Fake News, Weasel Words & Advertising... Rhetorical Situations
How False Information Spreads...
Have you had experience/discussion lately with friends, roommates, family about an issue presented with news media? Jot down some thoughts/notes while watching (what stands out?)
Criteria in Fake News Versus...
What's in the Title?
- Are the titles too long?
- Are there weird ALL CAPS? Weird words?
- Are they sensational claims?
- More verb phrases?
What's in the Content?
- Fewer technical words, fewer analytical words?
-Smaller words?
-Fewer Quotes?
-Less information or substance? More focus on claims?
How are they trying to Persuade?
- Are they using sources, studies, reasoned arguments or relying on theories, shortcuts, and reactions?
The Weasel Words...
How are we manipulated by the following strategic words in advertisement? Consult our reading (316)
- "Help" The Number One Weasel Word
- Virtually Spotless
- New and Improved
- Acts Fast
- Works Like Anything Else
- Like Magic
- Can it be up to the Claim?
- Unfinished Words
What message, product, or service is being sold to you? How are they trying to "bamboozle" you into their way of thinking?
Every freakin' Covid-19 ad... Weasel words aplenty
What are some instances you can recall during or post-pandemic where people may be using "weasel word" tactics on us still, or another example?
Jot down some thoughts/notes while watching (what stands out?)
How can you apply rhetoric to specific situations & contexts?
As a group, decide who wants to team up to tackle the following tasks...
Activity #1
Out of the 8 Major "Weasel" Words Lutz describes with Advertising, choose at least THREE to discuss what they mean, and find some examples that make use of these weasel words in an online ad sample. What other ways does your chosen Ad use rhetoric? What appeals does this consist of? Could it be propaganda?
Activity #2
Horne discuss elements of Fake News as a propaganda technique. What from these readings expand what you know about news media and how they manipulate audiences? What is "Fake News" and its qualities? Consult the following to build from the readings and support your answer. What strategy and fake news cite did you focus on?
When group members have finished with finding their examples and responses, everyone will check back in with the group to share their findings before posting their responses.
Showdown Analysis (Getting Started)
- What will you analyze (discuss details of rhetoric, propaganda, words, images,)? and evaluate (effective vs. ineffective, on a scale of 1-10).
- TWO commercials/ads (may expand to their website/social media)
- TWO stories (either written or in media; film, episodes, music videos)
- TWO YouTube Profiles about X topic.
- TWO Sports Websites or Player Blogs/Social
- TWO Content creators on X Platform.
- TWO Social Media Profiles
- TWO Ideas expressed on Different medium
- TWO Video Game story/character arcs, ad/strategy campaigns
- TWO Film/Video Game studio sites.
Showdown Analysis (Getting Started)
- Once you have your TWO artifacts in mind, you will analyze them based on what we are learning about rhetoric. How do they fit into the conversation of:
- Cannons of Rhetoric (Invention, Style, Arrangement, Memory, Delivery)
- Rhetorical Appeals (ethos, pathos, logos, kairos)
- Propaganda tactics (From Cross reading p.271)
- Advertising "Weasel" Word Tactics (From Lutz p.316)
- Visual Strategies for rhetoric (Week 5 readings)
It would be helpful to create a WORD DOC, where you list or "information dump" all of your major talking points about the TWO artifacts. and then connect to our readings and concepts of rhetoric.
Duffy "Choose your Own Adventure"!
- Of the Duffy article's 10 statements on "Rhetoric is..." PICK 2 that you feel is a good combination for you to explore and explain why. How can you use rhetoric to strengthen your writing?
- Then think about how you would APPLY those ideas to a topic for your Showdown Analysis (we will use these later in class within groups). Using the past slides, consider what category or where your TWO artifacts will fall under or come from:
- My Major/Field of Interest
- Recreational/Hobby Expert (Opinions)
- Digital Platform or Site Analysis
- Content Creator or Influencer
- Product or Service Efficiency
- Rhetoric & Propaganda in Storytelling
- Interactive rhetoric in gaming
Showdown Analysis (Brainstorm Activity)
In your group and in CANVAS (People) accomplish the following tasks:
1. In your CANVAS GROUP (Go to People if you are on the Canvas Browser, OR if you are on the APP access Group Canvas on your Dashboard.) CREATE YOUR OWN PAGE with the following:
- Your opening class exercise about Duffy's 10 sections and your Artifact category.
- Spend some time looking at key sites you visit regularly for that will play a role in your next essay. Select TWO that you feel strongly about right now.
2. After you have created your PAGE, everyone read/browse the sites or examples that your group member included and CREATE THREE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS for them about their content that would help them talk and write about their rhetorical artifacts for the Showdown Analysis. Post these under DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for your group. You will practice answering these in class. No discussion = no credit.
Drafting Steps (consult analysis handout) -FYI
1. First things first, you want to type out or "information dump" all of the important content, features, aspects, audience, messages of the TWO artifacts you are looking at so you will have a way of writing about them effectively.
2. You will want to practice Analysis and Evaluation in this essay NOT JUST SUMMARIZING EVERYTHING. Use rhetoric language, propaganda techniques and other weasel words about advertising. You now have many tools in your rhetoric toolbox.
Practice citation/documentation (MLA) - FYI
- You will be citing/referencing two categories of things in your essay:
- ONE, your artifacts or points of analysis
- TWO, our class readings about rhetoric, propaganda, or advertising language (consult handout); essentially Week 5 and 6 readings mostly.
Check out Lanugage Awareness Part 5: A Brief Guide to Research )110-128
Fake News, Weasel Words
By codys
