SUMMARY
Locate a fake, misleading, satirical, or tabloid news article; summarize it; explain why it is fake, misleading, satirical, or tabloid news, and respond to the article
using the concepts discussed in chapter 2 of our textbook and the news-related material discussed in class.
Task
Your task in this assignment is: first, to carefully condense the information from your article into a summary that is accurate, objective, and concise. Then, in your
response, you will share your analysis of/and reaction to the article and then classify it as fake, misleading, satirical, or tabloid news.
Length, Deadlines, and Format
Final Draft: 2-3 pages DUE: ___________
Requirements
1. Adhere to summary criteria.
The summary must meet the three criteria discussed in class:
It must be an accurate representation of what the author is saying.
It must be a fair representation the author’s position.
It must make efficient use of the assignment’s length by presenting the subject matter in a concise fashion.
2. Your introduction should identify the article and the argument/main point.
The introduction should contain the following three things:
· Author and title
· Short description of general topic (i.e. alternative medicine)
· Clear statement of author’s argument/main point (see #4 below)
3. The summary should address the most significant information in the article.
The rest of the paper (the body paragraphs) should cover the main points of the article. You may find it useful to look back to your notes from class.
4. Use language that makes it clear that the author’s ideas are not your own.
The summary should draw on language that introduces the argument of another person. In other words, don’t simply parrot the author’s argument, but use language that
makes it clear these ideas belong to someone else.
To clarify, not every sentence needs to incorporate these verbs. As long as sentences like this one appear every now and then, it will remain clear to your reader that
the ideas are not yours but belong to the author of the article you are summarizing. There’s no golden rule for how many are necessary, but you might consider having
one or two per paragraph, or one every two to three sentences.
Other useful verbs:
acknowledges
adds
admits
agrees
argues
asserts
believes
claims
comments
compares
confirms
contends
declares
denies
describes
disputes
emphasizes
endorses
grants
illustrates
implies
insists
notes
observes
points out
reasons
refutes
rejects
reports
responds
suggests
thinks
write
It must be 2-3 pages. You should have an introductory paragraph and a paragraph for each of the main points you’re summarizing. I suggest that you use double-entry
journaling or one of the other techniques discussed in chapter 2, use your journaling or fast write to create an outline, and then write a paragraph for each part of
that outline. Say things in your own words as much as possible. If you use the author’s exact words, put them in quotes.
A few strategies for reducing summaries down into their most concise possible form include:
· Cutting nonessential information.
· Finding more general ways to express multiple specific things.
· Turning sections with lots of details into quick, concise lists then embed the items in a sentence.
RESPONSE
Your response should be a critique or evaluation of an article or essay. Unlike the summary, it is composed of YOUR opinions in relation to the article being
summarized. It examines ideas that you agree or disagree with and identifies the essay’s strengths and weaknesses in reasoning and logic, in quality of supporting
examples, and in organization and style. It shares the reasons/
criteria you used to classify the article is fake, misleading, satirical, or tabloid news. A good response is persuasive; therefore, it should cite facts, examples,
and personal experience that either refutes or supports the article you are responding to, depending on your stance/classification.
Make a clear transition from the summary to the response, and then state a clear thesis about the kind of response you will be making. For example, your thesis could
begin, “I disagree with Smith’s claim that…” or “The structure of Rubio’s article is effective…,” etc.
Develop your response by deciding whether you agree or disagree with the claim(s) in the article. Then select 2-3 ideas (main points) from the article, and then share
your ideas, reactions, analysis of those points Give several clear, relevant examples or pieces of evidence that support your position, reactions. This evidence should
include examples from the text, your own experience (where appropriate) and other outside source (perhaps another article you read for your argument). Make the whole
essay coherentfor your audience by explaining your points so that your audience won’t be left with any major questions, and choose an organizationand style that your
audience will be able to follow easily.
