This volume examines the interplay between affect theory and rhetorical persuasion in mass communication. The essays collected here draw connections between affect theory, rhetorical studies, mass communication theory, cultural studies, political science, sociology, and a host of other disciplines. Contributions from a wide range of scholars feature theoretical overviews and critical perspectives on the movement commonly referred to as "the affective turn" as well as case studies. Critical investigations of the rhetorical strategies behind the 2016 United States presidential election, public health and antiterrorism mass media campaigns, television commercials, and the digital spread of fake news, among other issues, will prove to be both timely and of enduring value. This book will be of use to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and active researchers in communication, rhetoric, political science, social psychology, sociology, and cultural studies.

Carlton Clark is a Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Wisconsin—La Crosse, where he teaches writing and American Literature. He earned his PhD in Rhetoric from Texas Woman’s University. He has published articles in Erfurt Electronic Studies in English, Kairos: A Journal for Teachers of Writing in Webbed Environments, Teaching English in the Two-Year College, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Kybernetes: The International Journal of Cybernetics, Systems and Management Sciences.

Lei Zhang is an assistant professor of English and Journalism at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, where she teaches rhetoric, journalism, and new media studies. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the student newspaper, The Racquet. She received her master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and Ph.D. in Rhetoric from Texas Woman’s University.