Reasoning with Logic from General Principles
Media Literacy Skill: Deducing
As the semester has progressed, you may have noticed that the skills needed to become better media consumers are advancing. We have gone from simply analyzing and evaluating to more a more in-depth approach challenging your critical thinking skills. For this assignment you will be utilizing the media literacy skill of deduction. But let’s try to simplify it a bit.
Deduction is the skill of using a few premises to reason logically toward a conclusion. The basic procedure of deduction follows a reasoning process where you examine the major and minor premises to draw on a conclusion.
The deduction algorithm follows three steps: begin with an observation, (2) identify a relevant general principle, and (3) use the two premises (observation and general principle) and reason a conclusion. The essence of deduction is to reduce things to a simple logical process where the conclusion seems so obvious that on one would dispute it. Let’s look at the algorithm that will help you do this.
For example:
Observation: All major networks have news programs.
General Principle: All news programs can be considered informative.
Conclusion: Even though all news is informative, major networks news programs may/will report news events differently.
From this observation, we can also conclude that news that consumers receive is based on the news programs they chose to watch or/and what medium they choose to watch it on. This will ultimately effect how they view the Which leads to many more questions if we continue to apply the deduction algorithm to news.
Assignment
In this assignment you will show off your logical thinking skills. Your main objective is to demonstrate how you can arrive at a logical conclusion. In this type of writing, organization is key. You will walk the reader through the steps (showing reasoning) of how you use deductive reasoning to evaluate media messages.
Directions
Write a mini research paper of 700 – 750words. Utilizing the central theme:
How does the crafting of content of entertainment, advertising, and news effect the consumer and why is this important for media literacy?
Using real world examples, employ the deduction algorithm by connecting the content of only one of the media experiences (as outlined and defined in your textbook) below to the theory listed or one of your own findings:
- Make the connection between the entertainment experiences and the cultivation theory.
- Make the connection between advertising experiences and the uses and gratification theory.
- Make the connection between news experiences and the agenda setting theory.
Conduct auxiliary research and use/reference what you find in your work. You must show your comprehension and grasp of the subject matter. DO NOT simply summarize the information. Refer to Chapter 7: Deducing: Reasoning with Logic from General Principles in your recommended text, 7 Skills of Media Literacy and use the How to Use Deduction in Your Writing Guide to help you complete your work.
Resources
Make sure you include/quote/reference at least 3 outside resources in the body of your paper. Here are a few links to a few TedTalks to get you started.
Entertainment and Story Formulas (Cultivation Theory)
- The technology of storytelling, Joe Sabia, Full Spectrum Auditions, May 2011. iPad storyteller Joe Sabia introduces us to Lothar Meggendorfer, who created a bold technology for storytelling: the pop-up book. Sabia shows how new technology has always helped us tell our own stories, from the walls of caves to his own onstage iPad.
Advertising Messages (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & Theory of Motivation or Uses and Gratifications Theory)
- What if advertising was honest? Sylvester Chauke, TED@BCG, November 2023. After years of brand building, marketing veteran Sylvester Chauke realized that his industry had sold the world on overconsumption, with devastating consequences. He shares how marketers could instead promote sustainability with "honest ads" that do right by the planet and encourage people to think twice before buying.
News Quality (Hypodermic Needle Theory or Agenda Setting Theory)
- How to seek truth in the era of fake news, Christiane Amanpour, TedGlobalNYC, September 2017. Known worldwide for her courage and clarity, Christiane Amanpour has spent the past three decades interviewing business, cultural and political leaders who have shaped history. In conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Amanpour discusses fake news, objectivity in journalism, the leadership vacuum in global politics and more, sharing her wisdom along the way. "Be careful where you get information from," she says. "Unless we are all engaged as global citizens who appreciate the truth, who understand science, empirical evidence and facts, then we are going to be wandering around -- to a potential catastrophe."
Grading
This course is a “Gordon Rule” course. The Gordon Rule requires students in Florida public universities to complete a minimum of writing intensive courses. FIU Gordon Rule courses meet this requirement by assigning several writing assignments, sequenced throughout the course, typically totaling 3,500 words or more. At FIU, in a Gordon Rule course, writing will be evaluated based on the following characteristics:
- Driven by a clear thesis or controlling idea.
- Supports thesis with adequate reasons and evidence.
- Displays sustained analysis and critical thought.
- Is organized clearly and logically.
- Shows knowledge of conventions of formal written English.
- Shows awareness of disciplinary conventions regarding content, style, form, and delivery method.
Reminders and Policies
- Make sure that you proofread your work prior to submission.
- Upload a WORD DOCUMENT ONLY to Canvas.
- Paper must be double-spaced. Use page numbers, but do not use title pages and/or page runners.
- Use 12 pt. Times Roman typeface.
- Do not ignore or write over or under the word count! Assignments that go over or are under the word count will lose 10% of the final grade. (See rubric below). Word counts will be checked. Please put your word count at the bottom of the paper.
- Don't forget to include a reference page at the end of the reaction paper. Visit The Roughwriter's Guide APA References Page by Dr. Karen Palmer for correct format.
- Late assignments will not be accepted, and technical difficulties ARE NOT an acceptable excuse for late work. If you experience technical issues, contact Canvas Technical Support.
- Students are encouraged and required to complete and submit original work created by them without the use of any automated tools (as outlined in FIU’s Student Conduct and Honor Code), including any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs in this course. This course utilizes the Turnitin Artificial Intelligence (AI) Writing Detection Tool.