Write a paper with a persuasive and well-researched argument. Choose one of the following topics:

A. Research and analyze a recent conspiracy theory: Choose a conspiracy theory that has been actively debated within the last two or three years (2022-present), and write a persuasive paper about why this conspiracy theory exists, what cultural values or discourses underlie this conspiracy theory, why people believe it, and what experts have said about it (or about theories like it). Your goal is not to prove the theory to be true or false. Instead, your goal is to show what this theory can tell us about our culture, our values, and the role of literacy in the public sphere. In your conclusion, you should discuss what we should do or think because of your analysis. Do you think that if people had better literacy skills, this theory would still exist? Do you think this theory is harmless fun, or is it potentially dangerous?

Choosing a theory might be difficult, but there are plenty of conspiracy theories out there that are both entertaining and viable for this project. I do not recommend choosing a theory you believe, as it makes it difficult to maintain critical, academic distance for analysis. I also recommend that you talk to me about your choice of conspiracy theory unless you choose something we have talked about in class that I already said might be good for this assignment. I don’t want you to get too far into your research and analysis, only to find that there is a potential problem with your choice.

B. Write about education and media literacy: Is education an effective way to counteract conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation, and if so, what kind of education? To get into this topic, research existing educational solutions and choose one that you think has potential, especially if our society were to invest money and time to help it be successful. You may define “education” however you wish, including traditional forms of education (such as K-12 and/or college), or community-based education, such as social media companies’ initiatives to fact-check or add community notes.

Support your argument with at least one central example of a recent (2022-present) conspiracy theory or piece of misinformation/disinformation that your solution might effectively address. Your conclusion should describe what actions readers should take or what additional research they should do if they are persuaded by your argument.

C. Write about the pervasive lack of trust in experts and expertise in contemporary culture: We are living in a time when some people are suspicious of experts and expertise. This is not necessarily new for Americans, as American culture has long been obsessed with conspiratorial thinking. Suspicion of experts and expertise is not always wrong, either. It can be good to be skeptical of dominant narratives and to ask questions of powerful people and institutions. But because of social media and modern technology, mistrust in experts and expertise is easy to twist into support for conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation. Write a persuasive argument about this complicated phenomenon: what are the benefits of being skeptical and where does skepticism cross a line to become conspiratorial thinking and turn into a rejection of expert knowledge, facts, and reality? How can we restore confidence in experts and expertise while preserving the ability to ask legitimate and important questions of powerful people and institutions?

Support your argument using at least one central example of a recent (2022-present) conspiracy theory or piece of misinformation or disinformation. Make sure you discuss how much the lack of trust in experts has to do with the decline in literacy. Your conclusion should leave readers thinking about why this topic is important and what they should do or research if they are persuaded by your argument.

Research requirements for Paper #3: You must refer to at least one of our course texts in your paper. You must also find and include five or more sources from the library databases. At least two of your sources must be peer-reviewed journal articles. Sources will be used to enhance your descriptions of important context, explain your ideas, provide examples, and suggest alternative viewpoints (also known as counterarguments).

Your goal is to be persuasive, and your audience is me, your classmates, and the faculty of the First Year Writing Program. Please note that this is not a “research paper” in which you demonstrate how much you know about your topic. You are also not trying to “win” a debate. Academic arguments focus on persuading readers that an argument is valid and worthy of consideration. Always remember that academic writing is about being part of an ongoing conversation. In this paper, you are adding to the conversation, not ending it. Your paper should be written in the first person (using “I”) because this is your argument. It is not necessary to write in a generic third person voice, though some academic papers are written that way, and it is always good to ask your professor which they prefer.

Also, you may not use AI to write this paper. Like the policy for Papers #1 and #2, you should disable Grammarly or other AI-powered writing tools, if you use them regularly, and you may use Word’s Editor function in a limited and thoughtful way. I will allow you to use AI to brainstorm, organize your thoughts, and identify counter-arguments if you disclose such use in your reflection for Paper #3 and talk about it in Paper #4. I also support you not using AI, and use of AI is not required for this assignment. Remember that there is a difference between using AI to assist your thinking and using it to replace your own, genuine, human writing process. If I discover that you have AI other than Word’s Editor function to write this paper, you will need to rewrite the paper using a different topic. As the end of the semester is approaching, it will potentially mean you will need to withdraw from the course if you are required to rewrite the paper in full because we are almost out of time.