Fake news, the last election cycle brought the topic to the forefront. With the advent of social media fake news is able to spread easier, faster, and more effectively to users across the world. One particular form of fake news is sponsored articles. These articles are typically written in order to sell a product or an idea. The article “Top 10 Reasons to Avoid the Flu Shot” by Lori Alton is an example of such sponsored article. The author craftily uses word choice and falsehoods build unethical arguments rooted in pathos and ethos for the article, an article that at first looks genuine but in reality is just an elaborate advertisement for vitamin supplements. Misleading or false information is found in many fake news reports and articles,
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When the author makes the false argument that the flu shot is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While this claim has been disproven by several studies, the author includes the claim in her article in an effort to frighten the reader and paint the flu shot in a negative light by using the words: link, higher risk, and Alzheimer’s. The author also argues that the flu shot contains mercury, while this information is technically true, it is purposely misleading, the mercury that is the flu vaccine is chemically different from the toxic mercury (Snopes). The information is written in the article for two reasons: one, to build credibility as it is common knowledge that mercury as it is found in nature is toxic, and to aspire fear in the reader. To the uneducated reader these arguments, while untrue, are convincing enough to build an emotional case that the flu vaccine is dangerous, which is why when the author introduces the argument vitamin C is more effective and safer way to prevent the flu, it makes a positive emotional impact and the reader is hooked on the idea of vitamin supplements. In summation, the author is successful in using emotion in the article and to convince the reader to buy the
When the author makes the false argument that the flu shot is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While this claim has been disproven by several studies, the author includes the claim in her article in an effort to frighten the reader and paint the flu shot in a negative light by using the words: link, higher risk, and Alzheimer’s. The author also argues that the flu shot contains mercury, while this information is technically true, it is purposely misleading, the mercury that is the flu vaccine is chemically different from the toxic mercury (Snopes). The information is written in the article for two reasons: one, to build credibility as it is common knowledge that mercury as it is found in nature is toxic, and to aspire fear in the reader. To the uneducated reader these arguments, while untrue, are convincing enough to build an emotional case that the flu vaccine is dangerous, which is why when the author introduces the argument vitamin C is more effective and safer way to prevent the flu, it makes a positive emotional impact and the reader is hooked on the idea of vitamin supplements. In summation, the author is successful in using emotion in the article and to convince the reader to buy the