Week 4 Assignment
Critical Thinking Exercise - Spin Doctoring
This assignment is worth up to 80 points and references TCO 4 as it applies to
impression management and TCO 6 as it applies to the role of social influence in
shaping attitudes and behaviors. We will apply course concepts from Myers Chapter
7 (Persuasion) to the following case:
Case. Spin doctoring is form of impression management that has been in the
repertoire of public relations practitioners for four decades. The term refers to the
tactic of shifting the focus off of the negative and harmful aspects of something by
substituting another issue that has positive connotations. Spin doctors change the
terms of public perception and debate using the mass media, which today includes
blogs and social media like Facebook. Spin doctoring is an international phenomenon
the serves the interests of organizations in every sector of society.
The tobacco industry is considered to be the classic case of spin doctoring. After
1966 when the Surgeon General of the U.S. pronounced that cigarette packages must
carry a health warning, the tobacco industry found a way to offset the damaging
publicity by sponsoring sports and arts events and giving grants for community
development. By de-emphasizing the dangers of smoking and emphasizing the
positive contributions being made to community life, Big Tobacco trivialized the
health problems and turned attention instead to its displays of corporate social
responsibility.
A contemporary example of spin doctoring relates to the claim that Saddam Hussein
had weapons of mass destruction, which was the original rationale for the U.S.
invasion of Iraq in 2003. When the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction
proved to be faulty, the debate was quickly and skillfully shifted by spin doctors to a
humanitarian argument that the Iraqi people must be freed from the clutches
Saddam Hussein the ruthless dictator. While no evidence of weapons of mass
destruction could be found, mass graves of Iraqi citizens killed at the behest of
Saddam Hussein could be found and thus, legitimate the invasion.
The debate over climate change and global warming is very similar in some ways to
the tobacco example because it involves the efforts of hydrocarbons producers to
debunk the hypothesis that global warming is primarily caused by the high levels of
CO2 emissions associated with the consumption of fossil fuels. By spinning the
argument away from CO2 emissions towards touting how technology is producing
cleaner, greener fuels, the hydrocarbon industry gives the appearance of being
environmentally responsible at a time when the pressure from environmental
organizations like Greenpeace and the Suzuki Foundation, and high-profile
environmentalists like Al Gore cannot be denied.
Your Assignment: Use critical thinking to analyze the following three questions
relating to aspects of persuasion. Specifically utilized the particular course concept
or concepts stated in each question.
1.
2.
3. Which paths(s) to persuasion is/are present in the global warming case?
How does the tobacco industry example fit into our understanding of
impression management?
Is spin doctoring the same as propaganda or is it fundamentally different?
Address the weapons of mass destruction case in your answer. Expectations You will address each of the required questions in essay form, explaining the
reasoning behind your answer and identifying the course concept(s) explicitly;
You will use subheadings so that each question clearly occupies its own
section of the paper;
Your name will appear on the first page of your paper;
You will use APA citations where appropriate in the text and include a
References Cited section at the end of your paper
You will spell and grammar check your paper
There is no set length for your paper although at least 500 words will likely to
be needed to earn a high mark. Grading: 20 points per question for quality of your answer to each of the required
questions (total 60 points) 15 points for orderly presentation in subsections 5 points for freedom from spelling and grammar errors

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