Free Analyze the Logic of a News Article Essay Sample

Introduction

Lately, a newspaper, the Akron Beacon Article, printed an article attacking homeschooling. The article alleged that little is known regarding homeschoolers and implies that the government should tightly supervise and regulate the movement. They quote school officers as well as focus groups who say that homeschooling may conceal child abuse in addition to failing students.

I would like to offer a few tools elaborating why making use of a bad logic is not a good idea while attacking homeschoolers. My main aim is to analyze and point out all the fallacies within this article. Parents finding fallacies within this article can make a good school assignment.

Fallacy 1: Appeal to the People

Alleging that something is true since several people believe it is the fallacy of the appeal to the people. The Akron Beacon Article on this article used this fallacy. Nationally, according to the latest polls about this topic, the nation is divided on the socialization issue. A 2009 poll found out that the public, by only a little bigger percentage 49 to 46 believes that homeschooling does not encourage good citizenship. More than 53% of individuals living in the Western United Sates believe that homeschooling upholds good citizenship, whereas just 37% within the East agree. 92% of Americans said that homeschoolers are supposed to take similar tests with public school students.

In my opinion, public opinion is not an effective gauge for what is true or false. Just because a big percentage of the population thinks that homeschooling does not produce good citizens does not validate this. Asserting this would be an appeal to the people.

Fallacy 2: Faulty Appeal to Authority

Another fallacy used within the Beacon Article is faulty appeal to authority. David Swarbrick estimates that 60% of homeschoolers are on par with the public schools while 20% are above and 20% are below. When people read such statics, they might get worried that homeschoolers do not excel at academics as the others. Nevertheless, before accepting David's analysis, it is important to look at his credentials. For once, he is not an authority on comparing the academic achievements of homeschoolers to government school students. To appeal to his professional knowledge would be a faulty to authority. There are several, untested segments of the homeschoolers who could be failing according to several researchers.  A news article is supposed to name researchers it is quoting and explain their credentials. If not, the article is making use of a faulty appeal to authority.

Fallacy 3: Proof by Lack of Evidence

The nation gathers an unparalleled volume of statistics on public school students. On the other hand, it does not know anything regarding the children who are educated at home. Lack of evidence is only proof that there is no evidence. There is no evidence of prevalent cannibalism among Akron, Ohio residents: is the government supposed to fund a huge study to learn why there is no proof. No, the government ought to channel these funds in studying problems for which there is evidence. This line of reasoning leads to losing perspective. People imagine the horrifying likelihoods of what homeschoolers could be doing behind closed doors, but people forget that there is absolutely no evidence for this; we merely have a lack of evidence. Paranoia is an unreasonable fear of the unknown. A news article commits the fallacy of proof through lack of evidence when it suggests that something is valid simply because there was no proof to the contrary.  A lack of evidence cannot be utilized in supporting or refuting anything. The news article has the burden of proof to supply positive proof to support its reporting and claim. Throughout this article, the proof is weaved by lack of evidence as well as a manipulative technique known as innuendo.

 

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