Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Comm Crit Final Paper
Comm Crit Final Paper
" #ersuasion throu$h Narrative in KONY 2012 Introduction The internet is teemin$ %ith videos that are %atched and shared until the! $o &viral'( much like a sickness %ould' s)readin$ throu$hout the screens o* the $lobe. These videos contain narratives that s)read in*ormation' o)inions' ne%s' music' and humor. Viral videos are narratives that connect us to one another' )romote an understandin$ about human issues' and' in a mediated %orld' tell stories that meet us at a dee)er level than the *lood o* ra% in*ormation ever could. In a %orld stock *ull o* online videos circlin$ the %eb' one that stood out amon$ the masses %as Invisible Children' Inc.+s KONY 2012. Due to it+s stirrin$ narratives and sim)listic stor!line' this video ,uickl! became the most viral internet video in histor!.1 KONY 2012 comes *rom a distinct cate$or! o* videos meant to create connectedness and a%areness about $lobal issues. These videos are created b! N-.s in order to hi$hli$ht $lobal issues such as domestic violence in /$!)t'2 the 0IDS e)idemic'3 and cancer in the North 0merica. The narratives in these online videos brin$ an other%ise disconnected $rou) into a $lobal issue and $ive
1+2on! 2012+ Documentar! 3ecomes Most Viral Video in istor!.1 TIME.com. N.).' n.d. 4eb. 15 .ct. 2012. 6htt)"77ne%s*eed.time.com720127037127kon!820128documentar!8becomes8most8viral8video8in8histor!79.
1N-. Initiative 0ims to Criminali:e Domestic Violence in /$!)t ;Video<.1 NGO Initiative Aims to Criminalize Domestic Violence in E !"t #Vi$eo%. 0tlantic Council' 12 Nov. 2012. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.acus.or$7e$!)tsource7n$o8 initiative8aims8criminali:e8domestic8violence8e$!)t8video9.
14orld 0IDS Da!.1 &orl$ AID' Da!. 0vert' n.d. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.avert.or$7%orld8aids8da!.htm9.
them an o))ortunit! to become a )art o* the lar$er stor! that is ha))enin$ in another )art o* the %orld. Narratives such as KONY 2012 allo% vie%ers to $ain both a better understandin$ o* a $lobal issue and the o))ortunit! to hel) those in su**erin$' such as a %ar in Central 0*rica. >sin$ narrative criticism' I %ill e?amine the %a!s in %hich N-.s' such as Invisible Children' Inc.' use stories to create a dee) sense o* $lobal a%areness and connectedness amon$ vie%ers. It is the video+s use o* narrative that has made KONY 2012 so si$ni*icant and success*ul. This video uses three ma@or narratives' each %ith a di**erent ob@ective' in order to create credibilit!' a%areness about Aose)h 2on! and the %ar in >$anda' and motivate it+s audience to act a$ainst this issue. Artifact & Methodology Narrative Criticism is based on the idea that humans are' as 0lasdair MacInt!re describes' &essentiall! human8tellin$ animalBsC( ;Doss' 30E<. Narratives e?ist in ever! )art o* our lives' the! hel) us understand the %orld' the! maintain order' the! im)licitl! )rove )oints' and the! a))eal to us emotionall!. Narrative Criticism involves stud!in$ the intended )ur)ose *or a stor! as %ell as )ortra!in$ the distinct narrative *eatures that su))ort this )ur)ose. .n her site' 0m! Falman states" &4e live our lives embedded in a s!stem o* narrativesGthose stories that tell us %ho %e are' %here %e came *rom' our roles in relations to others' and %here %e are $oin$ in the *uture. 0n e?)licit understandin$ o* this s!stemGand the abilit! to navi$ate and chan$e course %ithin itG is critical %hen %e are seekin$ to achieve solutions in com)le? situations( ;Falman<. Thus' narratives make sense o* the %orld throu$h the use o* *eatures such as narrator' events' and theme in order to contribute to it+s main ob@ective. Similarl!' it is due to these as)ects o* KONY 2012 that has allo%ed it to attain credibilit!' a%areness' and action in it+s massive' online audience. The use o* narrative is essential to KONY 2012 and it+s ob@ective. The video is based on the %ar in >$anda' and other countries in Central 0*rica' due to the terrori:ation b! Aose)h 2on! and his arm!'
