Writing Homework Help

Essay #3: Position Paper Context:

In the rhetorical analysis assignment, you read an article on a controversial topic, looking for the aim of the author and trying to determine if the author was successful in their aim. There, you were focused on rhetorical strategies rather than the content of the argument. Now, you will integrate those skills and apply them to the task of developing your own point of view on a contemporary topic. This means you will look not only at how the authors you read address their topic, but what they say about the topic. The readings you’ll be doing are from the news.

Prompt: Write a paper in which you take a position on a current topic that is, or has recently been, in the news. In order to support your position, you will also include these elements: 

• A summary of the issue and the different positions on this topic
• Rhetorical analysis of some of the opinion-based journalism on this subject
• Synthesis of differing points of view to build your own

Requirements and additional guidelines:

• 1500-2000 words
• Reference at least three works of written journalism, including at least one relatively “neutral”

source, and two different opinion-based articles.

• Also include one article from either CQ Researcher or Gale Virtual Reference Library

(both available on the DVC library website) that is relevant to your topic.

• In addition to these four text-based sources, you may also cite videos or audio that

represent different political opinions on your topic: think political commentators,

satirical news shows, interviews, etc.

• Be sure that you acknowledge and respond to conflicting points of view, i.e. include

counter-arguments.

• Follow MLA formatting rules (double-spaced, etc.), and include a list of Works Cited in

MLA format.

News of article 1:  https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/10/28/world/covid-vaccine-boosters

News of article 2: https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/health/covid-vaccines-death-rates/index.html

News of article 3: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/why-covid-19-vaccines-should-not-be-required-for-all-americans