1.3　Goal and Structure of This Book

The primary objective of this book is to illustrate how news discourse operates as a rhetorical construction，which is situated in a particular rhetorical situation and works towards persuasion through rhetorical strategies. It aims to explore how news discourse employs rhetorical devices for the purpose of persuasion. Furthermore，this book endeavors to establish a rhetorical framework rooted in both contemporary and classical theories of rhetoric for the study of news discourse. A rhetorical approach to news discourse allows for an in-depth examination of how meaning is constructed through language choices and how values are transmitted through the organization of these elements within news discourse.

This book is organized as follows: Chapter 1 introduces the study and its objectives. Chapter 2 offers an overview of the existing body of literature on news discourse research. It explores the theoretical frameworks and approaches used in previous studies and identifies the gap in the literature that this book aims to address. Chapter 3 provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of rhetoric. It discusses the definitions of rhetoric，explores its history，and outlines the elements of rhetorical criticism. Chapter 4 explores the concept of the rhetorical situation. It explains that the concept of rhetorical situation directs the rhetor in determining the timing and appropriateness of rhetorical discourse in relation to a particular situation，requiring the rhetor to assess the rhetorical situation and construct appropriate and effective discourse to change the state of emergency. Chapter 5 explores the persuasive scheme of news discourse through the lens of rhetorical theories. It introduces the five canons of rhetoric，which provide a systematic analysis of rhetoric's workings and serve as a useful framework for the analysis of rhetorical mechanism. It then discusses Burke's dramatistic pentad theory，which provides a framework for analyzing the micro elements of news discourse and the underlying motives behind it. Chapter 6 discusses the role of rhetorical resources in persuasion. The chapter discusses the three means of persuasion that journalists rely on to establish credibility，affect the audience，make logical arguments，and finally persuade them to accept the ideas of the news. Chapter 7 focuses on examining and assessing practical news discourse within the theoretical framework established in the preceding chapters. The chapter provides a case study of English news on the website of “In Zhejiang”，the official English platform of Zhejiang province，to explore the rhetorical invention，audience identification，adaptability in the rhetorical situation，and rhetorical strategies adopted by official English news discourse in China. Chapter 8 provides a summary of the study conducted in this book，along with its key findings. It further acknowledges the limitations of the research and identifies the implications for future work. Furthermore，it emphasizes the crucial role that rhetorical criticism plays in empowering us to engage in critical interpretation of news discourse.