Job is to demonstrate that you can identify fallacies and fake news in the media, as well as use fact checking to verify the claims being made by the commentator.
First, find an online segment of political commentary from one of the provided below or one of your own choice:
cnn.com (Links to an external site.)
msnbc.com (Links to an external site.)
foxnews.com (Links to an external site.)
These three networks are the most watched and searched websites and news networks. It will be critical that you find a piece/commentator that uses fallacies. Whether or not you believe there is Fake News present will depend on your fact checking.
Requirements:
1. At least 1 video segment (make sure you copy & paste the URL to the video, not just the website) that contains examples of fallacies as rhetorical arguments or strategies.
2. Summarize and fact check the segment’s content. Who is the commentator? What are they covering/talking about? To fact check, use the websites the Fake News videos suggested:
factcheck.org (Links to an external site.)
politifact.com (Links to an external site.)
the Washington Post Fact Checker (Links to an external site.)
Identify where you found false facts or fake news. List and explain them. Where appropriate, mark (with a time stamp) the false fact or fake news item.
(example: I found Mary Smith introduced the fake fact X at :37 seconds into the segment…or, at 1:31, John Doe used a red herring when discussing X…)
List and explain the fallacies the commentator used. Where appropriate mark (with a time stamp) the fallacy.
3. Lastly, answer: Why do you think fallacies and fake news is used? What do you think are the primary dangers of political commentators and news media outlets using these strategies to address the public?
As usual, follow MLA assignment format; make sure all of your links work and connect to the appropriate media. Cite all the media and websites you use. Minimum paper length should be 1 1/2 – 2 pages in length and include in-text citations
