GUN CONTROL 1. Gun Control: Genre Analysis of a You Tube video and an online article. Angel Reyes. University of Texas at El Paso

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1 GUN CONTROL 1 Gun Control: Genre Analysis of a You Tube video and an online article Angel Reyes University of Texas at El Paso

2 GUN CONTROL 2 Gun Control: Genre Analysis of a You Tube video and an online article Guns seem to be very popular in the United States, it seems as if every other person owns one, but is this a bad thing? There seems to be more debates over gun control now more than ever, and this seems to be the result of many mass shootings that have been occurring frequently in the past years. Gun control is the efforts to regulate or control gun sales and this has become a very conflicting issue for those who do not want to give up their guns. People who disapprove of gun control believe it is a violation of their 2 nd amendment, the right to bear arms. Supporters of gun control have been strongly voicing their opinion through a variety of genres, the same goes for those who don t support gun control. Communicating to an audience is what the use of these different genres is for; they affect the audience and may manipulate them and influence them to think a certain way. But this may only be possible if the one displaying the message can make a strong argument for their case. Audience and Purpose Different genres communicate in different manners, they may appeal to an audience more than the other due to the way the information is displayed. Piers Morgan on Gun Control is a video from CNN where Piers talks to Brooke Baldwin, a reporter for CNN. The YouTube video is intended for the general public as the audience. Over recent years the general public has become more aware of gun control due to all the shootings that have occurred, resulting in many debates about this issue. Morgan discusses his view point on gun control and how guns are the reason there are so many shootings resulting in innocent people dying when they shouldn t have. This genre is a good choice when trying to illustrate the speaker s emotions which is beneficial because the speaker wants the audience to take their side on the argument.

3 GUN CONTROL 3 Websites are a good way to give informative information as well as display statistical information in a very professional manner. The simple truth about gun control by Adam Gopnik is an online article discussing gun control and what he believes is the simple truth about it. The audience is aimed at the general public to inform them as well as persuade them to believe that stricter gun control policies would be better for the public throughout the U.S. Gopnik makes an argument to get the audience to believe that those who aren t pro-gun control are making a mistake and doing the public a disservice by not fully protecting them. The language is stated in a formal manner but there are some uses of special language such as comparisons and metaphors. These comparisons are important because for those who don t support gun control and oppose it, are given a similar example in which the audience can compare gun control to. This can open their eyes to see the potential harm and major threat these guns can cause. The formal language is used to create a more professional statement rather than a biased unprofessional argument. The language and tone of the article is serious and straightforward Gopnik doesn t joke around in the article because he wants to deliver a strong message. Using an online article as a genre gives Gopnik a chance to express himself to his audience through writing and this may appeal to the viewer who wants read informative information regarding gun control. The way the information is stated in the article is similar to the way Piers Morgan discusses his views on gun control, but there are distinct differences between these two genres and how they state their beliefs. The display, structure, rhetoric, and purpose of the genre are what get the audience to believe the content, which is the goal of the author using a certain genre. Using a video as a genre makes a more personal statement because it feels like the speaker is talking to the viewer and this makes affects the audience on a more emotional level. In contrast

4 GUN CONTROL 4 to the video, the article seemed more opinionated and an expression of the authors views and how he believes the U.S. should abide by what he says. Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos The article by Adam Gopnik attempts to influence the audience to support gun control through an emotional strategy. The purpose of the article is to persuade people to believing that without guns there will be a major drop in the amounts of shootings and homicides. Gopnik evokes a sympathetic, angry, and a tragic mood for these innocent people that have suffered the consequences of our 2 nd amendment, the right to bear arms. Gopnik compares those who choose not to give up their guns to irrational people in a very persuading manner and this directs the viewer with a sense of anger towards them. Aside from the emotional appeal used in the article Gopnik uses a logical appeal to try and reason with the audience on what is the more sensible decision between pro-gun control and anti-gun control. Adding credibility to an article is extremely necessary because it makes for a trustworthy source that the audience can depend on to not be biased. Gopnik within the article uses numerous of other works which are referred to. A social scientist from Harvard wrote on gun violence, which Gopnik refers to, which helps his argument and makes it seem more credible. Gopnik states his sources of information in the article and it makes it appear as if the reader is reading a very professional published book. The audience is then able to trust Gopnik and empathize with him and his emotions regarding gun control. Credibility is extremely important when trying to influence or encourage an audience to take a side on a certain issue. Piers Morgan is what makes his video from CNN so credible, the fact that he has his own prime time television show on CNN must show for something regarding

