Bergquist 1

Andrew Bergquist

Professor Sheila Fielding

WRTC 103

October 13, 2018

Visual Reflection Essay

In the article, “Domestic Violence is a Serious Problem in the NFL” David Leonard

utilizes persuasive writing to get more people to agree with his argument. The other purpose of

the article is to inform people about the problem of domestic violence. Women are the intended

audience because they are the people who are suffering from domestic violence the most.

Leonard claims that domestic violence is a problem in the NFL today by providing examples of

domestic violence cases like Ray Rice. Sadness and anger are the desired reactions when reading

this article.

The PSA was designed to be distasteful because the topic of domestic violence is horrific

and gut-wrenching to talk about. Professionality is displayed based off the organized layout of

the PSA. Bold style shows the power of the message by making the message stand out to the

reader. There were many specific colors chosen to display the PSA. Black was chosen as the

background to show a dark and sad vibe. Purple is the color for power and courage, it also

happens to be the color represented by domestic violence. White was chosen for the font because

it resembles the innocence and purity of the women effected from domestic violence. Prominent

elements catch the readers attention like the women in the background. White and black are very

good contrasting colors which is why they were utilized in the PSA. Content is a very important

element for a PSA. An important aspect of content is text elements. An example of content is the
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headline. The headline is the largest text, so the reader feels inclined to read it. Body text is the

quotes from David Leonard that show evidence of the headline and the message displayed.

Finally, several images were included to help figure out what the message was without reading

it. Some images include the women in the background, the image of a non- profit that supports

the fight against domestic violence, and an image of the domestic violence ribbon that supports

people affected from domestic violence.

Rhetorical appeals help authors persuade readers to join their argument. Ethos is one

rhetorical appeal that is the credibility of the author. In the PSA ethos is seen by the non-profit

that supports the fight to stop domestic violence. Another rhetorical appeal is pathos. This appeal

should make the reader feel emotion. In the PSA the headline shows emotion by utilizing capital

letters to show passion and anger. The reader feels enraged after they read the headline, “STOP

the silence. NO more violence”. Logos is the last rhetorical appeal and it provides evidence to

make the argument more valid and believable. The PSA contains two quotes that help strengthen

the argument made. One quote is, “a third of women in the United States have experienced

partner violence”. Placing a fact like this helps the reader put domestic violence into perspective.

Also, it shows that gender bias can be used to strengthen an argument because it makes one

specific group feel like they are being discriminated against. Women are the target in the PSA

which means that men have gender bias against them when it comes to domestic violence. In

conclusion the PSA is more powerful than the print text because it has a lasting impact as soon as

someone glances at the PSA. Small quotes and a large headline help display the message better

in the PSA than the print text.

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Work Cited

Leonard, David, and Monica Casper. "Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem in the NFL."

Professional Football, edited by Tamara Thompson, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Current

Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010975212/OVIC?u=viva_jmu&sid=OVIC&xid=d79290

49. Accessed 14 Oct. 2018. Originally published as "Rotten to the Core: The NFL and Domestic

Violence," Feminist Wire, 8 Sept. 2014.

“NCADV | National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.” The Nation's Leading Grassroots Voice

on Domestic Violence, www.ncadv.org/.