A Rhetorical Analysis of The Washington Post's Video Testimony on Vaccinations

In media, visuals can hit just as hard as the message itself. This is true even when there's not a lot of content shown. Visuals don't always need to be as complicated as the message they’re trying to get across. You see this a lot in journalism, especially in legal stuff.

Taylor Telford, Isaac Stanley-Becker, and Lena H. Sun's Article

Taylor Telford, Isaac Stanley-Becker, and Lena H. Sun wrote an article called "Teen testifies about getting vaccinations despite his mother's opposition" where they included a video of Ethan Lindenberger's testimony against Antivaxxer beliefs. The article went up on The Washington Post's website on March 5, 2019, at 7:49 p.m. EST. The Washington Post owns the video rights, but Ethan deserves credit since he's reading his own testimony. In his speech, he uses rhetorical devices like logos and ethos, which get even stronger thanks to the visual elements of the video. With this video, The Washington Post aims to highlight the dangers of false medical info online by sharing a personal story from someone who experienced it firsthand. They present raw evidence free from outside bias and show Ethan in a professional manner to boost credibility.

Impact of Internet Falsehoods

The Washington Post’s portrayal of Ethan’s story fits into a bigger narrative about how internet falsehoods can harm families who aren’t well-informed. Ethan grew up with a mom who thought vaccines were dangerous. He started questioning her beliefs after seeing the backlash she got online. By high school, he was making his own decisions and seeking the truth. Ethan told The Washington Post, “I feel like if my mom didn’t interact with that information, and she wasn’t swayed by those arguments and stories, it could’ve potentially changed everything, my entire family could’ve been vaccinated.” This shows how misinformation affected not just him, but his whole family.

Ethan says he showed his mom factual evidence from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) many times, but she wouldn't listen and stuck to the conspiracy theories she found on Facebook. This is common among moms who fall into the Antivaxxer rabbit hole. They don’t realize there are other ways to get info on vaccines, often relying on what they find online instead of consulting doctors or hospitals. At 18, Ethan decided to get vaccinated despite his mom's wishes and testified before Congress to share his story about his mom's experience with Facebook Antivaxxers. This gives him credibility in the larger conversation. He's now an advocate for the truth about vaccines and hopes to get his whole family vaccinated. Ethan appeals to ethos here because he has firsthand experience living in a family that refuses vaccination, making his argument more reliable.

The Power of Visuals

Usually, visuals have a bigger impact than text. They’re immediate, clear, memorable, and persuasive. In storytelling, images will always win and become the focus. So, a video of Ethan’s testimony is a stronger persuasion tool because the audience can see and hear him. If The Washington Post had embedded Ethan’s written testimony as text instead of the court recording, viewers would feel less connected to his story. When people watch the news, they want information, not opinions. That’s why they prefer broadcasts that give them raw news.

The video mainly shows Ethan speaking, making it free from any outside bias that could undermine his claims. It's centered on Ethan with the background out of focus, making him the key visual. It's also clean-cut and shot head-on, which makes it look more professional. The audience gets raw footage of the testimony, free of edits, so they can form their own opinions. The images are simple and direct, just what the American people want in news. The audience feels like they’re in the courtroom, watching Ethan testify in real time. The video is pretty short, around four and a half minutes, so viewers are less likely to lose interest. If it were longer, like half an hour, people might not watch the whole thing and miss important details.

Effective Communication

Knowing how to communicate with different communities is powerful when trying to get a point across. Tone and voice can be adjusted depending on the rhetorical situation and audience. Tone is the emphasis on a certain aspect of speech or writing. Voice is the tone of spoken words, often including the speaker's tone. Ethan comes across as smart, clean-cut, and serious despite his age. He looks like a well-educated student who has done his research on health and safety, considering the setting he's speaking in. When used effectively, this technique heightens the impact of the speech.

Ethan retains a bit of his awkward teenager demeanor when he stutters and looks down at his notes, as any teen would under intense pressure. Despite this, he maintains a strong, clear voice, doesn’t fidget or laugh because of nerves, projecting a sense of sovereignty and discipline. His tone helps deliver his testimony carefully and objectively, fitting for the audience he’s addressing. The testimony itself is delivered with the care and precision an experienced adult would use in a similar case. Ethan’s mannerisms remind the audience he’s still young, which could spark some sympathy. His age doesn’t take away from his dependability, though, as his attire gives him an authoritative appearance. He’s dressed in a suit and mentions joining debate clubs at school, where suits are common in large-scale meetings. Overall, Ethan’s rhetorical identity during his testimony demonstrated his ethos in the Antivaxxer argument, giving him a reputation for professionalism.

Importance of Misinformation Awareness

Ethan sends a clear, concise message about how dangerous misinformation can be, especially concerning medicine. In this video, we see a typical discussion of a controversial issue, showing how science is ignored in favor of emotional stances, while exposing how many people fall victim to Antivaxxer manipulation due to a lack of understanding of medicine. The video doesn’t intend to offend, but it’s clear that the current online discussion has created intolerance leading to real-life consequences. Antivaxxers are creating a real danger; the measles outbreak is one example of how they threaten public health. This video highlights how many Americans disregard scientific fact in favor of skepticism and fear. Antivaxxers manipulate cautious mothers into believing doctors are lying and that the truth is in online communities. This gives them the confidence to treat themselves and their kids using natural remedies and alternative methods, encouraging more parents to do the same. By allowing victims to share their stories in a safe, authoritative environment, others may feel more comfortable speaking up. Ethan was taken seriously and presented as logical and intelligent, making his testimony more impactful.