kno%n as the Hord+s Iesistance 0rm!.J Aose)h 2on! has been the leader o* the HI0 since 15=K. is arm! consists o* child soldiers and se? slaves. e is res)onsible *or the abduction o* thousands o* children and destruction throu$hout villa$es in >$anda. Aose)h 2on! believes he is doin$ all o* this to establish a >$andan $overnment based on tenets *rom the 3ible.L 0ccordin$ to KONY 2012' Aose)h 2on! is the most %anted man b! the International Criminal Court. KONY 2012 is an internet video centered around this %ar in >$anda. The video is )art o* a cam)ai$n led b! Aason Iussell o* Invisible Children' Inc. to end this destruction b! *irst makin$ this criminal+s name *amous around the %orld and then res)ondin$ b! raisin$ *unds and )ressurin$ the 0merican $overnment to su))ort the >$andan militar! to de*eat Aose)h 2on!. KONY 2012 has remained e?tremel! controversial since it+s release in March o* 2012. Shortl! a*ter the 30 minute video %as on Moutube the ri))le o* %atchers' media' and celebrities su))ortin$ the cause turned into a tidal %ave o* criticism a$ainst KONY 2012 and Invisible Children' Inc. In res)onse to the video' ne%s articles' )ictures' and other videos be$an a))earin$ all over the internet. .ne )icture sho%ed the leaders o* Invisible Children )osin$ %ith $uns in >$anda. Invisible Children Inc. %as bombarded %ith ,uestions about the N-.+s s)endin$' challen$es about its in*ormation' and its actual )lan *or aid in Central 0*rica. .ther res)onses critici:ed the video+s neocolonialist undertones. .ne such critic %as 0*rican @ournalist 0n$elo I:ama" &This is because these cam)ai$ns are disem)o%erin$ o* their o%n voices. 0*ter all the con*lict and su**erin$ is a**ectin$ them directl! re$ardless o* i* the! hit the re8t%eet button or not.6 Throu$h this cloud o* criticism' the video continued to s)read and it+s
1The Hord+s Iesistance 0rm!.1 T(e )or$*s +esistance Arm!. 4ar Child' n.d. 4eb. 25 Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.%archild.or$.uk7issues7the8lords8resistance8arm!NOkkPu$anda @ose)h kon!9.
1Aose)h 2on!" #ro*ile o* the HI0 Header.1 ;n.d.<" n. )a$. ,,C Ne-s. 33C' 03 0u$. 2012. 4eb. 15 .ct. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.bbc.co.uk7ne%s7%orld8a*rica81E2550=J9.
I:ama' 0n$elo .. 10n$elo .)i8ai!a I:ama.1 An elo O"iai!a Izama. N.).' E Mar. 2012. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77an$eloi:ama.com7201270370E7acholi8street8sto)8kon!20128invisible8childrens8cam)ai$n8o*8in*am!79.
