Analysis of Australian Wildfires: Rhetoric, Media, and Impact

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Australian wildfires of 2019-2020, examining the event through various critical lenses. The analysis begins with the rhetoric employed, focusing on the use of ethos, pathos, and logos to understand how the event was communicated and perceived. It then delves into critical perspectives, challenging assumptions and expanding the discourse surrounding the wildfires. McLuhan's concepts, particularly the idea of the medium as the message and the global village, are explored to understand the role of media in disseminating information and shaping global awareness. The report also discusses the role of secrecy and revelation, including the discovery of Wollemi Pines, and analyzes the impact of fake news and misinformation on public understanding. Finally, it investigates the influence of social media platforms in shaping narratives and fostering community responses. The report utilizes references to support its findings, providing a thorough examination of the multifaceted aspects of the Australian wildfires.

Australian Wildfires 2019-2020
Rhetoric
The use of proper vocabulary to connect emotionally with the audience, is an observation achieved
through the ethos of incident coverage, and the pathos of conviction. The rhetoric of logos helped in
observing the facts and statistics, that invoked thoughts of pity and helplessness, and allowed the
creation of wider support for the event.
Critical Perspective
The information received through the critical perspectives from various debates and discussions
allowed a deeper penetration into the context. The coverage triggered the logical understanding of
various opinions and enlarged the vision to look beyond the surface of the matter and the claims made
by various stakeholders.
McLuhan’s concepts
The ability of the message medium was significantly observable. The theoretical foundation of the
importance of message through the medium allowed the introspection of the event (Roncallo-Dow
and Scolari 141-152). Also, the global village concept was thought-provoking, as the impact of the
event was seen on a global scale.
Secrecy and revelation
A revealed secret of existence of prehistoric Wollemi Pines, which are rare and almost unavailable
anywhere else in the world, to be growing in the forests, was quite surprising. The secrecy of such
contexts and their revelation drew the attention towards the power of these concepts. Other similar
information also became intriguing, especially related to aboriginals and the ancient culture
(McPherson 14).
Fake news

The conspiracy theories and lies in the event context built a strong wireframe around the event
occurrences. The ability to understand and analyze the fake versus the real content allowed a glimpse
into what is and what should be. The method of falsified information analysis made the significance
of overall disaster recovery even more important.
Social media
Social media and various digital platforms like online blogs got hold of the entire world with the
event happenings. The understanding of the impact of these channels, the out-reach they have, and the
power of conviction that they provide, introduced the power they carry. They highlighted the power of
unity driven from communities.

References
McPherson, Anita. “Australian bushfire crisis: Seeing through the haze of smoke taint.” Australian
and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker 673 (2020): 14.
Roncallo-Dow, Sergio and Carlos A. Scolari. “Marshall McLuhan: The possibility of re-reading his
notion of medium.” Philosophies 1.2 (2016): 141-152.