30 October 2020 - 5 November 2020

How We Choose

We’ve selected for you the most engaging news (tweets) from Australian news agencies. The selection method is based on statistics of logical fallacies found in the retweets and comments.

Critical Concentration

“Victoria Police are facing off with hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne, with capsicum spray already been used on some attendees…”

The response contains approximately 27% of comments that look a lot like fallacious reasoning of any type our detector can recognise. Spread between reasoning type groups:

Logical Fallacies Composition

After infection case numbers have dropped, the State government is easing the lockdown restrictions. Now it’s allowed to go outside, meet friends (still some conditions) and eat out in eateries. Protesters are not happy that those restrictions are applied in the first place and show their disagreement before State Parliament. Police are arresting them.

Examples of Ad Hominem / Ad Personam personal attacks fallacies from responses:

Probably the same old small bunch of weirdos, who do this every weekend.

Restrictions have been lifted or didn’t these idiots get the memo?

More Freedumb fighters

And classy

COVIDIOTS

Example of Appeal to Populace:

A few hundred Victorians doing the wrong thing amongst millions doing the right thing.

And Hasty Generalization example too:

Wtf is this shit. People are so stupid! What are they even protesting…

Triggering News

In this reference to the person, name-calling, and identity politics trigger group during last week, the most prominent tweet was

“Sky News host Paul Murray says “everything is on the line” as the election marks a fork in the road because the left, which long to tear down the world as it is…”

The response contains approximately 21% of comments that look a lot like fallacious reasoning. The spread of those between argument type groups:

Logical Fallacies Composition

President election time in the US, it takes a bit of place and time on every channel. And comments, as usual, are sometimes quite personal with a lot of left-right emotional discussion.

Filtered Argumentum ad Hominem and Argumentum ad Personam examples from the comments

Does … ever stop with his extreme and crazy radical agenda? He sounds like a lunatic.

You’re totally fn mad.

Food for Thoughts

Inspiring in comments something that looks really like

I this smart argument category last 7 days, the most worth reading piece of news was

“Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made Queensland border call after seeing poll data…”

The response contains approximately 14% of comments that look a lot like fallacious reasoning. The distribution between types of reasoning:

Logical Fallacies Composition

With the pandemic, some states are closing borders with neighbours to prevent the COVID-19 spread. People are discussing that closure and opening decisions must be made on current statistics of the disease not of the polls.

The example of False Dilemma Fallacy from the comments:

Leaked? Really? Or just plain made up?

Appeal to Emotions

Inspiring in comments something that looks really like Appeal to Emotion.

In this Emotional Appeal category last week, the most worth reading tweet was

“Grieving families of Victorians who died from coronavirus during the second wave have slammed the Premier’s celebration of the end of lockdown…”

The response contains approximately 20% of comments that look a lot like fallacious reasoning.

Logical Fallacies Composition

Recently there was a tweet from Premier congratulating Victorians on low recent infection numbers. Some people have lost their close ones and express their feelings.

Examples of Appeal to Emotions Fallacy from the comments:

The Herald Sun really hate Victorians.

That is a cruel and disgusting tweet.

Oh yeah cause he’s celebrating the deaths of Victorians. He’s celebrating cause case numbers are down, and Victorians aren’t dying from covid anymore. It’s sad what length you pathetic … go to, to attack Dan. Find real stories to report.

Team and Status Quo

Inspiring readers for some arguments that look like contain these logical fallacies

In this class last week, the most prominent piece of news was

“A ‘satisfying’ One Nation collapse and Palmer’s ‘humiliation’ please Jim…”

The response contains approximately 17% of comments that look a lot like logical fallacies. The reasoning types composition:

Logical Fallacies Composition

In recent state elections in Queensland, One Nation party got less than expected votes and their competitors feel happy.

Some Hasty Generalization fallacy examples from comments:

And every other Australian with a brain.

The only reason One Nation collapsed was because the old voters moved across to Labor for border protection. When COVID is no longer an issue, they will be back.

Some Example of False Dichotomy too:

When you win, you have the choice between being gracious or a t..t. Poor choice Chalmers.

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Other top news: All News Articles reviews with Logical Fallacies examples from comments.