1.Select a current event (no older than a few months) that was widely covered by the media. Here are some websites where you can search for ideas:
◦Real Clear Politics - http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
◦Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues - http://www.procon.org
◦The New York Times - http://nytimes.com
◦Drudge Report - http://www.drudgereport.com
2.Select at least two news articles on the current event you selected in step one.
◦Then answer the following questions in an essay format, taking both news articles into consideration.
◦What are the issues and the conclusions of each article?
◦What are the reasons given?
◦Which words or phrases do you find ambiguous?
◦What are the value and descriptive assumptions?
◦Are there any specific fallacies in the reasoning?
◦How good is the evidence?
◦Are there rival causes?
◦Are the statistics deceptive?
◦What significant information is omitted?
◦What reasonable conclusions are possible?
3.Be sure to cite specific phrases and sections of the news articles you are reviewing. In addition, plan to cite at least two additional sources (you may not use the required readings for the course) to back up your ideas. Remember that you will need to reference all sources used, including the newspaper articles you will be comparing and contrasting.
4.As with all assignments in this course, keep in mind that critical reasoning and thinking skills are not the same as an opinion. In this compare and contrast assignment you must back up your ideas using critical thinking skills. Review the various fallacies featured in the Module 4 and Module 5 lecture pages for terms and concepts to use in this essay.
5.Your paper, including citations and references, should be 4 to 5 pages in length, well written, and formatted according to APA Requirements.
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