Charland’s argument regarding creating one’s own audience had very little effect on how I’m thinking about writing for a “public audience,” because I’m not really sure that I am writing for a public audience. Sure, my blogs can be accessed by the general public, but I’m not really sure that I can consider the public my “audience,” since the only people who read and actively comment on my blogs are members of my English 225 class. I feel like the audience for this blog is similar to the audience for a narrow-topic scientific journal; while the general public can definitely read these journals, they don’t unless it is necessary for a class or other research project. My audience for this blog, both in who it is written for as well as its readership, is my English 225 class, and I don’t have to persuade my audience to read this blog, as it is a class requirement. Thus, while I certainly think Charland makes valid points about the need to persuade the audience to essentially care about one’s arguments, Charland’s rhetorical theories cannot be easily applied to this blog. This blog is a niche-market item, written for a class and read by members of this very class. To take this blog out of this niche would require that I redefine the entire purpose of the blog’s existence. In other words, this blog would have to exist for a reason other than to fulfill class requirements. Since the blog exists in this light, however, it is very difficult to generalize it due to the fact that, as much as I would like this blog to not be assignment-driven, the reality is that it is. And this fact causes the blog to be written and read through a certain lens, and by a captive audience that renders Charland’s arguments irrelevant.
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Hey Matt,
ReplyDeleteI agree that you aren't completely constituting an audience with your blog because, like you said, the main readers are members of this class.
However, in some ways I think Charland's argument still applies. For example, James wrote about how he likes to read your and Lauren's blogs because of certain elements you both include. By including these elements, you drew James into your blog. Other readers may be looking for something else, so they chose to read another blog. Although you aren't completeing making your audience, I think you are narrowing your audience down.
Angela