Format:
Write five full pages on the topic below. All drafts must be typed, double-spaced, have standard one-inch margins, and be in 12-point Times New Roman font. Black ink only. Paper format (including textual citations) should follow MLA style. If you have a question regarding formatting, please the course resources or the Owl@Purdue website. You are required to include a “Works Cited” page at the end of your essay. A working draft is required to receive a passing grade (70 percent or higher).

Draft Requirements: This class values the writing process of invention, drafting, revision, editing, and reflection. You are thus required to turn in the assigned, polished working draft + final draft. You will have a rough draft for peer review as well as a final draft.

Essay Topic:
Analyze what you believe to be a fake news utilizing the techniques and strategies from Unit 2 and evaluate the ways in which it illustrates its lack of credibility. Your thesis must address the following three questions:

1. How does the article attempt to persuade its given audience? In answering this question you will draw upon the concepts described in the class text and our course website.
2. What aspects of the news story and the website hosting the story render it less than credible? How can audiences tell that this is a fake news story?
3. Why does the phenomenon of fake news matter?

Other Requirements:
1. You must cite at least one of the sources that we have read in this unit in making your argument.

The purpose of this assignment is two fold: 1) it will prepare you to evaluate sources, an important skill for our next paper and 2) it will teach you how to be a better and more engaged news consumer with an ability to spot logical fallacies and build better arguments.

Tips:
1. Use your introduction to establish the background and to provide a brief summary of the news article. Remember your ideal audience is not familiar with this particular article.
2. Define your terms. “Fake news” is a contested term these days and you want to be clear that you are discussing fabricated news events that act as propaganda.
3. You may use Snopes.com or another fact checking website to help you construct your argument.
4. Your conclusion should answer the question “so what?” Why is what you have told your reader important? Your conclusion should avoid merely restating your thesis.

Steps in the process:
1. Begin by reading your selected news article many times and annotating itsdeceptive elements.
2. Do the invention exercises below, answering the questions to the best of your ability. The more work you do on the front end, the less you will have to do on the back end.
3. Use your answers for the invention exercises to generate a detailed outline and a tentative thesis.
4. Begin the drafting process early and proofread and edit your work before turning it in to your peers.
5. Receive feedback from peers and your instructor.
6. Make a list of all necessary revisions and rank them in order of importance. Remember, substantive changes to your argument and organization should take precedence over those to grammar.
7. Begin revision process.
8. Proofread and edit.
9. Finalize and reflect on your work.