controvers! made it even more )o)ular. The video soon became the most *astest s)readin$ video in histor!' boastin$ over 100 million vie%s in @ust si? da!s. Shortl! a*ter the video %as released' the Invisible Children' Inc. site crashed due to the sta$$erin$ amount o* internet activit! created b! KONY 2012. 0s the video become more and more )o)ular critics ,uestioned not onl! KONY 2012*s claims but also the le$itimac! o* its N-.. 0s the video s)read across colle$e cam)uses' )ro*essors and students @oined in the debate about the invisible children o* >$anda. 0s criticism a$ainst KONY 2012 and Invisible Children $re%' hundreds o* su))orters canceled their aid o* the Cali*ornian or$ani:ation. Analysis The *irst thin$ the vie%er sees %hen %atchin$ KONY 2012 is the ,uote that the movie also ends on" &Nothin$ is more )o%er*ul than an idea %hose time is no%.( The screen chan$es and' as the music be$ins' a $lobe is seen. 0 voice ;one %hich %e later discover belon$s to Invisible Children+s Aason Iussell< is suddenl! heard above the so*t musical notes. &Ii$ht no%' there are more )eo)le on Dacebook then there %ere on the )lanet 200 !ears a$o. umanit!+s $reatest desire is to belon$ and connect' and no% %e see each other' %e hear each other... 4e share %hat %e love and it reminds us %hat %e all have in common.( Throu$hout these o)enin$ sentences' the screen $oes *rom bein$ a *ull shot o* the $lobe to a ni$ht shot o* a cit! to *amil! members hu$$in$ each other. There are *amilies seein$ each other on com)uter screens' children tellin$ their $rand)arents the! love them' and Moutube videos bein$ shared across the %eb on Dacebook. Throu$hout this introduction' the screen sho%s a cursor scrollin$ throu$h Iussell+s Dacebook %all. This is an ima$e that %ill a))ear over and over a$ain and one that is reco$ni:ed across the internet %orld. 0ll this ha))ens %ithin the *irst t%o minutes o* the *ilm. Thus' %ithin this short introduction' the video be$ins %ith the stor! o* the %orld and builds u)on a )remise o* interconnectedness as a s)ecies. The si:e o* the %orld does not kee) us a)art' Iussell tells us' %e are becomin$ more and more connected' %e have more in common than ever be*ore. The video ,uickl! shi*ts to a shot o* a %oman $ivin$ birth to a son. 0t *irst it seems to be @ust
another video o* an unkno%n )erson on the internet' but soon Iussell introduces the ne%born bab! as his son' -avin. -avin %ill come to be one o* the ma@or characters in the video. Thus' the video introduces a dee)l! )ersonal' connectable relationshi)" a *ather and his son. It also introduces the narrator+s reason to make this video' he sa!s he %ishes to make a better %orld *or his son. 0t about 03"L3 the narrator asks his son to name a )icture on their *rid$e. This is Aacob' another ver! im)ortant character in the stor!. The narrator tells the stor! his visit to >$anda in 2003 %hen he met Aacob' a child soldier' %ho has since been rescued. This is %here Aason Iussell met %hat he decided to call the &invisible children.( #erha)s the most movin$ cli) in the %hole video sho%s Aacob as a bo! cr!in$ %hen talkin$ about his dead brother and his *ear *or his o%n sa*et!. Aacob sa!s tear*ull! that he %ould rather die than be in the situation he is in. The cli) ends %ith Iussell )romisin$ Aacob that he %ill do ever!thin$ he can to sto) %hat is ha))enin$. This is re)eated over and over as the ima$es *ade out and all !ou can hear are the echoes o* Aacob+s sobs. The *ilm moves on to introduce Aose)h 2on! and his stor!. ere %e see the *acts behind the video. In this scene' Iussell sits his son do%n on a table *acin$ the camera and sho%s him t%o )ictures' one o* Aose)h 2on! and the other o* Aacob. Iussell then tells a sim)le stor! to his son about %hat has been $oin$ on in >$anda and %hat 2on! has been doin$. The video then launches dee)er into the actual details Iussell could never tell his son' as i* to tell the adult version o* -avin+s stor!. Scenes sho% )ictures o* 2on! %ith his abducted children' cli)s o* children bein$ taken' and mutilated *aces that have been a result o* the HI0+s violence. The video sho%s statements on o**icial lookin$ )a)ers' documents on Aose)h 2on! and the Hord+s Iesistance 0rm!. Dinall!' about hal* %a! throu$h the *ilm' %e are introduced to the )roblem and Iussell+s )ro)osed )lan to solve it. ere the narrator introduces the International Criminal Court in the a$ue' the Netherlands. The screen sho%s a list o* the %orst men that the court ho)es to )rosecute and scrolls u) to the to)' sho%in$ Aose)h 2on!+s name and )icture. The narrator then introduces the ma@or )roblem" that 55Q o* the %orld does not kno% an!thin$ about 2on!. &Aose)h 2on! is invisible'(
Iussell tells his son to -avin+s childlike astonishment. Iussell e?)lains to the audience that %hen he and his *riends returned *rom >$anda the! ho)ed the >.S. $overnment %ould retaliate as soon as )ossible. &4hen m! *riends and i came home *rom u$anda' %e thou$ht that i* the $overnment kne% the! %ould do somethin$ to sto) them. 3ut ever!one in 4ashin$ton said there+s no %a! the >nited States %ill $et involved in a con*lict %here our national interests are not at stake( ;13"J58 1J"10< o%ever' this )roblem has a solution' Iussell tells us' and this solution is alread! on its %a!. The solution rests %ith the communit! o* !oun$ )eo)le across the %orld raisin$ a%areness and hel)in$ out ho%ever the! can. The movie sho%s cro%ds o* !oun$ 0mericans holdin$ banners and chantin$ thin$s like' &4e %ill not restR This %ar must endR( ;1K"LL< Iussell tells the stor! o* a unit! that is alread! burnin$ across the $lobe. Iussell sa!s there is an &arm! o* !oun$ )eo)le( that has made the &unseen become visible.( ;1K"J2< No% all vie%ers need to do is become a )art o* it. The clima? o* the *ilm occurs durin$ this section around 1E"0= %hen a Mum*ord and Sons son$ is )la!ed and !oun$ )eo)le are sho%n rushin$ to%ard the camera. KONY 2012 sho%s vie%ers that this is not a *i$ht an!one %ill have to make sin$le8handedl!. Su))ortin$ this cause means bein$ )art o* an arm! that is about to storm it+s %a! throu$h the %alls o* in@ustice and on to *reedom. &4ith hundreds o* thousands o* )eo)le %ith us'( Iussell e?claims' )eo)le *rom all over the %orld have be$un *i$htin$ *or this. The *i$ht is onl! be$innin$ ho%ever' there is still much to be done. The last ten minutes o* the video *ocus on the actual )lan to make Aose)h 2on! a notorious criminal. 0t 15"L1 the screen sho%s letters bein$ t!)ed onto a dark screen. 0 recent re)ort has come in and Aose)h 2on! kno%s about 0merican aid and %ill resist ca)ture. e+s still out there' Iussell tells us' and %e cannot i$nore it. 4e must ca)ture him and %e must do it no%. ere the video s%itches to black and %hite )hoto$ra)hs o* Na:i -erman! and the olocaust. Thin$s like this have been i$nored be*ore' the video sho%s us' and atrocities %ere committed. These ima$es be$ us not to re)eat histor!. 0$ain' Iussell is settin$ u) a stor! that needs to be resolved. ere is the actual )lan' there can be a brand ne% stor!' he is sa!in$. The ne?t scene sho%s screens %ith )ictures that )ortra! each ste) o*
the solution )rocess' be$innin$ %ith 2on!+s ca)ture and endin$ %ith %hat %e can do" make him *amous. 4e must brin$ his crimes to the li$ht' Iussell tells usS and %e can do that b! s)readin$ 2on!+s name across our nei$hborhoods. Iussell e?)lains that the! have contacted %hat the! call &culture makers( and &)olic! makers.( &Culture makers( are *amous )eo)le %ho in*luence media and &)olic! makers( are those connected %ith the $overnment %ho can make le$islation to en*orce la%s. 3oth are bein$ called to act. Cli)s are sho%n %ith celebrities like .)rah and -eor$e Cloone! s)eakin$ out a$ainst 2on!S connectin$ the call to action %ith 0merican )o) culture. 4h! is Iussell doin$ all thisN The end o* the movie ans%ers this ,uestion. 4e must reach to%ard somethin$ bi$$er *or our %orld. Iussell must have a better %orld *or his son' and he %ill sto) at nothin$ to $et this. &The )eo)le o* the %orld see each other and can )rotect each other'( Iussell e?)lains. The screen sho%s a trian$le o* hierarch! %ith the mone! s!mbol at the to) and the )eo)le o* the %orld at the bottom. This is not the %a! thin$s should be' nor is it the %a! it %ill be much lon$er. The trian$le rotates and turns u)side do%n to sho% %hat %ill become the 2on! s!mbol' an u)side do%n trian$le. &4e are livin$ in a ne% %orld... the Dacebook %orld'( a character tells us. 0t 2="3L the video sho%s -avin a$ain' this time ridin$ a roller coaster %ith his *ather. Iussell sho%s his motivation' he must chan$e the %orld *or his son. In the same %a!' all the vie%ers must do the same *or the ones the! love. The! must act *or the )eo)le the! are connected to" the )eo)le o* the %orld. &4e are not stud!in$ human histor!' %e are sha)in$ it.( The res)onsibilit! rests u)on our shoulders' no% that %e kno% %e must act. The video ends %ith the ,uote it be$an %ith" &Nothin$ is more )o%er*ul than an idea %hose time is no%.( 0nd in the last 30 seconds the screen *lashes three thin$s %e can do immediatel! to hel) out. The %orld needs us. 4ill %e leave them hurtin$ or %ill %e do %hat %e can to hel)N KONY 2012 is centered around three ma@or narratives' each %ith a distinct ob@ective. These are like cha)ters in a stor! book' sections that make u) the %hole that is KONY 2012. /ach has its o%n narrative that adds to the ob@ective o* the *ilm as a lar$er stor!.
