Radio Rhetor

This project presents an analysis of the rhetorical practices of famed radio host Mary Margaret McBride as examined through a selection of her recorded radio broadcasts and written works. Following the tradition of feminist rhetorical histories, this work seeks to expand the canon of rhetors studied to include an overlooked but significant female rhetor and the understudied medium of radio. In this thesis, I pose the questions: 1) What rhetorical practices characterize Mary Margaret McBride’s performances of sonic rhetoric? 2) How do these practices and her medium of radio intersect? 3) How did McBride’s practices align with or diverge from her gendered identities, especially in regards to private and public boundaries? Through this project, I characterize McBride’s rhetorical practices as: (1) a conversational style and direct address; (2) indirect questions with digression and self-deprecation; (3) memory and anecdote; and (4) vivid description and emotive language. From this analysis, I posit that McBride’s practices show her awareness of radio’s position between public and private spheres, allow her to connect with her audiences, challenge the public and private binary, and foster new norms for feminine discourse.