This week we looked at a website dedicated to the school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Looking at the rhetorical devices used by the creators of the site was really informative.
My group decided to use Porter’s explanation of the 5 components of digital delivery to explore the website: Body/Identity, Distribution/Circulation, Access/Accessibility, Interaction, Economics.
We noted parts like the simple header, showcasing large font and #BringBackOurGirls…the use of video, portraits, live/moving photos, text…the white letters and dark background… the way pictures and texts would pop up then go away as I scrolled. I noticed some women wearing bold colors (red), exposing their backs, making eye contact. It felt interactive, although it was incredibly easy to navigate, a user would only need to know how to scroll. The narrowly focused images of the individual women made me feel connected to them. This reminded me of Bill Viola’s exhibit in St. Paul’s cathedral in London.
This piece represents ideas of action, fortitude, perseverance, endurance, and sacrifice.”
— Bill Viola
The video has no audio, it lasts seven minutes, and focuses on four individuals. When I first saw this exhibit a couple years ago, I was moved, but after studying rhetoric, I can see that the deliberate rhetorical choices were the reason for its effectiveness.
Lorin's Rhetoric Journal 