The narrative o* KONY 2012 be$ins %ith Aason Iussell+s stor!. This is %here %e are introduced to the narrator and his credibilit!. Iussell be$ins b! establishin$ a dee) connection %ith his audience. e is as )ersonal as )ossible. e sho%s *oota$e o* his son -avin that ordinar! *athers %ould onl! sho% close *amil! members. 0s the narrator is introduced' %e are sho%n Iussell+s *oota$e o* -avin+s birth. Thus' the narrator is dis)la!ed as a close *riend to his audience. Iussell becomes someone %ith %hom the audience immediatel! *eels connected. Iussell then $oes on to )rove his credibilit! as a trust%orth! narrator. 4e are introduced to Aacob' %ho is dis)la!ed as havin$ a close *riendshi) %ith Iussell' and %e hear his stor!. &Sharin$ )ersonal e?)eriences earns !ou trust at the same time !ou share in*ormation or e?ert in*luence( ;Simmons' J0<. ere the *ilm sho%s a cursor scrollin$ throu$h Iussell+s Dacebook %all' dis)la!in$ videos and )ictures o* Aacob and Iussell to$ether throu$hout the )ast nine !ears. Iussell shares about his *irst visit to >$anda' %hen he discovered *irst8hand the atrocities committed b! Aose)h 2on!. e e?)lains ho% this led to other events in his li*e such as 0merican intervention' the cam)ai$n to raise a%areness' and the creation o* Invisible Children' Inc. This chain o* events' or stor!' hel)s the audience trust Iussell and see him as a credible narrator. KONY 2012 no% moves on to the second cha)ter o* its narrative. ere Invisible Children )roclaims the messa$e that it %ants the %orld to hear. It tells the stor! o* Aose)h 2on!' Aacob' and all o* >$anda. The events o* this stor! are heart %renchin$ to sa! the least. Iussell $ives to versions o* this stor!' one *or his son and one *or the audience. The st!le o* stor! tellin$ in the *ormer is an in$enious %a! to $et the *ilm+s messa$e across to its audience. 4hen Iussell tells the stor! to his son he does so %ith a sim)licit! that dis)la!s themes that are eas! to understand. This section o* the narrative introduces Aose)h 2on!' his crimes' and the solution to the )roblem in >$anda. These themes make u) the central messa$e KONY 2012 is sendin$ to the %orld. Thus' the Aose)h 2on! stor! and the ho)e *or his ca)ture is told to create a%areness across the $lobe. o%ever' this a%areness is meant to $o *urther than sim)l! $ivin$ in*ormation to an internet audience. It is meant to elicit action' and this leads us to
the *inal cha)ter. The last 1L minutes o* KONY 2012 *ocuses on a stor! that is still bein$ told. This narrative sho%s the *i$ht that has alread! be$un *or child soldiers in >$anda. It dis)la!s a stor! that the audience can become a )art o*. Thus' the last hal* o* the *ilm *ocuses on the action that has alread! been taken a$ains Aose)h 2on!. The narrative is still bein$ told' ho%ever. Aose)h 2on! is still on the loose and there is still much to be done. /ven a*ter Invisible Children+s ma@or victor! %hen #resident .bama sent 0merican troo)s to aid in the >$andan crisis' hel) is still needed. ere the solution o* the stor! is )resented. The main theme o* the *i$ht *or the %ar in >$anda is this" make Aose)h 2on!+s name *amous and *orce the 0merican $overnment to send more aid to ca)ture and sto) him. Thus' a cause8and8e**ect relationshi) is established in the KONY 2012 narrative" i* individuals aid Invisible Children in makin$ Aose)h 2on!