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I have to prepare a 1min response based on a question of "What’s a difference between a busy body asking questions and a critical thinker asking questions?"

I am using the current introduction.

What’s the difference between questions from critical thinkers and questions from mere busybodies? The first difference is busybodies would not ask this question. In this era where any information can be obtained at our fingertips, critical thinking is the ability to discern logical fallacies from any form of sensationalised media.

Busybodies mainly ask elaborating and clarifying questions, and the answers to these why’s and how’s can easily be found. [Cut off]

As I have to speak in a minute, words with long syllabuses like "sensationalised" are definitely difficult to deal with, particularly with my weak English standards. Is there a suitable synonym to replace it or is there a better way to replace the entire sentence to be suitable for speaking.

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  • Why can't you just drop sensationalized altogether? Or, if you're trying to make a point about different types of media, just replace any form of sensationalized media with the tabloids (unless you want to specifically include TV and think that word would be too exclusive). Also, it should be discerning logical fallacies in, not discerning logical fallacies from.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented Jan 28, 2019 at 19:27
  • I actually want to make a slight point about the media speaking twisting facts even a little just to spark certain emotions and interests. That's the whole purpose of sensationalised. I'm not sure if changing the any form of sensationalised media with the tabloids does that, though it does make the speech smoother.
    – Prashin Jeevaganth
    Commented Jan 29, 2019 at 0:16
  • I think you have a very narrow definition of critical thinking
    – Jim
    Commented Jan 29, 2019 at 1:15

3 Answers 3

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Since you are already using the word busybody, one word that has a similar sound to it that you could replace sensationalized with is catchpenny:

[Merriam-Webster]

: using sensationalism or cheapness for appeal
// a catchpenny newspaper
// the novel's catchpenny title belies its serious literary ambitions

Used in your passage, along with a slight bit of rewording, it would look like this:

What's the difference between questions from critical thinkers and questions from mere busybodies? The first difference is busybodies would not ask this question. In this era where any information can be obtained at our fingertips, critical thinking is the ability to discern logical fallacies in catchpenny media.

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If you're trying to just say the difference between logical fallacies and things that got blown out of proportion, you could say something like: tabloid media, exaggerated media (if that is not too long for you), or even go in the direction by saying things such as foolish, absurd, or irrational. You could also say misleading, unreasonable, deceiving, or other synonyms of fallacious.

You could also use the word "news" instead of media, if the word you choose works better with it.

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  • Hi, do you perhaps mean any form of sensationalised media could be replaced by tabloid media as it brings across the idea of the news twisting the facts to spark certain emotions and interest? Also I think I would stick to logical fallacies because it sounds like a nice English terminology.
    – Prashin Jeevaganth
    Commented Jan 29, 2019 at 0:21
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You can use hyping media or hyperbolic media or just yellow media.

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