Another Kind Of Listening/Facts & Inferences
Watch or listen to 10 minutes of a political talk show — or an infomercial — on television. If possible, record the program so you can replay it. Before watching, take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle so there are 2 columns. Title one column “facts” and the other column “inferences”. Read your textbook for the definitions of these words. While you are watching the program, mark down as many individual factual statements and inferences as you can. When the 10 minutes is up, count the marked in each column. Figure out the ratio between thee 2 columns (for example, 1 to 1, 1 to 2, or 1 to 3). How did evaluating the facts/inferences used, and understanding the ratio between the two, change your perception of the messages in the program? Discuss how following concepts relate to what you watched: Types of arguments Straw person Refutation pattern Propositions of fact, policy, value Required Texts: