Find a credible news story in the USA from the past 3 months that employs one of

Question

Find a credible news story in the USA from the past 3 months that employs one of the fallacies of emotional argument. Explain which argument is used, how it’s used, and whether it’s effective. The fallacies of an emotional argument are;

scare tactics-possible dangers are exaggerated beyond their statistical likelihood

either-or choices-reduce the options for action to only two choices

slippery slope-portrays today's tiny misstep as tomorrow's slide into disaster

sentimental appeal-uses tender emotions excessively to distract readers from facts

bandwagon appeal-urges people to follow the same path that everyone else is taking

Explanation / Answer

The news story we have chosen for this is the resignation of Rachel Brand. She was no. 3 in line of command at Department of Justice.

The particular story that we are referring to is written by Asron Blake for The Washing Post. The story titles “Is Trump scaring away officials who would stand in his way?” dated February 12, 2018.

The story uses scare tactics to develop fear and doubt about the current USA government and President. The writer and the story goes on to say that Donald Trump’s attack on people who stand on his way is forcing them to resign from their job. However, the writer has failed to provide any statistical fact or proof for his argument. The only statement that supports his argument is a twitter screenshot from Matthew Miller, a former DOJ spokesman.

Given the reputation of Donald Trump in the media and the fact that most of the media in USA belongs to opposition party (Democrats) it is not surprising that there is constant attack on Trump’s operation. In spite of official statement from Justice Department that Brand resigned for personal reason and the speculation in media is incorrect, the article does not stop there.

These are clear fallacy in media that attempts to scare people about government and develop negative emotion among people.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse F
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.