Communications Question

COMM2320Argument Plan: Podcast about Abortion
I have always been a very outspoken and opinionated person that believes in standing for
what I believe in. For my final assignment in this class, I am choosing to do an alternate medium
which in this situation will be a podcast. The argument I plan on making will consist of my
views on abortion and the never ending battle and controversy on women rights. I choose this
topic because I am a woman and it is something I am very passionate about, and honestly in
offensive disbelief that this is something I have to continue to worry about because men can
decide what happens to the female genders bodies. The wider context of this topic would be
women reproductive rights with emphasis on abortion. This is both a fact, that men should not
have final say on my body. Value, importance on maintaining reproductive rights and freedom
for females specifically in the United States. And policy, given the laws continue to change and
back track on history for this topic. This is important to me personally because I feel as though I
have limitations on what I can do with my body that aren’t decided by me. In recent times, Roe
v. Wade, the Supreme Court protecting a female’s rights to one’s body, has been overturned. In
this podcast I will add multiple sides and opinions to this topic. I have not done lots of specified
readings on this topic, but plan on using resources from different sides, from information by
planned parenthood, to scientific facts, to beliefs from the church. I will also be using the
opinions of real people to help make my podcast relatable and a space for both discussion, fact,
and opinion.
The following section lists podcasts on my topic that have elements I would like to include in my
final.
“The Pro-Life Guy’s Podcast”
S 1, Ep 129, No matter their beliefs they will always deeply care for them— Pathos; emotion is
shown here. This is something that should be stated without a doubt in my mind, especially when
covering such triggering and controversial topics. This makes listeners feel welcome and not
targeted, especially if they are from the opposing viewpoint. (Côté, n.d.)
The Cut: The Last Four Years, The Last Five Decades (with Rebecca Traister)
“Abortions might be technically legal. But they are functionally inaccessible in Wyoming, South
Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and places like
Missouri, where, in 2017, there were 12 Planned Parenthood clinics in a state with a population
of nearly one and a half million women. And only one of these clinics offered abortion services.”
This was said by host Avery in the beginning of the podcast. This gave a direct firm fact that
excluded emotion but provided a type of emotional piece of evidence.
This podcast also did another thing that stood out to me. Host Avery again said,”And among
progressives the idea was like, “Yeah, we won. So let’s not talk about it anymore!”’ This is a
sarcastic comment that felt like a natural everyday discussion. This makes the podcast seem more
humanistic and uses everyday language that makes the podcast seem like real people having a
debate/ discussion and you are listening in casually rather than sitting on and being dragged
through a podcast that’s robotic and only providing facts and information without any
conversation or casual dialogue. (Cohen, n.d.)
Abortion Laws and Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) – Queer Sex Ed Podcast: Episode 57
“What can we do to protect abortion rights?”
This podcast was closed with a discussion and ways you can take action. This is a great
arrangement of main ideas/discussions within the topic. Putting a type of solution or question at
the end helps wrap up the podcast in a way that makes the listeners want to act or take charge on
the topic they just listened to. This gives them an easy and accessible way to take the next steps if
they choose to. (Queer Sex Ed, n.d.)
The Abortion Diary: Abortion Diary Entry 162: Christina F., 35 (Birmingham, AL 2013)
The Abortion Diary is a podcast that shares real stories of real people and their experiences and
stories in regard to abortions. This in itself is a very good idea because it provides real and
relatable content. This type of platform creates a safe space for people to feel like they are being
heard and help people feel a little less alone. This is a podcast that is tailored to a specific
audience.
This podcast is about a single mother sharing her story about seeking an abortion in the state of
Alabama. This episode creates visuals and emotional real language to make you feel the
experience and pain. Although lots of those listening haven’t gone through a similar experience it
allows for those who are grateful enough to not relate but to help understand and to provide
rawness that allows listeners to be in your shoes and experience. (The Abortion Diary, n.d.)
The last section of this paper discusses five course concepts that I can incorporate into my project.
Media Influence and Ethics
– To me media influence is the actual power that a media message uses to either alter or reinforce
audience or individual beliefs is known as media influence. (Influence of Mass Media,2021)
– Instead of pressuring people into doing things, ethical influence involves winning their approval
and deciding to do it. (The Ethics of Influence: Five Rules to Live by | Gautrey Unleashed, 2017)
Given the time period we are living in, discussing the influence of media in this podcast and
covering the definition of ethics as well as including my own ethics will be a good and important
component to my podcast.
Context and Audience
It is very important to be aware of your audience and who you are trying to deliver your argument
to. In this case my stance on the argument is on the side of pro-choice, meaning the people that
would be listening to this podcast would be either siding with me, want to be more educated on
the topic, or on the other side trying to understand why someone would take my stance on this
argument.
Telling a good story
In an argument I feel as though it is very important to have:
•
a very convincing tone and include personal and real life situations that help back up your
claim. This is to help put the listeners in the room with you
• It is important to be personable and intriguing during discussion
• I will maintain real and relatable mannerisms so my viewers keep an open. Mind and
understand that i too and just a person with thoughts and beliefs
• Asking the right questions
When interviewing the other parties that will be involved in this podcast, I need to make sure that
my questions are delivered in an unbiased tone, and that they are polite.
I will ask questions such as the following:
– “What are the reasonings that you are pro-life”
– “Is there a story or real life situation that made you think a certain way that you are willing to
share”
– “What is your stance on abortion and laws on a women’s reproductive rights and why”
Evaluating evidence and facts
When discussing facts and gathering my evidence it is important that when I am speaking and
providing confident statements that these facts are coming from reliable sources from different
views and biases.
References
Cohen, D. (n.d.). Podcasts. The Cut. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.thecut.com/tags/podcasts/
Côté, C. (n.d.). The Pro-Life Guy’s Podcast. RSS.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://rss.com/podcasts/prolifeguys/
Influence of mass media. (2021, May 6). Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_of_mass_media#:~:text=Media%20influence%20
is%20the%20actual
Queer Sex Ed. (n.d.). Queer Sex Ed. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from
https://www.queersexed.org/archive/2019/5/31/abortion-laws-and-crisis-pregnancy-cente
rs-cpcs-queer-sex-ed-podcast-episode-57?rq=abortion
The Abortion Diary. (n.d.). The Abortion Diary. https://www.theabortiondiary.com/
The Ethics of Influence: Five Rules to Live By | Gautrey Unleashed. (2017, August 8).

The Ethics of Influence: Five Rules to Live By

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