A news piece is supposed to cover real events for the purpose of informing the public. However, there are some news pieces that have inaccurate facts and assumptions, thus, can be considered to be fake. On that account, the following essay will conduct a comparative analysis of a real news article and a fake news article. The real news article is titled Tracing Ancestry, Researchers Produce Genetic Atlas of Human Mixing Events, by Nicholas Wade. The fake news article is called, Kalash- Descendants of Alexander the Great Living in an Unstable Muslim Country, by James Cage. The difference between a real news story and the fake one can be determined via a rhetorical analysis of ethos, pathos, and logos since these devices determine an author’s accuracy and appeal to the audience.
Analysis of The Articles
Both articles are centered on the ancestry of the Kalash people in Pakistan. In Tracing Ancestry, Researchers Produce Genetic Atlas of Human Mixing Events, Wade asserts that the Kalash are not genetically related to the Kalash people. Instead, he offers a reasonable explanation that when Alexander the Great left Pakistan to go back to Greece, some of his troops decided to remain. Along with their leader, these troops settled in the valleys in northwestern Pakistan and married the local women (Wade, 1). The result was a novel tribe called the Kalash, who are descendants of their children. In fact, some features of the Kalash culture resemble Greek culture and its why people suggest that Alexander the Great is their ancestor (Wade, 1). Therefore, the Kalash are not genetically related to Alexander the great, it his exploits that led to the establishment of the tribe.
In Kalash- Descendants of Alexander the Great Living in an Unstable Muslim Country, Cage implies that the Kalash are genetically related to Alexander the Great. He suggests that the Kalash are descendants of Alexander the Great since they are blue eyed and blonde eyed, which is unusual in Pakistan (Cage, 1). He goes further and states that his claim is plausible since the Kalash are outwardly discrete form Pakistani Muslims who have darker skins.
The articles discussed above can be examined through the use of pathos, ethos, and, logos. These rhetorical devices are present in virtually every argument and this is so in these two news stories. Ethos is appeal on the basis of the character of the writer. An argument centered on ethos hinges on the reputation of the author (Herrick, 14). In fact, ethos appeals to the author’s honesty and decisiveness. It is how the author shows the audience that he,/she is qualified to talk about a topic ; this can be realized using numerous methods. First, by being a key person in the discipline being discussed, like an intellectual or professional whose discipline is the subject matter (Herrick, 14). Next, by having close interest in the topic, that is, the person associates with the topic in question. Third, through the application of outstanding logos that highlights to the readers the writer has profound knowledge on the topic (Herrick, 14). Finally, by making an appeal ton one’s ethics. Ethos is an effective mode of persuasion because when an individual believes the writer has no intention of causing harm, he/she is keener to read the story.
On account of the above, Wade correctly applies the use of pathos in his article. He manages to persuade the reader by referring to genitival proof that shows that the Kalash are not descendants of Alexander the Great. He asserts that genitival studies have shown that the blue eyes of the Kalash people are a result of remote excessive genes due to isolate genetic parentage that is segmented or inbreeding and mutation (Wade, 1). Such scientific proof enables Wade to convince the reader since it shows that he is knowledgeable on the topic. On the other hand, Cage (1) suggests that the Kalash are descendants of Alexander the Great simply based on their physical appearance. He does not offer any scientific evidence and it seems that his claims are based on propaganda. Cage does not his expertise on the subject matter. Therefore, through the correct use of ethos, Wade’s story is more legit than Cage’s.
Logos is the use of logic to appeal to the reader. It is typically applied to illustrate data that strengthens the viewpoint of the author. Using an appeal based on logos also reinforces ethos since the argument illuminates the author’s knowledge and makes him/her look prepared to the audience (Herrick, 17). Logos is more of a broader idea than formal logic and implies any endeavor to petition to the intellect. An argument based on logos will challenge the author’s credibility and efforts to touch the emotions of the audience.
Wade’s article is based on logs. His wider notion is that whereas the Kalash are not genetically related to Alexander the great, his conquest in Pakistan led to the establishment of the tribe. To proof this, he uses data from genetical tests and uses historical studies to show the lineage of the Kalash. Cage’s article, Kalash- Descendants of Alexander the Great Living in an Unstable Muslim Country, fails to apply the use of logos. Cage’s wider idea is that the Kalash are Alexander’s descendants based on their outwardly appearance and cultural characteristics. He, however, does not cite any data, thus, making his story fake.
Pathos attempts to appeal to the reader emotionally. If well used, pathos can be extremely powerful. It works well when the author relates with a basic principle of the reader. When an individual accepts an inference on the basis of how it makes him/her feel without comprehensively reasoning about the tenets of the argument, he/she is acting on pathos (Herrick, 18). Indeed, most arguments in the media are depended on pathos; this is the case in these two articles.
Whereas one article is real news and the other if fake news, both authors use pathos in their articles to persuade the reader. Wade makes a passionate plea that the Kalash are not genetically related to Alexander the Great while Cage makes a powerful suggestion that the physical features of the Kalash ties them to Alexander. The author’s want the readers to act on their emotion so as to persuade them. Therefore, irrespective of the degree of truth and accuracy, both author’s use pathos to strengthen their argument.
In conclusion, the difference between the real news story and the fake one can be determined via a rhetorical analysis of the ethos, pathos, and logos since these devices determine an author’s accuracy and appeal to the audience. In this case, the real news article is titled Tracing Ancestry, Researchers Produce Genetic Atlas of Human Mixing Events, by Nicholas Wade, whereas the fake news article is called, Kalash- Descendants of Alexander the Great Living in an Unstable Muslim Country, by James Cage. By examining these article against the rhetorical devices, the following essay has been able to determine why one is real news and the other fake news.
Works Cited
Cage, James. “Kalash- Descendants of Alexander the Great Living in an Unstable Muslim Country”. Cluebees, 2017. Retrieved from cluebees.com/more/just-in/kalash-decendants-of-alexander
Herrick, Justin. An overview of rhetoric. The history and theory of rhetoric, 2004: 1-30.
Wade, Nicholas. “Tracing Ancestry, Researchers Produce Genetic Atlas of Human Mixing Events.” The New York Times, 2014. Retrieved from https://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/science/tracing-ancestry-team-produces-genetic-atlas-of-human-mixing-events.html?referer=https://www.bing.com/search?q=the+kalash+nyt&FORM=EDGENA