food/Beverage Ads (including Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs as well as Diet Culture Rhetoric)
3. Political campaign ads and commercials, cartoons, or satire
4. Unboxing or other YouTube reality shorts
5. Children as ads or ads marketed to children/babies
6. Political imagery and symbolic action on TikTok
7. Manipulated/deceptive photos or visual media
8. Jackpot Group (to be determined in class)

The point of cluster groups is to consolidate your topical research on your Canvas group page, share your findings, and discover related research that might serve as points of comparison or divergence.

Requirements:

• The thesis must be argument-driven, supported with clear premises, logical reasoning, and a sound argument.
• At a minimum, you are required to cite at least 5 sources; at least 2 of those must be peer-reviewed, and at least 2 must be visual images you analyze.
• The essay should be 8-9 pages—anything shorter or longer will be considered a failure to adhere to one of the assignment’s basic requirements. Be sure to revise and polish your paper not only in content, but also in style and mechanics.
• The essay should be double-spaced, typed in Times New Roman with 12-point font and one-inch margins all the way around, and have an original title, header, and MLA heading. The Works Cited will be included at the end of the essay on a new page. Please see LSH for other MLA formatting and expectations.

Tips for Success

• Don’t be intimidated by the length of this paper, even if it may be one of the longest you’ve written up to this point. We’ll take it one step at a time together as a class. Our work thus far in the semester will prepare you to succeed.
• When planning for long research papers, it is often tempting to choose a very broad topic to write about. On the contrary, I’d suggest choosing a specific topic with a very specific audience. Research papers that focus on depth more than breadth are often the most successful.
• If you run out of things to write about, sometimes that means you either need to analyze your sources better or include more sources. Make sure that you understand your sources well and have plenty to say about them. If you get stuck while drafting this longer paper, I’m happy to brainstorm ideas or analyze sources with you.

Rubric and Grading

This essay will be graded based on the WRTR 1313 rubric. When you submit your essay, you must include the WRTR 1313 rubric as the last page of your document (after your Works Cited). I will provide a Word document template with the rubric already included on the last page. The easiest way to submit your essay is to either write your essay in this template or copy and paste your final draft into this template.

What if I don’t have Microsoft Word downloaded onto my computer? The good news is that all SMU students have access to Microsoft 365. You may use your SMU login to download Microsoft 365 here: https://www.smu.edu/OIT/Services/office365. Alternatively, you can visit the library and use one of their computers, which have the Microsoft Word application.

Annotated Bibliography

Your annotated bibliography must include 7 sources. At least 2 of those must be peer-reviewed, and at least 2 must be visual images you analyze. As you research, read, and discern the value of your sources, you’ll keep and update a working Annotated Bibliography. You might not use all these sources in your research paper. By completing the notes and annotations before writing your draft, you’ll save time, reduce the risk of plagiarism, and keep your sources organized. Each annotation should be 4-5 sentences long; see the samples in Little Seagull Handbook for clarification. This is an important step in the research process, so be sure to do it well.

Your notes on each source will help you create your draft, so do them well and with purpose. The Annotated Bibliography will be graded.

Author’s Note

With each draft of the paper, including the final draft, you’ll be required to submit an author’s note. Instructions for the author’s note can be found on Canvas. The author’s note should be included as the first page of your essay but should be numbered as page 0 in the top right-hand corner.