Rhetoric Strategies

The topic in an article is the first thing that grabs my attention. I'm not likely to read an article, or least not the entire article if it does not have an eye-grabbing point of interest. High points of interest can often me, for me, controversial topic especially those of high debate or undecided issues. For instance an article about something that was relevant five years ago isn't going to be nearly as interesting as a debate that is still going on today, whether it's about health care, proposition 8, the economy, because of their relevancy I am going to be more interested in these topics.

I often am more attracted to articles that are neutral, on some issues anyway. If I am yet undecided about a topic then I think it's helpful to read and hear about the facts of both sides of the issue and the arguments that are being made by those people who strongly believe is whichever side they are standing for.

I like when writers use a combination of strategies to persuade the reader. It's good support to use statistics in a paper, but I think it would be dishonest almost, to not state or give credit to who is conducting the research and reporting the statistics. Because while statistics seem like indisputable facts, they can be twisted to suit whoever is doing the research on a certain topic. I also am prone to being more sympathetic or interested when an article uses a specific quote from an elected official or a story from an ordinary citizen whom I can often relate too. While ethos is important, it is not always something that persuades me, as I have learned a person can have a master's or bachelor's degree and still not know anything about common sense nor have an arguable opinion about a topic. Overall kairos is the most effective strategy in my opinion.