This article issued by the guardian focusses on David Cameron's speech regarding the worrying situation in the French port.
The article quotes UK's prime minister upon trying to explain himself for his use of the word "swarm" to describe the numbers of immigrants entering the UK. By quoting him, the writer expresses his disagreement with the prime ministers thoughts as well as pointing out the flaws within the numerous speeches he gave. For example once being asked whether the UK welcomes a fair number of people seeking asylum, Cameron avoids answering the question by diverting the audiences attention with the use of Red Herring. Instead of stating figures he simply claims that the UK, during the previous 25 years, has been amongst the most generous countries. After stating that he yet again diverts the audiences attention back to the main aim of his speech which is convincing others that the UK cannot allow migrants to 'break in' to their country.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Thursday 28th January
Naming is a very useful tool which is in use from a long time ago. It is used to diminish others.
Naming is diminishment.
Newspapers often use naming to frighten. Eg describing migrants as a swarm.
Or describing the course of events as a 'refugee crisis'. This is also name calling but the newspapers do so to titillate the audience.
Economic migrant- someone who is moving out of their country to find a better life (not necessarily because their country is dangerous.)
Rule 1 for a politician- 1. get elected
2. stay elected
Most politicians are in it for glory and to get elected.
Naming is diminishment.
Newspapers often use naming to frighten. Eg describing migrants as a swarm.
Or describing the course of events as a 'refugee crisis'. This is also name calling but the newspapers do so to titillate the audience.
Economic migrant- someone who is moving out of their country to find a better life (not necessarily because their country is dangerous.)
Rule 1 for a politician- 1. get elected
2. stay elected
Most politicians are in it for glory and to get elected.
Friday, January 22, 2016
MEDIA CONTROL- Noam Chomsky
Friday 22nd January 2016
More logical fallacies:
Circumstantial evidence: We cannot rely on circumstantial evidence. Even when it happens to be right, it is wrong because it is circumstantial evidence.
Newspapers make money by titillating their audience.
More logical fallacies:
Circumstantial evidence: We cannot rely on circumstantial evidence. Even when it happens to be right, it is wrong because it is circumstantial evidence.
Newspapers make money by titillating their audience.
Logical Fallacies
Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim.
We must learn to avoid these in our own arguments and be able to spot them in the arguments of others.
Circumstantial evidence: We cannot rely on circumstantial evidence. Even when it happens to be right, it is wrong because it is circumstantial evidence.
Slippery Slope: This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur, A must not be allowed to occur either.
This method is often used in court to jump to conclusions.
If we ban Hummers because they are bad for the environment eventually the government will ban all cars, so we should not ban Hummers.
Eg This red apple is poisonous and will kill you if you eat it. Therefore you should not eat any red apples as they are poisonous and can kill you.
If you smoke cannabis you'll get bored and move onto other drugs. Weed is a gateway drug
Hearsay- Where you pass information which you have heard from somebody else.
I heard that she will not be coming to school for 3 weeks from Suzan.
We must learn to avoid these in our own arguments and be able to spot them in the arguments of others.
Circumstantial evidence: We cannot rely on circumstantial evidence. Even when it happens to be right, it is wrong because it is circumstantial evidence.
This method is often used in court to jump to conclusions.
If we ban Hummers because they are bad for the environment eventually the government will ban all cars, so we should not ban Hummers.
Eg This red apple is poisonous and will kill you if you eat it. Therefore you should not eat any red apples as they are poisonous and can kill you.
If you smoke cannabis you'll get bored and move onto other drugs. Weed is a gateway drug
Hasty Generalization: This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts. Example:
Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course.
Eg. Thinking someone is a loser judging only their looks.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc: This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' Example:
I drank bottled water and now I am sick, so the water must have made me sick.
Eg. Shawn got punched in the eye yesterday, today he's not in school and it must be because of yesterdays incident.
Genetic Fallacy: This conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth. Example:
The Volkswagen Beetle is an evil car because it was originally designed by Hitler's army.
She's good at maths because she's Asian.
Begging the Claim: The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Example:
Filthy and polluting coal should be banned.
------------------------------------
Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it. Example:
George Bush is a good communicator because he speaks effectively.
She's a good athlete because she is fit.
Either/or: This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices. Example
We can either stop using cars or destroy the earth.
One can either stop eating fast food or face obesity.
Ad hominem: This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her opinions or arguments. Example:
Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all dirty, lazy hippies.
His lessons are so boring because he is not motivated.
Ad populum: This is an emotional appeal that speaks to positive (such as patriotism, religion, democracy) or negative (such as terrorism or fascism) concepts rather than the real issue at hand. Example:
If you were a true American you would support the rights of people to choose whatever vehicle they want.
--------------------------------------------------
Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them. Example:
The level of mercury in seafood may be unsafe, but what will fishers do to support their families?
