Editorial Evaluation
Editorial Evaluation
Gabriel Hess
City University of Seattle
BC301 - Critical Thinking
Cheryl-Ann Laws-Brown
November 18, 2011
Editorial Evaluation: Feeling poorer? You have plenty of company. USA Today News
Could it be true that more people live in poverty today than at any point in the last 50 years? An editorial from the USA Today website titled Feeling poorer? You have plenty of company. presents that exact argument. The following evaluation of this editorial will look at the strengths and weaknesses of their argument. If the editorial’s argument is properly presented, it should provide adequate reasons that support their conclusion, refrain from using any hidden assumptions, abstain from any ambiguous or slanted words that may incite prejudice, avoid any fallacies in their reasoning, include all important information, and not use any false or contradictory information. This essay will show that while the editorial presents a good argument, there are a few improvements that could be made.
The provided reasons are generally supportive of the editorial’s conclusion. However, when it says, “A higher number [though not a higher percentage] of people in the United States live in poverty now than at any point since the bureau began collecting data in 1959.”(Jones, 2011, Para. 1), it leads the reader to think that since the percentage is not higher, it must not be an issue. A more supportive reason is when they showed that the bottom of the economic ladder is seeing their income drop over the last decade. The rest of the reasons which include government spending and a society that would rather spend then save, are very supportive of the conclusion.
The editorial’s reasoning is usually explained , and does not assume the reader is informed of all the issues. However, it says “The Great Recession exposed weaknesses in the economic models of the United States”(Jones, 2011, Para. 5). This assumes that the reader already knows what the Great Recession
Gabriel Hess
City University of Seattle
BC301 - Critical Thinking
Cheryl-Ann Laws-Brown
November 18, 2011
Editorial Evaluation: Feeling poorer? You have plenty of company. USA Today News
Could it be true that more people live in poverty today than at any point in the last 50 years? An editorial from the USA Today website titled Feeling poorer? You have plenty of company. presents that exact argument. The following evaluation of this editorial will look at the strengths and weaknesses of their argument. If the editorial’s argument is properly presented, it should provide adequate reasons that support their conclusion, refrain from using any hidden assumptions, abstain from any ambiguous or slanted words that may incite prejudice, avoid any fallacies in their reasoning, include all important information, and not use any false or contradictory information. This essay will show that while the editorial presents a good argument, there are a few improvements that could be made.
The provided reasons are generally supportive of the editorial’s conclusion. However, when it says, “A higher number [though not a higher percentage] of people in the United States live in poverty now than at any point since the bureau began collecting data in 1959.”(Jones, 2011, Para. 1), it leads the reader to think that since the percentage is not higher, it must not be an issue. A more supportive reason is when they showed that the bottom of the economic ladder is seeing their income drop over the last decade. The rest of the reasons which include government spending and a society that would rather spend then save, are very supportive of the conclusion.
The editorial’s reasoning is usually explained , and does not assume the reader is informed of all the issues. However, it says “The Great Recession exposed weaknesses in the economic models of the United States”(Jones, 2011, Para. 5). This assumes that the reader already knows what the Great Recession
References: Jones, B (2011, October 10). USA Today News. Feeling poorer? You have plenty of company., Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2011-10-09/feeling poorer-wall-street/50712924/1