CRITICAL READING Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Skilled readers are those who can recognize an author’s point and the support for that point. Critical readers are those who can evaluate an author’s support for a point and determine whether that support is solid or not.

This chapter will extend your ability to read critically in three ways: Separating fact from opinion Detecting propaganda Recognizing errors in reasoning CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading

Separating Fact from Opinion CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading

Fact A fact is information that can be proved true through objective evidence. This evidence may be physical proof or the spoken or written testimony of witnesses. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion

/ Fact Here is another statement of fact. At least four out of five adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Extensive medical research confirms that this statement is true. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion

Opinion An opinion is a belief, judgment, or conclusion that cannot be objectively proved true. As a result, it is open to question. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion

Here is a statement that is an opinion: With the exception only of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln was the greatest leader our country has ever had. Many people might agree with this statement, but others would not. There is no way to prove it definitively. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Opinion

With the exception only of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln was the greatest leader our country has ever had. Greatest is a value word, a word we use to express a value judgment. Value words are signals that an opinion is being expressed. By their very nature, these words represent opinions, not facts. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Opinion

Value words (ones that contain a judgment) often represent opinions. Examples of Value Words CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / Five Points about Fact and Opinion Separating Fact from Opinion

The words should and ought to often signal opinions. Those words introduce what some people think should, or ought to, be done. Other people may disagree. Adults who molest young children ought to be put to death. Examples Women with children should not run for public office. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / Five Points about Fact and Opinion Separating Fact from Opinion

CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / Five Points about Fact and Opinion Separating Fact from Opinion Numbers (dates, percentages, measurements, etc): Numbers often signify facts, because they can be proven.

Don’t mistake widely held opinions for facts. Much information that sounds factual is really opinion. An ad may claim that a particular automobile is “the most economical car on the road today,” a statement that at first seems factual. But what is meant by economical? If the car offers the most miles per gallon but the worst record for expensive repairs, you might not agree that it’s economical. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / Five Points about Fact and Opinion Separating Fact from Opinion

/ Five Points about Fact and Opinion Much of what we read and hear is a mixture of fact and opinion. Our job is to draw upon existing fact and opinion and to arrive at an informed opinion. The reality is that most of what matters in life is very complex and cannot be separated into simple fact and opinion. Our challenge always is to arrive at the best possible informed opinion. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion; by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country. B. Legalized abortion is the main cause of sexual misbehavior in the United States. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion; by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country. B. Legalized abortion is the main cause of sexual misbehavior in the United States. Statement A presents facts that could be looked up in historical records. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion; by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country. B. Legalized abortion is the main cause of sexual misbehavior in the United States. Statement A presents facts that could be looked up in historical records. Statement B is an opinion. Some people would argue, for example, that sexual misbehavior existed before abortion became an option. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? Which is fact and opinion? A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old hand-drawn animated ones. B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio. C. The 1940 animated film Fantasia, which combined animation with classical music, is the most imaginative movie ever made. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? Which is fact and opinion? A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old hand-drawn animated ones. B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio. C. The 1940 animated film Fantasia, which combined animation with classical music, is the most imaginative movie ever made. Statement B is a fact that can be confirmed by checking film records. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? Which is fact and opinion? A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old hand-drawn animated ones. B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio. C. The 1940 animated film Fantasia, which combined animation with classical music, is the most imaginative movie ever made. Statement B is a fact that can be confirmed by checking film records. Statement A is an opinion. Many people might disagree. The value word good is a clue. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading

Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion? Which is fact and opinion? Statement A is an opinion. Many people might disagree. The value word good is a clue. The first part of C is a fact that can be confirmed in movie records and by watching the film. The second part is an opinion; other people might nominate some other film as the most imaginative one ever made. Statement B is a fact that can be confirmed by checking film records. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading

Detecting Propaganda CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading

Advertisers, salespeople, and politicians are constantly promoting their points: “Buy our product,” “Believe what I say,” and “Vote for me.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Often, they lack adequate factual support for their points, so they appeal to our emotions by using propaganda techniques. Part of being a critical reader is having the ability to recognize these propaganda techniques for the emotional fluff that they are. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

This section will introduce you to six common propaganda techniques: Bandwagon Testimonial Transfer Plain Folks Name Calling Glittering Generalities There are other propaganda techniques, but these six are among the most common. They all use emotional appeals to distract from the fact they are not providing solid evidence to support their points. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

1 Bandwagon The bandwagon technique tells us to buy a product or support a certain issue because, in effect, “everybody else is doing it.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Here are two examples of ads that use the bandwagon appeal: An ad announces a sale giving us a chance to buy the most popular SUV in America today. In a soft drink ad, a crowd of young people follow a young woman on skates who is drinking a diet soda. The ads imply that if you don’t jump on the bandwagon and get on the winning side, the parade will pass you by. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 1 Bandwagon Detecting Propaganda

Which statement below uses bandwagon appeal? A. A beautiful woman in a slinky red dress is shown driving the sponsor’s car. B. An ad for a weight-loss pill features an attractive couple who are “just two of the millions” who have decided to get their bodies back with the new diet formula. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 1 Bandwagon Detecting Propaganda