Straw Man: This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument.
People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor.
Hearsay- Where you pass information which you have heard from somebody else.
I heard that she will not be coming to school for 3 weeks from Suzan.
Moral Equivalence: This fallacy compares minor misdeeds with major atrocities.
That parking attendant who gave me a ticket is as bad as Hitler.
------------------------
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Wednesday 20th January '16
The logical fallacies that we are contending with right now are the beliefs that Syrian refugees are religious fanatics.
The logical fallacy is that 2 Syrians amongst the 2.1 million are religious fanatics, therefore all the Syrians are religious fanatics.
Rhetoric
Ethos starts with following the words and deeds of someone else, then it becomes theological(which are the rules and regulations of religion, e.g. how people have interpreted the book). Once religion starts to dissipate we start to talk about ethics (what is right and what is wrong).
In the world that we live in now people rely more and more on morality and ethics however doing that leads back to logical fallacies. Which leads to situation ethics. Because ethics always depend on the situation. Nothing is black and white, there is always a series of greys.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Propaganda
Propaganda is used more often than we think, it is used by many large companies as well as personalities and politicians. It can be used by any individual or organisation looking to influence human behavior.
We face propaganda multiple times a day, by manipulating the symbols of our most basic human emotions.
With the growth of communication systems and social media, propaganda has increased with them.
-The increase in propaganda and the number of messages one processes every day has lead to people trying to processes this information faster and therefore this can lead to individuals making social short-cuts. This can come as a major advantage to propagandists because many of these shortcuts blur rational thought.
-They encourage short-cuts by agitating emotion, exploiting insecurities by capitalizing on the ambiguity of language, and by bending the rules of logic. As shown through history these can be quite effective.
Propaganda analysis looks at the techniques used by propagandists and how we can resist the short-cuts they promote.
The name calling technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol. The propagandist hopes that the audience will reject this person or idea on the basis of the negative symbol, instead of looking for evidence.
There are more and less subtle ways of name calling. The more subtle ways of name calling posses a negative emotional charge. Eh stingy or thrifty.
When propagandists use glittering generalities and name calling symbols, they attempt to arouse their audience with vivid, emotionally suggestive words. Propagandists attempt to pacify the audience in order to make an unpleasant reality more palatable. Propaganda can be found in all sides of the political spectrum.
Propagandists often try to transfer religious prestige or the reputation of science or medicine to a particular project or set of beliefs.
Transfer- When a political activist closes her speech with a public prayer, she is attempting to transfer religious prestige to the ideas that she is advocating. In a similar fashion, propagandists may attempt to transfer the reputation of "Science" or "Medicine" to a particular project or set of beliefs.
Testimonial- citing a qualified source. The most common misuse of the testimonial involves citing individuals who are not qualified to make judgements about a particular issue. In 1992, Barbara Streisand supported Bill Clinton, and Arnold Schwarzenegger threw his weight behind George Bush. Both are popular performers, but there is no reason to think that they know what is best for this country.
Plain Folks-
We face propaganda multiple times a day, by manipulating the symbols of our most basic human emotions.
With the growth of communication systems and social media, propaganda has increased with them.
-The increase in propaganda and the number of messages one processes every day has lead to people trying to processes this information faster and therefore this can lead to individuals making social short-cuts. This can come as a major advantage to propagandists because many of these shortcuts blur rational thought.
-They encourage short-cuts by agitating emotion, exploiting insecurities by capitalizing on the ambiguity of language, and by bending the rules of logic. As shown through history these can be quite effective.
Propaganda analysis looks at the techniques used by propagandists and how we can resist the short-cuts they promote.
The name calling technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol. The propagandist hopes that the audience will reject this person or idea on the basis of the negative symbol, instead of looking for evidence.
There are more and less subtle ways of name calling. The more subtle ways of name calling posses a negative emotional charge. Eh stingy or thrifty.
When propagandists use glittering generalities and name calling symbols, they attempt to arouse their audience with vivid, emotionally suggestive words. Propagandists attempt to pacify the audience in order to make an unpleasant reality more palatable. Propaganda can be found in all sides of the political spectrum.
Propagandists often try to transfer religious prestige or the reputation of science or medicine to a particular project or set of beliefs.
Transfer- When a political activist closes her speech with a public prayer, she is attempting to transfer religious prestige to the ideas that she is advocating. In a similar fashion, propagandists may attempt to transfer the reputation of "Science" or "Medicine" to a particular project or set of beliefs.
Testimonial- citing a qualified source. The most common misuse of the testimonial involves citing individuals who are not qualified to make judgements about a particular issue. In 1992, Barbara Streisand supported Bill Clinton, and Arnold Schwarzenegger threw his weight behind George Bush. Both are popular performers, but there is no reason to think that they know what is best for this country.
