Inquiry Two: Web Text

For the Inquiry Two assignment, I am choosing to focus on the same topic I used for Inquiry One, the Kony 2012 video. Rather than writing about how the video as a whole influenced me, I would be focusing on a few moments in the video where Invisible Children’s appeals demonstrated a variety of rhetorical arguments and how they were successful. I am choosing this text because I think it is valuable to learn from this organization’s success in influencing so many people using the rhetorical appeals we have learned. Some of the moments I know I will be focusing on are in the beginning of the video. In the first scene, video of the earth from space plays as the narrator speaks of how the world we live in today has changed, and how social media has extended our means of communicating with people all over the world. I thought this was a great introduction, as it is both visually appealing and the words are something everyone can relate to. This shaping of the world as a foundation for instant communication is integral for Invisible Children’s campaign and draws upon the already populated social media community for support in their efforts. Some of the next images include the clicking of a share button followed by two people hugging. I thought as I watched this, are they equating sharing by social media to actual physical interaction? What effect does this have on their audience? On me? It’s images and situations like these I plan on examining, and I look forward to exploring how Invisible Children’s campaign became such a success through examination through a rhetorical lens.