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Running header: STEROID AWARENESS

Steroid Awareness
Steven Velazquez
University of Texas at El Paso

STEROID AWARENESS
Steroid Awareness
Steroids have been around since the late 1930s and since then, scientists have discovered
that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of human muscle. Ever since then there has
been many controversial discussions concerning whether steroids should be band in states or not.
One of the biggest roles steroids plays a spot in is sports and how players should be penalized for
using steroids as a disadvantage. There has been several occasions in basketball, baseball,
football, and other sports were major controversy has occurred because a player(s) have been
found or accused of steroid use. Many people would see it affecting athletes at the professional
level but investigations show that it is actually quite simple for anyone to get a hold of Anabolic
Steroids. In 10 TV News section Steroid Use officers overview how people can receive
steroids even just by mail sending a message to be aware of what is going on around in Ohio.
Although sports mainly attract media towards the negative side of steroids there is also some
positive uses for steroids involving medical reasons. Doctors have been able to use steroids in
certain situations to help patients with muscle development failure or two help strengthen organs
that need extra support. Those are just some of the positive effects steroids could have on
humans. Articles such as Dr. Tollivers Guide for Understanding Steroids and Related
Substances goes into details about most of the negative effects and tries to raise awareness
about some of the possibilities that can occur if teens start to abuse steroids. Dr. Tollivers main
reasoning behind his article is to inform parents and adults about the harmful effects of
consuming steroids. Many articles involving steroids commonly share the common idea of only
listing the negative factors of steroids.
Audience and Purpose

STEROID AWARENESS
When informational articles are published they tend to attract the attention of an older,
more mature audience because they typically tend to care more about analytics more than the
younger generation. This article is more focused towards the guardians of athletes or older
athletes. In Dr. Tollivers article he lists several side effects that could occur in teens if they
abuse steroids. This attracts the attention of parents that could potentially have a teen that is in
danger of becoming addicted to steroids. Some side effects that could occur are severe acne,
fluid retention, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. (Tolliver, 2004) Listing all the facts
on steroids could raise caution in parents that will make them cautious of their children.
Although the article does not directly try and change the views of the audience, it indirectly has a
one sided view which informs about the different types of steroids, the effects, how one can
obtain them, and what penalties can be charged against a steroid user. Out of all the information
the audience is more likely to already know the general information but will learn and find out
more about how they can be bought easily, the common types of steroids, and even alternatives
used in place of steroids. Since most of the information is for the most part new to the member of
the audience that happens to be reading the article it might not be easy to intake everything at
once, since there will be parts that one might not understand. Dr. Tolliver took the time to add an
appendix with some of the lesser known words to help the readers further understand what they
are reading and learning about.
The news segment Steroid Use is intended for an older audience who are more
involved with what is happening around them, such as parents and coaches. By presenting the
information involving how easy one can get a hold of steroids it catches the attention of parents
and pushes them to be on the lookout to make sure their kids do not get their hands on anabolic
steroids. By providing interviews involving the life of steroid users it informs the audience about

STEROID AWARENESS
what is going on in Ohio. With the events going on it pushes a raise of awareness so that such
acts are not carried out with such ease. Some parts of the segment might come as a surprise to the
audience which is effective because it helps expand the knowledge of the audience. The way the
story is carried out is a very professional matter, which appeals to the audience since most
parents or guardians are older, and care about the world around their kids. In an interview with
Luke Holt he states, raw materials are flooding into the country by mail deliver, shipped
straight to their mailboxes. (Holt, 2013) Words such as cycling are used in the video, which
are used when talking about steroids so it ties into the information involving anabolic steroids.
The two genres share similar audiences and purposes regarding the use of steroids. They
are both intended towards a more elder and mature audience who take more care into what
happens, especially if it could be affecting their kids at some point. Since the iconography and
the typography both are informative they both give facts and information regarding anabolic
steroids in a well presented manner. The main difference is of course the way the information is
presented.
Rhetorical Issues
The typography does an excellent job in utilizing all 3 rhetorical appeals in the article.
Although the article does not do quite a good job using pathos as well as the other two issues, it
does display it to some point. By listing the common negatives effects like mood swings,
depression, delusions, and hostility and aggression (Tolliver, 2004) it appeals to how dangerous
the drugs can be so it gets not only the person taking steroids mentally scared but also the people
that care about them. The article does have credibility and it is established right at the start
because the website is associated with the government. The information stated was written by Dr.
Tolliver who is a pharmacologist and works for the DEA. The article is filled with facts about