+s name *amous the! can sto) the %ar in >$anda and do their dut! to the )eo)le o* the %orld. Durthermore' the narrative o* the *ilm ends as a comed!. Iussell concludes b! statin$ his ho)e *or a better %orld' a %orld that %ill be %orth! o* his son. 4hen all this is over %ith' Iussell is sa!in$' the %orld %ill be a sa*er' ha))ier )lace. KONY 2012+s call to action a call to attain this $oal. It is a challen$e to take )art in the *i$ht that %ill create a more )er*ect %orld and avoid allo%in$ a %orld that reminds us o* Na:i -erman!. There*ore' Kon! 2012 has altered the audience+s realit! throu$h its stor!. It uses narrative *eatures like settin$ u) the narrator and his credibilit!' stor! tellin$ st!le' $ri))in$ events' Aacob and Iussell+s )ersonal stories' and cause8and8e**ect relationshi)s. 0ll these *unction in KONY 2012 not sim)l! to )ersuade an audience to do somethin$ the! are not doin$' the! alter realit!. 0s 4alter Disher e?)lains' &The narrative )aradi$m does not den! reason and rationalit!S it reconstitutes them' makin$ them amenable to all *orms o* human communication( ;Disher<. Iealit! is reconstituted throu$h this *ilm to create a connected %orld that is obli$ated to hel) one another in order to create a bri$hter *uture. Conclusion .ur lives are surrounded b! narratives. 4e *ind them %herever %e $o. The! are the buildin$
block o* our e?istence. 4ithout stor! %e %ould look back on li*e as a @umbled hea) o* broken )ieces o* in*ormation %ithout order and se,uence and si$ni*icance. To understand stor! is to understand the human li*e. Narratives' more than an! other *orm o* rhetoric' motivate us at a dee) level. The! touch the *rame%ork o* our lives. This is %hat Aason Iussell has done %ith KONY 2012. The *ilm moves its audience at a dee) level. Vie%ers %alk a%a! chan$ed because o* the stor! the! have @ust seen. This is because KONY 2012 does not sim)l! sho% a stor! on a screen' it brin$s )eo)le into the stor!. 0s the *ilm be$ins %ith the dark' s)innin$ $lobe it is essentiall! brin$in$ ever! human in as a character in its stor!. There*ore' the audience is not onl! %atchin$ but interactin$ %ith %hat occurs in the *ilm. It is *or this reason that understandin$ narrative is such an essential )art o* rhetorical criticism. 4hen a stor! is told to a $rou) o* )eo)le' that audience is not merel! %atchin$ a sho%. Sim)l! b! nature o* bein$ the audience the vie%ers are dra%n into the stor!. The! become a )art o* %hat is ha))enin$. Thus' as a )art o* the events and characters o* a narrative the audience is im)licitl! $uided to do more than @ust understand the themes o* a stor!. Throu$h %hat 0m! Falman calls strate$ic narrative' an audience becomes a )artici)ant in a stor!. &Strate$ic narratives make )ur)ose*ul use o* the elements o* stories to $uide diverse or com)etin$ stakeholders to )artici)ate in solvin$ com)le? )roblems. 4ithout a strate$ic narrative in )lace' it is di**icult *or stakeholders to a$ree on the meanin$ o* events' make stron$ decisions' or innovate in a *ocused %a! %hen conditions chan$e ;as the! inevitabl! %ill<( ;Falman<. Durthermore' Non -overnmental .r$ani:ations can use strate$ic narrative as a marketin$ techni,ue to achieve their $oals. Throu$h dee)l! emotional stories' like Aacob+s in KONY 2012' N-.s seek to introduce an other%ise disconnected audience into a narrative in order to raise *unds and $ain )artici)ation. This can be a dan$erous tool in the hands o* )eo)le or or$ani:ations %ho do not have the best in mind. The reason KONY 2012 %as so controversial %as because o* several critic+s ske)ticism o* Invisible Children' Inc. as a trust%orth! cor)oration. Tuickl! a*ter KONY 2012 %as released' ,uestions
