Goal
Apply Jean Baudrillard’s theory about simulacra and hyperreality to help understand fake news in the age of social media
Instructions
First, read “The Precession of Simulacra” by Jean Baudrillard (1-26) and “Simulacra in the Age of Social Media: Baudrillard as the Prophet of Fake News” by James Morris.
https://archive.org/details/Simulations1983/page/n5/mode/2up
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0196859920977154
Then, write a thesis-driven essay of 1500-2000 words that responds to the following prompt:
In “The Precession of Simulacra,” Jean Baudrillard discusses what he calls the “successive phases of the image”:
—it is the reflection of a basic reality
—it masks and perverts a basic reality
—it masks the absence of a basic reality
—it bears no relation to any reality whatever: it is its own pure simulacrum. (11)
According to Baudrillard, how has our culture’s relationship to and ideas about images (or representation) changed from the time of Socrates to the late 20th century, when Baudrillard wrote this text?
According to James Morris, why does the final stage of the image—the “separation of the image from reality”—”pose a profound problem” in our own age?
What kinds of evidence does Morris use in his article to support his main claims about simulacra and fake news?
Do you agree with Morris that the lack of connection of so many things posted on social media to the truth is a serious problem in our times? In your response, consider the impact of fake news stories—such as the Pizzagate conspiracy theory discussed in the documentary After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake NewsLinks to an external site.—on our society.
For full credit, please support your claims with . . .
at least two direct quotations, one or more from each source, that is
“The Precession of Simulacra”Links to an external site. by Jean Baudrillard
“Simulacra in the Age of Social Media: Baudrillard as the Prophet of Fake News”Links to an external site. by James Morris
and analysis/interpretation of these quotations.
Title
Come up with your own creative and specific title for the essay. Use the titles of secondary texts as examples, such as the title, “Violence and/or Nonviolence in the Success of the Civil Rights Movement: The Malcolm X–Martin Luther King, Jr. Nexus” by August H. Nimtz. Note that Byerman uses a catchy title (“Violence and/or Nonviolence in the Success of the Civil Rights Movement”) and a more specific subtitle (“The Malcolm X–Martin Luther King, Jr. Nexus”).
According to MLA format, your own title should be in a normal 12-point font with no underline, italics, bold, or quotation marks (except for titles of works within your title, such as “The Precession of Simulacra,” which would be in quotation marks).
Thesis
The thesis statement (which can be longer than one sentence) should . . .
Respond to the question above: Do you agree with Morris that the lack of connection of so many things posted on social media to the truth is a serious problem in our times? Explain your response.
Be arguable: a claim with which someone could agree or disagree
Be specific: state both your claim (what you believe) and your reasons (why you believe it)
Supporting your Thesis
The strength of your paper will depend on how well you support your thesis and topic statements. The essay should include analysis of multiple quotations from both sources (the texts by Baudrillard and Morris). Furthermore, each body paragraph (not including the introduction or conclusion) should include at least one quoted passage from one of the sources.
In order to ensure that this textual evidence is well integrated into your essay, you should introduce (with a signal phrase), closely analyze, and correctly cite the quotation. It should be clear how exactly the textual evidence supports your thesis and topic statements. To integrate a quotation well, try to always make a “quote sandwichLinks to an external site..”
Organization
Your thesis and topic statements should make arguable claims about specific aspects of the texts. Your essay should also include logical and smooth transitions between paragraphs, and the conclusion should not simply repeat your thesis or topic statements. Instead, in the conclusion, briefly examine the wider significance of the texts themselves and/or your critique of them.
MLA
Remember that you must correctly cite any print or web source that you quote or paraphrase. Submitting the words or ideas of someone else without proper citation is considered plagiarism.
