English Language and Nonfiction Analysis Key Terms PART A

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering terminology related to journalism, historical writing, narrative nonfiction, logical fallacies, and argumentation analysis.

Anonymous Sourcing

Quotes from unnamed sources (often leakers) who have legitimate reasons for wanting to protect their identity.

Autobiography

A comprehensive, chronologically organized biography of a person's life written by that person themself.

Back Matter

Pages in the back of a book (e.g., appendix, notes, bibliography, index) numbered with Arabic numerals.

Basic Grammar (Communication)

A form-dependent set of rules for conveying information in human communications (e.g., accuracy is a rule for journalism and history).

Chronology (Structure)

A common way of organizing nonfiction sequentially by time, though Foster emphasizes that 'chronology does not equal structure'.

Claims

In the Toulminian model of argument, the assertions or conclusions that an author wants the reader to accept.

Creative Nonfiction

A genre originating in the mid-to-late 1970s that uses literary elements and narrative techniques to report on real-life events or personal experiences.

Dark Information

False, misleading, or malicious information that thrives on the World Wide Web due to its lack of quality control and editorial gatekeeping.

Death Memoir

A modern autobiographical genre in which the writer explores their own terminal illness, mortality, or experience of profound loss.

Defensive Reading

A critical reading strategy where the reader refuses to take claims at face value, choosing instead to actively interrogate the text's evidence.

Degree of Attachment

The stance of subjectivity or feigned objectivity that an essayist adopts, which readers must evaluate to understand their true motives.

Disclaimers (Bias)

An author's open claim of not being biased, which Foster notes is often a clue to exactly how the writer is biased.

Economy of Information

The principle that faster-publishing media heavily value primary sources (like eyewitnesses), while slower media prioritize analysis and synthesis.

Expertise

Studying or working extensively in one area of specialized knowledge; academic credentials or authority only apply to that specific field.

Eyewitness Testimony

A primary source of proof consisting of direct observations from individuals present at an event, heavily utilized by journalists and biographers.

Fake News (Historical)

A term that historically referred to supermarket tabloids but was repopularized in 2016 to describe false stories on social media.

Fake News (Political)

A weaponized phrase used by public figures (such as Donald Trump in 2017) to label legitimate, critical news reporting they do not like.

False Binary (Op-Ed)

The practice of pairing two columns on 'each' side of an issue, which oversimplifies complex arguments into a reductive, two-sided choice.

Final Draft of History

The draft of history found 'in histories' (scholarly historical books), which are written with the benefit of time and perspective.

First Rough Draft of History

A phrase (often considered a bromide) describing newspapers, which are turned to for the fastest publication of breaking news.

Forewords

Introductory sections generally written by someone other than the author to introduce and explain aspects of the text.

Front Matter

Pages in the front of a book (e.g., title page, dedication, preface) typically numbered with Roman numerals.

Gonzo Journalism

A highly subjective style of writing (closely associated with Hunter S. Thompson) that centers the writer as the main focus of the piece.

Great Leveling of Information

The internet-driven trajectory toward valuing all opinions equally, regardless of credibility, evidence, or expertise.

Gresham's Law of Journalism

The concept that sloppy, substandard celebrity reporting can 'taint' the entire field of journalism and push out high-quality reporting.

Grounds

In the Toulminian model of argument, the evidence, data, or support upon which a claim is built.

Guilt by Association

An ad hominem rhetorical attack that attempts to discredit an individual by linking them to disreputable groups or people.

History (Moral Purpose)

Foster's view that history should not just record the past, but should understand the present and urge readers toward a more moral future.

Immersive Journalism

A style of subjective nonfiction (pioneered by John McPhee) where the author deeply enters a subject's world but remains a humble, secondary presence.

In Medias Res

A structural technique of starting an argumentative or narrative work in the middle of things, shifting the reader's focus and meaning.

Index

A detailed, alphabetical guide in the back matter that points readers to specific pages containing terms, names, or topics.

Interrogating the Argument

Evaluating the cohesion of an argument to check for logical reasoning, cherry-picking, and reliance on empty rhetoric.

Interrogating the Data

A critical reading practice of checking for incomplete data, cherry-picking, lack of context, false analogies, or over-reliance on single metrics.