Plain Folks-
| By using the plain-folks technique, speakers attempt to convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are "of the people." The device is used by advertisers and politicans alike. |
Monday, January 11, 2016
MTV Global warming advert
Analysis of the MTV Global Warming Advert
What makes the advert good?
-music
-effects grab the audiences attention
- great graphics which put the situation into perspective
What makes it bad?
-It fails to reach its demographic
-It fails to create a jump to action
INTRODUCTION- The MTV global warming advertisement was a well structured however failed to reach its demographic. In addition, the text at the end of the advert is too small and the language it uses is too complex for the audience they were aiming for. Which was the whole reason the campaign failed. Aside from that, the advert is extremely powerful. The visual effects help simplify the causes of global warming for a wider audience. Whereas the music contributes to the alarming mood, finally the graphics also aim to grab the audiences attention.
PARAGRAPH 1- positive factor
The visual effects portrayed in the advert have been well thought out and effectively serve to capture the audience's attention.
-Cartoon like cars, airplanes and clouds floating around an everyday mundane object such as the globe.
Creates contrast between a mundane object often taken for granted and the visual effects of the clouds and cars. It captivates the audience because seeing something unexpected will immediately force them to want to watch more.
PARAGRAPH 2- positive factor
The music completely fits in with the theme of the advert which is to move the audience in the hope of creating awareness and making a change.
The song is sang by a male who sings in a particularly depressed voice to add to the theme. In addition the song itself is written using minor keys which automatically makes it sad.
PARAGRAPH 3- positive factor
Lastly the graphics serve not only to grab ones attention but to simplify the situation for the larger audience to understand, as well. Anyone person can understand that the increasing number of dark clouds and lightning means there is nothing good the future hold.
PARAGRAPH 4- negative factor
In contrast what this advert fails to do is reach its demographic. This is the point where an advert can fail completely or succeed. Especially when it comes to an advert trying to raise awareness.
The advert fails to do so by inserting text which is much to small and not using the right diction. Most people for which the simplistic style of the advert was aimed will not understand the meaning of a ''tipping point''. Which makes them likely to simply ignore it.
PARAGRAPH 5- negative factor
Due to the small text at the end of the advert, it fails to create a jump to action. All the animation and sad music which was leading up to it completely dies down because there was no distinct moment when one would say they need to make a change.
Towards the end of the advert we skip to a shot of an alarm clock counting down, this would have been very effective if I knew what we were counting down to. Which is why the message portrayed by the small text should have been bigger.
What makes the advert good?
-music
-effects grab the audiences attention
- great graphics which put the situation into perspective
What makes it bad?
-It fails to reach its demographic
-It fails to create a jump to action
INTRODUCTION- The MTV global warming advertisement was a well structured however failed to reach its demographic. In addition, the text at the end of the advert is too small and the language it uses is too complex for the audience they were aiming for. Which was the whole reason the campaign failed. Aside from that, the advert is extremely powerful. The visual effects help simplify the causes of global warming for a wider audience. Whereas the music contributes to the alarming mood, finally the graphics also aim to grab the audiences attention.
PARAGRAPH 1- positive factor
The visual effects portrayed in the advert have been well thought out and effectively serve to capture the audience's attention.
-Cartoon like cars, airplanes and clouds floating around an everyday mundane object such as the globe.
Creates contrast between a mundane object often taken for granted and the visual effects of the clouds and cars. It captivates the audience because seeing something unexpected will immediately force them to want to watch more.
PARAGRAPH 2- positive factor
The music completely fits in with the theme of the advert which is to move the audience in the hope of creating awareness and making a change.
The song is sang by a male who sings in a particularly depressed voice to add to the theme. In addition the song itself is written using minor keys which automatically makes it sad.
PARAGRAPH 3- positive factor
Lastly the graphics serve not only to grab ones attention but to simplify the situation for the larger audience to understand, as well. Anyone person can understand that the increasing number of dark clouds and lightning means there is nothing good the future hold.
PARAGRAPH 4- negative factor
In contrast what this advert fails to do is reach its demographic. This is the point where an advert can fail completely or succeed. Especially when it comes to an advert trying to raise awareness.
The advert fails to do so by inserting text which is much to small and not using the right diction. Most people for which the simplistic style of the advert was aimed will not understand the meaning of a ''tipping point''. Which makes them likely to simply ignore it.
PARAGRAPH 5- negative factor
Due to the small text at the end of the advert, it fails to create a jump to action. All the animation and sad music which was leading up to it completely dies down because there was no distinct moment when one would say they need to make a change.
Towards the end of the advert we skip to a shot of an alarm clock counting down, this would have been very effective if I knew what we were counting down to. Which is why the message portrayed by the small text should have been bigger.
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