Critical Reading: Fact, Opinion, Propaganda, and Fallacy

Separating Fact from Opinion

Signals of Opinion

Recognizing Propaganda and Logical Fallacies

Read the statement from a vacuum cleaner review: "The model runs for forty minutes on a single charge, which makes it the best value in its class; the dustbin holds half a liter, so emptying it is a ridiculous chore." Which part of this statement expresses an opinion rather than a fact?

Read the script of a political advertisement airing on local stations: "Senator Hale wants to raise your taxes. But before you decide, consider the source. Senator Hale parks across two spaces at the gym, cuts ahead in the cafeteria line, and three former staffers call her the rudest person they have ever worked for. Reporters say she once kept a volunteer fundraiser waiting for forty minutes while she finished a phone call, and the fundraiser left without ever meeting her. A person who cannot handle common courtesy in a parking lot or a hallway cannot be trusted with the federal budget and your family's money. Senator Hale has shown us who she is. Vote for someone who respects you, respects your time, and respects your wallet." Which fallacy does this advertisement commit?

Read the advertisement running in magazines and online: "Over four million drivers have switched to TorqueMax motor oil. From coast to coast, garages are stocking it, weekend racers swear by it, and your neighbors are already pouring it into their engines at every oil change. Fleet operators have made the switch in record numbers, roadside surveys show TorqueMax bottles in trunks from Maine to California, and the company reports its busiest production year in its history. The switch is happening with or without you. Ask for TorqueMax at your next oil change, and join the movement that millions have already made. TorqueMax: the oil America runs on." Which feature of this advertisement is a bandwagon appeal?

Complete the sentence: "The fallacy that assumes a cause-and-effect relationship merely because one event happened before another is called ____ reasoning (false cause)."