Running head: FAKE NEWS 1 FAKE NEWS 4 Fake News Josiah Snipes Eng/200 Rhetoric & Research 05/04/2020 Introduction There has been quite a number of absurd stories doing rounds on the Internet for quite some time. Some examples include the allegations that Pope Francis endorsed Trump as the American presidential aspirant, Hillary Clinton participated in child-trafficking errands in a pizza shop, and tainting of Corona beer bottles with urine to mention but few. Conspiracy theories, urban myths, and hoaxes have been spread through media as news, hence being branded the title "fake news" (Mills, Pitt, & Ferguson, 2019). It is hard to eliminate fake news from the various media platforms due to the uncontrolled use of various platforms which allow people to express themselves. People have been posting on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter among others, fake news with malicious intentions. Therefore, fake news harm people in different ways and therefore it is important for media platforms to know the credibility of the news they broadcast to people and also lay out some restrictions to their users on spreading misleading information. Fake News Fake news have not been used to spread lies about prominent people, but also by companies during advertisements. The main challenge is that the advertisements may be displayed on the websites which spread the fake news and this may have a negative implication on the company in terms of ethical issues (Mills et al., 2019). The technological advancements have made it easier for people to access news on various platforms including the social media. However, research has shown that many people highly doubt the authenticity of the news broadcasted by social media due to the cases of spreading fake news through these outlets (Paisana, Pinto-Martinho, & Cardoso, 2020). It is with no doubt that fake news has negative impacts on various parties. What then can people do to protect themselves from falling for the fake news? Fake news flags have been used to help increase readers’ cognition characteristics and allows them to spent more time on the headlines of the news. However, the flags on the fake news were not enough to regard or disregard the reader's bias. Researchers found out that the red flags were not strong enough to overcome the reader's confirmation bias, mostly because they dismissed news that challenged their beliefs as being fake, and not because they have been flagged. Another point the researchers found out is that readers dismissed reality if it contradicted their truth. The explanation behind this is that beliefs are driven by confirmation bias. Lastly, it was also concluded that levels of skepticism had increased due to the increase in fake news. Headlines were not believed to be entirely true because the authors confirmed they are, but readers questioned the credibility of the news due to the increased fake news awareness (Moravec, Minas, & Dennis, 2019). Conclusion The presence of fake n.

1. Running head: FAKE NEWS
1
FAKE NEWS
4
Fake News
Josiah Snipes
Eng/200 Rhetoric & Research
05/04/2020
Introduction
There has been quite a number of absurd stories doing rounds
on the Internet for quite some time. Some examples include the
allegations that Pope Francis endorsed Trump as the American
presidential aspirant, Hillary Clinton participated in child-
trafficking errands in a pizza shop, and tainting of Corona beer
bottles with urine to mention but few.
Conspiracy theories, urban myths, and hoaxes have been spread
through media as news, hence being branded the title "fake
news" (Mills, Pitt, & Ferguson, 2019). It is hard to eliminate
fake news from the various media platforms due to the
uncontrolled use of various platforms which allow people to
express themselves. People have been posting on WhatsApp,
Facebook, and Twitter among others, fake news with malicious
intentions. Therefore, fake news harm people in different ways
and therefore it is important for media platforms to know the
credibility of the news they broadcast to people and also lay out
some restrictions to their users on spreading misleading
information.

2. Fake News
Fake news have not been used to spread lies about prominent
people, but also by companies during advertisements.
The main challenge is that the advertisements may be displayed
on the websites which spread the fake news
and this may have a negative implication on the company in
terms of ethical issues (Mills et al., 2019). The technological
advancements have made it easier for people to access news on
various platforms including the social media. However, research
has shown that many people highly doubt the authenticity of the
news broadcasted by social media due to the cases of spreading
fake news through these outlets (Paisana, Pinto-Martinho, &
Cardoso, 2020). It is with no doubt that fake news has negative
impacts on various parties.
What then can people do to protect themselves from falling for
the fake news? Fake news flags have been used to help increase
readers’ cognition characteristics and allows them to spent more
time on the headlines of the news. However, the flags on the
fake news were not enough to regard or disregard the reader's
bias. Researchers found out that the red flags were not strong
enough to overcome the reader's confirmation bias, mostly
because they dismissed news that challenged their beliefs as
being fake, and not because they have been flagged. Another
point the researchers found out is that readers dismissed reality
if it contradicted their truth. The explanation behind this is that
beliefs are driven by confirmation bias. Lastly, it was also
concluded that levels of skepticism had increased due to the
increase in fake news. Headlines were not believed to be
entirely true because the authors confirmed they are, but readers
questioned the credibility of the news due to the increased fake
news awareness (Moravec, Minas, & Dennis, 2019).
Conclusion

