Essay Assignment: Write careful summary (at least 1000 words and 5 paragraphs) of the two Pro-Con essays in the CQR report, “Reigning in Big Tech,” which is located in the CQR Module. Do not read the entire report yet, just the two short essays on p. 17. The essay will be due Monday, June 7.
Your essay should begin with a brief introduction stating the issue and your hypothesis on the issue (your position). Then give a brief and objective summary (at least one paragraph) of the essay you most agree with – you may not agree with everything it says, but it should be the one closest to your own position. Then write another brief but fair and objective summary (again, at least one paragraph) of the other essay – the counter argument to your own, the one you disagree with. Finally, conclude your essay with your response to the two arguments. Are there points you agree with/disagree with in both essays? Is the reasoning and evidence they give persuasive? How does reading these two arguments change or modify your original hypothesis on the issue? (Hint: You should at least see that any hypothesis written without much supporting evidence is going to make for a relatively weak argument). This is why we do research, to find and evaluate the evidence that will make a strong and persuasive argument. Where could your own argument benefit from better support?
Use the following guide to help you summarize the two essays.
First, download the CQR report on “Reining in Big Tech” from the CQR module in Canvas if you haven’t already, then click Pro/Con in the table of contents to read the two arguments. Your summary should include:
1. A brief restatement, in your own words, of the essay’s thesis (or major “claim”) and in what context it is presented. Does the claim come at the beginning, middle, or end of the essay? Why? What does the placement and way the claim is stated tell you about the strategy of the argument, and the audience?
2. The major reasons given which support the claim. Do the reasons appeal mostly to logic, values, or emotion?
3. The supporting evidence given for each reason. The underlined words in blue are links to additional evidence. Is it “hard,” objective evidence, or relatively “soft” and subjective? Why do you think the author chose that kind of evidence?
4. Overall, do you think the argument is effective or not? Why? How does the reasoning in this essay compare with your own argument?
Summary, Not Quotation: Do not use quotes from the two essays, or cite any other sources beyond what is considered common knowledge. Instead, use only summary. You must give the name of each author when you summarize their essay, but then restate their main points in your own words. To do this, read a part of the essay (at least a paragraph) until you have a good understanding of the content, and then write your summary of that passage without looking back at the text. This is the best way to avoid using the original wording of the essay and thereby committing the “sin” of plagiarism!
Format Requirements: Your essay must be typed following MLA format conventions (see the sample MLA paper in the OWL MLA 8th Edition presentation in the Textbook module, slide #10): double-spaced, one inch margins, headings, title, page numbering, etc. Please use 12-point Times New Roman (or something similar) for your font style and size. Submit your essay in MS Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Portable Document (.pdf). Other formats are NOT acceptable for submission.
