Rhetorical Analysis of Academic Journal

In this post I will invesitigate one of the academic journals of my area, Pointe Magazine.

1)Who are the authors/speakers published in this specific issue of the academic journal you've selected? How many different authors are published here? What do you know - or can you find out - about these people? How are the authors/speakers portrayed in the journal issue? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers.

• Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone:
• Candice Thompson
• Suzannah Friscia
• Carrie Seidman
• Amy Brandt
• Gavin Larson
• Wendy Perron

These authors are all past and/or present dancers or people who work as physical therapists, usually for dancers or athletes specifically.  Each author isn't really talking about their research or own experience, but are typically discussing what companies or specific dancers are doing.  So they are mostly resented as knowledgeable and up-to-date reporters who have had years of experience in their respected fields.

2)  Who is the intended audience for this particular journal issue? How can you tell? Are there any secondary audiences included here? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers.

• The publication is geared towards dancers, both younger and older.  Often time the authors will use words like "you" or "we dancers" to include the audience in the category of "dancer".  

3)  What is the context surrounding this particular journal issue? How does this affect the content of the journal? (See the bulleted questions on Student's Guide page 180 for specific questions about context). Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers.

• In this particular article, the main article is discussing the content of the new series "Flesh and Bone" that features dancers.  The context is the series itself and how it portrays the ballet world. Most feel that is much more representative than "Black Swan" was.

4)  What is the overall message of the journal issue? How did you decide this? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers.

• This journal provides a great variety of stories, so an overall message doesn't really apply.  It depends on what story/ article you read.  For instance in the so called wellness section, you might take away that you need to vary your stretching to something that is less static, as to reduce muscle tears.

5)  What purpose is the journal issue trying to achieve? Cite specific details from the journal issue in your answers.

• The main purpose of this journal is to focus on what is happening in the world of ballet.  This includes performances, dancers, media events, and even tips for improving the health of a dancer's body.

**Publish date is in lower right hand corner above the bar code. Also, pardon the stage makeup.

Harrington, Michaela "This Photo Idea is Ridiculous" via Michaela's iPhone. Public Domain