How to spot BS when reading local media
We know this has happened to you. You're killing some time on your phone, scrolling through some local headlines, maybe clicking on a story . And after reading one sentence, you think: "this is b.s." The BBC provides a helpful 7-point guide to identifying precisely what type of b.s. that is.
1. Appeal to ignorance
This is when a lack of evidence is interpreted to mean a claim is real – rather than placing the burden of proof on the person making the claim. It's a fallacy that commonly underlines arguments for conspiracy theories. Ask one of the estimated 10 million-plus people who believe that lizards run the world about the evidence for their claim, for example, and they might counter, "Well, these lizards are too clever to leave any evidence – that's what makes this situation so dangerous! How can you be sure it's not true?" You might wind up scratching your head, but, hopefully, it's not because you've been persuaded; it's because they've set you the trap of the "appeal to ignorance" fallacy.
2. Ad hominem
This is a fallacy in which a claim is rejected on the basis of an aspect of someone's character, identity, motivations, or even the relationships they have with others. Think of the health professional who is told that they are only recommending vaccines because they must be a shill for Big Pharma, or the research of climate scientists being dismissed on the basis that they must be ideologically motivated. The most obvious (and absurd) kind of ad hominem, though, is the sort that not only attacks a person instead of dealing with their argument, but goes after something completely irrelevant to the topic at hand – like a political candidate in a TV debate saying their opponent's clothing choices, golf prowess or hairstyle mean they can't possibly be a good leader.
3. Slippery slope
This is the argument that taking one step, or putting into place one measure, will inevitably lead to more and more drastic measures – like an object sliding down a slippery slope. It's particularly common in debates over policy. Think of the argument that some opponents of same-sex marriage made against legalising it in places like the US or Europe. In 2016, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that many people who were against the policy were persuaded by the argument that it would lead to greater sexual promiscuity across society, and threaten their own way of life. This particular argument is fallacious because, rather than debating the policy change itself (whether same-sex marriage should be legalised), the policy was dismissed because of the fear of its predicted outcome (the breakdown of traditional society).
Read the whole thing here.
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