Pathos, pathos, pathos
This feature story puts the life of one Rhode Islander, lost to the opiod crisis in 2014, in perspective. It relates this one life to the 1,000,000 population of the state. It showcases my storytelling skills and my ability to persuade.
Problem
On the surface, this piece is a remembrance of Jeffrey M. Walsh, who died unexpectedly at age 33. I explore pathos to tell a small part of Jeff’s story, and deftly pull in facts and statistics to support the story without being overtly grim.
Creative Strategy
- Use storytelling to connect with an audience to get them to see beyond the story and be affected by the deeper message.
- Traditional print or digital media publications.
- The audience is anyone who has lost someone near and dear to them too soon; in other words, practically everyone on the planet.
- Statistics inure us to crisis sometimes. So sometimes we need to tell and hear the stories behind the statistics.
- Jeff was one in a million. Literally. And needs to be remembered in a way that honors the man he was and the life he lived.
- A first-hand account of the collateral damage from the time of the revelation of this personal catastrophe, through the immediate reaction and memorials, to the present day.
Visual Communication
- A stunning photo of this bright, vibrant young man who touched all who knew him.
- A layout with subheads to lead you through the story.
- Paragraphs of varying lengths for both visual and rhetorical effect.