3. The presence of fake news in the media has become a norm in
today's society. However, the news has negative implication on
various sectors like advertising and journalism. There has been
an attempt to stop the spread of the fake news through use of
flags. However, it has not been easy to disregard the fake news
because of people's confirmation bias, inclination towards
certain beliefs, and increased levels of skepticism. Therefore,
media outlets should devise new and effective ways to combat
the effects of spreading fake news.
References
Mills, A.J., Pitt, C., & Ferguson, S.L. (2019). The relationship
between fake news and advertising brand management in the era
of programmatic advertising and prolific falsehood. Journal of
Advertising Research. DOI: 10.2501/JAR-2019-007
Moravec, P., Minas, R.K., & Dennis, A.R. (2019). Fake news on
social media: People believe what they want to believe when it
makes no sense at all. SSRN Electronic Journal. Retrieved
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328798002
Paisana, M., Pinto-Martinho, A. & Cardoso, G. (2020). Trust
and fake news: Exploratory analysis of the impact of news
literacy on the relationship with news content in Portugal.
Communication &Society, 33(2), 105-117. doi:
10.15581/003.33.2.105-117
�Nice title page overall! Be sure to include the title of the
paper, your name, the class, the date, and the faculty member’s
name.
�Did this information come from an outside source? If so, it
must be cited.
�You have a good start to the introduction as the topic is

4. identified and background information is provided. A thesis is
provided, but it doesn’t seem to focus on how people can
protect themselves from fake news. To strengthen your thesis
and answer the research question, you might write, “People can
protect themselves from fake news by ____, ____, and ____.” In
the blanks, you would present the ways that people can protect
themselves from fake news. Those three ways become the focus
of your body paragraphs.
�The meaning is a bit unclear here. How can this be revised to
improve clarity?
�Insert a comma between two complete sentences joined by a
conjunction. Please review �HYPERLINK
"http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/commas.htm" o
"Rules for Comma Usage"��Rules for Comma Usage� as well
as the � HYPERLINK
"https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/grammar/grammar_m
echanics/comma.asp" o "Commas Tutorial" ��Commas
Tutorial� for information on comma usage then review the rest
of your writing for potential errors in comma usage. Please let
me know if you have any questions in regards to the material
covered.
�The first body paragraph explains that fake news is presented
in advertisements and explains that fake news can be accessed
on social media. Although the content is interesting, it seems
more informative than argumentative. To strengthen the
discussion, focus the paragraph on a way that people can protect
themselves from fake news.

5. �The second body paragraph seems to be relaying information
found by researchers about strategies used to protect people
from fake news. The content is interesting, but I would have
liked to have read your own ways that you feel that people can
protect themselves from fake news. To strengthen the
paragraph, present one way that they can protect themselves.
For example, you might say that they can protect themselves
from fake news by confirming the credibility of the source of
information.
�You have a good start to the conclusion. To strengthen it,
restate (reword) your thesis, provide a brief summarization of
the main points made in the paper, and include a compelling
concluding comment.
�You seem to have journal article here. As such, they are
missing volume, issue, and page numbers. Please review the �
HYPERLINK
"https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/grammar/apa.asp" o
"APA Reference and Citations Examples Tutorials" ��APA
Reference and Citations Examples Tutorials� for information
on citing sources properly, both in the paper and on the
References page.
6Work/Life Imbalance Comment by April Newman: Note to
students: this paper has comments throughout that offer points
on the parts of an argument, adding research, formatting and
APA style. Comment by April Newman: This is an original
title that focuses on the topic and plays on the idea of work and
life balance.

