Truth through Manipulation: A Rhetorical Analysis of martinlutherking.org

Truth through Manipulation: A Rhetorical Analysis of martinlutherking.org

To study reality, we study truth. This is the basic concept of history. To learn and analyze what happened in the past, which was reality, we study truth, the facts and data that we have today. However, only when the entire truth has been looked at, only then can the history studied be presented as reality.

In the website http://martinlutherking.org, it states that this website gives the audience “A True Historical Examination” of Martin Luther King Jr. This technique is an example of the connotations that comes with precise choice of wording. The word ‘True’ from the website heading states that the website is true and therefore a good reference for whatever the audience needs. But, that quote implies that all other resources, books, historical literature and other websites as well must be false or not contain all the facts. To explain further, if martinlutherking.org’s claim is indeed true, then it claims that all other sources have the statement of “A False Historical Examination.”

Therefore, as shown in the example above, through the use of literary and visual techniques, the writer manipulates the audience by presenting itself as a legitimate academic resource; which in turn meets the writer’s goal to try and reformulate the audiences’ past preconceptions of Martin Luther King Jr.

The King Holiday: Bring the Dream to Life

The visual techniques used in this website are basic yet informative of what the author is trying to do. The first thing one notices is the picture of Marin King Jr. in the center of the page. His picture, the icon of the Civil Right Movement, is positioned so that when the targeted audience first comes to the webpage, they see his face. This will automatically give a positive feeling on the website since it will focus on Martin King. Another visual technique is the use of formality by the repetition of content. Shown through the use of the links which have titles and subtitles like, “The King Holiday: Bring the Dream to Life.” This heading again causes the audience to think positively of this website as an informative, therefore, factual website, before looking at any content. The formality of the website is also shown by the lack of designs on the page. It is filled with words rather than pictures or a glamorous background. This again, gives it a formal look and establishes its credibility.

martinlutherking.org

As one looks at the content of the website, there are many links that the audience can choose. They can choose to click on things like, “Civil Rights Library” or “Historical Writings.” This technique of choosing gives the user a nonlinear feel, or the ability for the audience to pick and choose what they want to learn. Which in turn has the gives a positive emotional effect on the reader in which they are not forced to learn any of the content, rather they are choosing to learn what they want. This again gives the author of the page authority and credibility in what they will have to say when the user clicks on the link.

Also, at a first look it seems as though there is a lack of an author or heading of the group that created this site. Which also focuses the audience’s view on the content rather than who made the website. But by looking to the bottom of the page, the audience can see where the author places the sponsor of the website, Stormfront.

Stormfront is a white supremacist group. Seemingly like an informative site, as stated before, Stormfront, uses its website address and its relatively specific subtitles to give it more credibility. For Stormfront to have the name ‘martinlutherking’ in their webpage address again adds credibility to their argument. Like most other websites like Chase Bank or Wal-Mart, the audience gives its trust to a website by name alone. The ending of the website is also a ‘.org’, website. Usually, when people see ‘.org’ at the end of a web address, they believe it to be a trusted website to a legitimate organization. By not giving away its political position straightaway and by using its web address, this website again manipulates the audience into believing that martinlutherking.org is a legitimate website and filled with the ‘truth’ it claims it brings to the audience.

The Death of Dream: The Day King Was Shot

After the website image has established its credibility though the use of its focus picture and alignment of information, the author uses an array of different literary techniques to inform or persuade the audience to accept the given information. Since this website is written by a white supremacist group, it is rational to say that the information will be skewed in one direction. And as seen in the content, the author, rather than disputing the assumed knowledge the reader has, gives new evidence and attempts to prove it. If an audience member clicks on the link “The Death of Dream: The Day King Was Shot” they will read about the day before and the night he was shot. Then it gives evidence quoted in Newsweek magazine,

There FBI bugs reportedly picked up 14 hours of party chatter, the clinking of glasses and the sounds of illicit sex--including King's cries of "I'm f--ing for God" and "I'm not a Negro tonight!”

This shocking evidence that author has quoted is revealing and probably new to the audience. But even though it looks to be quoted, the author does not give a credible reference or link to where the audience can find this article. Also, it claims to quote out of "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down," by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, but it again does quote a page number or direct reference. This use of the technique of narrowing the facts again proves that the author is trying to manipulate the audience by focusing on the negatives, attempting to change the audiences’ preconceptions of Martin King. Another quote from the website from the link, ‘Truth about King: Who He Fought and Fought For’

WHEN THE COMMUNISTS TOOK OVER a country, one of the first things that they did was to confiscate all the privately-held weapons, to deny the people the physical ability to resist tyranny. But even more insidious than the theft of the people's weapons was the theft of their history…. Holidays were declared in honor of the beasts who murdered countless nations.

As shown in the quote, the author never references the name Martin King. Rather, through understatements and metaphors the audience is affected by the association of King, communism and people who have Holidays were declared in honor of the beasts who murdered countless nations. From the title and the association of words, the effect on the audience is that they will begin to question what King was really trying to fight for. The author is effective in a sense. He brings question to the audiences’ minds; however, these questions will go towards the legitimacy of the website rather than towards King. For a website to make such claims in such a tone does not work as proof. And, for it to be supported by Stormfront, the audience will be skeptical about any of the ‘evidence’ it cites.

The intended audience is the unsuspecting public. And this unsuspecting public will feel the effect of the website after they have visited and read it. Through the use of visual and literary techniques, the audience will have seen that the website, though looks unbiased, it is skewed and one sided all around. Seeing that a website like martinlutherking.org can exist, as website with a legitimate address and look, audiences need to be skeptical and attentive about websites that share information. From the internet to newspapers to books, all sources have an objective in mind, and if that objective is to manipulate, then that source should be discounted.