I have a couple ideas regarding what to do for my advocacy project. I could do the project on the same topic as my Civic Issues Blog: The Asian American Experience during COVID-19. I could talk about the issues that the Asian American community faces and identify how these issues affect the perception of race in America while outlining the struggles that Asian Americans have gone through. The audience for this topic could be the Penn State community but also the public in general since this is an American issue and all Americans should be informed. I also think that talking about screen time and/or social media addiction would be an interesting topic. The audience would have a wide range, but it would be especially relevant to my peers and any young person who spends considerable amount of time on social media. It has a dominating effect on our lives and while it provides entertainment, it also has many negative consequences.
I would consider Photographer as Witness: A Portrait of Abuse to be an ethical piece of advocacy. The captions for each photo paint the narrative that the relationship started with a man released from jail hoping to become a better man and help a young woman raise her children; however, the relationship deteriorates as the pictures go on and Shane’s issues with Maggie and her children only increase finally culminating with an assault in the kitchen. The captions provide backstory to the pictures and serve as textual evidence. to describe the situation. The author tries to show Shane’s positive values, especially him wanting to be a role model for Kayden, but his flaws are also shown through talking about his arguments with Maggie that demonstrate his anger. The photographs serve as a look inside domestic abuse and the inappropriate nature of the action; Maggie wanted the photos to tell her story but to also help others. The audience could be anyone in a relationship or any person who knows someone in a relationship; the purpose is to identify what leads to domestic abuse and the reactions and responses to it. This advocacy peace follows a story of domestic abuse and its implications but also shows others what to expect and how to help.
Your advocacy idea is really solid. I would try to narrow the audience a bit so it can be more tailored to how they would want to perceive it.
I think sticking with the same theme for your advocacy project as the issue blog could be a good idea because you’ll already be so familiar with the topic – It’s what I’m doing as well.