A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Editorials of Newswatch and Tell Magazines
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ISSN 1923-1555[Print] Studies in Literature and Language ISSN 1923-1563[Online] Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, pp. 48-53 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/j.sll.1923156320130601.1321 www.cscanada.org A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Editorials of Newswatch and Tell Magazines K.B.C Ashipu[a],* [a] Department of English & Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. INTRODUCTION * Corresponding author. A plethora of definitions have been given to the journalistic concept, “Editorial”. However, a few of them Received 5 November 2012; accepted 20 January 2013 may suffice in this discussion on a rhetorical analysis of some editorials of Newswatch and Tell Magazines. Abstract Editorials are comments on news items of national Editorials are comments on news items that are of concern which attract the attention of the editor. Such national interest and which attract the attention of the news items may be political, economic, educational, editor. Such news items may be political, economic, religious or general socio-cultural issues that border on educational, religious or general socio-political issues the welfare of the people. These written comments are that border on the welfare of the people. An editorial published in the national dailies or magazines and are expresses a personal opinion of the editor on such matters collectively known as “editorials”. According to Butler and it is like an essay written by an individual editor, (2011) all dailies have editorials which may not be during which the editor exhibits his personal creative published in the same page for all magazines and it is style. This variety of style that is commonly exhibited in always obvious that an article is in fact and editorial… journalese is known as House Style. This paper belongs to editorial is one part of the paper which is based more on a significant aspect of the English language study known personal opinion than facts and for this reason the article as Stylistics. Stylistics is a central component of Rhetoric may deliberately support one rather than another of the which is a linguistic activity that treats the devices that argument. Ogunsiji (2001) asserts that editorial is the view convey meaning in language. It studies the persuasive and of a magazine on a particular public issue. An editorial emotional effects of language and attempt to understand may criticise, praise or merely discuss the actions of some how linguistic devices create these effects. It emphasizes public functionaries or group. essentially the linguistic devices, the social aspect of Magazine editorials usually discuss problems of language and its impact in a particular context. Rhetorical national interest and an editorial is much like an essay Stylistics identifies and isolates the linguistic features written by an individual, during which the individual that constitute the style of a text. This paper uses stylistic exhibits his personal creative style. The variety of style models to examine the rhetorical devices in Newswatch that is commonly exhibited in journalese is known as and Tell Magazines which constitute a House Style House Style. Agbese (2006) defines a house style as an that is different from other forms of writing. The paper essential guide to the professional, if not the moral conduct concludes that rhetorical devices are essential components of the journalist. House style enables the journalist for embellishing thought and to reflect the local colour of codifies the rules that guide writing and planning for a language. particular purpose. It imposes order on a profession which thrives on chaos. House style refers to the uniform style K.B.C Ashipu (2013). A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Editorials of of design peculiar to a given magazine. It refers to the Newswatch and Tell Magazines. Studies in Literature and Language, writing style which makes it unique from other magazines 6(1), 48-53. Available from: http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/ view/j.sll.1923156320130601.1321 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/ based on ownership and management of the magazine j.sll.1923156320130601.1321 in question. This paper therefore belongs to a significant aspect of the English language study-Stylistics. Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 48 K.B.C Ashipu (2013). Studies in Literature and Language, 6(1), 48-53 WHAT IS STYLISTICS? Crystal and Davy (1969) summarised the role of Stylistics With the development of subjects such as Semiotics, in literary activity thus, …the aim of stylistics is to analyse language habits with the Semantics and Pragmatics in the twentieth century, an main purpose of identifying from the general mass of linguistic interest in Traditional Rhetoric was revived and new features common to English as used on every conceivable areas of Rhetoric such as Stylistics developed (Wales, occasion, these features which are restricted to certain kinds 1984). According to Bradford (1997), Stylistics, a notable of social context, to explain, where possible why such features predecessor of Rhetoric, have been used as opposed to other alternatives, and to classify these features into categories based upon a view of their function Can tell us how to name the constituents parts of a literary text in the social context. and enable us to document their operations, but in doing so, it must draw upon the terminology and methodology of disciplines which focus upon language in the real world. The study of Crystal and Davy’s assertion informs our choice of metre and narrative prose is founded upon the fundamental units functional stylistics as an ideal theoretical framework and principles of all linguistic usage: phonemes, rhythemic in this discussion. The functional model emanated from sequences, grammatical classes, forms of syntactic organization a pluralist position that language performs a variety of and so on. But these same fundamentals of communication also functions that any piece of language is likely to be the underpin the methodology of pure linguistics, structuralism, semiotics, discourse theory, sociolinguistics, linguistic result of choice made at different levels. As a reaction philosophy and a whole network of disciplines which involves to the controversy between the monists and the dualists’ the context and pragmatic purpose of communication. attempt to define the actual relationship between the content (meaning) and expression (form) projected into Consequent upon this, Rhetorical stylistics or just literary criticism by the New Critics and Stylistics, a Stylistics is caught between two disciplinary imperatives. pluralist approach resulted in the functional stylistic On the one hand, it raises the question regarding the model. The monists believe that manner or expression and relation between the way language is used and its matter or content are like body and soul: the alteration apparent context and language as an active element of the of form entails a change of content. The dualist on the real world. On the other, it seeks to define the particular other hand, bases his argument on the strong tradition use of linguistic structures to create facsimiles, models which regards style as involving choices of manner or or distortions of the real world. Stylistics is basically a expression rather than matter or content (Belsey, 1998). linguistic activity which examines language use in the Adekunle (1985) further avows the functionalist approach real world. It is a theoretical device which differentiates to stylistics when he asserts that “this model to stylistics one piece of writing from another. According to Finch is idea of (a) functional varieties of levels of languages (2000) Stylistics is concerned with using the methodology and (b) the application to the study of style of the idea of linguistics to study the concept of style in language. of the multifunctional nature of the units of a languages: It is the method of linguistics that a stylistician uses to the simplest utterance is capable of conveying more than differentiates between writers. Chris (2010) also sees one kind of meaning-referential, directive or social. The stylistics, as a branch of linguistics, but especially that pluralist element of the functionalist approach makes it of modern linguistics. The Definitive English Dictionary possible for many extra-linguistic communicative factors (2000) claims that stylistics is a branch of linguistics to be related to the structure of the language in the process that concerns with the characteristic choices in the use of of stylistic analysis of all types of texts. This approach language especially literary language as regards sound, would be used to examine how editors of Tell and form or vocabulary made by different individuals of social Newswatch Magazines use language to function in variety groups in different situations of use. Another scholar of ways. that identifies Stylistics as a branch of linguistics is Fabb (1997) and he perceives Stylistics from the functional approach. According to Fabb, Stylistics can be seen as the TEXTUAL ANALYSIS use of linguistics in the analysis of particular a literary The concept of Rhetoric originated in Greece in the text, to reveal functions, including the communication wake of the Greek democratic activities. The rhetorical of particular meanings. The functionalist tradition in theory is defined as a linguistic activity which treats the linguistics is particularly associated with M. A. K. devices that convey meaning in language. It studies the Halliday who is believed to be the master stylistician. effect of language and as Davies (2000) assert effect of According to Turner (2003), an apostle of Halliday, persuasion, emotional effect and clarity and attempts to Stylistics is that part of linguistics, which concentrates understand how linguistic devices create those effects. It on variations in the use of language often, but not emphasizes essentially the linguistic devices, the social exclusively, with special attention to most conscious and aspect of language and its impact in a particular context. complex uses of language in literature.