{"id":4946,"date":"2015-08-24T13:35:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T18:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?page_id=4946"},"modified":"2016-03-02T10:44:09","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T16:44:09","slug":"buzzfeed-article","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/the-course\/buzzfeed-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Buzzfeed Article"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ToyStoryMeme\"<\/p>\n

Put simply, your task in this assignment is to\u00a0compare and contrast 5-8 country songs in the Buzzfeed<\/em>\u00a0listicle format. The songs you select must somehow be connected, whether because they offer perspectives on the same issue (adoption, gun violence, political polarization, etc.) or because they invoke common images or themes (tractors, whiskey, respect for parents, etc.).<\/p>\n

You will introduce each song with an appropriate visual and proceed to identify some of the rhetorical strategies (appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos; style; etc.) that are discussed in our textbook,\u00a0Rhetorical Analysis<\/em>, pp. 44-67 and 136-165. In the individual analyses as well as the conclusion, you will explain reader\u00a0how and why these songs utilize these\u00a0strategies differently.<\/p>\n

The essay is worth 20% of your final grade–5% for the draft, which you will upload to Canvas, and 15% for the final, which you will post to the Country Music Project<\/em>. You will receive 5% of extra credit if you submit the final article to Buzzfeed <\/em>and an additional 5%\u00a0if it is accepted as a “community feature.”<\/p>\n

Before reading further, please download the rubric.<\/p>\n

Topic & Format:<\/h3>\n

1. Select a title<\/span> that catches the reader’s attention. Matthew Barby<\/a>, an experienced Buzzfeed<\/em> author, has done research indicating that the best titles ask questions and are more than seven words long. Michael Reed Roberts<\/a> offers other ideas for writing “clickbait” titles.<\/p>\n

2. In the introduction<\/span>, identify the issue, image, or theme that unites the songs in your listicle.\u00a0Use research (hyperlinks) to convince a typical Buzzfeed <\/em>reader<\/a> that it is a timely topic that is worth their time. Briefly indicate how you have selected the songs that your article is featuring and what conclusions you expect your reader to reach after having read the entire article.<\/p>\n

\"BuzzfeedTimsAbs\"<\/a><\/p>\n

3. In the body,<\/span>\u00a0list and discuss your 5-8 songs. Introduce each song with a heading that\u00a0includes the song’s\u00a0title, performer, and year. It should look something like this:<\/p>\n

“Three Wooden Crosses” (2002) by Randy Travis<\/h3>\n

In your analysis, you should briefly summarize the song’s content or story, how it relates to the overall theme of your listicle (unless it is extremely obvious), and identify the relevant rhetorical strategies. The strongest listicles will indicate not only how these songs are similar or different (as regards their use of rhetorical strategies), but also\u00a0why.\u00a0<\/em>Use hyperlinks to defend your interpretation.<\/p>\n

4. Embed images or videos<\/span> that reinforce the tone of your article and keep your readers interested. In the draft that you submit to Canvas, you may simply include hyperlinks to the images\/videos that you intend to use in the final article.<\/p>\n

5. Finish the article<\/span> with a conclusion that punctuates your main argument.<\/p>\n

Other Guidelines:<\/h3>\n