Allison Swann Swann 1

Ms. Whitney

AP Language

3/10/20
Michelle Malkin: The Messiah of Modern Journalism

Michelle Malkin does not write for the open-minded. Michelle Malkin does not write for

people who want to broaden their worldview, or people who try to understand the other side's

perspective. Michelle Malkin does not write for anyone who has even the slightest political

difference than her intended audience. Michelle Malkin writes for those who are hardened in

their view, those choose to educate themselves, but only to confirm what they already believe.

Malkin has a unique way of not only writing to cater to her audience, but also writes to an extent

where she bashes anyone opposing her through cherry-picking evidence to incite action,

manipulating syntax to support only her claim, and using fear mongering and hateful diction.

Malkin knows her audience is hard set, extremely patriotic, white conservatives, that

value protecting the safety of America from outsiders, privacy and protection of personal

freedoms from the government, and strong nationalism in return for guaranteed right from

America. Do you believe that immigrants bring nothing but violence to this country and are

escaping deportation by libeal policies? If so, read her “Blood on Open Borders Boston's

Hands”. Do you believe that school systems' mandatory vaccine policies encroach on personal

rights and freedoms? If so, read Malkin’s “Fight for the Freedom to Question Vaccines”. She

knows her audience will be moved by her urgent and hateful tone, spark anger, and push them to

action. Malkin treats being an American citizen like being a member of a country club. She is

against birthright citizenship and has a strong belief that immigrants should not have the same

rights as citizens. Malkin uses this belief, shared by her audience, as a catalyst for action,

showing them that by giving immigrants rights those rights are being taken away from deserving
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citizens. Malkin presents herself as a leader, a Messiah to show her audience what they should

believe, and how they should act on it. In this, she sets an expectation for her audience, that they

not only read and believe what she says, but that they take it as fuel for action.

No matter what subject Malkin writes about she maintains a consistent style and uses it to

sway and relate to the audience. Malkin uses personal experiences to show that unlike pompous

liberals (those with open minds concerning immigration policies and redefining the meanings

and values of America) she is not just all talk, but she follows through on her words and the

reader should do the same. In a sense, Malkin uses both her words, through manipulating syntax,

and her actions, through her personal experiences and anecdotes, to convince her audience that

she is legitimate, and anyone who questions her is a fraud. In every column that she has written,

it is evident how she manipulates words to create a condescending tone, by placing quotation

marks around them. If Malkin is discussing immigrantion instead of simply stating policies she

disagrees with, she will take key points and put them in quotation marks that challenge the

credibility of their reasoning. In this way she connects with the audience by not using

sophisticated language to jumble up meaning, but sarcastic phrases that read like a conversation.

Malkin is someone who the audience can trust, who they can rely on to give them accurate

information, instead of the lies and nonsense meant to deceive them promoted by the opposing

side.

Malkin views the world as an unfair place. She holds America to its original idealistic

standards and strives to return America to its foundational values. It is apparent through her

writing that she believes America is changing its fundamental values by encroaching on her

rights as a lawful, American citizen. This sentiment is ever present in each column because of the

way she describes people trying to change America. She describes laws for mandatory vaccines
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as “draconian law” and companies fighting for it as “corrupt” and “coerced” (“Fight for the

Freedom to Question Vaccines”). Going even further to describe the immigrants she believes are

ruining America as “homicidal beasts”, “homeless vagrants”, and “thieving bums” (“Blood on

Open Borders Boston’s Hands”). These phrases cause fear and concern in the audience, and

Malkin further justifies her fight as protecting America’s children and following the American

way of questioning laws one believes are unjust. She uses anecdotes about her son to portray her

stances as moral and just, because she is not only fighting for herself, but for the well being of

her children as well. Malkin uses this manipulation of syntax to write all of her articles like a

case, summoning evidence to cast more than reasonable doubt on the opposition.

Michelle Malkin is a skilled writer, who uses multiple rhetorical techniques to her

advantage to convince the audience of the righteousness of her arguments and connect with their

core values. Throughout all of her columns she writes with passion, a passion to incite change

and action in her readers to fix America and bring it back to its basal beginnings. This

simultaneous patriotism and ability to remain critical of America is a core value Malkin shares

and continues to cultivate in her audience. Malkin’s mission is to have her voice heard. She

makes it clear in her columns that although tried in the past, her opinions will not be silenced.

Malkin writes with an authority and certainty that commands attention and commands action.