National Student Walkouts for Gun Control and Visual Rhetoric

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=UkAUJ7Gr&id


Headlines and pictures can communicate well the viewpoint of the author of a news article. I looked at over ten different front page news articles on a national student walkout on March 14, 2018 which protested gun violence and promoted gun control. Most newspapers printed pictures and headlines that were sympathetic to student concerns. The pictures showed students standing together in large groups holding up signs decrying gun violence. This gave the idea that most students were unified in their strong desire to see change. The headline for The Garden Island article by Jessica Else read, “NO MORE, Kapaa High Students Call for Gun Reform.” Those words, NO MORE, in capital letters in bold, expressed the idea that students were fed up and ready for change. In contrast, the front-page picture from Pensacola PNJ.com News Journal showed only four students holding up signs supporting gun control which gave the idea of sparse support. The headline accompanying the picture reinforced that idea and read, “Four PHS students walk out despite written warnings.” The title also reflected negatively on the student’s behavior by noting that they did not have the approval of the administration to walk out and protest. The author, Jake Newby focused on the disobedience of the students, rather than the purpose of their protest. The different visual rhetoric and headlines are of interest since they reflect different viewpoints and reporting of the same subject.

https://newseumed.org/tools/artifact/students-walk-out-over-gun-violence-archived-papers
(1 image, 1 link, 2 quotations, 235 words)