“Skeptics May Object”

“They Say, I Say” by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst has been a particularly helpful tool in the drafting process of my peer review paper for advertising. The text provides insights on how to engage academic writing with a practical approach. It touches on how to gather data, create a voice and an argument. What I’ve been finding particularly helpful is Chapter 6, “Skeptics May Object: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text.”

The chapter starts by describing the methods of writer Jane Tompkins. She writes her argument down, and continues to do so until she comes across a counterargument that could entirely destroy her work. Instead of completely giving up, she folds in the counterargument and plants a naysayer, an opposing argument, to boost her own credibility. On page 79, the writers claim Thompkins has the upper hand by planting an objection, “[…] our point is that doing so will actually enhance your credibility, not undermine it.”

Why is it beneficial to plant an opposing view in the text? Graff et al. write, “[…] the more you give voice to your critics’ objections, the more you tend to disarm those critics, especially if you go on to answer their objections in convincing ways. When you entertain a counterargument, you make a kind of preemptive strike, identifying problems with your argument before others can point them out for you.” (79) Again, this touches base on credibility. Nowadays, there is a lot of ‘fake news’ floating around where people garner so called facts to prove their point, but the facts are even misleading. By planting naysayers, the writer is forced to dig deeply into their subject matter, understand it and provide strong arguments of their side while also tactfully disarming the opposition. By anticipating these objections, the writer sounds factual, credible and scholarly while also remaining honest if there is something they cannot quite prove yet. This type of broad-minded writing builds credibility between the writer and the reader. The relationship is strengthened when the writer is well-versed and knowledgeable about both sides.

As I continue to write my draft for my peer review paper on my relationship with advertising, I am constantly reminding myself to keep an open mind and learn as much as I can about the topic in general. I had pre-judgements of ads based upon conspiracy theories regarding government surveillance and the selling of private information, but have found that I have control over a lot of what I’m seeing on my social media. Education has convinced me that yes, there are still some shady things going on regarding the purchase of my information, but overall ads are for business purpose and to ultimately sell a product. I intend on putting both sides of the issue in my paper to show that there is a larger ongoing conversation about the topic and allow the reader to make their own educated decision about the matter.