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Defusing A Rhetorical Situation Through Apologia: Ronald Reagan And The Iran-Contra Affair, Roxane Yvonne Sutherland
Defusing A Rhetorical Situation Through Apologia: Ronald Reagan And The Iran-Contra Affair, Roxane Yvonne Sutherland
Dissertations and Theses
This thesis examines the manner in which Ronald Reagan responded to the Tower Commission Report concerning his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. It explores the following questions: 1) What were the factors leading to a rhetorical situation as defined by the media and which required Ronald Reagan to provide a public response of self-defense; 2) what strategies of apologia did Reagan employ; and 3) how did the media and the White House characterize the outcome of Reagan's speech?
Data for analysis were drawn from nationally recognized newspapers that shaped public perception of the Iran-Contra Affair: The Washington Post, The …