https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/opinion/free-press-journalists-jailed.html
Group members: Parker Qualls, Chinaza Hughes, Yana Walia
The article titled, “A Record Number of Journalists Jailed” published by The Editorial Board of The New York Times, discusses the alarming increase in the amount of journalists being put in jail all around the world. The Committee to Protect Journalists notices how world dictators do not do anything to protect the journalists. The primary appeal is logos because there is statistical evidence used in the article, such as “293 journalists were imprisoned around the world, an increase of 13 from 2020.” The article uses logos to illustrate the severity of the censorship that is occurring. The argument is effective because the statistical evidence used is aligned with the purpose of the argument, which is to provide information about the increasing number of journalists being silenced.
There’s also some element of Pathos present in the article. The article uses emotive language in plentiful ways to invoke the emotions inside the reader, for example “incarceration of journalists by authoritative leaders”, its this kind of descriptive language that makes the reader sad or enraged by how the people who are spreading information to help the public see the truth are being incarcerated and jailed for it and the authoritative leaders are crushing their right to speech and freedom and killing them too. The use of descriptive language in the article also aids the author in his ability to convince the readers to consider and think about this issue which is also a reflection on freedom rights. In one of the paragraphs the author mentions, “Russia’s favorite way to do this is to label those journalists as foreign agents’ ‘, implying that Russia participates in taking away freedom rights so often, that they have a ‘favorite’ way to do it..
Instead of contradicting the primarily logical appeal used in the article, the use of pathos aids the author in conveying the severity of the situation. By using emotionally charged language with the purpose of evoking empathy in the audience, the author is telling the audience to recognize that this censorship is not only infringing on the right to free speech in journalism, it affects all citizens’ right to free speech.
Author: This New York Times op-ed piece was written by the New York Times Editorial Board. The board is composed of a group of opinionated journalists who use research, debate, and individual expertise to reach a shared view of important issues.