Fallacies in the Media

Throughout the years, the public has become dependent on the media to keep them up to date with current events worldwide and in their local communities. In fact, many people rely completely on the media, believing that the information that is provided is factual. However, the media has gradually slipped into a trap. The trap is the overuse and abuse of language and reasoning fallacies. Reasoning fallacies are exceedingly common in daily newspapers, television reports, presidential speeches and over the radio. Day after day, the public is subjected to reasoning fallacies and if these fallacies persist, the public will have a hard time deciphering what is true and what is false and what is fact and what is opinion. Three main fallacies, which are most common today, are generalizations, red herrings and appeals to popular passions. These fallacies are harmful to the public, because they obscure the truth and present them with inaccurate material.

If influential figures in society and the media continue to provide their audiences with information that is not completely accurate and information that hides the truth, it will be hard to differentiate between reality and someone’s personal view. An example of a particular fallacy that conceals the truth are generalizations. These fallacies assume what is true for the whole, is true for the part. In an article entitled “It’s all about revenge, not equality” by Lydia Lovric (Appendix 1), she generalizes feminists, saying that they are not interested in equality. She expresses that, “All they want is revenge.” However, this is not always true. Often feminists do indeed want equality for themselves, but just because they want equality does not mean any one else cannot have that same equality. In the article, Lydia changes a popular cliché to prove her point, “What’s good for the goose is not so good for the gander.” She believes that equal treatment only applies when it benefits women. In addition, Bill O’Reily’s article entitled “How did Buster get mixed up in this mess?” (Appendix 2) O’Reily hides the truth by utilizing generalizations. The article explains that children should not be subjected to watch a familiar cartoon character interact with the gay community. Buster is shown in the episode visiting Vermont and looking quite pleased when he is in a picture with a group of lesbians. O’Reily generalizes the children of today’s society declaring that, “Kids today are blasted out a G-rated life far too early”.