Fact over Fake

A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias and Political Propaganda

Author: Linda Elder and Richard Paul Series: Thinker's Guide Library

This book reveals the power of critical thinking to make sense of overwhelming and often subjective media by detecting ideology, slant, and spin at work. Building off the Paul and Elder framework for critical thinking, Elder focuses on the internal logic of the news as well as societal influences on the media.

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Today’s instantaneous and ever-present news stream frequently presents a sensationalized or otherwise distorted view of the world, demanding constant critical engagement on the part of everyday citizens.

The Critical Thinker’s Guide to Bias, Lies, and Politics in the News reveals the power of critical thinking to make sense of overwhelming and often subjective media by detecting ideology, slant, and spin at work. Building off the Richard Paul and Linda Elder framework for critical thinking, Elder focuses on the internal logic of the news as well as societal influences on the media while illustrating essential elements of trustworthy journalism. With up-to-date discussions of social media, digital journalism, and political maneuvering inside and outside the fourth estate, Fact or Fake is an essential handbook for those who want to stay informed but not influenced by our modern news reporting systems.

Critic Reviews

“People turn to news to find the truth. However, popular news, as most of us think of it, is more about perspective-making than truth-telling. So, what to do? One great start is to study Dr. Elder's excellent Fact over Fake: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias and Political Propaganda. Elder upholds the idea of the liberal-minded person as a fair-minded, critical thinker while simultaneously lambasting liberal and conservative ideologues who ignore intellectual autonomy and courage in support of their respective dogmas. The book provides a road map to consume news through the lens of the Paulian critical thinking framework. This work is easy to read but challenging to digest because it challenges us to look in the mirror and examine our thinking. As an educator, I am appreciative that this book contains several "Think for Yourself" activities that are suitable for personal or group reflection. The next time you hear the phrase "Fake News," think carefully about who is trying to hoodwink you, and why.”

Eye-opening, practical and thorough, this revised Thinker's Guide is required reading for today's consumer of news and media who is striving to make meaning amid the daily fray of contradictory information and shallow judgments. The clear strategies and timely insights provided in this book will enable you--as part of your regular consumption of online, print, or broadcast news--to interrogate biases, identify alternative perspectives, evaluate information and internalize the habits of a critical thinker.

--Patty Payette, senior associate director, Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Louisville

How do we become wiser consumers of the news and other information presented on the Internet, and why would this even be desirable? In the very timely book, Drs. Linda Elder and Richard Paul present a clear, comprehensive guide for those who are ready to better understand and more intelligently navigate the chaotic world of misinformation. The book begins with a review of important fundamentals, such as the concepts of news and objectivity, and discusses the powerful influences that lead to media's distortion of events. Using examples from current news stories, the guide demonstrates how the Paulian tools for critical thinking can be applied to examine the often fragmented and biased messages we receive and to skillfully analyze and evaluate their content for ourselves. Ending with an Appendix of "Think for Yourself" exercises, this book can easily serve as a self-study companion, or a robust addition to a variety of high school and university courses.

--Agnieszka Alboszta, American English Institute, University of Oregon

--Daryl Watkins, associate professor of organizational leadership, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

About the Author

Dr. Linda Elder is an educational psychologist who has taught both psychology and critical thinking at the college level. She has been President of the Foundation for Critical Thinking and the Executive Director of the Center for Critical Thinking for almost 25 years. She has a special interest in the relation of thought and emotion, as well as the cognitive and affective. She has developed an original theory of the stages of critical thinking development. Elder has coauthored four books on critical thinking, as well as all 23 titles found in the Thinker's Guide Library.

Dr. Richard Paul was a leading proponent of critical thinking and through his work and legacy remains an international authority in the field. He founded the Center for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University in 1980, followed by the Foundation for Critical Thinking. He developed concepts, principles, and theory essentials to a robust and fairminded conception of critical thinking and authored more than 200 articles and seven books on the topic. He presented workshops to hundreds of thousands of educators over his 35-year career as a leader in the critical thinking movement.

More on this Book

Today's instantaneous and ever-present news stream frequently presents a sensationalized or otherwise distorted view of the world, demanding constant critical engagement on the part of everyday citizens. Richard Paul and Linda Elder reveal the power of critical thinking to make sense of overwhelming and often subjective media by detecting ideology, slant, and spin at work. Fact over Fake is an essential guide for anyone who wants to stay informed in today's overwhelming news arena while not falling prey to political propaganda and manipulation.