Multigenre Writing

Clara Bouvin, Eric Gillett, Luke Mistretta, Serena Luo,

Kathryn Secrest

Introduction to
Multigenre
Writing

-words, images, videos & audio

-has a strong sense of purpose
-multiple motives including: political,
artistic, social, cultural

What are some

common themes?

-conforms less to conventional

grammar rules
-lower word count than standard
article
use of social media & knowledge of
ongoing social trends

Mediums of Multigenre Works

text, images, video, and audio

Purpose
-persuade, inform, entertain, promote

Motive
Political, artistic, social, cultural

Grammar & Image

-bending of writing rules and conventions
-CAPS LOCK, bold, underline, talcs, strikethrough

BECAUSE we are unwilling to falter under claims that we are reactionary

"reverse sexists" AND NOT THE TRUEPUNKROCKSOULCRUSADERS THAT
WE KNOW we really are.
(RIOT GRRRL MANIFESTO)

http://onewarart.org/riot_grrrl_manifesto.htm

Use of Words
-short, striking phrases to keep audience attention

Movements
Social, Political, Artistic, Cultural

Characteristics of Movements
Unifying Goal

Fixing a Problem in Society

Increasing Knowledge
Change way of Thinking
Spreading new Ideas

Different ways of Achieving Goal

Mass Participation
Composed of Many Individuals, Groups, Organizations, etc

Types of movements: Artistic

Main Goal: Create new forms of artistic expression
How is this achieved?

Must be unique
Is a new style
Through various mediums

2D ie. Painting, sketching

3D ie. Sculpture, Metal Works
Music
Acting

Examples of Artistic Movements

Surrealism:

Tries to bridge dreams and reality

Surrealists worked with a variety
of mediums, including poetry,
literature, sculpture, and the thennew medium of film. (Anderson)
To Left- Salvador Dali The
Persistence of Memory

Example Continued
Rock and Roll

Shows reluctance to accept new

artistic movements
Invokes a specific feeling in
listeners
Different elements combine to
create this art

Types of movements: Political

Main Goal: Achieve agenda through political means
Uses the political medium to spread and enforce ideas

This is what makes it a political movement

Can have a single goal or multiple depending on purpose
Can be a single organization, Party or use multiple pre existing groups

Examples of Political Movements

Green Politics vs The Green Party
Both want clean society but through different means
Green Politics:Implemented in parties like Republicans and Democrats
Ex. Clear Skies Proposal
The Green Party: Seeks to bring about such changes by itself
The Greens/Green Party USA has been working since 1984 to make the hope of a more
democratic, safer, cleaner world real. (Green Party)

Types of Movements: Cultural

Main Goal: To change the way society thinks
Vast array of thoughts, typically a new founding or appreciation
Ex.

Appreciation of art and literature

Founding new techniques in science

Example of Cultural Movement

Appreciation of the Arts and Literature in India
They brought about an intellectual break which led to a qualitative transformation of the creative realm
(Panikkar)

Spearheaded by two organizations

1.
2.

All India Progressive Writers' Association (PWA)

Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA)

Techniques used to impact the culture

Spread knowledge

Increase understanding

Types of Movements: Social

Main Goal: Fix a problem in society
The concept of social movement is strongly connected to the idea that some part of that world should be
changed, that another world is possible, and/or that the present world order is not necessarily the one in
which our children or grandchildren would like to live. (Saunders)
Key Characteristics
Not bound by any organization
Strong individual leaders/figureheads
Spearheaded by groups
Uses public influence to create change

Examples of Social Movements

Womens suffrage, lasted from 1848-1920
Had many different leaders, two organizations emerged at the start of the 20th
century
1.
2.

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) led by Carrie Chapman Catt
National Womans Party (NWP) led by Alice Paul

Ratified by the 19th amendment

Could not have been successful without mass support

Link to Writing: Manifesto

Manifesto: a written statement that describes the policies, goals, and opinions of a
person or group
Manifesto of surrealism
Andr Breton, a well-known poet and critic of his time, published The Surrealist Manifesto in 1924, in
which he declared the groups intention to unite consciousness with unconsciousness so that the realms of
dream and fancy could merge with everyday reality in an absolute reality, a surreality. (Anderson)

Ties the whole movement together

Important to make sure the movement is not twisted Ex. Riots breaking out

Publicity

Publicity
Seeks to engage the publics attention in a world that is
already oversaturated with print and electronic messages
(Trimbur 378)
Needs to portray a clear message
Draw in the attention of readers or viewers
Promote a certain understanding or conception of a topic

Methods of Publicity

Poster
Program
Website/Social Media
Invitations
Mass e-mails
Event apparel or items
Billboards

(Trimbur 379) and (Branding)

Posters
Definite audience being
targeted
Clear message to present
Appealing design
Use of color, blank
space, text, graphics
Well organized
Impactful
(Effective)

Billboards
Most common form of outdoor
publicity
Often located on major roads and
highways
Large and draw attention
Need to be distinguishable
Under a time constraint
Cannot have too much
information, graphic, etc.
(Johnson)

Websites and Social Media

Majority of publicity and advertising is done online
Banner ads
Pop-ups
Text ads
Can have a major psychological effect on the viewer
(Hwang et al.)