6. What might your original title be for your assignment?
Sample Student
ENG/200
Sept 29, 2019Dr. Melina Fords
Work/Life Imbalance Comment by April Newman: The title
page is centered, double-spaced and contains all relevant
information like the student name, date and course. Use a
template from the Center for Writing Excellence to make this
easier.
Coordinating supervision and care for young children is a
common challenge faced by many working parents. It is
extremely rare for school and business schedules to be perfectly
aligned, and there is a wide range of unexpected events that
place additional stress and frustration on modern families. For
example, sudden illnesses, doctor’s appointments, and poorly
communicated early dismissals all contribute to the rushed
scramble to arrange childcare that is familiar to many parents of
young children. Circumstances such as these are unfortunate for
both companies and their employees. These types of situations
force employees to make some tough decisions that could
ultimately affect not only their job performance, but their
overall happiness in their work environment. However, there are
solutions to this imbalance. Companies must adapt and provide
adequate family leave, allowing work-at-home days for
applicable positions, and encouraging the use of all vacation
time and sick time as needed. Not only is this good for their
human response, but these practices may actually increase
productivity. Comment by April Newman: The essay starts
with a hook to build connection with readers, here something
that might be universally understood.
How might you get attention or begin the paper on your own
argument? Comment by April Newman: The writing shows
use of detail and elaborates with examples. Comment by

7. April Newman: There is a three-point thesis, the claim is that
companies should do more for employees, and the solutions
include work from home days, family leave, and encouragement
about sick time.Adequate Family Leave
One way companies can ensure productivity and happiness in
workers is by providing adequate leave time for both parents
following the birth of a child. Schulte (2014) indicates that
there is a connection between an employee’s work-life balance.
The problem is that most companies fail to see this link.
Mothers need time to heal, rest, and become adjusted to the
schedule and needs of a new baby. Newborns can sometimes
have problems, such as jaundice, feeding issues, or sleeping
difficulties. New parents should be able to take care of these
issues before the child goes into some kind of daycare and
companies need to be more responsive to these needs. If new
parents have time to spend with their baby, they will not be so
anxious, tired, or unsettled when they return to work. For
instance, the Patagonia Company allows new parents a two-
month parental leave (Schulte, 2014). This way, parents can
come back to work ready to focus on their jobs again.
Comment by April Newman: The paper uses evidence to
support ideas. The evidence here is paraphrased and cited in
APA style.
Notice how the writer elaborates on the research, they use it as
a place in which to respond and share their own ideas. The
student writer added the original author’s name and the year the
article was published from their library research.
What are the pieces of evidence that you are including in your
own assignment? Where might they go?
Who are the authors and when were these materials
published?Work at Home DaysComment by April Newman: The
headings are focused on the content of the paragraphs. How
might you use headings to showcase ideas?

8. Workers’ happiness and productivity can also be increased by
adding one work-at-home day to weekly schedules, if it fits with
the position. A study by Daipuria and Kakar (2013) showed that
a “compressed work week and work from home options also
find favor amongst the respondents which give clear indication
to the organization to remodel their work assignments to suit
mutual requirements” (p. 51). Participants in the modified work
environment find the flexibility in their schedules to be
mutually beneficial for them and the companies for whom they
work. While at first glance it may seem like an impossible task
to create such an accommodating work arrangement, there are a
lot of ways this can work for a company and its employees.
Remote access via computer can make employees available
anytime. Additionally, employees can participate in meetings
via Skype, share documents, and send emails. The modified
work schedule also makes it possible for employees to work
outside of a traditional eight-hour workday as needed. Diapuria
and Kakar (2013) concluded that a flexible work schedule is
likely to “improve the work-life balance of the employee
especially if they are working parents” (p. 51). So even if a
company cannot spare someone for a whole day every week, this
plan might be available as needed occasionally for the
employee.Comment by April Newman: There are topic
sentences that relate to the thesis from the beginning. The paper
follows what the thesis foretold.
Comment by April Newman: The paper uses transition
within to move between ideas. Transitions help the readers
follow along.Vacation and Sick Time
Finally, companies should encourage the use of all yearly
vacation time, as well as sick time when needed. It is possible
that a situation may arise that an employee just cannot avoid.
Sometimes parents are forced to make a decision between their
sick child and their job. Sick days mean tending to a sick child
at home. A workplace culture that frowns on people who stay
home when they or their child cannot be at school or is sick
only harms everyone working. It encourages people to lie or

