Blog Post #5

When you write or present a topic to an audience you are always trying to be convincing. For example, when writing my rebuttal essay, I focused on convincing my reader why free college is a bad idea.  Similarly, in my photo essay I presented it to convince my audience how close everyone in my dorm is to one another. In “The Credible Communicator” the authors, Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson, talk about how credibility is key when presenting an argument. This is relating directly to the beginning of the course in this class where we discussed Ethos, or credibility, and how it can enhance your paper. The first example that the authors examine is one man asking for a charitable donation in a clean suit, while the other man is in scuffed clothing and is not looking proper. Obviously, if we were to give any money at all it would be given to the man in that has presented himself with credibility: even if they give the exact same “sales pitch.” Reading this has given me a better perspective on giving yourself credibility at the start of an essay or presentation in order to gain the audiences’ attention, and then pull them in with your words. In my podcast, I am trying to be persuasive and get my idea across about the stimulus bill in the market. One way I can establish credibility is by saying how I am a Finance major and an Economics minor at Notre Dame. This gives the listener a reason to trust me because of my major and because of Notre Dame’s prestigious title. As of right now I am not sure what profession I will have in my future, yet what I do know is right now I would enjoy being a lawyer or a consultant. If I became a lawyer I would definitely need to come off as credible, whether to the jury or to my clients, in order to convince them about something. Or, as a consultant I would need to establish credibility because what company would take advice from someone who does not seem credible or respectable? Overall, the idea of establishing credibility is something I should use throughout my life to help convince my audience of my viewpoint.