Online Publicity

Effect on the Consumer

Advertisements on the internet are becoming more prominent

People begin to identify with ads
Companies will target their consumer through technology
Have to understand their audience and appeal to them specifically

The logic of marketing and advertising embedded in social software has

infiltrated the ways in which we relate to ourselves and to others,
teaching us to be good corporate citizens along the way (MacAulay 144)

Advertisements online are more effective in the digital age

Causes more brand loyalty and identification

Advocacy
Campaigns

What is an Advocacy Campaign?

Advocacy is the active support of an idea or cause
expressed through strategies and methods that influence the
opinions and decisions of people and organizations
(Buckley).
Tries to educate and persuade individuals

Process of an Advocacy Campaign

1. Identify an issue
2. Research the issue
3. Create a fact sheet
4. Map out possible supporters and detractors

Process of an Advocacy Campaign

5. Map out possible supporters and detractors

6. Form a coalition
7. Develop Educational Materials
8. Launch a media campaign

Process of an Advocacy Campaign

9. Approach elected officials

10. Monitor progress on the issues
(Pat Libby. "The Constitutionality of Municipal Advocacy in Statewide Referendum Campaigns."
Harvard Law Review 93.3 (1980): 535. Web.)

What does an advocacy campaign look like?

Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech

What strategies do these all have in common?

Ethos
Logos
Pathos
Audience
Tone

Analysis Activity

last but not least

Multigenre writing comes in

myriad forms and serves to
accomplish countless purposes.

Thank you for listening!

Any questions?

Works Cited
Anderson, Michael. "10 Modernist Art Movements." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica,
n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
"Billboard Printing." Echod Graphics. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"Branding, Marketing & Publicity." Hampshire County Council. Hampshire County Council, 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
Buckley, Steve. "Association for Progressive Communications." Advocacy Strategies and Approaches: Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"Citizens Campaign for the Environment - Education and Advocacy in New York and Connecticut for Environmental Protection and Preservation." Citizens Campaign
for the Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.citizenscampaign.org/>.
"Claire Bloom Authors Book | End 68 Hours of Hunger." End 68 Hours of Hunger. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://end68hoursofhunger.org/2014/07/claire-bloomauthors-book/>.
"Federal Minimum Wage." N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://www.raisetheminimumwage.com/pages/federal-minimum-wage>.
"Effective Poster Design." University of Guelph Teaching Support Services. University of Guelph, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
Hwang, Johye, Yoo-Shik Yoon, and No-Hyeun Park. "Science Direct." Structural Effects of Cognitive and Affective Reponses to Web Advertisements, Website and
Brand Attitudes, and Purchase Intentions: The Case of Casual-dining Restaurants. Kyung Hee University, 5 Mar. 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.

Works Cited (contd)

Johnson, Justin. "Billboard Advertising and Traditional Billboards." Chron. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
Libby, Pat. "The Constitutionality of Municipal Advocacy in Statewide Referendum Campaigns." Harvard Law Review 93.3 (1980): 535. Web.
MacAulay, Maggie. Rev. of Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Canadian Journal of Communication 40 (2015):143-46. EBSCO. Web. 08
Oct. 2015.
"Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" Speech." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdTpU5WZHHM>.
"Minnesota Department of Transportation." Share the Road. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sharetheroad/ped/resources.html>.
Pan, Li-Ming. "SEAC Casino Night [Fall 2011 Event Posters Overview]." Brandeis Southeast Asia Club. Brandeis University, 13 Feb. 2012. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
Panikkar, K. N. "Progressive Cultural Movement in India: A Critical Appraisal." Social Scientist: n.
pag. JSTOR. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
"Online Ads: A Guide to Online Ad Types and Formats." Wordstream. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"Remove Netflix.com Pop-up Ads." Remove PC Malwares. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"RIOT GRRRL MANIFESTO." RIOT GRRRL MANIFESTO. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Saunders, Clare. "Environmental networks and social movement theory." Environmental Politics: n.
pag. Print.

Works Cited (contd)

"Tell Congress: No War On Iran - Billboard Advocacy Campaign." Americans Against the Next War. N.p., 07 July 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <https://americansagainstthenextwar.
wordpress.com/2012/07/07/78/>.
"The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty." The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. UNILEVER, 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2015. <http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-realbeauty.aspx>.
"The Greens/Green Party USA." The Greens/Green Party USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
Trimbur, John. "Multigenre Writing." The Call To Write. 6th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014. 377-92. Print.
Uusi-Rauva, Christa, and Pasi Heikkurinen. "Overcoming Barriers to Successful Environmental Advocacy Campaigns in the Organizational Context." Environmental
Communication 7.4 (2013): 475-92. Web.
"Why Those Annoying Banner Ads Are Here To Stay." Verge Campus. Berklee College of Music, 24 May 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"8 Reason: Why You Should Start Social Media Marketing Campaign - SALEOID." SALEOID 8 Reason Why You Should Start Social Media Marketing Campaign Comments. N.p.,
12 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.saleoid.com/blog/8-reason-why-you-should-start-social-media-marketing-campaign/>.
"10 Reasons to Raise the Minimum Wage (with Charts)." Alternet. N.p., 04 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://www.alternet.org/economy/10-reasons-raise-minimum-wagecharts>.