STEROID AWARENESS
anabolic steroids, and it uses graphs as visuals to try and help and further provide the audience
with information. All three rhetorical appeals do an effective job in trying to inform the discourse
community about the topic at hand and make it easy to understand as a whole.
On the 10 TV News segment the video sways more towards appealing towards logos and
ethos rather than pathos. With all the face to face interviews, the news appeals to logos because it
gets inside information to the topics involving steroids. When they interview the weight lifter
that admits to using steroids he has his side that states he wouldnt be where he was if it werent
for steroids. (Castillo, 2013) Interviewing suppliers that make a profit out of selling steroids,
and detectives that crack down on this issue helps show the two sides of the steroid arguments.
The news channel is a credible source because they are broadcasted on TV and they have anchors
who take time to put together the stories to make sure the facts are straight rather than just a selfopinionated video, also they use officers to give an insight on what goes on during the
investigations. The video lacks the use of pathos and trying to appeal to peoples emotions
because it is mostly concerned about getting the facts straight and dishing out their information.
So although pathos was left out it still appeals to what is trying to be sent across.
The iconography is revolving facts and information only which the typography does a
great job as well by providing facts and information on steroids in a more general way as the
video is more focused on just what happens around the city of Ohio. Both genres appeal to logos
and pathos by providing info and being directed and produced by a credible source, one being 10
TV News and the other being Dr. Tolliver. A main difference is that the article does appeal to
peoples emotions and is more provoking to the loved ones of those who use steroids, where as
the news segment does not concern as much as to appealing to peoples emotions and trying to
convince their point of view.

STEROID AWARENESS
Structure and Delivery
Dr. Tollivers article is strategically laid out with a simple format that involves bold titles
and short, easy, understandable paragraphs following that display information pertaining to the
title. By including titles such as Physical & psychological dangers, Common types of steroids
abused, and Where do you get steroids? (Tolliver, 2004) it helps catch the attention of the
readers. It starts off by explaining what steroids are, then goes onto the different ways that
steroids can be taken and obtained and finishes off the article by listing common side effects and
health defects that anabolic steroids can create. By using this easy to read format it keeps the
reader hitched and makes it easy to flow through the information without getting confused. Since
the article is not restricted to a certain length it uses the appropriate amount of information to get
what need to said out of the way. By including charts it organizes the information into groups
like the types of oral steroids, or injectable types and the side effects in both males and females
which are further explained in the paragraphs that follow. The article does provide a visual but
does not crowd the page with different images. This format makes this genre an easy read which
is not full of confusion.
In the iconography the information is more visual and has a more effective feel as it has
more freedom to be able to provide actual footage of certain situations. The news segment uses
actual footage of what forms steroids can come in and how they could be used. The segment also
shares different interviews with officers that work with steroid cases, and steroid users which
offer more information and a personal view. When they interview a supplier they have him
darkened and his voice is distorted to help maintain his secrecy, and he says that he had access
to even more steroids (Castillo, 2013) This part adds a certain change of mood which makes the

STEROID AWARENESS
video a more serious type of clip. All the footage helps contribute to the purpose because it
informs the people of Ohio of the acts going on involving steroids that sometime go by unseen.
Since both genres are informative they deliver facts and state different information about
steroids and help raise awareness about the topic. Since they are two complete different genres
the way they display their information is different as far as one being typed out and laid in black
and white, where on the other hand the iconography uses live video to help and present the info.
Each genre does a remarkable job in providing the correct info for each of the two audiences, by
using the different types of medias to their advantage.
Both genres do an effective job in providing the information they were intending to get
out and both fulfill the purpose they shared which was to inform the audience on anabolic
steroids. Although both sources were great, the article by Dr. Tolliver does an over powering job
over the news article in providing information and conveying its message. The article is
formatted in a flowing manner and has mainly everything the audience needs to know in a
summarized article which again is super easy to read. All the points are laid out and the
information is on plain sight and also provides more detailed information on the drug. Both
genres raise the awareness and knowing of the effects that can come with abusing steroids and
how they can be used in a negative way rather than a positive way.

STEROID AWARENESS

References
Tolliver, D. (2004, March 10). A Guide for Understanding Steroids and Related Substances.
Retrieved February 10, 2015, from
[Link]/pubs/brochures/steroids/professionals
Aker, P. (2013, October 29). Steroid Use 'Out of Control' in Central Ohio. Retrieved February 19,
2015, from
[Link]