paraphrases accurately cited  strong organization throughout  clear introduction H u m a n i t i e s

Exercise #4: Synthesis
Overview:
This essay assignment requires that you compose a synthesis on the subject of rumors and their impact,
drawing on the sources provided by your textbook, as well as sources posted on Moodle, and at least two
sources you discover through your own research.
Your synthesis may be either explanatory or argumentative, but should address one of the following prompts:
 Select one of the rumors treated at length in Chapter 13, OR select a rumor which you discover
through your research. Briefly analyze this rumor from the perspective of the theoretical
approaches of Knapp (as summarized in a Rodriguez footnote), Shibutani (as summarized in
Miller), and DiFonzo (dealing with making sense of the world in an atmosphere of ambiguity and
threat). Then, in an argument synthesis, explain which theoretical approach most compellingly
explains the rumor you have selected.
 Some rumors are created in the spirit of fun, and are relatively harmless in their effects—for
example, the “alligators in the sewer” discussed in the introduction to Chapter 13. Other rumors
arise from malicious intent and often devastate their targets. In an argument synthesis, rank
several types of rumors on a scale of benevolence/malevolence, according to the motives of
those who create and spread them. Draw on the David Cameron rumor (in Viner), the Hillary
Clinton rumor (in Gusterson), and on at least two other rumors which you discover through your
research. To help account for and justify your rankings, refer to the theories of rumor as
discussed in O’Leary, Goleman, Knapp (as summarized in the Rodriguez footnote), DiFonzo,
Shibutani (as summarized in Miller), and/or Singal.
 In the Internet age, should a rumor be addressed at its first sign, or should it be allowed to run
its course, however long that takes? What factors should bear most on how best to counteract
damaging rumors? Use examples from the readings, as well as the ideas of theorists like
Goleman, DiFonzo, Shibutani (as summarized in Miller), and Singal, as well as sources you
uncover through research, to support your argument.
 In 2011, President Obama and his aides attempted to quell the long-standing rumor that he was
not born in the United States. Attempting to put the claim to rest, he eventually released the fulllength version of his birth certificate. Even in the face of this hard evidence, the rumor persisted,
and public figures like (now President) Donald Trump and (then Texas Governor) Rick Perry
suggested that the evidence presented by the new document was insufficient or questionable.
O’Leary makes much the same observation about the persistence of the Nostradamus prophecy
after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Rodriguez reports the same effect on a study concerning
weapons of mass destruction. What does the refusal to accept concrete evidence suggest about
human nature and political affiliation? In drafting your response, an argument synthesis,
consider the points made by at least two of the following: Goleman, Gusterson, Knapp (in the
Rodriguez footnote), O’Leary, and Singal. Please include at least one more recent example of
this phenomenon, discovered through your research.
 According to Katherine Viner, social media has complicated the status of truth, creating
conditions especially ripe for the creation and spread of rumors. To what extent is this view
supported in the readings and in your research? Does social media fundamentally alter the
conditions in which rumors arise? Or is it more likely that digital environments like Twitter and
Facebook mainly speed the transmission of already existing rumors? In discussing Viner, draw
on other authors in Chapter 13—especially Gusterson and O’Leary—as well as on experts you
discover through your research. Your main question: to what extent does rumor in the Internet
age differ from rumor in a medieval village?
In addition, this essay requires that you use a personal anecdote from your own life to
introduce and/or conclude your essay.
Criteria:
 Must accurately represent source material.
 Must contain personal anecdote in introduction and/or conclusion
 Must use at least 3 sources from Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum (Ch. 13) or from posted
resources.
 Must use at least 2 sources you find through your own research. Please note that the appropriateness
of your sources for a college level essay is one of the criteria on which the exercise will be graded.
Mechanical Requirements:
 Clear thesis and subclaims
 Organized by idea, not by source
 Reasonable summaries of source material
 Detailed support of claims
 Quotes and paraphrases accurately cited
 Strong organization throughout
 Clear introduction, transitions, and conclusion
 Must conform to the general standards of Written Standard English (spelling, usage, grammar,
punctuation)
 Appropriate use of sources
Formal requirements:
 APA citation style throughout
 1000-1500 words
 Formatting as laid out in formatting model
Due by Sunday, November 1, 11:59 pm.