9. even sometimes inappropriately bring the child to work with
them. Similarly, employees should not have to worry about
vacation days which they need at unusual times to cover days
when schools are closed as well as to take vacations. Allowing
people to use these days as “personal days” for whatever reason
creates a more honest workplace and more productive workforce
when employees are at work. Krasulja, Blagojevic, and
Radojevic (2015) have shown that organizations that offer
work-life balance programs have happier employees who stay
longer. Comment by April Newman: In terms of rhetorical
strategies, this passage uses pathos, or emotion, to make the
readers feel a connection to the argument. The student writer is
showing empathy for parents with ill children and the tough
choices they face. Readers may connect with that from their
own experiences, or imagine what it might be like.
How are you appealing to your readers? Where might you use
logic (facts and statistics)? How might you apply emotion to the
page?
The Business Angle
Alternatively, some may argue that it is not a company’s
responsibility to offer programming that impacts the lives of
employees outside the office. While a company certainly must
focus upon shareholders and profits, they also have
responsibilities to their employees and the communities in
which they reside. The lens of history lands on the side of
progress in the United States, and the relationship between
company and employee is ever evolving. Where in the past there
were exploitative practices such as child labor, or no rules on
hours worked, the culture has shifted for a reason. There is a
symbiosis between employers and employees and protecting this
relationship, and maintaining its healthiness, provides a boon
for all. Comment by April Newman: This is a rebuttal to the
argument. Here the writer shows an oppositional point of view,
discusses the reasoning of it, and then uses ethos, an appeal to
ethics, to counter that argument.

10. Understanding what others who might oppose your ideas might
think shows that you have researched all parts to your argument.
Explaining what details from another perspective are true, or
why they should be ignored, makes your writing voice more
reasonable and persuasive to audiences.
Often problems are complicated in life and work, and there are
multiple stakeholders; being respectful to alternative points of
view shows a willingness to solve.Conclusion
It is hard to imagine that working parents are productive or
focused when they are forced to leave a sick, young child at
home alone or in someone else's care. Employers should create
improved working conditions by implementing programs that
take into consideration work and life, bridging the gap between
the two seemingly different environments without
compromising productivity (and even increasing employee
satisfaction). Work-life balance programs that create more
benefits like family leave, working at home, and personal leave
days will give employees more flexibility in scheduling and
approved time off which establishes a more family-friendly
work environment. Comment by April Newman: The
conclusion restates the thesis and summarizes the argument.
How will you restate your own thesis?
References Comment by April Newman: The references are
in order of author’s last name alphabetically, There are hanging
indents. The research is credible and contains one peer reviewed
source from the Journal of Strategic Human Resource
Management.
There are other sources like a magazine and newspaper, but all
were located at the online library.
Only research that was actually used in the argument itself is
claimed on this page.

11. Daipuria, P., & Kakar, D. (2013). Work-life balance for
working parents: Perspectives and strategies. Journal of
Strategic Human Resource Management, 2(1), 45-52.
doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1478029323?accountid=
35812
Krasulja, N., Blagojevic, M. V., & Radojevic, I. (2015,
April). Working from home as alternative for achieving work-
life balance. Ekonomika, 61(2), 131-142.
doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1708884357?accountid=
458
Schulte, B. (2014, October 26). Taking care of employees
boosts Patagonia's bottom line. The Washington Post. Retrieved
from
http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1
616420140?accountid=35812
ENG/200 v4
Final Paper Checklist
ENG/200 v4
Page 2 of 2
Final Paper Checklist
Review the checklist below to ensure that you have included all
necessary items.
· Does the introduction make clear what the topic is for the
paper?
· Does the introduction get the reader’s attention? Have I used a
hook or other attention-getting device to lead the reader into my
argument?
· Is the thesis statement—the main point of the essay—clearly
recognizable in the introductory paragraph?
· Does the thesis statement express a clear point of view on the
argument and indicate the reasons for the point of view?
· Is there at least one body paragraph that expands and discusses
each reason mentioned in the thesis statement?

12. · Does each body paragraph contain a clear topic sentence that
expresses the main idea of that paragraph?
· Does each body paragraph include paraphrased and cited
evidence that support the main idea of that paragraph? Have I
made sure not to rely on direct quotations?
· Do the paragraphs move smoothly from one topic to the next
and use transitional phrases?
· Is there a conclusion paragraph that summarizes the discussion
and may call the reader to action?
· Does the paper incorporate 3 research sources, at least one of
which is peer-reviewed?
· Have I provided a citation each time I have used a paraphrase
or quotation from the research?
· Does each citation within the paper correspond to a reference
on the Reference page at the end of the paper?
· Does the paper meet the word requirement of between 500 and
750 words?
· Is the argument accurate, objective, and non-biased? Does it
use persuasive or rhetorical technique (ethos, pathos, and/or
logos or other organizational means) to relay the information in
the argument?
· Have I used a grammar tool from the Center for Writing
Excellence to edit this work?
Copyright 2019 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2019 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.