The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER The Seven ‘C’s Truth Checker

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Lots of things get said and written that aren’t true. Why might this be the case? Some people have made honest mistakes. Some don’t really know what they’re talking about. Some want something to be true, so they ignore everything that says it isn’t. Some people know what they’re saying isn’t true, but they want you to think it is (they lie). These seven ‘C’s can help you decide how much to trust what someone has said.

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Is this person an expert? Have they studied this area? Do they have experience of what they’re talking/writing about? Have they been right about similar things in the past? CHECK 1. Credibility Do they know what they’re talking about?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Is this person the only one with this point of view, or do other people say the same thing? Do the people who agree have a connection? CHECK 2. Confirmation Who else says the same?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Does the person make sense and give good reasons? CHECK 3. Clear, logical argument Does the argument make sense?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER People will often give bad reasons for believing things that help them make money. Just because someone will benefit from winning an argument doesn’t mean they’re wrong. But it might mean they’re only saying it to get something, so it’s a good idea to check their facts particularly carefully! CHECK 4. Cash! Will the person make more money if people believe what they say?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER “Cherry picking” means only choosing to tell people the things that make you look right, and leaving out the things that make you look wrong. They might give examples that support their point but leave out the examples that don’t. CHECK 5. Cherry-picking Has the person left out information that disproves what they are saying?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Some standpoints are so common that some people believe they are true just because so many others believe it. But just because lots of people believe something does NOT mean it’s true. Don’t assume someone is right just because lots of other people believe what they say. Some examples of common standpoints ‘The American Dream’ – anyone in the United States can be become rich and successful even if they were born very poor ‘Immigrants just come to the UK to get benefits’ CHECK 6. Common standpoints Have they put too much trust in a common standpoint that might not be true?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER An assumption is something a person believes without even trying to prove it – usually because they think it’s so obvious they don’t need to bother. They’re just assuming it’s true. Lots of arguments include hidden assumptions – you can tell that the person believes it even though they haven’t actually said it. CHECK 7. Check Does the person have hidden assumptions?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER There is a hidden assumption in this argument: “People should eat fruit and vegetables because they help people to be healthy.” CHECK 7. Check Does the person have hidden assumptions? The hidden assumption is: “it is good to be healthy”. You can tell they believe that even though they haven’t actually said it, because without that belief their argument wouldn’t make sense.

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER What are the hidden opinions in these arguments? Do you agree with them? I won’t go to school because they won’t let me bring my dog. I will be a plumber because that’s what my father does. This must be the best book for me to read because it is a bestseller Rabbits are good pets because they are gentle CHECK 7. Check Does the person have hidden assumptions?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Another example: “That person is a bad parent because she lets her child play lots of computer games.” The hidden assumption here is that it’s bad for a child to play lots of computer games. That might not actually be true. So even though the parent lets her child play lots of computer games that doesn’t mean she’s a bad parent: it’s not a good argument because the hidden assumption is wrong. CHECK 7. Check Does the person have hidden assumptions?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER Always try to spot the hidden assumptions in arguments, because sometimes people’s assumptions are wrong. The reason they’ve actually SAID might be true, but they might have a hidden assumption that isn’t true. CHECK 7. Check Does the person have hidden assumptions?

The Burnet News Club THE SEVEN ‘C’S TRUTH CHECKER “More money needs to be spent on doctors’ surgeries” say 100 doctors. “Global warming isn’t happening” says a biologist in a written article. “People are better off because food prices have fallen in the last month” says a politician. “Nurses are underpaid - compare their salaries with those of Premiership footballers” say nurses. “My friends all get more pocket money than me” says a girl arguing with her parents for more pocket money. “UK teachers should be paid as much as Canadian teachers” say UK teachers. Seven ‘C’s exercise Using the Seven “C”s for help, put these into order according to how much you trust the argument being made. “Sugary drinks make people unhealthy” says a doctor. “Children should be allowed more sugary drinks” says someone who works at Pepsi “All schools need more money” say the makers of a video filmed in a classroom with a leaky roof.