5 GUN CONTROL 5 credibility. Morgan is very well educated and doesn t like to mess around; he seeks the best for everyone which is why Piers is making strong statements and proposals to stop gun violence. Morgan is very persuasive in discussing why the lack of guns in the United States would be significantly beneficial for civilians. Morgan stated that the countries that prohibited guns or have extreme restrictions on selling them to the public, have a significantly low amount of shootings and murders caused by guns. Morgan uses a simple ideal of logic to communicate his side of the argument. Morgan sees a simple solution to this problem, since there is a very low amount of shootings in countries that outlaw guns, the U.S. should follow this same pattern. The U.S. has the highest amount of shootings and murders when it comes to guns, and because of that the U.S. should restrict guns which would result in a decrease in shootings, according to Piers Morgan. But Morgan also evokes sympathy and asks the entire country if they feel sorry for these poor victims that die from random shootings, and if they do then help support gun control. It is very evident and clear to see Morgans view on this issue and it is so visual because of the video being used as the genre to communicate his message. The article from Adam Gopnik shares similar rhetorical appeals as the video from CNN but the article is much more specific and seems to be a little more logical and ethical. This article argues that gun control is extremely important for the sake of our country and the people in it. In contrast to the article, the video doesn t refer to articles or published sources because Morgan is a credible source and CNN is a credible news station. Because the video seems more direct to the audience it appears to be more sentimental which creates a strong emotional appeal. The audience is able to hear the passion in Morgans voice when he discusses gun control the article is not able to demonstrate such passion.

6 GUN CONTROL 6 Structure and Delivery The video of Piers Morgan is basically an interview and he states all the reasons for why it is necessary to outlaw guns. The video is structured in a very professional setting; you have Piers Morgan, a well-known TV show host working for a worldwide news station in CNN. At first the video starts off by introducing the topic of gun control and addressing the reasons for why he strongly supports it. There is a good flow of the video and great transitions into the next sub topic about gun control. Morgan states why he believes guns aren t good for society to have and then he explains why. Then he compares the status of the U.S. on guns to the status of other various countries such as Canada and the UK. The video is structured in a way to deliver a clear message so the audience can understand it and interpret it the way Morgan does. The article from Gopnik at first, gives a hypothetical situation in which kids have an infectious disease but there is a cure for it. However due to faith healers they won t allow these children to be cured by something unnatural as penicillin. Instead they want the good lord to do his work and heal them, and he states that if these children followed the word of god then they wouldn t be in this situation right now. Adam Gopnik compares this to gun control and compares these faith healers to the people that oppose gun control. The cure, restricting or to outlaw guns, this would result in a decreased amount of shootings and innocent people dying. Gopnik then continues to state why this would be such a good idea and that if other countries can do it, the U.S. can too. This article is told like a story, and a convincing one, which would benefit Gopnik because he wants people to be encouraged to stand up and support gun control. The article in regard to structure is very different when being compared to the You Tube video, however the organization is similar. The video is just like an interview and Brooke

7 GUN CONTROL 7 Baldwin is providing the questions for Morgan so in response he answers with his views on gun control. Morgan talks in organization and his answers lead up to what should be done about guns in the U.S. This is similar to how the article is organized because it too leads up to how the U.S. should deal with gun control. But the article is structured differently than the video because it has a different approach when trying to connect with the audience. The article attempts to get the viewer to really think about what anti-gun control groups believe and their beliefs are being knocked down by Gopnik. Conclusion The two genres used, a video from YouTube and a published article online, both discuss gun control and both delivered a similar message. But both were different in the way they were structured and by the way the message was displayed to the audience. The video from CNN of Piers Morgan and his standpoint on gun control is a persuasive video that wants the approval of society. He argues his point though a video which makes his case easy to support because the audience is able to see the emotion and the passion of him when it comes to gun control. He connects with the audience in a sense of emotion and logic that is structured through comparisons to the status of the U.S. and other countries to gun control. This makes a compelling argument and gives the audience some motive to start being pro-gun control. As for the article published by Adam Gopnik, it is structured and delivered in a different manner. Through an article the author is able to give information differently compared to a video. The article doesn t make such a logical influence like the video does but it connects ethos and pathos together to give a demonstration of moral reasoning. The author uses more credible sources to increase the trustworthiness of his own article and it seems to be effective. The video makes a more

8 GUN CONTROL 8 compelling argument because it shows how and why the person supports a certain issue. Being able to see the emotions come out of someone can make the viewer s equally emotional and supportive of their argument and it appears that Piers Morgan does a superb job in doing so.

9 GUN CONTROL 9 References Gopnik, A. (2012, December 20). The simple truth about gun control. Retrieved from CNN. (2013, January 7). Piers Morgan on gun control. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from