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Isabela Salazar
Professor Mooney
ENC1102-20
February 9, 2020
Evaluating anti-drug campaigns within social media through a rhetorical lens
Discourse communities share common goals, use certain genres, varied modes of
communication, participatory mechanisms, requirements for membership, and a specific lexis
(Johns 321). Therefore, these groups exhibit rhetorical situations as they communicate allowing
for the rhetoric used to be analyzed. Downs defined rhetoric as, “a set of principles that explain
and predict how people make meaning and interact” (460). This emphasizes the diverse use of
rhetorical principles to communicate. Genres generate from varied modes of communicating, as
certain features develop in response to repeated situations. Although genres tend to be
discernable in society, Dirk states that “[it] goes far beyond a simple discussion of types” (250).
Genres are recurring texts, have recognizable features, and respond to exigences (Dirk et al.
251). Constraints within the discourse community indicate appropriate genres to be used.
Apparent within the anti-drug community. as messages are aimed towards targeted audiences to
maximize coherence with their values through social media, much of the images have become
less graphic and grotesque than past advertising.
Organizations' aspiration to increase smoking cessation anti addiction has continued
throughout decades. In accordance with its name, the digital age, is depended largely upon
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technology. The use of social media is highly abundant today and affects a vast population, in
copious unknown ways. Thus, assessing this use by organizations promoting anti-drug messages
and its impact upon the audience based upon the rhetoric used stood out to me. Understanding
the importance of rhetoric within these campaigns is significant as it can lead to further
comprehension of smoking cessation behavior, motivators and/or inhibitors along with ability to
improve effectiveness of propaganda. Existing research regarding tobacco use and the marketing
of products framed within writing and rhetoric is not aligned with the advancement of
technology and studying its developing effects, as the more modern studies includes mass media
review of television and radio. Depue et al., attempting to evaluate effectiveness by comparing
an image to a video commercial ad and found that “when incorporating streaming video,
researchers should consider accessibility and report possible response bias. Researchers should
fully define the measure they use, specify any viewing accessibility issues, and make ad
comparisons only when using comparative methods” (Depue et al. 301). Brennan et al.
conducted a review on mass media and its influence on “campaign insanity and different
channels; the effects of different message types” (127). The findings deemed that the campaign
was valued because of the education, change in beliefs, setting of goals, and positive effect upon
decreasing addiction and smoking population (Brennan et al.). Other studies included “economic
evaluations' ' for media campaigns rather than results exhibiting population benefits
(Atusingwize et al.). Atusingwize et al. states that “mass media campaigns are effective… [but]
require substantial investment” thus takes a different approach through conducting a
“systematically and comprehensively review economic evaluations of ... mass media campaigns”
(320). The review concluded that evidence was limited but of “acceptable quality and society
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suggests that they offer good value for money” (Atusingwize et al. 320). As the majority tended
to be holistic or reviews of multiple studies, there were some cases of a “micro” case such as
Boris et al. with their “Process Evaluation of an In-school Anti-Tobacco Media Campaign in
Louisiana.” Results concluded that it was effective for adolescents and should be continued.
Overall, the research found it effective but did not analyze the rhetorical use, especially not in
accordance with recent technological changes. Considering this discrepancy, I choose a prevalent
platform to create an improved discussion about anti-drug promotion throughout the media.
Initially when researching anti-drug campaigns, I thought of truth, predominantly within
Florida and decided to choose their “modern” connections to their audience, especially younger
populations. Its substantial popularity within the area was also crucial to my choice to investigate
its use in social media for my primary research. Lastly, the massive substance abuse population
in Florida has been pervasive, a rooted issue that remains relevant, intriguing me to research
contemporary methods to decrease drug use.
Currently, my overarching research question is: How do nonprofit organizations promote
anti-drug campaigns in social media? As this question is too general for the limited time and
resources available to me, a more extensive alternative is: How do anti-drug organizations,
specifically Truth, promote smoking cessation and prevention in social media?
