Fact over Fake: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias and Political Propaganda

by Linda Elder, Richard Paul

Overview

Today’s instantaneous and ever-present news stream frequently presents a sensationalized or otherwise distorted view of the world, demanding constant critical engagement on the part of everyday citizens. Richard Paul and Linda Elder reveal the power of critical thinking to make sense of overwhelming and often subjective media by detecting ideology, slant, and spin at work. Fact over Fake is an essential guide for anyone who wants to stay informed in today’s overwhelming news arena while not falling prey to political propaganda and manipulation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538143957
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/15/2020
Series:	Thinker's Guide Library
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	108
Sales rank:	576,542
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr. Linda Elder is an educational psychologist who has taught both psychology and critical thinking at the college level. She has been President of the Foundation for Critical Thinking and the Executive Director of the Center for Critical Thinking for almost 25 years. She has a special interest in the relation of thought and emotion, as well as the cognitive and affective. She has developed an original theory of the stages of critical thinking development. Elder has coauthored four books on critical thinking, as well as all 23 titles found in the Thinker's Guide Library.

Dr. Richard Paul was a leading proponent of critical thinking and through his work and legacy remains an international authority in the field. He founded the Center for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University in 1980, followed by the Foundation for Critical Thinking. He developed concepts, principles, and theory essentials to a robust and fairminded conception of critical thinking and authored more than 200 articles and seven books on the topic. He presented workshops to hundreds of thousands of educators over his 35-year career as a leader in the critical thinking movement.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why Critical Thinking is Essential to Making Sense of the News
The Logic of the News Media
What is News?
Political Views in the News – Understanding the Liberal Mind
Political Influences, Advertising, and Group Think
Technological Noise in the News
What We Need the News Media to Do for Us
Chapter 1: Current Trends Affecting How We See the News
Key Critical Thinking Questions to Ask When Seeking the News
Realities That Impede Our Ability to Get Objective News
The Problem of Fake News
Social Media as an Unreliable News Source

Chapter 2: Essential Critical Thinking Tools for Understanding Media Logic
Defining Critical Thinking
A Comprehensive Approach to Critical Thinking
All Humans Use Their Thinking to Make Sense of the World
All Thinking Is Defined by the Eight Elements That Make It Up
Analyze Thinking Through its Elemental Structures
Question the Reasoning Embedded in a News Article
Question Your Own Reasoning While Reading the News
Reason Through News Articles, Editorials, and Stories – a Checklist
Evaluate Reasoning Through Critical Thinking Standards
Critical Thinking Standards for Assessing News Articles, Editorials, and
Stories
Defining Characteristics of the Disciplined Mind –
and How They Help Us See Through Bias and Propaganda
Rational or Irrational Tendencies Can Control the Mind
Humans Distort Reality Through Irrational Lenses
The Problem of Egocentric Thinking
The Problem of Sociocentric Thought

Chapter 3: Objectivity, Bias, and Underlying Agendas
Democracy and the News Media
Myths That Obscure the Logic of the News Media
Bias and Objectivity in the News Media
How the News Media Views Objectivity
Forms of Objectivity
The Perception of Bias in the Mainstream
Propaganda and News Story Writing
Protecting the Home Audience from Feelings of Guilt
How the News Media Fosters Sociocentric Thinking


Chapter 4: Become an Astute Media Consumer
How to Obtain Useful Information from Propaganda and Typical News Stories
Steps in Becoming a Critical Consumer of the News
Media Awareness of Media Bias
Sensitivity to Advertisers
Sensitivity to Politicians and the Government
Sensitivity to Powerful Interests
Sensitivity to Their Competitors
The Bias Toward “Novelty” and “Sensationalism”
Critical Consumers of the News
Dominant and Dissenting Views: Finding Alternative Sources of Information
Buried, Ignored, or Underreported Stories
Readings that Help You Become a More Independent Thinker

Chapter 5: The Future of the News
Is It Possible for the News Media to Reform?
Is the Emergence of a “Critical Society” Possible?

Afterword: How the Internet and Other Technologies Pervade Our Lives
How the Internet Works: The Big Picture
Assess a Given Website Using Critical Thinking Standards

Appendix: An Abbreviated Glossary of Critical Thinking Concepts and Terms

Editorial Reviews

Paul and Elder, with their critical thinking perspective, cut into the issue of fake news, propaganda, social media dissemination and the need for professional journalism vs. social media advertisers looking for “clicks.” The latter category focuses on “click-bait” while the seriousness and integrity of professional journalists must be preserved. Their focus on the latest theories of consumer learning is also useful in that consumers are self-selecting news that fits their learned biases, rather than steering toward neutral sources without political bias. The fragmentation of the news market advances propaganda which is the antithesis of news. Only a critical thinking perspective on the part of news agencies and consumers can overcome the current situation, which is explained beautifully in this book.

Myna German

A timely revision to an essential volume for any critical thinker’s library,  Fact Over Fake provides a concise, cogent, and insightful examination of the challenges and opportunities presented by the news media landscape of the early 21st century, as well as practical tools to help navigate that daunting terrain—even for those unfamiliar with, or unaccustomed to, thinking critically about how it affects their lives every day.  An indispensable guide for all who aspire to think for themselves and for any conscientious citizen seeking to foster free, fairminded societies.

Ken Stringer

How do we become wiser consumers of the news and other information presented on the Internet, and why would this even be desirable? In the very timely book, Drs. Linda Elder and Richard Paul present a clear, comprehensive guide for those who are ready to better understand and more intelligently navigate the chaotic world of misinformation. The book begins with a review of important fundamentals, such as the concepts of news and objectivity, and discusses the powerful influences that lead to media’s distortion of events. Using examples from current news stories, the guide demonstrates how the Paulian tools for critical thinking can be applied to examine the often fragmented and biased messages we receive and to skillfully analyze and evaluate their content for ourselves. Ending with an Appendix of “Think for Yourself” exercises, this book can easily serve as a self-study companion, or a robust addition to a variety of high school and university courses.

Agnieszka Alboszta

Eye-opening, practical and thorough, this revised Thinker’s Guide is required reading for today’s consumer of news and media who is striving to make meaning amid the daily fray of contradictory information and shallow judgments. The clear strategies and timely insights provided in this book will enable you—as part of your regular consumption of online, print, or broadcast news—to interrogate biases, identify alternative perspectives, evaluate information and internalize the habits of a critical thinker.

Patty Payette

Fact over Fake is a well-researched, scholarly, academic, and thoughtful book that is helpful in this era of misinformation, fake news, echo chambers, and information bubbles. The authors pose probing questions and provide useful lists, charts, diagrams, and graphics that readers can use as a guide. They provide a list of useful activities and questions that readers can use in their analysis of news and information. The book is a valuable and meaningful addition to works dedicated to the topics of media bias and media literacy.

Larry Atkins

People turn to news to find the truth. However, popular news, as most of us think of it, is more about perspective-making than truth-telling. So, what to do? One great start is to study Dr. Elder's excellent Fact over Fake: A Critical Thinker’s Guide to Media Bias and Political Propaganda. Elder upholds the idea of the liberal-minded person as a fair-minded, critical thinker while simultaneously lambasting liberal and conservative ideologues who ignore intellectual autonomy and courage in support of their respective dogmas. The book provides a road map to consume news through the lens of the Paulian critical thinking framework. This work is easy to read but challenging to digest because it challenges us to look in the mirror and examine our thinking. As an educator, I am appreciative that this book contains several “Think for Yourself” activities that are suitable for personal or group reflection. The next time you hear the phrase “Fake News,” think carefully about who is trying to hoodwink you, and why.

Daryl Watkins