In the “Addicted: America’s Opioid Crisis” documentary, the authors effectively use rhetorical techniques to convey their message. Namely, they want to attract the attention of US citizens, policymakers, and government regulatory agencies to the opioid crisis. To evoke an emotional reaction and appeal to authority and logic, the documentary begins with stories about children whose parents were addicted to drugs, continues with Purdue’s promotional video, and ends with a call to take immediate action.
The stories of children suffering from their parents’ addiction are touching and evoking compassion. This stimulates the viewers to continue watching the video to learn more about the problem. In addition, the interview with the mother of an athlete, who was prescribed painkillers and found dead because of overdose, persuades the target audience to think about the opioid crisis (BBC Three, 2019). Credibility is shown through citing official information and presenting real-life cases. For example, babies born with withdrawal syndrome create a sense of injustice as they had no chance to begin this life healthy.
The logical reasoning of the documentary is consistent and thought-provoking. The authors include different officials who discuss the opioid crisis causes. They provide strong arguments to convince government regulatory agencies and policymakers that it is marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical companies, such as Purdue’s promotional video, where a person claims that opioids for treating chronic pain are absolutely safe. After that, the authors persuade the US citizens that drugs are dangerous as they lead to addiction. The arguments seem to be rational, which creates trust in what is translated by the documentary.
In conclusion, the “Addicted: America’s Opioid Crisis” documentary is effective in using rhetoric devices. It refers to pathos through emotions caused by the examples of babies and children who suffered from opioids. Ethos is practiced by appealing to a range of officials who share their opinions. Reasonable arguments and consistent logic are the expressions of successfully using logos.
Reference
BBC Three. (2019). Addicted: America’s opioid crisis | Full documentary [Video]. YouTube. Web.