ENGL 101 - English Composition I - Rice

propaganda

• adopted by governments, corporations and non-profits to manage attitudes, values and knowledge
• appeals to emotion
• can be beneficial or harmful

partisan

• ideological and includes interpretation of facts but may claim to be impartial
• privileges facts that conform to the narrative whilst forgoing others
• emotional and passionate language

clickbait

• eye catching, sensational headlines designed to distract
• often misleading and content may not reflect headline
• drives ad revenue

conspiracy theory

• tries to explain simply complex realities as response to fear or uncertainty
• not falsifiable and evidence that refutes the conspiracy is regarded as further proof of the conspiracy
• rejects experts and authority

sponsored content

• advertising made to look like editorial
• potential conflict of interest for genuine news organizations
• consumers might not identify content as advertising if it is not clearly labeled

pseudoscience

• purveyors of greenwashing, miracle cures, anti-vaccination and climate change denial
• misrepresents real scientific studies with exaggerated or false claims
• often contradicts experts

satire and hoax

• social commentary or humor
• varies widely in quality and intended meaning may not be apparent
• can embarrass people who confuse the content as true

misinformation

• includes a mix of factual, false or partly false content
• intention can be to inform but author may not be aware the content is false
• false attributions, doctored content and misleading headlines

error

• established news organizations sometimes make mistakes
• mistakes can hurt the brand, offend or result in litigation
• reputable orgs publish apologies

bogus

• entirely fabricated content spread intentionally to disinform
• guerrilla marketing tactics, bots, comments and counterfeit branding
• motivated by ad revenue, political influence or both

DIG DEEPER

false attribution

• authentic images, video or quotes are attributed to the wrong events or person

counterfeit

• websites and Twitter accounts that pose as a well-known brand or person

misleading

• content does not represent what the headline and captions suggest

doctored content

• content, such as statistics, graphs, photos and video have been modified or doctored

Beyond the Source: Source + You + Other Sources The Source What does it say or is the main point? Where was it published/posted? When was it published/posted? Who is the author/creator? Why does it exist? How does it incorporate evidence? When was it changed? Where did you access it? What other information can you find about this topic? How did the information find you? How did you react? Who is missing from the conversation? Why do you need this information? The Source What... does it say or is the main point? • relevance to your topic Where... was it published/posted? • a scholarly journal • a website • news source • social media When ... was it published/posted? • current events • historical context Who ... is the author/creator? • expert • scholar • journalist • advertiser/influencer • non-profit • corporation • government Why ... does it exist? • sell • persuade • politicize • research • educate • entertain How ... does it incorporate evidence? • references (cited works) • quotes • charts/graphs • methodology • original research • anecdote/personal experience Beyond the Source What ... other information can you find about this topic? • Wikipedia • search engines • fact checker sites • your library Where... did you access it? • blog • library database • book • webpage • tweet • press release When ... was the information changed? • updated • revised • redacted • altered Who ... is missing from the conversation? • marginalized groups • opposing viewpoints • subject experts • global perspectives Why ... do you need this information? • academic assignment • work presentation • share on social media • personal understanding • decision making • activism How ... did the information find you? How did you react? • filter bubbles • bots • algorithms on search engines • cookies • advertising • shared on social