Download College Writing II Spring 2017 Paper Three “We weren`t interested in

College Writing II
Spring 2017
Paper Three
“We weren’t interested in doing a story about the ‘fake news’
that is invoked by politicians against the media for stories that
they don’t like or for comments that they don’t like…
We’re using the term “fake news” to describe stories that are
provably false, have enormous traction in the culture, and are
consumed by millions of people.”
--Michael Radutzky, 60 Minutes Overtime, CBS News
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of doing research in 2017 is figuring out how to
evaluate sources. Chris Hayes, in Twilight of the Elites, refers to what he calls “the most
destructive effect of the fail decade”:
The cascade of elite failure has discredited not only elites and our central
institutions, but the very mental habits we use to form our beliefs about the world.
At the same time, the Internet has produced an unprecedented amount of
information to sort through and radically expanded the arduous task of figuring
out just whom to trust. (106)
Here, Hayes makes the point that it is not just that news media outlets and elites that have been
“discredited”; it’s that the “mental habits” or shortcuts we thought we could rely on to form our
ideas about the world have been discredited too. By our “mental habits,” Hayes means the
“mental habit” of trusting what he calls “old sources of authority” that have been discredited or
compromised. By 2016, the problem of what information to trust had become far more serious.
Paper Three asks you to examine one aspect of the “arduous task” of figuring out what
information and which sources and authorities we can trust. Write a paper in which you
examine one of the following problems researchers encounter in evaluating sources. See the list
on page 2 for more specific project ideas for these problems.
1. Recognizing Propaganda and determining its source and purpose. (e.g., Nazi
propaganda in WWII)
2. Recognizing fake news. (e.g., “pizzagate”)
3. Dealing with writers or speakers who use “alternative facts” (that is, information that
has been distorted, faked or twisted. (e.g., the “Sandy Hook is a hoax” truthers; 9/11
truthers; global climate change deniers)
4. Recognizing the bias or agenda (political, ideological or economic) of information
sources (newspapers, cable TV networks, websites, broadcast TV news, local TV news,
political parties, advocacy groups, lobbyists, PR departments of corporations, etc.)
As you examine one of these issues, you will also need to show how ordinary readers and
listeners can learn to identify sources that are not credible, that rely on lies and distortions, and
that are intended to mislead the public. Finally, why does it matter if we can’t trust “the news”?
General Points:
 It will be important to define your terms carefully. What is “fake news,” for
example? Note the epigraph above distinguishes “fake news” from “news that
people don’t like” or “news that challenges peoples’ prejudices.” You will to
define terms like “fake news,” “alternative facts,” “propaganda” and “bias.”
 Choose a focus that is narrow enough for a 6 to 8-page paper.
 You will need original sources. That is, we will need to see examples of “fake
news” or “propaganda.”
 You will need a project statement that lays out what your paper will do.
 You will also need analysis: what experts have written about these problems?
What are the points that people debate? You will need a number of sources.
 You will need an extended “case study” or 2-3 developed examples to illustrate
your project. So search for good examples.
 Of course, you will prepare an Annotated Bibliography before you draft your
paper and a Works Cited for the final draft.
 Follow MLA format for in-text citation and Works Cited.
Propaganda: “Propaganda” is an old term and a common one. It points to organized attempts to
shape public opinion of large groups and to encourage certain beliefs and actions. You can look
for cases and examples in history, often when countries want to go to war and try to get public
opinion behind them (See, for example, the “Gulf of Tonkin” resolution that was a “cause” for
the U.S. to go to war in Vietnam; Nazi efforts to dehumanize Jews; pro- and anti-Communist
propaganda in the 1950s; propaganda used by ISIS and other extremist groups.)
Fake News: These stories are “provably false” and usually disseminated via extremist websites
into social media. (See, for example, “pizzagate” and a number of other stories planted by people
outside the U.S. who were paid by Russia to disrupt the 2016 election.) Here, you will want to
examine original documents of “fake news” and identify sources that traffic in them. “Fake
news,” like propaganda, often has the purpose of misleading the public to serve someone’s
agenda. Fake news may be one weapon in a propaganda campaign.
“Alternative Facts”: Bless PR advisor Kellyanne Conway for giving us the term “alternative
facts.” Another word for “alternative facts” is “lies.” But conspiracy theories that twist the truth,
create elaborate conspiracy theories out of nothing, present information out of context, and
search for sinister explanations for obvious “true” facts also involve “alternative facts.” Here are
some conspiracy theories that thrive on “alternative facts”: 9/11 truther movement; Sandy Hook
truther movement; the “birther” lies about Barack Obama; the “moon landing truther
movement,” which is common in Europe; Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy theories.
“Bias or Agenda”: This term covers the fact that writers and news outlets often have a distinct
perspective or point of view. One project might be to follow one news outlet to see if you can
identify an ideological or political agenda or a bias toward a particular world view. Another
project might be to examine 3 “op-ed” writers (from Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and
your local paper) to see if you can determine what perspective this person writes from.