The most talked about celebrities in the past few weeks have been actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard who have been facing each other in court after Depp sued Heard for defamation of character. The Conversation, an Australian media outlet, and The Sun, a British newspaper, both reported on the U.S verdict and its relevance to survivors of abuse. The Conversation used rhetorical strategies of neutrality and the logos appeal as it illustrates the signs of abuse in any person regardless of gender and calls on scholarly work to back up its claims. The title “Johnny Depp v Amber Heard: what to understand about intimate partner abuse before taking sides” also established that they are not encouraging support for either party but that readers should make up their own mind. The Sun, on the other hand, uses numerous quotes from other celebrities and relies on the pathos appeal in its presentation of images of a distraught Amber Heard and a joyous Depp with the caption “Johnny Depp was in a pub on Newcastle’s Quayside with Geordie singer Sam Fender as the verdict was read out.” Additionally, The Sun included their role in the UK trail, stating that “In 2020, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun after a judge ruled we were right to label him a wife-beater.” The subtle use of blame language clearly shows them attempting to sway the audience toward Amber Heard’s side, rendering The Conversation’s rhetorical strategies more effective since it maintained its neutrality all throughout.
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