Complete Article Rebuttal for Critical Thinking Course

Errors in Reasoning….you SPEAK BACK to Newspaper Bias!

Here is your chance to get even with the editorial writers! Examine a recent editorial from your newspaper of choice. You can use (among others):

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Gainesville Times
• Wall Street Journal
• New York Times
• Washington Post
• Etc.

Or whatever relevant and “real” newspaper you feel has an appropriate editorial page (but you cannot use papers like “The Penny Pincher” or the “Auto Trader” etc.) You must use a reputable real newspaper, one that is in circulation somewhere. Again, it must be a “real” newspaper, not a “blog type news source” where everything by anyone gets published.

An “editorial” is a newspaper employee’s view of a topic. The editorial staff writes these columns and the article appears on the Editoral Page. Often they are biased and full of some of the errors you have been reading about in the text. Often these editors hold themselves out to be “experts” in politics, the economy, religion, societal issues, etc. And yet, they often not only present controversial opinions, but in error too. Opposite of the Editorial page (the “OpEd” page) are readers’ views back to the editor.

I want you to choose an editorial that interests you written by one of these “editorial experts.” It should be an article about something that is worth commenting about. Choose one that you see is full of Critical Thinking Errors. Read the author’s editorial and then using what you learned in the Ruggiero text about “The Pitfalls” (Chapters 8-13) write an editorial back to the author that is worthy to be published in that very same newspaper. Point out to the author his/her “errors in reasoning” and then offer your perspective on what is a better way to view the issue being discussed. Make sure you specifically use some (many?) of the definitions about “errors in reasoning” found in your text and why the author’s editorial might contain such errors.