Choose 4 specific details about the Gov. and explain what those details suggest about the ethos (character/qualities/authority/etc…) of him.  In this response, you will look at 4 specific aspects that the ad presents of the Governor like his image and the copy (the words) and make an argument about how each specific aspect is meant to persuade the audience (the reader/viewer of the ad).  

Ethosof I’m the NRA ad–Gov. Atiyeh-Response

Due Friday by 11:59pm Points 100 Submitting a text entry box or a file upload Available after Mar 29 at 12am

Describe the ethos of the Governor Atiyeh (and by extension the NRA and its members) in the I’m the NRA ad. The ad is located in the “Intro to Rhetoric” module. (I have attached ad in PDF form)

Choose 4 specific details about the Gov. and explain what those details suggest about the ethos (character/qualities/authority/etc…) of him. In this response, you will look at 4 specific aspects that the ad presents of the Governor like his image and the copy (the words) and make an argument about how each specific aspect is meant to persuade the audience (the reader/viewer of the ad).

Before creating your response, watch the intro to rhetoric video.

Remember ethos is fluid and not only established or communicated by titles (Gov., Dr., grandparent) and physical appearance, but in the tone and type of language a speaker/communicator employs and the ideas he or she holds and the experiences he or she has had. One’s ethos is also informed by the type of argument one makes. Do not think of ethos, pathos and logos as separate from each other. They dance together and the work in concert. For instance, a communicator may present a logical argument (logos) and this might also be relevant as an aspect of ethos in that it relates to the audience’s perception of the communicator as credible etc… Or he or she or it (brands and organizations have ethos) may appeal to the audience’s sense of pathos or emotion, thereby (perhaps) changing the opinion of a communicator’s ethos. Imagine how you feel about the character of people who are passionate/emotional about a cause you share like equal rights or the humane treatment of animals, etc…

Watch the 2 videos for a brief introduction to rhetorical analysis.  These models provide a base for how to approach analysis of a text–in this case commercials. Example videos: