Farms, Rivers, and Trout

Rhetorical Analysis:

My rhetorical analysis is looking at Trout Unlimited’s marketing, and at the end, I’ll briefly compare it to one other source I looked at just to show another way rivers and agriculture get framed. The first rhetorical element I pick up right off on the “rivers” portion of Trout Unlimited’s homepage is the text. The overarching statement is short but loaded with impactful words like “We care for and recover rivers and fish.” The use of the word care seems personal and like they are fulfilling a duty. The word recover implies that something has been harmed and needs to be restored, but it evokes urgency without being overbearing or accusatory. Another header that’s on their page is, “Every river needs a champion,” that line elevates their conservation into something heroic if you help the cause. The audience is invited into service and to think of themselves as on that mission to save trout. 

The coloring on their page is doing a lot of persuasive work, too. The homepage uses blues and greens, signaling water, life, and cleanliness. Those hues are clear but give off a controlled vibe, and they make viewers see the river as pure and worth protecting. The bright white text over the dark landscape makes it impossible to miss. It’s simple and clear and easy to see. 

I’d argue images pack the strongest rhetorical punch on their page. They present a wide, gorgeous river and mountain scenery. The water looks untouched, pristine. Agriculture is not shown, but I think that the relationship is still implied because farms depend on these watersheds. To me, Trout Unlimited is building a public way of seeing rivers as living places worthy of protection and stewardship, rather than simple irrigation systems or infrastructure. Overall, the rhetoric of Trout Unlimited frames the river through the theme of stewardship, to be good to our rivers is to be good to the land, with agriculture making up part of the landscape.

All of this emotional marketing (or rhetorical devices) is interesting to me compared with the USDA NRCS Logan River Watershed Project page. This site speaks on irrigation efficiency, aging canals and flood protection. This one persuades with authority and data. That is very different from Trout Unlimited’s approach of persuading through beauty and emotion and a personal sense of care for the river.