Kelly Koelle
Brad Bleck
English 101
July 24, 2008

Summary Chapter 5 and 7 Unspun

In Chapter Five of Unspun, Finding Facts in a World of [Disinformation], by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the authors focus on the harmful effects of believing hype that is disseminated through the media. In Chapter Seven, they identify the resources that are available to the public, to locate factual information about any information that is out in cyberspace or in the media. Brooks and Jackson emphasize the need for citizens to get the real facts so that they are not making choices that can land them in jail, kill them, or lead a nation to war. They believe the internet is the most reliable and quickest source to obtain factual information, as long as a person seeks out information from reputable sites.
According to Brooks and Jackson, one importance piece of obtaining factual information is that it can save people money and help them avoid trouble with the law. They cite the example of Daniel Bullock, a physician in California who hated paying taxes, so when he heard of a “legal” way to manage his money, he jumped at the chance. The end result was that he had to go to jail. Brooks and Jackson advise that had he done a small amount of investigation and gotten the advice of his lawyer and accountant, he could have avoided the charges and jail.
On a lesser scale, people waste money when they feel that the price of an item is reflective of the quality of an item. Many people equate higher prices with higher quality. The term Brooks and Jackson use to describe this point is the “Grey Goose Effect.” (85) This term came into being when the marketers of Grey Goose Vodka raised their prices to three times that of Smirnoff. Taste tests done comparing the two vodkas revealed there was no noticeable difference. Brooks and Jackson tell the reader to compare brands without thinking one is better. Their point; higher prices only make us think a product is better, the reality, lower priced goods often have a better quality, and there is no relation between price and quality.
The need for accurate information extends into matters of health. These matters of health can mean life and death. In health issues misinformation can give people false hope. An example of this is Chuck Hyssong, a cancer patient being treated by physicians. He was responding well to the treatment. An alternative product called Optimizer ENG-C was recommended to him by one of his relatives. He took the product which resulted in diarrhea, hallucinations, fever, uncontrollable noises. He was rushed to the hospital and was left dehydrated and weak. From that point forward he weakened and died three months later. He had accepted information that was not factual and its crippling side effects further weakened his frail state, which Brooks and Jackson believe may have been avoided had he done the research on the product.
People get a wrong perception about the relative importance of something based on the amount of attention the news media gives it. This is true of women and breast cancer. The misperception most women have is that breast cancer is the number one killer of women. The truth, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer are the leading cause of death for women. Due to the high survival rate of breast cancer patients, it lends itself to high publicity. Brooks and Jackson caution against what psychologist refer to as “the availability heuristic, a mental bias that gives more weight to vividness and emotional impact than to actual probability” (91).
Ignorance can be dangerous. Studies have shown that teenagers and college students are more likely to make choices about participation in sexual activity, and the use of drugs and alcohol based on what they think other students are doing and how they think others feel. The psychological term for this is pluralistic ignorance. Pluralistic ignorance is the gap between a person’s perception and the facts. Brooks and Jackson extend this idea into the thought that the misrepresentation of truth has changed history and started wars. They point out that the Civil rights movement may have been sped up, had the citizens realized that there was a large amount of support for it. They also express that the Iraq war of 2003 was influenced by people’s perception that Sadam Hussein was providing assistance to Osama bin Laden and Al-Queda. These theories were later proven inaccurate, but only after the war had already started.
During times of war, deception is part of the war strategy plan. The public is manipulated by the government with regard to facts and information about the war. This is passed off as a military duty to lie. Brooks and Jackson remind us that only after a war, the truth becomes evident when it is written in the history books. The Chinese general Sun Tzu gave this summary to describe it: “All warfare is based on deception” (100).
In Chapter Seven, Brooks and Jackson tell us that the solution to spin is the use of the internet to find factual information. They advise us that while there are many reputable sites out there that provide unbiased and accurate information, there are just as many “gushers of toxic information sludge as well” (128). Hence, it behooves us to be careful where we look to find information.
Brooks and Jackson cite the example of an internet hoax that has circulated across the internet regarding Oliver North, bin Laden, and Al Gore with regard to the attacks of 9/11. This hoax tells the story that North had warned Gore that bin Laden was “the most evil man alive” and that he should be assassinated. Examination of congressional records of North’s trial, reveal that this is a hoax. This example is used by the authors to depict how internet hoax’s are fabricated and circulated, but it also gives examples of how they can be investigated to prove their validity.
Brooks and Jackson state that the internet is a powerful source of factual information and the researcher needs to know where to look in order to find the facts. They advise that the first and most important principle is to consider the source. If the source is anonymous, it is not credible. We should assume the claims are false until proven contrary.
The authors advise that we should look for sources with authority. They advise us that sites affiliated with the government and education, are generally reputable and factual. They caution us that Committee sites can be slanted. News organizations in general are able to be trusted, and the closer a source is to the news, the more reliable that source is. Other sources are available, but not as reliable, they are free sites, blogs, and paid news sites. The authors give credence to biased and partisan sources with respect to finding general information about a candidate.
Brooks and Jackson, advise us that we must give due diligence when weighing the trustworthiness of the information we find. They tell us to ask these questions when evaluating the information, or the source: What is the website selling? What is their reputation? Can you verify the information? Who is behind it? Who is paying for it? Who are the people? Some other incidental evaluation tools include: is the information current, are there grammatical errors, is there a demonstrated carelessness, what is the clarity of the writing, does the author reflect a sense of being educated and does the site correct their errors.
There is a lot of sage advice contained in these two chapters, providing assistance to people to help them avoid the pitfalls of misinformation, and what the cost is. There is also guidance for how to evaluate the source of information. Brooks and Jackson want people to be certain that they are obtaining information that is true and from an authoritative source when using the valuable tool of the internet to surf for information.

Works Cited
Jackson, Brooks, and Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of
[Disinformation]. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007