%ere asked about Iussell+s trust%orthiness as a narrator' Invisible Children' Inc.+s use economic resources' and the *acts behind the 2on!+s stor! in >$anda. These criticisms called into ,uestion and challen$ed KONY 2012+s use o* narrative to im)licitl! motivate an audience to%ard an end. Dor this reason' it is essential to $ain a rhetorical understandin$ o* narrative. 4ithout a dee) understandin$ o* a narrative+s ob@ective' %e can be s%a!ed an! %hich %a! %ithout understandin$ %hat is reall! $oin$ on. There*ore' the rhetorical stud! o* narrative means %e $ain an understandin$ o* %hat it means to be a )art o* a stor!. 4e understand %hat an N-. like Invisible Children' Inc. is attem)tin$ to do %ith its stor!. 4e are also able to stud! the relationshi) bet%een an audience and a stor!. 0s 3ochner and /llis state' &to have or be in a relationshi) is to have or be in a stor!.(E 4e also learn to deci)her %hat )aradi$m o* realit! a narrative is creatin$. In KONY 2012 %e see that Iussell is chan$in$ our )erce)tion o* a broken' %ar8torn %orld into a mediated' connected %orld. .ne in %hich %e are obli$ated to )rotect each other' es)eciall! the innocent. Thus' the stud! o* narratives hel)s us better understand the *rame%ork o* our lives. It hel)s us see the )aradi$ms %e have been tau$ht throu$h stories and )erceive the connection %e have as an audience in a stor!. Stories like Invisible Children' Inc.+s KONY 2012 trans*orm our understandin$' create a%areness about our %orld' and call us to act. The! call us to *i$ht *or %hat is ri$ht and create a better %orld' one in %hich -avin and Aacob can live in *reedom *rom the o))ression *rom men like Aose)h 2on!. It is a stor! *or /ver!man.
3iblio$ra)h! 3ochner and /llis' &Ielationshi)s'( ). 310 I:ama' 0n$elo .. 10n$elo .)i8ai!a I:ama.1 An elo O"iai!a Izama. N.).' E Mar. 2012. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77an$eloi:ama.com7201270370E7acholi8street8sto)8kon!20128invisible8childrens8 cam)ai$n8o*8in*am!79. 1Aose)h 2on!" #ro*ile o* the HI0 Header.1 ;n.d.<" n. )a$. ,,C Ne-s. 33C' 03 0u$. 2012. 4eb. 15 .ct. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.bbc.co.uk7ne%s7%orld8a*rica81E2550=J9. 1+2on! 2012+ Documentar! 3ecomes Most Viral Video in istor!.1 TIME.com. N.).' n.d. 4eb. 15 .ct. 2012. 6htt)"77ne%s*eed.time.com720127037127kon!820128documentar!8becomes8most8viral8 video8in8histor!79. 1N-. Initiative 0ims to Criminali:e Domestic Violence in /$!)t ;Video<.1 NGO Initiative Aims to Criminalize Domestic Violence in E !"t #Vi$eo%. 0tlantic Council' 12 Nov. 2012. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.acus.or$7e$!)tsource7n$o8initiative8aims8criminali:e8domestic8violence8 e$!)t8video9. Disher' 4alter M. 1Narration as uman Communication #aradi$m" The Case o* #ublic Moral 0r$ument.1 Comm.nication Mono ra"(s L1 ;15=2<" n. )a$. #rint. Simmons' 0nnette. &(oever Tells t(e ,est 'tor! &ins/ 0o- to 1se Yo.r O-n 'tories to Comm.nicate -it( 2o-er an$ Im"act. Ne% Mork" 0macom' 200E. #rint. 1The Hord+s Iesistance 0rm!.1 T(e )or$*s +esistance Arm!. 4ar Child' n.d. 4eb. 25 Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.%archild.or$.uk7issues7the8lords8resistance8arm!NOkkPu$anda @ose)h kon!9. 14orld 0IDS Da!.1 &orl$ AID' Da!. 0vert' n.d. 4eb. 2= Nov. 2012. 6htt)"77%%%.avert.or$7%orld8 aids8da!.htm9.