Mike Najem

How to Spot Fake News – FactCheck.org

https://www.factcheck.org/2016/12/video-spotting-fake-news/

1. Thy type of the text is a video uploaded on YouTube. This format has most likely been chosen in
order to reach out the large young audience and the majority of the users of the internet that
use the platform regularly.
2. The audience is young adults and teenagers on the internet since the audience was targeted on
the internet towards audience that would generally be attracted by fake news and in a
modern/colorful format that could be appealing for that age range.
3. The text is mainly an advertisement that promotes the website that had uploaded it. In addition
to that it also contributes in raising awareness on the issue of fake news.
4. The author is informing the audience about the popular fake news trends that are roaming
around our modern day internet and explains that by using their website one is capable of
debunking the news.
5. The author uses comic and visually pleasing simplistic forms that appeal to the youth in addition
to straight forward and simple use of instructions.
6. The illustrations are obviously targeted to youth due to the modern approach in animation.
The comic sense utilized aims to make the video more entertaining to watch in order to reach a
wider audience.
The instructions directing the audience to the website that posted the advertisement works for
the function of commercializing the work and aiming it for commercial purposes.

Spotting Bogus Claims

https://www.factcheck.org/hot-topics/

1. The text type is a video that aims to promote fact checking and debunking false news mass
emails.
2. The audience is the community of YouTube watchers (mainly young adults). I know that since it
has been uploaded on YouTube.
3. The main purpose of the text is informative (thus explaining the instructions on how to debunk
false news) however it also serves as an advertisement due to the debunking
4. The author is explaining what to look for when debunking a news email. Mainly the author
focuses on the animosity of the author, linguistic and statistical errors, and the absence of
reliable evidence. It also states to use FactCheck.org
5. The author uses simple and bold calligraphy, instructions in a list form, bright graphics, and
comic voiced commentary.
6. Comic voiced commentary is quite entertaining which aims to reach a higher outreach.
The bold visual features serve in the context of pointing out the main points of the text.
The list form aims to create simplicity for the convenience of the audience.

How to Spot Fake News – Fact Check.org

https://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/

1. The type of text is an article that raises awareness on the importance of fact checking and
provides the reader with examples of various viral cases of false rumors that had roamed
Mike Najem

around the internet and then provides them with a solution to the modernized growing problem
by sharing promoting the author’s website for commercial purposes.
2. The audience of the author are the general users of the internet and news readers since that
was the main platform it has been shared on and that is the topic the entire article revolves
around.
3. There are two purposes for the creation of this article, the first I firmly believe is to be
commercial since the website is promoting their own service and raising awareness on the issue
the website’s service tackles.
4. The article first describes the appraisal and fast distribution of viral false news among different
platforms of the media and the internet. The article then gives various exact examples
concerning modern day politics and concludes with designating the easy solution to debunking
skeptical information that is to refer to fact checking news engines such as the author.
5. The author uses humor, organization of ideas into smaller paragraphs, simple technical wording,
and examples.
6. The author uses a comic sense in order to keep the reader interested throughout the article.
The organization of ideas into smaller paragraphs are intended to create a level of clarity for the
recipient.
The significant use of examples not only contributes to the clarity but provides evidence and
contributes to a sense of persuasion towards the audience.

That Chain E-mail Your Friend Sent to You Is (Likely) Bogus. Seriously.

https://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/that-chain-e-mail-your-friend-sent-to-you-is-likely-bogus-seriously/

1. The text is an article that aims to share information with its audience behind various incentives.
2. The audience of the author is the general people on the web.
3. The author’s purpose is to promote themselves, raise awareness on fake news roaming around
the internet, and provide the reader with directions and guidelines to debunking fake news.
4. The article first describes the issue of fake news going viral on the internet and then describes
methods on how to debunk an email of fake news using real life examples and concludes by
providing the reader with an easier alternative solution, that is using the service of the authors
themselves.
5. The author uses humor, listing, simple technical wording, and examples.
6. The humor keeps the audience engaged and interested whereas the listing clarifies the
information and the examples provide truth to the author’s claims.