Issues Analysis Review

Basic concepts

Issues are complex matters that often involve debate and discussion and concern many people.

Issues are usually presented so that there are two clear, opposing sides: for and against.

Terminology

Contention: The point of a view of a particular person or group. What the person thinks should happen.

Argument: A point or statement made to support the contention.

Stakeholder A person or group who is affected by the issue, and

therefore has a say in what should happen.

Persuasive Techniques

Inclusive language Rhetorical questions Statistics Expert opinions Puns Alliteration Anecdotes Appeals

Inclusive language

Using language that makes the reader feel part of the issue.

Look for words such as “we”, “us” and “our”.

Example“We need to move Australia forward.”“It’s our problem, and we need to deal with it

together.”

Rhetorical questions

Questions that are asked but have an obvious answer or are not meant to be answered.

Is meant to point out obvious flaws in arguments and raise awkward questions for the opposition.

Examples“Why would a cow want to order a hamburger?”“You wouldn’t want a murderer to go free,

would you?”

Statistics

Using research and data to support an argument.Is meant to impress the reader with facts and

figures.Look for percentages and numbers, and pay

attention to words such as researchers, studies and surveys.

Examples“95% of facts involving 95% are made up.”“One in five people have some sort of mental

illness.”

Expert opinions

Quotes and statements from people in established positions, often providing insight into certain attitudes and behaviours.

Is meant to provide more weight to an argument by referring to someone who has a lot of knowledge.

Look for terms such as university, professor, doctor and other professional people.

Example:“Michio Kaku, professor at Tokyo University and

a lecturer in computer technology, believes that one day robots will have minds of their own.”

Puns

Puns are a play on words, which are meant to amuse and sometimes ridicule the topic.

Examples:“Melbourne goes through stormy weather:

NRL investigates salary cap breaches.”“Another person got electrocuted?

Shocking.”

Anecdotes

Personal stories or experiences that are shared to relate a point.

Can usually be easily spotted through first-person perspectives and references to events past.

Example“I take the train every day. I pay for my Metcard,

stick it in the machine and leave. I don’t see why I have to take another plastic card out, flatten it against a scanner and wait for it to beep.”

Alliteration

Repeating the opening syllable or sound throughout a sentence.

Used to appeal to readers by using catchy phrases and draws attention to the issue.

Example“Don’t diss the Demons.”

Appeals

The author can appeal to the reader by aiming comments and remarks at a particular aspect of the audience’s mind. For example:

Nationalism “The Australian thing to do is to welcome people to our

shores.”Fear

“You don’t want Mr Jones to come back, do you comrades?”Compassion

“You have to feel sorry for those kids who lost their parents and have nowhere to live.”

Family “Your children deserve to grow up in a safe environment.”

Modernism “It’s the way of the future. Doing things the old way

would be living like cavemen.”

Morals “Eating animals is murder. You wouldn’t eat another

human; why would you eat another animal?”

Freedom and choice “Everyone has the right to be who they want to be. It

is not up to one person to dictate who you become.”

Simile

A simile is a statement that compares one idea to something else.

Look for the words like, as.Made to point out a similarity between ideas,

sometimes to ridicule them.

Examples“Watching the Grand Final is as satisfying as

watching pigs roll around in mud.”“Writing this essay is like trying to type without a

screen and all your vowels are missing.”

Metaphor

Instead of comparing something to something else, a metaphor states that something is something else.

Example“Your brain is a sack of potatoes.”“Your potatoes are mouldy rocks.”

Attacks

Using words or phrases that make a person look bad.

Used to turn the reader’s favour towards the author and against the target.

Example“The minister is selfish and corrupt.”“Management has absolutely no clue what

they are doing. A bunch of monkeys could do better.”

Colloquial language

Using common or slang words.Used to attract to a particular audience or to

put the author on the same level as the reader.

Examples:“Your son is a noob.”

Clichés

Commonly (or overused) phrases that readers can easily recognise and relate to.

Example:“He was like a fish out of water.”“That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Exaggeration

Hyperbole (or exaggeration) is when the author inflates reality and makes it look much bigger or small than it actually is.

Example“The millions and millions of Rock fans.”

Emotive language

Using words that are meant to invoke a certain feeling or emotion.

Example“The death was heartbreakingly tragic.”“What happened yesterday was nothing short

of shame and embarrassment.”