Within my primary research I plan to highlight social media use through conducting a
multi-modal analysis of truth, an anti-drug organization, through its Instagram and Twitter
accounts. Davis defines multimodal text analysis as “the process that questions how textual,
visual auditory and other text elements operate to deliver messages and meaning”, thus I will
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observe how the organization selects certain auditory, visual, and textual features within their
posts to communicate their intended message (R-11). As Instagram and Twitter are diverse due
to format, audience, and tone I will be comparing the typified rhetoric used along with themes
and characters/attitudes to convey messages. The other method I plan to use is a survey to collect
primary data illustrating the effect upon the audience/people. After I have reviewed the chosen
artifacts, they will then be referred to formulate the survey questions. The target audience is
approximately 50 University of Central Florida students within ENC 1102 to evaluate the
effectiveness of truth’s messages. The survey will be accessible through Google Forms, where it
is available online and consist of 10 questions (screenshots will later be included where
necessary). Following the completion of data collection, I will compare the survey responses to
the initial analysis and measure discrepancies. As truth tends to be a popular campaign, I will
also be referred to the engagement features so comments, followers, and likes (and/or retweets)
on each respective post. The methods will emphasize the use of writing and rhetoric by the
campaign to reach its intended message to the audience and evaluate its effectiveness.
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Timeline:
Task Date of Completion
Discuss selection of artifacts with Ms. Conference Date (Feb. 17/18)
Mooney
Analyze Instagram posts (3-4) from February 22
@truthorange
Submit to Professor Mooney survey link February 28
Analyze the comments for each post February 29
Analyze through rhetorical lens March 7
Analyze through genre analysis March 14
Collect responses for survey March 21
Collect all data and find connections, evaluate March 23
data
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Survey Questions:
1. Are you familiar with the anti-drug campaign “Truth” within America, especially
Florida?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I have heard of it but don’t know what it is
2. Have you ever visited the truth page on social media?
a. Yes, on one more than a platform
b. Yes, once/one platform
c. No, never
d. No, but I thought about it
3. If you have visited their page, how often?
a. Never
b. Sometimes
c. Often
d. Daily/ Following
4. Have you, or any friends or relatives struggled with addiction to substance abuse?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Have you yourself of know of someone who has recovered form addiction and has quit
smoking?
a. Yes
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b. No
6. Have you yourself or have you ever known someone who referred to a truth ad in a
positive light?
a. Yes
b. No, no one has mentioned it.
c. No, it was a negative commentary
7. Do you believe the following post portrays the message effectively towards the audience?
a. Yes
b. No
8. Do you believe the following post portrays the message effectively towards the audience?
a. Yes
b. No
9. Do you believe the following post portrays the message effectively towards the audience?
a. Yes
b. No
10. Do you believe the following post portrays the message effectively towards the audience?
a. Yes
b. No
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Works Cited:
Atusingwize, Edwinah, Langley, Tessa, and Lewis, Sarah. “Economic Evaluations of
Tobacco Control Mass Media Campaigns: A Systematic Review.” Tobacco Control, vol. 24, no.
4, 2015, pp. 320–327. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24842512.
Brennan, Emily, Durkin, Sarah, and Wakefield, Melanie. “Mass Media Campaigns to
Promote Smoking Cessation among Adults: An Integrative Review.” Tobacco Control, vol. 21,
no. 2, 2012, pp. 127–138. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41516004.
Boris, Neil, Brewer, Dixye, Hong, Traci, Johnson, Carolyn, C. Myers, Leann, and
Webber, Larry S. “Process evaluation of an in-school anti-tobacco media campaign in
Louisiana.” Public Health Reports (1974-), vol. 123, no. 6, 2008, pp. 781–789. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/25682130.
Depue, Jacob, Dreher, Marietta, Greenseid, Lija O., Larsen, Lindasy S., Luxenberg,
Michael G, Momwer, Andrea, and Schillo, Barbara. “A comparison of two methods for assessing
awareness of anti-tobacco television advertisements.” Tobacco Control, vol. 25, no. 3, 2016, pp.
301–306. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24842652.
Dirk, Kerry, Lowe, Charles, and Zemliansky, Pavel. “Navigating genres”. Writing
Spaces: Readings on Writing, vol. 1. Parlor Press, 2010.
Downs, D. “Rhetoric: Making Sense of Human Interaction and MeaningMaking.”
Writing About Writing. Bedford Books St. Martins, 2019.
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Johns, Ann. “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice.” Writing About
Writing. Bedford Books St. Martins, 2019.
Lunsford, Andrea A. “Researching Writing and Literacy at UCF: Determining primary
research methods” Easy Writer, pp. R-2- R-34. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2018
