How We Choose

We’ve selected the top most engaging news articles on Twitter from Australian news media. The selection criteria are based on logical fallacies statistics found in the retweets and comments.

Critical Concentration

“Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has accused journalist Peter FitzSimons of being “very aggressive” during a passionate interview about the Indigenous Voice…”

The response to this tweet contains approximately 45% of comments that look a lot like fallacious reasoning of any type fallacy finder can recognise. Spread between reasoning type groups:

Logical Fallacies Statistics

Overall the tweet “Senator Jacinta…” contains Tone Policing Logical Fallacy which is a part of Ad Hominem group of fallacies.

The Senator said in a now-deleted Facebook post the Sydney Morning Herald journalist Peter FitzSimons accused her of “giving racists a voice”.

FitzSimons told The Australian her claims were “complete and utter … nonsense”. He also said he recorded the whole conversation, with her permission, and sought her approval before the interview, which covered the Indigenous Voice to parliament, the politician’s upbringing, colonisation and reconciliation was published.

Topic is very hot. Lidia Thorpe is for “Indigenous Voice”, which on their website has several proposals including

The Indigenous Voice would provide a way for Indigenous Australians to have a greater say on the design, development and implementation of policies and programs that affect them.

Jacinta Price is for every australians to be equal. Mainstream media is looking for news very hard … Probably everyone should record their communication with journalists, and get permission from them to publish parts of such conversation in advance.

Examples of logical fallacies from responses, mostly name calling ad hominem:

He’s a nasty piece of work. Mean Boy.

He’s a prick and everyone knows it

I’m convinced everyone has lost all perspective, calling Peter FitzSimons a journalist.

Oh piss off have look at your own backyard idiots!

Triggering News

Inspiring Ad Hominem and Name Calling.

In this reference to the person, name-calling, and identity politics trigger group during last week, the most prominent tweet was from Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi):

“Imagine for a moment the tables were turned. A proud white senator. Walking into parliament, making a “white power” gesture. There would be national condemnation. Rightfully so. Lidia Thorpe shouldn’t get a free pass. We are all Australian. End the division.”

The fallacy analyzer could fin in the response approximately 36% of comments that look a lot like Ad Hominem Attacks. The spread of controversial arguments between logical fallacy groups:

Logical Fallacies stats

Basically, it’s been described already.

Examples of Argumentum ad Hominem and Argumentum ad Personam from the comments

She is a disgrace to her people and to all Australians.

This narcissistic racist show power sadly got voted in. Shows how smart we Aussies are.

F.o. Avi, you’re beyond … comparing the two.

Food for Thoughts

In this smart argument category - where comments contain a lot of reasoning that looks really like Appeal to Ignorance, Reduction to Absurd, Conspiracy Theory logical fallacy, False Dilemma Fallacy, Fallacy of Composition or Fallacy of Division.

Last month, the most worth reading tweet in this group was from The Age:

“Many in Finland are concerned that their partying prime minister is damaging the nation’s reputation and the public’s confidence in politicians…”

The response contains approximately 6% of comments that look a lot like logical fallacies of the types listed above. The distribution between this and other groups of reasoning types:

Logical Fallacy stats

There were a party with tests for special substances afterwards.

The example of Reduction to Absurd, Hasty Generalisation and Tu Quoque fallacies from the comments:

No, many are not concerned. Nobody cares about this either in Finland or outside. It’s a made up scandal, a non-story. She had fun in her free time, so what? Other politicians go to sport games or golf or attend cocktail dinners in their free time.

Some Another to absurd…

Can’t believe this bs story is still getting airtime.

Emotional Trigger

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

In this Emotional Appeal category last week, the most worth reading tweet was from @<!!!>

“Hundreds of Queensland teachers will have their pay cut as punishment for not getting vaccinated. While the teachers are now allowed back in the classroom, the financial penalty will be felt for the next 18 weeks”

There was a lot of responce and approximately 10% of comments look a lot like emotional appeals. To compare with other groups:

Logical Fallacies Composition

People feel it’s coercion and medical apartheid, and it’s wrong.

Appeal to Emotions examples:

It’s absolutely disgraceful for these mandates or any punishment to still be occurring when it’s clear the jabs do more harm than good

And what public health necessity to stop widespread death and destruction does this great theft fulfil?

Disgusting. You will need those unvaccinated teachers more than ever when the vaccinated start dropping down dead.

Team and Status Quo

Inspiring readers for some arguments that look like contain these logical fallacies Appeal to Popularity, Hasty Generalization, Appeal to Tradition, Appeal to Authority or Slippery Slope. In this class last week, the most prominent piece of news was from @<!!!>:

“The Premier has defended a ban on recreational fishing for nine months of the year, insisting the decision is based on science. https://t.co/uKk4HT4Yfr"

The response contains approximately 14% of comments that we would associate with this group. The reasoning types composition:

Logical Fallacies Composition

OK. Some people like fishing. Some people don’t. Some people like feeling of the power and some are following the science.

We detect itHasty generalizations examples:

Why are the Left all hypocrites ? Every … I ever met is the same. Double standards

a bit of slippery slope

Stop clearing huge areas for solar panels, there will be no trees left soon ?

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