1. English III: Building Credibility in Argument
How do speakers get their audience to trust them?

2. Practice with examples Analyze Jesse Williams BET Speech
Agenda:
MUGShot Sentence
Notes on Ethos
Counterclaim/Concession
Allusion
Practice with examples
Analyze Jesse Williams BET Speech

3. MUGShot Sentence
Complete today’s MUGShot Sentence

4. Notes on Ethos
Ethos is the trustworthiness and credibility that a speaker holds with his/her audience.
A speaker needs build their ethos with the audience in order to seem like an expert on their argument and seem like a good person that the audience wants to side with.

5. Notes on Ethos
A speaker comes into an argument with some ethos/credibility already established based on his/her reputation.
If you have a bad reputation, then you’ll have to work A LOT harder to get your audience to trust your argument.

6. How do people establish their credibility/trustworthiness/ethos?
1) Mentioning their qualifications
Ex: “I have been in the classroom as an instructor for 25 years, so I can firmly say that…”
Ex: “I have worked with over 100 women who have faced domestic abuse, so…”
Ex: “I graduated with a PhD in Economics from Stanford University, so I understand…”

7. How do people establish their credibility/trustworthiness/ethos?
1) Making it sound like they are a good/ethical person
Ex: “After I volunteered in Africa for a year, I knew I had to promote programs to help those in need here at home.” (Sounds like a caring, involved person—like someone you want to trust)
Ex: “I pride myself on being fair and balanced, and after giving both candidates a chance, I now know there is only one choice…”

8. How do people establish their credibility/trustworthiness/ethos?
1) Using good facts and citing their sources, which makes them sound like they’re experts
Ex: “After studying over 30 studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and seeing that 29/30 of those studies agree, how could you not also agree?”
(Cites sources, makes it sound like they’ve done their homework, and cites specific facts: this makes you trust them as an expert)

9. Argument Strategies that Build Ethos:
There are many argument strategies that help build your trustworthiness with your audience. We will learn two:
-Allusion
-Counterclaim/Concession

10. Argument Strategies that Build Ethos:
Allusion: Making a reference to a well known historical figure, mythological figure, book, event, etc.
Ex: “President Jacobs is headed the way of Julius Caesar if he doesn’t begin listening to his cabinet members.”
How does allusion build credibility? If you use an allusion to a well-known person/figure, especially one that has a good reputation, it can increase your own trustworthiness.

11. Argument Strategies that Build Ethos:
Counterclaim: your opponent’s argument
Concession: Agreeing with a small part of your opponent’s argument (not the whole argument)
Ex: “When my opponent says that freedom is the cornerstone of our nation, she’s absolutely right. And that freedom includes the freedom from being harmed by others’ choices, so we need to consider this law.”
Refutation: When you show why the opponent is wrong after you have presented a counterclaim or concession

12. Argument Strategies that Build Ethos:
How can mentioning the counterclaim or making a concession build your trustworthiness?
It helps make you seem like a fair/balanced person who has taken all sides into consideration before deciding on your argument. People are more likely to trust someone who is fair/balanced.

13. Ethos: Whole-class practice
As we listen to this spoken-word poem, read along on your notes sheet and look for places where the author builds his credibility with his audience.

14. Ethos: Assessment
We will watch and read Jesse Williams speech at the 2016 BET awards, as he accepts the award for humanitarian work. Look for his attempts to build credibility with his audience.
Background: Jesse Williams is an actor and activist who has worked to promote equality for people of color. He is a cornerstone in the Black Lives Matter movement and joined protestors in several cities following police shootings of unarmed black men. He has worked with President Obama and other political figures.