PWR 2PT: The Rhetoric of Bearing Witness

“A year ago today, I witnessed a murder. The victim’s name was George Floyd.” That’s what Darnella Frazier posted on Facebook in 2021, a year after her video of Floyd’s death changed the world.

Frazer’s words and experience echo those of other journalists and activists who speak of the importance of recording eyewitness accounts, whether in Gaza, from Holocaust survivors, or when ICE raids destabilize communities.

In this writing and oral communication course, students will develop research projects exploring different forms of bearing witness, asking questions such as how the medium and context of a witness account influence its impact; how first-hand accounts can empower ordinary people; and how technology can undermine the authenticity of witnessing.

Examples of Research Topics

• Use of the first-person voice in works of fiction or nonfiction (such as memoirs)
• Journalists as witnesses
• The role of cameras (still and video) in bearing witness
• Survivor narratives
• Witness testimony in hearings and trials
• Witnessing as political action
• Bearing witness as a therapeutic technique
• Documentary film and art forms as witnessing

PWR 2 Assignment Sequence

Research Proposal

(900-1200 words; 3-4 pages; 3-4 minute live oral presentation) In this assignment, you will identify a specific issue related to bearing witness that you would like to investigate throughout the quarter. You’ll outline a research plan for learning more about this issue and how you will approach it and convince your classmates of the significance of the topic.

Written Research-Based Argument

(3000-3600 words; 10-12 pages) By the end of the quarter, you will complete your research into the topic you have chosen and develop a persuasive analysis drawing on diverse sources, possibly including fieldwork, to support your argument.

Delivery of Research

(10 minute live oral presentation with appropriate multimedia support) This is your opportunity to share the outcome of your research directly with other students. In class we will develop skills for making this presentation engaging and convincing. It’s a good form of practice for the many contexts throughout your time at Stanford and beyond when you will need to make a persuasive oral presentation about your ideas.