Americans have embraced debate since before we were a country. The idea that we would provide reasoned support for whatever position we took is what made us different from the English king. Our love of debate came from the old country and has become ingrained in our culture as a defining value. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the affinity for debate is still strong and finds itself to be a regular feature of the mainstream media. However, if Deborah Tannen of the New York Times is right, our understanding of what it means to argue may be very different than it once was; a “culture of criticism” has developed within our media which is based on the exclusive opposition of two contrasting positions (Tannen). In his 1994 editorial, titled “The Triumph of the Yell,” Tannen claims that journalists, politicians, and academics treat public discourse as an argument. Furthermore, he attempts to persuade his readers that this attitude of conflict leads to a battle, not a debate, and that we would be able to communicate the truth if this culture did not interfere. This article will discuss the rhetorical strategies used by Tannen, outline the support given in his editorial, and why his argument is less convincing than it should be. First, Tannen introduces the term “culture of criticism” by starting three successive paragraphs with the term so the reader does not forget it. Tannen therefore identifies the problem presented by the “culture of criticism”, i.e. the tendency to attack the person who makes an argument or misrepresents the issue, rather than arguing against their position itself. She points out that instead of listening to reason, people who are involved in the culture of criticism argue as if... middle of paper ......dibility, mentioning that journalists and television producers submit to her as an authority , but she doesn't claim to be an expert. Furthermore, he maintains a detached tone throughout the majority of the editorial, as an appeal to his authority on the subject, but switches to an engaged perspective when providing the illustration. This would otherwise be acceptable, unless the illustration is provided in lieu of a supporting theory or fully supported argument. To this end, Tannen's argument would have been much more persuasive if he had articulated his position in a balanced tone and avoided sensationalism in providing examples. Works Cited Robinson, David. "Deborah Tannen's web page." Georgetown College-Georgetown University. February 28, 1998. June 15, 2008 Tannen, Deborah. "The triumph of the scream." New York Times, January 14 1994.