Inquiry One Topic

I was lying in bed on March 5, 2012 checking Facebook before I fell asleep when I saw multiple friends share a video and a message to watch it. I clicked on the video, and for the next thirty minutes was informed of atrocities and civil war happening in northern and central Africa. The goal of the non-profit organization, Invisible Children, was to make Ugandan rebel and leader of a guerrilla army, Joseph Kony, "famous." The film states that by making Kony a recognized name, they would be able to draw attention to his heinous crimes against innocent people and children. Already a member of a similar organization with similar goals of rehabilitating war-effected children and human trafficking, I was no less appalled at what I was seeing. Watching the speakers ask for help and describing the tortures they endured from the rebel army was heart wrenching, and made me want to do more. This emotional appeal from the charity is a great example of pathos. The organization can also be considered an example of ethos, as it appears trustworthy to its intended audience (teens to mid-twenties) and appears competent in what they are reporting.

The video went viral. It has been viewed millions of times by people all over the world. It has inspired bills, petitions, and demonstrations of all types. It appears that the video had achieved its goal: making Kony notorious. Everyone, especially younger people, were talking about and getting involved with an issue that had not been relevant to them a day earlier. Invisible Children maintained an active relationship with their now large audience through various social media sites. They encouraged them to continue spreading the word not only to friends and family, but also to politicians, celebrities, and other people with influence. I feel Invisible Children was successful with its campaign because they launched their video in a time where videos could be shared quickly and social media sites were a large part of many people's lives. This utilization of kairos allowed them to spread their message quickly and reach more people across the world. I also feel Invisible Children was successful with their campaign because they established a relationship with their intended audience through the use of personal pronouns ("We can change this..., You can help..., etc.) Their uses of different principals of rhetoric allowed them to become a viral movement that got many people, myself included, and others who would have otherwise been unaware of the issue involved, and can serve as a model for other organizations on how to bring more attention to their causes. I also learned the power of emotional appeal, or pathos, form their use of rhetoric. If you get enough people to care about something, you can bring about change and awareness on a large scale.