Who created this message? (invested interest?)

What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? (auditory and visual?)

How might different people understand this message differently than me? (Demographics and Target audience?)

What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message?

Why is this message being sent?

Awareness Access information from a variety of sources.

Analysis Analyze and explore how messages are

"constructed" -- whether print, verbal, visual or multi-media.

Reflection Evaluate media's explicit and implicit messages

against one's own ethical, moral and/or democratic principles.

Action Express or create your own messages using a

variety of media tools.

Media: any tool or technology used for sending and/or receiving messages

Mass Media: any tool or technology used for sending messages from a central source to many receivers; usually only one-way communication is possible

Media Text: any message sent via media; could be words, pictures, sounds, or multimedia

Write down all of the modes of communication you can think of

What is the difference between one-way and two-way communication?

Which type of communication is most prevalent?

What are advantages of each?

Media literacy is an alternative to censoring, boycotting or blaming 'the media.’

The power of media literacy is its ability to inspire independent thinking and foster critical analysis. .

newspapers radio television internet billboards, posters and message

signsmass mailings of brochures, fliers,

and newslettersmagazines

1. To Inform Certain strategies affect the public’s

emotional and intellectual connection and reaction to information.

News networks are supposed to employ fair and neutral broadcasting practices.

▪ IS THE NEWS BIAS?

2. To Entertain television, movie, advertising, theatrical,

and musical industries.

These industries are free to find techniques that appeal to diverse audiences and employ these techniques to sell their products.

CAN ENTERTAINMENT BE HARMFUL?

Television: The Drug of a Nation by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (Michael Franti, 1991

Highlight or underline ALLUSIONS in the song

What is Michael Franti’s central assertion? How does he use allusions to construct

this message?

3. To Transmit Culture The media determines what the public hears,

what the public sees, and what the public knows

The public depends on the media for information, but is also suceptable to manipulation and misinformation.

Popularity is based on exposure and the media determines who or what gets this exposure, thus molding American and International cultures.

Do you believe people can be influenced by music (consciously or subliminally)?

What is conscious hip-hop? Any examples?

What is the difference between mainstream and underground artists?

4. To Pursuade Persuasion techniques are employed by

entertainers, commentators, advertisers and politicians, etc.

People are persuaded to purchase products, to believe a certain view, or to vote for a certain individual.

Propoganda is the thoughts, ideas, and images used to sway the public.

The art of speaking or writing effectively

“the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion” Aristotle

Aristotle’s persuasive strategies:

Ethos (credibility)

Pathos (Emotional)

Logos (logical)

Ethos: the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority

Logos: the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument.

.

Pathos: the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details

Greek etymology: Character

Ethical Appeal based on credibility

Demonstrates authors reliability

Establishes respect for audience’s ideas and values

References expert opinions on the subject

Language appropriate to audience and subject

Restrained, sincere, fair minded

Appropriate level of vocabulary

Correct grammar

Greek etymology: Suffering or Experience

“Appeal to the audience’s sympathies and imagination”

Causes the audience to respond emotionally or identify with argument

The power with which a story can impact an audience

Vivid, concrete language

Emotionally loaded language

Connotative meanings

Emotional examples

Vivid descriptions

Narratives

Emotional tone

Greek etymology: Word

The use of reasoning: inductive and deductive

The use of support to

substantiate a thesis

The clarity of a claim

Evokes cognitive, rational response

Theoretical, abstract language

Literal and historical analogies

Definitions

Factual data and statistics

Quotations

Citations from experts

Informed opinions

THE ART OF PERSUASION

Errors in reasoning and faulty arguments

Both formal and informal

Sometimes created unintentionally

More often created intentionally to deceive people or as a means to an end

Over 200 common fallacies

Many overlapping concepts and classifications

Deductively invalid

Inductively weak

Unjustified premise

Ignores relevant evidence

Fails to provide adequate proof

“Disguises” inadequate proof as valid

INDUCTIVE

Arguments based on experience or observation

Open ended and exploratory

Inductive Method is the Scientific Method

DEDUCTIVE

Arguments based on laws, rules, and evidence

Moves from general truths to specific conclusions

Concerned with testing or confirming a hypothesis

Logic is authority of deductive method

Using emotion-charged language to arouse an audience (potential fallacy)

Fallacy occurs when someone appeals to you to accept a claim merely because it arouses your emotion

“FOR THE CHILDREN”

Appeal to consequences

Appeal to fear Appeal to flattery Appeal to pity Appeal to ridicule Appeal to spite Wishful thinking Appeal to Ignorance* Appeal to snobbery Appeal to vanity

If a proposition has not been disproven, then it cannot be considered FALSE and must be considered TRUE

If a proposition has not been proven, then it cannot be considered TRUE and must be considered FALSE

Argumentum ad ignorantiam

Absence of evidence=evidence of absence

Used to shift the burden of proof in debate

False dichotomy (false dilemma)

Inductive reasoning

Black and White

Unfair presentation of too few choices

Implies a choice must be made based on choices presented

“If you are not with us, you are against us”

• Straying off topic• Missing the point• Going off on a tangent• Digressing• Not sticking to the issue• Answering questions with other

questions• Non Sequitur

Non Causa Pro Causa

Improperly concluding that one thing is the cause of another

4 kinds of False Cause Fallacies

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Regression

Reversing Causation

A leads to B B leads to C C leads to D … D leads to Z Z leads to HELL We don’t want to

go to HELL so don’t take that first step A

Domino Theory

Patriot Act

Reichstag Decree

Argumentum Ad Novitatem

Often used in advertising

Giving credit to an idea or belief solely on the grounds of its popularity

Bandwagon

Appeal to the masses

Appeal to the mob

Appeal to the gallery

Appeal to past practice

Argument from popularity

Common practice

Twisting the words of an opponent

Misquoting or taking statements out of context

Misrepresentation on purpose

Undermining opponent’s actual position

Often used in political debates

Attack on the person rather than the issue

Undermines credibility of opponent

Points out irrelevant circumstances in an attempt to distract or discredit

5 kinds of Ad Hominem

Genetic Fallacy

Tu Quoque

Guilt by Association

Two Wrongs Make a Right

Circumstantial

Begging the Question: petitio principii

When an argument does not make progress

The argument is composed by repeating premises that presuppose the conclusion

▪ All intentional acts of killing human beings are morally wrong.

▪ The death penalty is an intentional act of killing a human being.

▪ Therefore the death penalty is wrong.

Description of Red Herring A Red Herring is a fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is

presented in order to divert attention from the original issue. The basic idea is to "win" an argument by leading attention away from the argument and to another topic. This sort of "reasoning" has the following form:

Topic A is under discussion. Topic B is introduced under the guise of being relevant to

topic A (when topic B is actually not relevant to topic A). Topic A is abandoned. This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because merely

changing the topic of discussion hardly counts as an argument against a claim

The IEP: The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

http://www.iep.utm.edu/fallacy/

Purdue Owl: Establishing Argumentsowl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/

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