The Role of Audience

In their chapter “Kairos and Multimodal Public Rhetoric” Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel argue for the expansion of the concept of Kairos in order to make Kairos an appropriate tool for thinking about multimodal composition and public rhetoric. Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel use the term Kairos “ to refer to way rhetors negotiate or struggle with and against their context as they seek a particular outcome” (50). To expand the concept of Kairos Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel challenge us to consider not only the composition itself but to consider the questions that arise before, during and after the composition (51). In order to expand the notion of Kairos into the multimodal sphere scholars rethink or expand the role of audience within the rhetorical situation. In order to do this, we must first consider the role that audience has traditionally played in within rhetorical discourse.

                In “ An adequate Epistemology for Composition: Classical and Modern Perspective” Gage argues that the background systems of rhetoric have grown in two general directions (153). “ One is that rhetoric consists of techniques for successfully communicating ideas which are either unknowable or are discovered and tested by means which are beyond the rhetoric itself” (153). The goal of rhetoric in this context becomes to essentially win over an audience through the successful application of rhetorical strategies. The second way to view the goal of rhetorical discourse itself “as a means of discovering and validating knowledge” (153). Thus, mutual understanding becomes is the goal rather than persuasion. If rhetoric has as its goal mutual understand rather than persuasion, mutual understanding can serve as “the basis for inquiry into sharable truths” ( my emphasis 154).  This dialectic approach to knowledge creation requires the participation of both rhetor and audience in order to come to work towards sharable truths. Therefore, knowledge is not something that is passed from one person to another but something that is created through the dialogue between people. If we are to assume this dialogical approach to rhetoric how then do be bring this form of classical rhetoric to bear on multimodal composing?

                In “The Usefulness of Classical Rhetoric” Cobertt stare that “classical rhetoricians kept constantly in mind the audience towards which the discourse was directed” (162).  It is this awareness of audience Corbertt argues that we need to bring back to the composing process (162). I argue that one way to do this is through the lenses of multimodal composition. Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel argue that in order in to analyze multimodal compositions we need to first expand the idea of Kairos to include questions that arise both before the rhetor commits to composing and after the rhetor is finished with the composition (51). Before the rhetor commits to composing they need to take several factors in to account: the mode of the composition, the media of production and delivery as well as the genre (53). When taking all of these factors into account the rhetor/ composer needs to take his or her audience in to account. The example that Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel elude to in the text is of an activist who must decide the best way to counteract the media’s distorted view of a protest scene. The authors note that in this scenario the activist, who they call Jim, was trying to reach an audience of younger people; therefore he chose a mode he thought his audience was more likely to value ( 53). The concept of considering one’s audience is not new. What is new is that not only does the composer need to consider his audience while composing he needs to think about what mode, medium and genre will best reach the target audience. With more than oral or written communication as viable options for composing decisions made even before one starts composing become increasingly complicated as do decisions that arise after the composition is “finished”.

Once a composition is “finished” the composer must decide how he or she is going to disseminate the composition to his or her audience or real audiences. This task often gets complicated when barriers to dissemination and circulation. Many in academia are aware of this dissemination barrier when we try to get something that we have written published. Not only do we have to find someone who is willing to publish said article or book but in order for our publication to be considered “legitimate”, we need to have our published in a journal or by a company that our field considers reputable. For example, if I self-publish an article on my personal blog it is not going to be valued as if it appeared in the CCC journal or in College English. If I as a scholar in the field of rhetorical and composition want to be considered legitimate then I have to publish in a publication that has already gained legitimacy with my target audience of others in my field. As a scholar then, my hope is not only that my target audience will read my work but that my work will fuel other compositions and to bring about discussion with the field. Thus, the way that we create knowledge is still dialectical. What has expanded are the options available for distribution and circulation. What I am unsure of is if multimodal composition has helped us to rethink barriers to legitimization.

What I mean when I say that I am unsure that multimodal composition has allowed us to rethink the barrios to legitimization what I mean is that I unsure if we have utilized multimodal composition as a way for scholars to rethink barriers of entry into a given community. If we use the notion of Kairos as struggle as Sheridan, Ridolfo, and Michel challenge us to do then it seems to me that there is more that can be done to address whose the disappearance in the voices are traditionally legitimized those that are not. While I think that concept of Kairos has helped us to grapple with the questions that a composer must deal with before, during and after composing I think that there is still more that can be done to address the social contexts in which a composition is constructed and circulated. If we use Kairos as a way to expose corrupt social structures how then can we use address the struggle with and against this structure?

--AP