Specific examples of fallacies in the media?

Question

I am taking a philosophy course and am looking for SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of FALLACIES committed in the media. I plan on analyzing them for class. Any good, specific examples that you might suggest?

Please note which type of fallacy you think it is committing. I am looking for: red herring, straw men, and some of the basics. I will then correct the arguments in my assignment.

Answer 1

two or three days ago a listener contacted 2GB radio station and stated particular footballers from the parramatta football club had beome very drunk.

CCTV footage and staff at the hotel in question proved the facts were very different....

yet by the time the proof was made the story had spread through the media....

this played on the fallacy that footballers are drunken brawlers..

Answer 2

Fallacy Examples In Media

Answer 3

Well, sorry that I do not know the terms you use but I find the media entirely untrustworthy - and here is why..

twice, once in NYC and once in Quito Ecuador, I saw "rallies" - and the people all stood around holding signs and chatting etc.. until the camera lights went on and then they went berserk waving their placards and screaming until the lights went off and then they just started chatting again... I am sure it looked intimidating on tv..

Reporters go to a place that is often new and different for them and write about it having less knowledge than the average person there.. They don't take the time needed to learn. I saw an article in the NY Times about the street that I used to live on in Bangkok.. It was about 50% incorrect.. and sighted such stupid observations as that it was 95 degrees and some people were wearing light jackets [ as if they were cold ] - - well, they are not cold.. They are Thai people - they are varying shades of brown skinned and for them, darker skin is lower class, they darken easily in the sun and if you are darker, you more likely might work in the fields.. now - isn't that more interesting than that they might be a bit chilly in the heat.. but like I said, abt 50% of the article was just off base - a vague shadow of the street that I know so well...

And well, not to be rude, my brother is media, they tend to think they are a little better than others, and that if they make an observation, it is interesting or correct.. alot of ego working in these people..

hope this helps

Answer 4

While it's more associated with a bias, media does use the fallacy of exaggeration a lot. I remember when Edwin Meese was the Attorney General, the television media kept making a point to note that he was the nation's top law enforcement official when there were charges of corruption within the Justice Department. I never heard that used on Janet Reno, even though there were serious criticisms of her actions during her tenure.

Answer 5

My 1st recollection of media infallibility was in 1968. It was a year of rebellion in the USA and in Chicago. The Democratic convention resulted in riots and civil unrest abounded around civil rights. I went to a high school on the north side of Chicago, Lane, which was plagued by outside instigators and those seeking to promote unrest of the Vietnam war and of civil rights. One fall day, the riots started and police chased the students and outsiders across the campus. A fire alarm was pulled for the 99% of us still in the school and trying to be educated. We had to leave, and went home. It was not uncommon during this period, we had many false fire alarms. [Some days when this happened, I just went to Wrigley field and sat in the Bleachers...but that was another story].

The CHicago Sun TImes printed the headline, something like "Lane Riots", and a story with inflammatory rhethoric such as "The school was out of control and the principal, Dr. Racky, a gray-hair nervous man, could not control the situation..." The story sounded like the school was one massive fight and we were all killing each other.

The Chicago Tribune printed what I saw and put the story on an inside page where it belonged. Something like: "Police believed that the source of the riot was outside influences, however some students joined the outsiders on the disturbance on the lawn. Police chased and dispersed the crowd, however someone pulled a fire alarm. The Principal, Dr. Racky chose to dismiss the classes for the day. They are expected to resume tomorrow. "

I have not picked up a Sun TImes since.

Answer 6

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RE:
Specific examples of fallacies in the media?
I am taking a philosophy course and am looking for SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of FALLACIES committed in the media. I plan on analyzing them for class. Any good, specific examples that you might suggest?

Answer 7

How about during the Viet Nam war, when the newspapers would print the absolutely bogus number of our men killed each day in the war. They absolutely knew these numbers were highly under the actual count, but printed them anyway so as to make it look like we were doing ok.

Or, here's a great one. In 1987 (I believe), the Kern Valley Sun, a California newspaper, was reporting on body parts which were found in the Kern River, in trash bags, the head was still missing, and they said "The case is being investigated as a possible homicide". Possible? Possible? What else would it be? Suicide?
Of course, the case was never solved, it just went away.
But, it will always be stuck in my head, I know that.

Answer 8

Research examples of leading questions as headlines, such as "is Bush losing popularity" -- which implies he is, whether or not the report is about the polls rising or falling. That made me stop watching the TV news after their "teasers."

There have been many about troops unhappy overseas, implying problems are widespread, when it is one or two troops willing to talk to the media, and have their words turned around.

Good luck--you should have volumes of material to work with, just go through some old Washington Post issues.

Answer 9

just the ideas of debate or the lack thereof of an honest debate or in your case an argument. just watch O'Reilly and count how many points or questions he asks that can be rebuked with philosophical terms. just the statement "your either with the terrorists or your with America" is a fallacy for cant i say your "either with fruit loops or your with America" or "either your with the terrorists or you're patriotic liberal" i think you should address how the points of both democrats and republicans are made from a fallacy standpoint and try not to become part of the argument remember the basis of any argument is its premis if that can be rebuked then the conclusion is false

Answer 10

When the Chicago Tribune newspaper headline stated that Dewey had won the presidential election and it was printed before the real winner, Truman, was announced.