Beyond Persuasion: Teaching Rhetorical Criticism in a World of Competing Narratives
In today’s media-saturated world, we are constantly surrounded by powerful narratives on our screens, in our newsfeeds, and across our conversations. While these stories shape how we understand society, politics, and culture, they also blur the line between fact, interpretation, and persuasion. The challenge for modern communicators is no longer simply to consume information, but to critically evaluate its meaning, intent, and impact.
It was within this context that KOH3364 (Rhetorical Criticism) was conducted during the 2025/26 Semester 1 for third-year communication students at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The course was designed to equip students with the intellectual tools needed to navigate, analyse, and responsibly engage with the persuasive messages that define our contemporary world.
Rhetoric as the Foundation of Persuasion
At the heart of the course lies a classical yet timeless framework: Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical reasoning). Rather than treating these concepts as abstract theories, students applied them as practical lenses to examine real-world messages across media, politics, and business.
Through this approach, rhetoric became more than a method of influence. It became a structured way of thinking; one that enables students to question how arguments are built, whose voices are amplified, and which values are being promoted or marginalised.
Exploring Global and Local Narratives
To deepen critical awareness, students examined rhetorical practices from diverse global and regional contexts. Case discussions spanned developments and discourse from Africa and the Sahel region, the Middle East, Europe, the United States, China, Latin America, Malaysia and its neighbouring countries.
These explorations extended beyond politics into the world of business and corporate communication, highlighting how persuasion operates in branding, leadership messaging, crisis communication, and stakeholder engagement. By comparing narratives across cultures and sectors, students gained insight into how rhetoric reflects broader social, historical, and ideological forces.
Developing Analytical and Ethical Awareness
Throughout the semester, emphasis was placed on:
- Understanding the standards of rhetorical criticism,
- Analysing ideas and arguments critically,
- Recognising the role of symbolic power, authority, and legitimacy in communication, and
- Reflecting on the ethical responsibilities of communicators.
After 14 weeks of structured learning and discussion, students moved beyond surface-level interpretations of persuasive messages. They developed the ability to identify underlying assumptions, power dynamics, and the broader implications of how meaning is constructed and conveyed.
Shaping Responsible Communicators
Arguments and structures are never neutral. They are vehicles of ideology, influence, and meaning. By mastering rhetorical analysis, students do not simply become better critics, they become more responsible communicators, capable of engaging with the world thoughtfully, ethically, and with intellectual integrity.
In an era defined by rapid information flows and competing truths, rhetorical criticism offers a vital compass. It empowers the next generation of communication professionals to not only shape narratives, but to do so with awareness, accountability, and purpose.
By Abdul Latiff Puteh
Founder, White & Associates
