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Skylar Nuthall

Professor Fielding

WRTC 103 Section 0045

12 October 2017

Rough Draft for Visual Reflection

The main claim of the PSA based on the article, State Abortion Laws: Do state abortion

laws protect the health of women and unborn children, or do they violate womens rights?, is that

aborting an unborn child is immoral. Although abortion is legal in the United States, it still does

not make it an ethical decision. The goal of the PSA is to evoke a strong feeling of guilt, but also

sympathy for children who have their lives taken away from them. Viewing the ad persuades

women to believe that abortion is a criminal act. The focal point that catches the audiences

attention is the low saturated babys foot with wires attached to him or her. It draws the viewers

in because babies tend to catch the interest of women and families.

The PSA is almost entirely black and white, except for the foot which is at a very low

saturation, to provoke an overall sincere mood and place emphasis on the child. The slogan stating

just because abortion is legal, that does not mean taking the life of a child is right, leaves the

viewer to feel that strong sense of guilt for people believing abortion is okay, but also sympathy

for the children who are stripped of their lives every day. The facts around the photograph

reinforce the idea that women who seek abortions are killing their child. Within the article, the

unknown author states that aborting a child is murder, and therefore should not be legal which

brings up the concerns with womens rights, gender, and morals.

The most persuasive elements of the PSA are the slogan that I created, the photograph, and

the statistics about abortion and babies. The slogan places fault on the viewer, while the
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photograph allows them to realize that children that are being killed are indeed living. The

statistics and facts about abortion that are infused into the ad also persuade the viewer because it

allows them to perceive them as a living being, rather than a so called fetus. The PSA uses ethos

by including the web links to a credible website and article, then logos by including the statistics

and facts concerning babies from those sources. Through the use of ethos and logos, pathos is

revealed by the emotion that the viewer feels. The photograph of the baby allows women to

acknowledge the fact that abortion is an act of murder, while the facts prove their liveliness. My

design choices further persuade the audience displaying a premature childs foot, who is clearly

under medical attention, and allowing them to feel guilty thinking abortion is the right thing to do,

when a child the same age as a child being aborted is fighting for their life. The layout of the PSA

makes it effective due to the photograph being in the center of the ad, and the bold text allows the

audience to understand what its purpose is.

The greatest challenge I overcame while creating my PSA was trying to fit all the

information into one small space. I have a good amount of information I still wish to include, but

if the PSA is lengthy it will distract the audience from the purpose. After my initial draft, I had to

add more detail and content to ensure the PSA was as effective as it could be. The greatest strength

my PSA maintains is the photo of the babys foot. It is a very powerful picture even when it stands

alone, but even more powerful with the slogan and facts that I incorporated into the ad. It is clear

to the viewers that my PSA is about how abortion is unfortunately legal, but it is still taking

innocent lives of unborn children.

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Works Cited

"State Abortion Laws: Do State Abortion Laws Protect the Health of Women and Unborn

Children, or do they Violate Women's Rights?" Issues & Controversies, 3 Oct. 2014,

http://icof.infobaselearning.com/articles/religion,-ethics,-and-morality/state-abortion-

laws.aspx?sr=1&tab=1&hd=14678.

Young, Vanessa. A newborn is admitted to the Level 2 area of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

at the Wilford Hall Medical Center on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. 2009, US Air

Force, http://www.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/143082/air-forces-largest-nicu-

staff-cares-for-tiniest-patients/.