More Than a Feeling: The Role of Pathos in Documentary Film and Social Impact Risk Communication

This research paper examines the use of pathos, or the appeal to emotion to evoke feeling, and its role in digital storytelling and social impact risk communication. A review of the theoretical literature and a case study analysis of the documentary The Social Dilemma are used to explore how the relationship of technical film elements and pathos can influence audiences. An evidence-based approach to storytelling and targeting specific emotional cues are a few of the key strategies discussed. Methods for social impact evaluation of the documentary film, such as measuring the outcome of evoking emotion as an agent of social change, is complex and an area that offers scope for further research as identified by the gap in the literature. The findings of this paper aim to contribute to the evolving literature that recognizes pathos as a powerful and persuasive tool in digital storytelling -- amplifying change in social risk communication messaging.