/ 1 Bandwagon Which statement below uses bandwagon appeal? A. A beautiful woman in a slinky red dress is shown driving the sponsor’s car. B. An ad for a weight-loss pill features an attractive couple who are “just two of the millions” who have decided to get their bodies back with the new diet formula. The phrase just two of the millions alerts us to the bandwagon technique. The ad suggests that you, too, should use this pill the way millions of others have. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

2 Testimonial The idea behind the testimonial approach is that the testimony of famous people influences the viewers that admire these people. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Here are two examples of real ads that use the appeal of testimonials: A famous actor is shown coping with a swarm of photographers in order to get a bottle of his favorite beer. A popular TV talk show host appears in an ad that indicates she uses a certain credit card. The fame of the actor and of the talk show host is intended to influence us to use the products they are endorsing. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 2 Testimonial Detecting Propaganda

Which ad below uses a testimonial? A. Numerous people crowd around the department store door, waiting for the store to open. B. A famous actress says that she loves to use a certain hair coloring. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 2 Testimonial Detecting Propaganda

/ 2 Testimonial Which ad below uses a testimonial? A. Numerous people crowd around the department store door, waiting for the store to open. B. A famous actress says that she loves to use a certain hair coloring. B is a testimonial because a “famous actress” is endorsing the product. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

3 Transfer The most common type of propaganda technique is transfer, in which products or candidates try to associate themselves with something that people admire or love. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

The picture you saw at the beginning of this section is an example of transfer. The candidate is hoping that the positive feelings we have toward the sexy-looking beauty queen and the patriotism stirred in us by the American flag and the U.S.A. banner will be transferred to him and get us to vote for him. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 3 Transfer Detecting Propaganda

Which ad below uses transfer? A. A beer company sponsors the Daytona 500 auto race with the line “America’s Race and America’s Beer.” B. A picture of a can of soda bears the caption, “You know it’s got to be good.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 3 Transfer Detecting Propaganda

/ 3 Transfer Which ad below uses transfer? A. A beer company sponsors the Daytona 500 auto race with the line “America’s Race and America’s Beer.” B. A picture of a can of soda bears the caption, “You know it’s got to be good.” The word America’s signals the transfer technique. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

4 Plain Folks In the plain folks technique, powerful people present themselves as ordinary, average citizens. Political candidates often use the plain folks technique. Similarly, the presidents of some companies appear in their own ads, trying to show that their giant corporations are just family businesses run by ordinary folks. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Here are two examples of real ads that have used the appeal of plain folks: Average-looking American kids are shown at home trying and enjoying a cereal. The president of a poultry company talks to us as if he’s an everyday shopper looking for a quick, easy meal to make, just like us. In the first ad, the cereal company wants to show us that its product is enjoyed by average kids just like ours. In the second ad, the president of the poultry company wants us to see that he’s just an average guy who shops for dinner just like we do. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 4 Plain Folks Detecting Propaganda

Which ad below uses a plain folks approach? A. A famous basketball player wears the sponsor’s sneakers. B. The president of a car company is shown playing on the lawn with his young children. He says, “I’m head of this company, but I’m also a dad who is concerned about automobile safety.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 4 Plain Folks Detecting Propaganda

/ 4 Plain Folks Which ad below uses a plain folks approach? A. A famous basketball player wears the sponsor’s sneakers. B. The president of a car company is shown playing on the lawn with his young children. He says, “I’m head of this company, but I’m also a dad who is concerned about automobile safety.” The president of the company is showing that he is a regular family guy. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

5 Name Calling Name calling is the use of emotionally loaded language or negative comments to turn people against a product or political candidate or cause. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Here are two examples of name calling taken from real life: In the 1950s, during the early days of the “cold war” with the Soviet Union, an exaggerated concern about communism in this country brought charges of un- Americanism against many. During a taste test, consumers described the other leading brand of spaghetti sauce as “too salty” and “thin and tasteless.” Saying someone is “un-American” is name calling. So is saying the sauce is “thin and tasteless.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 5 Name Calling Detecting Propaganda

Which ad below uses name calling? A. A political ad implies that a candidate who does not support the war in Afghanistan is anti-American. B. A pastor describes how when his house burned down, his home insurance company responded quickly and helpfully. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading / 5 Name Calling Detecting Propaganda

/ 5 Name Calling Which ad below uses name calling? A. A political ad implies that a candidate who does not support the war in Afghanistan is anti-American. B. A pastor describes how when his house burned down, his home insurance company responded quickly and helpfully. Suggesting someone is anti-American for such a reason is name calling. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

6 Glittering Generalities A glittering generality is an important-sounding but unspecific claim about some product, candidate, or cause. The claim uses fine and virtuous words but says nothing definite. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda

Here are two examples of real ads that use glittering generalities: A room deodorizer exclaims, “Experience the freshness!” A canned-food ad boasts of “nutrition that works.” The statements Experience the freshness and nutrition that works sound important but tell us nothing about the products. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities

Which ad below uses a glittering generality? A. A car ad claims, “It just feels right.” B. A movie star looks over her dark sunglasses and says, “Maybe you can’t be a celebrity. But you can look like one in glasses like mine.” CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities

Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities Which ad below uses a glittering generality? A. A car ad claims, “It just feels right.” B. A movie star looks over her dark sunglasses and says, “Maybe you can’t be a celebrity. But you can look like one in glasses like mine.” The statement in the car ad tells us nothing definite about the car. CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading