Media Clip Analysis
Media Clip Analysis of Caplan’s Nightmare
The purposes of this media clip analysis are to examine clips, which we often watch or listen to, but we rarely understand or put attention to them, and to identify the purposes and motivations behind their arguments. The following topics will be discussed in this analysis; audience characteristics, the argument the media clip presents, and the rhetorical analysis of ethos, pathos and logos. Anderson Cooper presented the media clip on CNN.
Purpose of the Media Clip and its message
The purpose of the media clip is to inform viewers about issues that some innocent families go through. In this case, it was the Caplan family who was accused of abusing one of their eight-month-old twin daughters. The message this media clip conveys is relentless due to the fact that an innocent family is being accused of a severe case of child abuse. In the clip, we hear the reporter talk about the facts of the story but it is up to the audience whether they want to believe the Caplan family or not. This clip does not only send a message about how wrong some people can be, but also how the innocent victims won’t give up to prove their innocence; especially when it comes to their children.
Audience Characteristics
The targeted audience for this media clip is mostly those who are interested in social issues, those who have children, and those who work with children. The most appropriate age would be those who are capable of understanding the importance of issues, teens, and adults of any age. It is important that the youngest of the audience are capable of understanding what the issue on this clip is about and the importance of why the issue is being argued and presented to the public.
Ethos
The credibility of this media clip is high. It is devastating that situations like this one are emerging day to day and many people do not get to prove their innocence. Child abuse is a big issue that exists world wide, and unfortunately in many of the cases, the wrong people are accused of this terrible crime. In the media clip, the mother of the twins portrays strong emotion towards the situation and also shows devastation in her choice of words. Since the tragedy of the Caplan’s is presented by CNN, a worldwide well recognized news network, the story then becomes more credible. The media clip itself and the reporter, Randi Kaye, convince the audience that the Caplan family is innocent; especially after showing court documents in the clip. The court documents explained that after several months of accusation, the case had been dismissed because there was not enough evidence to prove the mother guilty of this non-existing crime.
Pathos
The media clip might have almost the same effect on all the audience. Even though a child is too young to understand the pain of the mother, they can still feel emotional if they are told to pretend that they are taken away from their mother. This media clip shows the mother of the twins in a very dramatic and emotional mood because it is going to help create a similar effect on the audience. Parents and guardians of small children might be overwhelmed by the message of this clip thus they might put themselves in the place of the Caplan family. In this media clip, we see Randi Kaye, the reporter that is covering the story, outside of the Caplan family home; this adds more emotion and feeling to the audience because the audience can then relate to the family because it brings them to a more familiar setting. Since the Caplan twins are too young to understand the situation, they are seen playing with their toys in their living room portraying innocence to the audience. In the media clip, the creators also show pictures of the twins at a younger age and the results of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Logos
Persuading the audience by the use of reasoning within this media clip does not require much thinking. Child abuse is a big issue and many people are for promoting child abuse awareness rather than causing it; so in this media clip it is clear that the mother did not intentionally hurt her daughter, it was just an accident. The mother is very emotional during the interview so it portrays innocence within herself. There are many cases of child abuse occurring daily but in the Caplan’s case, child abuse should have never been considered until there was evidence to support that the assumption was false.
Conclusion
Overall, the message of the video clip creates controversy because not everyone might believe that the Caplan family is innocent, although there is evidence that proves the family innocent. The producer created the media clip to give emotion to the audience by putting scenes that show the mother crying, emergency room clips, and even the reporter outside of the Caplan home. This all ties the clip together because it makes it feel real as if this accusation can happen to anybody, which it can. The media clip argues for the family’s innocence; it is clear just by reading the headlines throughout the clip.
The purposes of this media clip analysis are to examine clips, which we often watch or listen to, but we rarely understand or put attention to them, and to identify the purposes and motivations behind their arguments. The following topics will be discussed in this analysis; audience characteristics, the argument the media clip presents, and the rhetorical analysis of ethos, pathos and logos. Anderson Cooper presented the media clip on CNN.
Purpose of the Media Clip and its message
The purpose of the media clip is to inform viewers about issues that some innocent families go through. In this case, it was the Caplan family who was accused of abusing one of their eight-month-old twin daughters. The message this media clip conveys is relentless due to the fact that an innocent family is being accused of a severe case of child abuse. In the clip, we hear the reporter talk about the facts of the story but it is up to the audience whether they want to believe the Caplan family or not. This clip does not only send a message about how wrong some people can be, but also how the innocent victims won’t give up to prove their innocence; especially when it comes to their children.
Audience Characteristics
The targeted audience for this media clip is mostly those who are interested in social issues, those who have children, and those who work with children. The most appropriate age would be those who are capable of understanding the importance of issues, teens, and adults of any age. It is important that the youngest of the audience are capable of understanding what the issue on this clip is about and the importance of why the issue is being argued and presented to the public.
Ethos
The credibility of this media clip is high. It is devastating that situations like this one are emerging day to day and many people do not get to prove their innocence. Child abuse is a big issue that exists world wide, and unfortunately in many of the cases, the wrong people are accused of this terrible crime. In the media clip, the mother of the twins portrays strong emotion towards the situation and also shows devastation in her choice of words. Since the tragedy of the Caplan’s is presented by CNN, a worldwide well recognized news network, the story then becomes more credible. The media clip itself and the reporter, Randi Kaye, convince the audience that the Caplan family is innocent; especially after showing court documents in the clip. The court documents explained that after several months of accusation, the case had been dismissed because there was not enough evidence to prove the mother guilty of this non-existing crime.
Pathos
The media clip might have almost the same effect on all the audience. Even though a child is too young to understand the pain of the mother, they can still feel emotional if they are told to pretend that they are taken away from their mother. This media clip shows the mother of the twins in a very dramatic and emotional mood because it is going to help create a similar effect on the audience. Parents and guardians of small children might be overwhelmed by the message of this clip thus they might put themselves in the place of the Caplan family. In this media clip, we see Randi Kaye, the reporter that is covering the story, outside of the Caplan family home; this adds more emotion and feeling to the audience because the audience can then relate to the family because it brings them to a more familiar setting. Since the Caplan twins are too young to understand the situation, they are seen playing with their toys in their living room portraying innocence to the audience. In the media clip, the creators also show pictures of the twins at a younger age and the results of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Logos
Persuading the audience by the use of reasoning within this media clip does not require much thinking. Child abuse is a big issue and many people are for promoting child abuse awareness rather than causing it; so in this media clip it is clear that the mother did not intentionally hurt her daughter, it was just an accident. The mother is very emotional during the interview so it portrays innocence within herself. There are many cases of child abuse occurring daily but in the Caplan’s case, child abuse should have never been considered until there was evidence to support that the assumption was false.
Conclusion
Overall, the message of the video clip creates controversy because not everyone might believe that the Caplan family is innocent, although there is evidence that proves the family innocent. The producer created the media clip to give emotion to the audience by putting scenes that show the mother crying, emergency room clips, and even the reporter outside of the Caplan home. This all ties the clip together because it makes it feel real as if this accusation can happen to anybody, which it can. The media clip argues for the family’s innocence; it is clear just by reading the headlines throughout the clip.