"Awareness Can Save Lives" Toulmin Analysis

Outlining the Argument:

Claim:

Child abuse is an important issue that deserves more attention from the media.

Reasons:

—Awareness can save lives

—The media focuses too much on celebrity gossip/news

—Child abuse is more common than people think

Evidence:

“Awareness can save lives”: The more informed the public is on a subject, the more likely they are to want to take action. If people are shown the cruelty of child abuse, the likelihood of more people joining the fight to end it will increase.

“The media focuses too much on celebrity gossip/news”: In most stores around the country, walls of bookshelves are lined with magazines recounting the latest celebrity gossip. The media uses its power for entertainment purposes, but it has the power to reach beyond that.

“Child abuse is more common than people think”: Child abuse in the United States occurs daily to all different types of people who live in different situations. It can happen anywhere to anyone.

Warrants:

“Awareness can save lives”:

1.     The majority of people are unaware of the existence of child abuse

2.     Awareness will bring people to action

“The media focuses too much on celebrity gossip/news”:

1.     Celebrity gossip/news is not important

2.     The media does not have its priorities straight

“Child abuse is more common than people think”

1.     Most people think only certain types of people abuse their children

Backing:

“The majority of people are unaware of the existence of child abuse”: A lot of people don’t acknowledge the issue of child abuse because they think it doesn’t actually happen, when in fact it most likely happens in their own neighborhood. Also, many people don’t like to be aware of child abuse since it is such a sad topic.

“Awareness will bring people to action”: When people become aware of an injustice taking place, their natural tendency is to take action to stop this injustice from continuing to happen.

“Celebrity gossip/news is not important”: In comparison to issues that are the difference between life and death, the latest celebrity gossip is not so important for the public to know.

“The media does not have its priorities straight”: The media has the power to broadcast to millions of viewers, but it spends almost all of its time on celebrity news. Instead, it should place promoting important issues at the top of its priorities list.

“Most people think only certain types of people abuse their children”: It is commonly thought that only drunks or crazy people can abuse children. This is why the majority of people are hesitant to admit that child abuse happens all around them.

The Analysis:

In general, I think my audience would agree with my claim regarding the fact that child abuse deserves more attention from the media. Most people recognize that child abuse is a bad thing, but they feel there is nothing they can do about it. I think I could spend more time flushing out the reason, “The media focuses too much on celebrity gossip/news.” This is a point that my audience may not necessarily agree with. In this post, I could have mentioned the value of entertainment in our society in order to show that I have an understanding of the other point of view. For my warrants, I think it would be beneficial if I explicitly stated organizations that are trying to stop child abuse to show how the reader could get involved.  Also, I would explain the warrant, “Most people think only certain types of people abuse their children,” to make it clearer to my audience since this is an important part of my argument that is not too clear. 

Wave of Change

When the majority of people hear the term “media” used, they think of the latest celebrity gossip and tabloids sitting on the shelves in the grocery store. Celebrity breakups and other entertainment news are constantly being shoved down the throat of the public. There is one issue in particular that the media does not acknowledge. Child abuse. This is not necessarily any one group’s fault. Magazine and television stations air what they think the people want to see and what will make them the most money. But, these sources of media neglects the fact that raising awareness of child abuse could have saved one of the 695,000 victims in 2010 from being abused. Child abuse is that issue that happens everyday, but is hardly ever discussed.

Everyone enjoys a break from his everyday life and daily stresses. Everyone likes to have a good laugh once in a while and forget about her problems, even if it’s only for an instant. These are things everyone needs. Tabloids, magazines, and entertainment television networks are often the source in providing this relief from the burdens of life. There’s nothing like fleeing into the life of a celebrity for a thirty-minute television segment or a three-page article. In today’s chaotic world, it is understandable that the media often provides an escape for the average, hardworking person. 

            That being said, the health and wellness of the youth in America should never have to be compromised. Spreading the word about the urgency of the issue of child abuse is something that should be done daily. There is no better source to accomplish this than the media. They have the power to reach and grab the attention of a large audience that may have otherwise been unaware of the issue. They can spread the word and prevent a child from being abused or even dying.

As a society, it’s time to change our priorities. We need to start paying attention to the problems around us that really matter. Everyone can benefit from this. Not only will children’s lives be saved, but the media will also become more credible. There will most definitely be a sense of respect associated with the media that chooses to help raise awareness and broadcast stories of the abuse that’s taking place. The public will admire the media for taking a stand against an issue that is weighing our country down. The media has a great force in our country; a force big enough to start a wave of change. 

Sources:

http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/NCANationalStatistics