Nothing but Nets - Ethos Pathos Logos

1052 Words5 Pages
The marks of a strong writer are that he or she is able to evoke an emotion out of their readers. Whether it is out of agreement or disagreement, they have caused the reader’s brain to contemplate what they have just read. In the article “Nothing but Nets”, Rick Reilly reaches out to his readers to persuade them to donate to a charity that buys nets for African citizens. His words echo through his audience minds as they read about the high death tolls plaguing Africa caused by malaria. Those that are familiar with Rick Reilly’s work know that he has a unique way of being able to connect with his audience. He uses this talent to connect with his readers once more, imploring them to help support a noble cause. His audience is mainly fans, athletes, and just people in general who love sports. Reilly uses a unique combination of the three rhetorical appeals that in the end could make the most miserly man empty his wallet. As an experienced writer, Reilly has done his research on the topic that he is trying to convince his readers to support. The facts that he uses are placed perfectly making any reader gasp about the amount of fatalities because of malaria. He uses credible sources such as the World Health Organization (Glau, Maid, Roen 465) to back up his facts and makes the reader trust that he knows what he is talking about. Reilly also integrates quotes in his article to show that he is not the only person that is aware of the problem occurring. By using outside sources, Reilly increases his credibility as a writer because it is not just his opinion or facts that he could be making up. It is no accident of Reilly’s consistent use of the word net embeds itself inside the readers’ head. He employs the word so that when the reader finishes the article, they will walk away with “net” echoing in their brain. This is when Reilly starts getting on a personal
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