In his article “Inside Bernie Sanders’s Social Media”, journalist Michael Grothaus discussed how the Democratic nominee hopeful has dominated social media. His piece for the website of magazine Fast Company pointed the similarities between Sanders’ use of social media compared to that of Barack Obama’s in 2008 and explained how the Sanders campaign has used social media to mobilize his movement. All of the points Grothaus made in his article required the use of rhetoric: either ethos, logos, or pathos. Grothaus employed these strategies by citing experts on the use of social media in presidential campaigns, analyzing the effect social media has on campaigns, and showing how social media has brought people together for the campaign.
Ethos deals with the credibility of the author and sources mentioned in the article, so who Michael Grothaus is played a large role in how trustworthy the article was. On the website for Fast Company, Grothaus has a short but thorough biography which
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Although not obvious, Grothaus’ comparison of Sanders’ campaign to Obama’s campaign is an example of pathos because the mention of Obama’s campaign invoked some sort of emotional response in most readers; those who supported Obama likely gained a more positive view of Sanders, while the comparison likely caused those who did not support Obama to dislike Sanders. Grothaus’ article essentially told the story of how Sanders rose from an underdog to a prominent contender in the race for nominee, and this story may summon up feelings of pride and excitement for Sanders supporters. Lastly, the entire article was about how social media has helped Sanders’ campaign and how people have come together to support a candidate they believe in. This show of trust and the American democratic process may have invoked patriotism and, more likely, happiness and faith for those who support