Fear appeal is an emotional strategy that creates fear in the audience to motivate them to agree with the rhetor and take action. A fear appeal draws on basic needs that the audience cares for, and presents it as something at risk that can be solved with the rhetor’s idea and direct action. The appeal is an attempt to scare the audience that something bad will happen to their needs if they don’t create change. A fear appeal used on the subject of binge drinking can show that a person could die from alcohol poisoning. A rhetor can say, “Binge drinking leads to 6 Americans dying every day from alcohol poisoning. Join thousands of Americans to stop binge drinking and bring awareness to this fatal crisis.” A statement like this shows the audience’s
