TOW #9 - The Exploitation of Paris

"Paris wasn't just a massacre. It was a megaphone to be used for whatever you yearned to shout."

     Frank Bruni's article "The Exploitation of Paris" is meant to put things in perspective, as a criticism of "the automatic, indiscriminate politicization of tragedy" (24). Bruni denounces news stations' blatant manipulation of this most recent tragedy to further their own agendas on virtually unrelated topics. As an experienced writer on a wide range of topics, he understands how to create a piece that is more than a news report, that honestly expresses the thoughts of a larger population. His writing skill ultimately justifies his criticism and shaming of all those guilty of the "politicization of tragedy."

     The article begins, "Can’t we wait until we’ve resolved the body count? Until the identities of all of the victims have been determined and their families informed? Until the sirens stop wailing? Until the blood is dry?" (1). Bruni immediately jumps on the topic's emotional appeal. He begins bluntly and in a way relentlessly (through anaphora), even including imagery of the "body count" and "blood," meant to convince the reader of the gravity of the issue.

     He later states, "I’d like to focus on the pain of Parisians and how that magnificent city reclaims any sense of order, any semblance of safety. I’d like not to wonder if Hillary Clinton’s odds of election just ticked upward or downward or if Donald Trump’s chest-­thumping bluster suddenly became more seductive" (23). By calling Paris "that magnificent city," he gives it the honor he is demanding others give. "Order" and "safety,"  two concepts with heavy emotional impact, are juxtaposed against the "chest-thumping bluster" of a politician to highlight the plainly ridiculous priorities of the media. He specifically uses names of American politicians because the article, from the New York Times, is aimed towards American public figures and news stations.

     Bruni understands that most of his audience will be ordinary citizens, and writes an article that speaks emotionally to them. He compellingly condemns those guilty of "politicization of tragedy" and also makes his audience more careful to not fall into that category. In this way, Bruni's argument is made effectively and successfully.