Homework WEEK 3
Theme 1
https://www.economist.com/open-future/2020/01/31/even-noxious-ideas-need-airing-censorship-only-makes-them-stronger
Application:
The 2020 presidential election created a flurry of disagreements and accusations around the possibility of possible fraud. During this time, a large Facebook group called Stop the Steal was eventually deleted for misinformation and violent rhetoric. As a result, many Trump voters, angered at this censorship on Facebook or Twitter, migrated to Parler, a social media app that functions similar to Twitter, or to Wimkin or MeWe, apps that function more like Facebook. What do you think is the ultimate result of this migration? Has this group of voters achieved the free speech they sought? What might be the long-term results of this partisan divide in communication? Write a cause-and-effect essay exploring the ultimate effects of this free speech migration on social media.
Theme 2
https://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1022/p09s01-coop.html
Application:
Tannen’s article was written in 2004, and she references key events of that time (the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Iraq War, President George W. Bush’s address to the United Nations, and so on). However, much of what Tannen has to say about agonism and opposition could also be applied to today’s current political discussions and reporting of current events. Select a specific current political event and do research to see how it is reported in a few different sources, including at least one source that is not based in the United States (such as a newspaper published in the United Kingdom). Discuss similarities and differences in the various reports that you have selected, including the language used, the claims made, the points of view presented, and the people who are quoted or mentioned as sources or experts.
Theme 3
https://www.magzter.com/stories/Culture/The-New-Yorker/Thats-What-You-Think
Application:
Find an example, in your own life or in the current political news, of one of the biases described in Kolbert’s article. Describe the example, including the people involved, the events surrounding it, and if possible, the language being used. Explain what kind of bias you perceive (for example, confirmation bias, “myside bias,” the illusion of explanatory depth, or false scientific belief) and why it applies to the example, event, or story that you’ve selected.