Name the Tactic

Misinformation is rarely persuasive because it’s accurate—it’s persuasive because of how it’s presented. Rather than focusing only on whether a claim is true or false, it can be more effective to point out the tactics being used to make it convincing. This might include emotionally charged language, worst-case anecdotes presented as typical, false either–or choices, or loaded terms like “killed” or “poisoned.” Naming these tactics helps shift the conversation away from reaction and toward analysis. It also gives people a skill they can apply beyond a single claim, making them better able to recognize similar patterns the next time they encounter misinformation.