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A new form of communication is composed, created, and distributed through digital technologies. Concepts Circulation Īs an example of circulation, Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that relies on collaborative rhetorical contribution.Ĭirculation theorizes the ways that text and discourse moves through time and space, and any kind of media can be circulated. emphasize the idea that both technology and rhetoric can influence and transform each other. As technology becomes more and more ubiquitous, the lines between traditional and digital rhetoric will start to blur. Casey Boyle, James Brown Jr., and Steph Ceraso claim that "the digital" is no longer just one of the many different tools that can be used to enhance traditional rhetoric, but an "ambient condition" that encompasses our everyday lives. Some scholars interpret this rhetorical discourse with greater focus on the digital aspect. Today, rhetoric encompasses all forms of discourse that serve any given purpose within specific contexts, while also simultaneously being shaped by those contexts. While this represents a primarily ancient Western view of rhetoric, Arthur Smith of UCLA explains that the ancient rhetoric of many cultures, such as African rhetoric, existed independent of Western influence. Other definitions Ĭontrary to past conceptions, the definition of rhetoric can no longer be confined to simply the sending and receiving of messages to persuade or impart knowledge. Any form of communication that occurs in the digital sphere can be counted as digital rhetoric under Haas' definition. Haas emphasized that digital rhetoric does not solely apply to text-based items-it can also apply to image-based or system-based items.
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In 2018, rhetorician Angela Haas offered her own definition of digital rhetoric, defining it as "the digital negotiation of information – and its historical, social, economic, and political contexts and influences – to affect change".
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Eyman categorized the emerging field of digital rhetoric as interdisciplinary in nature, enriched by related fields such as, but not limited to: digital literacy, visual rhetoric, new media, human-computer interaction and critical code studies. : 44Įyman's definition demonstrates that digital rhetoric can be applied as an analytic method for digital texts and as a heuristic for production, offering rhetorical questions that a composer can use to create digital texts. Eyman said digital rhetoric is "the application of rhetorical theory (as analytic method or heuristic for production) to digital texts and performances". Recent scholarship (2015 - Present) ĭrawing influence from Lanham and Losh, Douglas Eyman offered his own definition of digital rhetoric in his 2015 book Digital Rhetoric: Theory, Method, Practice. Zappen defined digital rhetoric as a space of collaboration and creativity between the composer and the audience. Lanham in a lecture he delivered in 1989 and first formally put into words in his 1993 essay collection, The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology, and the Arts. The term digital rhetoric was coined by rhetorician Richard A.
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The following subsections detail the evolving definition of 'digital rhetoric' as a term since its creation in 1989.
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1.1 Evolving definition of 'digital rhetoric'.Approaching this area of study through different lenses of various social issues allows the reach of digital rhetoric to expand. Digital rhetoric can also be analyzed through many lenses reflecting different social movements. Similarly, digital rhetoric can take on a variety of meanings based on what is being analyzed-which depends on the concept, forms or objects of study, or rhetorical approach. ĭue to evolving study, digital rhetoric has held various meanings to different scholars over time.
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This has led to an expansion of the scope of digital rhetoric to account for the increased fluidity with which humans interact with technology. Due to the increasingly mediated nature of our contemporary society, there are no longer clear distinctions between digital and non-digital environments. As such, digital rhetoric can be expressed in many different forms -including but not limited to text, images, videos, and software. ĭigital rhetoric can be generally defined as communication that exists in the digital sphere. Digital rhetoric is an extension of human communication- taking place in a digital sphere.
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