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Yassine Chouikh

Professor Shanna Killeen

WRIT 2 - Academic Writing

9 June 2024

The Real Consequences of Fake News Dissemination: A Reflective Essay.

In our increasingly digital world, the proliferation of fake news presents a significant

challenge. As an avid consumer of online media, I have always been drawn to understanding

how misinformation spreads and how it can be detected. This interest led me to explore the

intersection of technology, sociology, and writing education in addressing the challenges

presented by fake news. This essay will explore this topic and reflect on the creative process of

my podcast, detailing the development and importance of learning critical reading skills, fake

news detection, and its implications. Fake news is not a new phenomenon, yet the rise of social

media and digital communication has broadened it into a larger, much more common issue. The

significance of fake news lies in its ability to influence public opinion, disrupt democratic

processes, and undermine trust in legitimate news sources. I am interested in this topic because I

want to understand the mechanisms behind fake news dissemination and how to combat them.

Furthermore, this interest sparks broader questions about the reliability of information in the

digital age, especially in the context of current world politics.

The format of the genre I've decided to translate into is also something of interest to me.

The casual, fast-paced, conversational nature of a podcast is the format that is easiest to follow

for me when it comes to digitized information dissemination in the media. The lexis used is
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casual without being necessarily informal, but always specific and adequate to the conversation

topic. Aside from podcasts being my “go-to” genre, my friends and I always say that we could

start a podcast and talk about anything that comes to mind; conversing about random topics is an

activity we partake in daily, and we always come up with entertaining points of view because of

our diverse educations. This is very familiar to me, hence why I chose this genre, and this idea

was further supported by the notion of translingualism explored by Alvarez, Wan, and Lee in

their essay “Workin’ Languages: Who We Are Matters in Our Writing.” According to the

authors, “translingualism views our different and varied language practices as critical in

inquiring, supporting, and sustaining the full range of richness in our voices” (Alvarez et al. 5).

My familiarity with this lexis has allowed me to communicate the information with the utmost

effectiveness.

To maintain a natural flow, I decided to use a semi-scripted format where key points were

planned, but the dialogue allowed for spontaneity; my co-host and I alternated turns to ensure a

balanced discussion. We chose a casual yet informative tone, avoiding jargon where possible

(which turned out to be quite challenging). For example, instead of using 'epistemology,' we

discussed 'how we know what we know' to make the conversation more relatable. Each “bullet

point” followed a thematic flow, starting with defining fake news, followed by detection

techniques, and concluding with the implications for society. This structure helped in gradually

building the listener's understanding. This topic specifically addresses the gaps in understanding

what should be considered as truth. More and more, people are subjected to misleading

information that they retain and reiterate out of context, whether this be intentional or

subconscious. The pieces of writing that are the basis for this genre translation all agree on one

thing; misinformation is rampant, and we, citizens of the world, are not well equipped to
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accommodate this. This is a shared understanding in this specific discourse community, but the

means required to remedy this issue vary depending on the point of view they have when

entering the conversation. This is why the podcast needed to be separated into two parts: Firstly,

we analyze sociocultural and linguistic elements to the era of technology. Sociocultural textual

analysis, otherwise defined as critical thinking and reading, examines the rhetorical, cultural, and

textual elements that distinguish real news from fake news. This frame of thinking helps us

understand the underlying narratives and biases that contribute to the spread of misinformation.

Some authors agree that teaching critical reading and writing to students is vital to furthering the

understanding of fake news and how to identify it. From this perspective, the ability to critically

evaluate sources and determine their credibility is an essential skill. Critical reading not only

requires understanding the content but also questioning the context, the author's intent, the

evidence presented, and the potential biases. The main theory explored claims that when students

are taught about rhetorical strategies and argumentative nuances, they may improve at

identifying misinformation. Writing, on the other hand, empowers students to articulate their

analyses and arguments clearly and persuasively. By engaging in writing exercises that require

them to support their claims with reliable evidence, students learn to construct clear arguments

and resist misleading content.

From an opposing view, researchers believe that the integration of digital tools like

collaborative annotation platforms fosters a culture of collective critical engagement, where

students can learn from and challenge each other's interpretations. To these authors, this

collaborative aspect of learning not only reinforces individual skills but also guarantees a

well-informed and educated community. Overall, this discourse community agrees that teaching
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critical reading and writing does more than just combat fake news; it promotes media literacy,

thoughtfulness, and engagement in regard to literature, giving students the ability to make sound

arguments as well as identify them. This is their agreed-upon set of goals when conducting

research.

After practicing these critical reading skills on the works I have selected, I believe that I

have a good enough handle on what this discourse community stands for, which is important

when participating in a conversation discussing fake news, its implications, and how to manage

them. The document from Saylor Academy on academic writing emphasizes the importance of

understanding the discourse community, as what is considered factual or opinion can vary across

different communities. Recognizing these nuances helps in framing arguments and situating

them within the ongoing scholarly conversation. Similarly, the readings from "Naming What We

Know" by Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle highlight the collaborative nature of

writing and the role of research communities. Writing (and speaking) about fake news detection

involves engaging with existing research, responding to it, and building upon it. This iterative

process is fundamental to academic writing and mirrors the collaborative efforts needed to

address complex issues like fake news.

In crafting my conversation piece, I aimed to balance technical details with accessible

explanations. The goal was to communicate the complexity of fake news detection and its

teaching to a broad audience without oversimplifying the subject. This involved strategic choices

in structuring the essay, using clear examples, and incorporating diverse perspectives. Reflecting

on these choices, I recognize the importance of clarity, coherence, and engagement in academic

writing. Moreover, knowing that our audience comprises primarily students and young
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professionals, we aimed to strike a balance between informative content and engaging delivery.

This influenced our choice to use real-world examples and anecdotes. Given the recent surge in

misinformation during elections, we included a segment on how fake news can influence voting

behavior. This made the content timely and relevant.

Reflecting on the creative process, I learned that understanding the audience and context

is crucial in shaping content that is both engaging and informative. This experience not only

enhanced my understanding of fake news but also improved my communication strategies,

making me more effective in conveying complex information to a broader audience.

Works Cited

Alvarez, Sara P., Amy J. Wan, and Eunjeong Lee. "Workin’ Languages: Who We Are Matters in

Our Writing." (2021).

LaMarca, Vincent. "Saylor Academy English Composition II August 24, 2021." (2021).

Adler-Kassner, Linda, and Elizabeth Wardle. Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of

writing studies. University Press of Colorado, 2015.