Appeal to Authority
fallacy
Summary: Treat an authority’s word as proof.
Expertise can inform but cannot replace evidence; citing status bypasses critical evaluation.
Pattern prevalence
- Authors: top 17.5%, bottom 2.9%, overall 5.3%
- Publications: top 10.4%, bottom 12.7%, overall 5.6%
- Articles: top 43.1%, bottom 4.9%, overall 24%
Recent example
Let's go ahead and bring in Jake Cruemmel, a senior economist over at realtor.com, for some answers.
Introduces expert from realtor.com to lend credibility
Recent articles
Anti-ICE chaos ERUPTS as governor points blame to 'national extremist groups' 0%
Fox News - 5/31/2026, 12:15 PM
Negativity Bias 26.6% - Appeal to Authority 25% - Hasty Generalization 22.7%
Welcome back. Anti-ICE protesters raging out of control. Tensions boiling over outside the New Jersey detention center as Democratic Governor Mikey Cheryl backs their cause and refuses to point blame. Watch. >> New Jersey law enforcement established a peaceful protected protest zone in the area outside Delaney Hall. We know that people... more
Hegseth says U.S. “position hasn’t changed on Taiwan” #shorts 0%
CBS News - 5/31/2026, 3:29 AM
Ambiguity (Equivocation) 37.5% - Overconfidence Bias 35.9% - Optimism Bias 29.4%
Last year you said a Chinese attack on Taiwan was quote imminent and with that has the US decided to cause that latest weapon shipment to Taiwan. >> Uh I think our our message today was very much in sync with precisely where the president wants to go which is we're going to be strong. Uh but we can speak softly while carrying that big... more
Exploring the housing market 0%
ABC News - 5/30/2026, 5:49 PM
Ambiguity (Equivocation) 25.4% - Pessimism Bias 17.5% - Appeal to Emotion 17.3%
All right, thinking of buying a house in this economy? Well, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a 9-month high of 6.53% this week. Summer is a hot time to buy. So, what do you do if you're in the market right now? Let's go ahead and bring in Jake Cruemmel, a senior economist over at realtor.com, for some answers.... more
We have to take this more seriously, UFO expert says 0%
Fox News - 5/30/2026, 10:30 AM
Appeal to Emotion 38.7% - Negativity Bias 35.9% - Availability Heuristic 35.6%
We've had repeated instances of something operating in the airspace over restricted nuclear facilities and it's not ours and we don't know whose it is. That alone, just that statement alone deserves inquiry, deserves attention, deserves focus. [music] >> If you have objects in the sky that you cannot identify, that's a problem because it... more
Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark Weighs in Legal Challenges to Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization” Fund 0%
NTD - 5/30/2026, 4:13 AM
Overconfidence Bias 24.9% - Appeal to Authority 22.2% - Negativity Bias 17.1%
And joining me now with more NDD contributor Jeffrey Clark, vice president of litigation at the Oversight Project and former assistant attorney general at the DOJ. Jeffrey, thank you so much for joining us. Great to see you again. Delving right in here, what do you make of the judge's order today? >> Well, the judge's order is very... more
Is there any real progress on peace with Iran? 0%
CBS News - 5/30/2026, 12:54 AM
Pessimism Bias 28.3% - Negativity Bias 25.4% - False Dilemma 24.3%
We return now to our top story. The president met with top advisers in the situation room today to discuss the latest proposal with the Iranian regime and whether he's satisfied enough to extend the ceasefire and move forward with negotiations. His stated priorities are ensuring Iran is never has a nuclear weapon, opening the Strait of... more
The internet has heightened threats to children, Louisiana's AG says #shorts #foxnews #news #fox 0%
Fox News - 5/30/2026, 12:00 AM
Negativity Bias 60% - Overconfidence Bias 49.7% - Appeal to Emotion 40.6%
You know, we just talked through the numbers and they're they're staggering. And I think that a lot of people are not aware of the extent of this problem. Is what what is the biggest misconception in your view of the amount of crime targeting children in America right now? >> Yeah, I think the biggest misconception is the volume um and... more
Viral bodycam captures Florida deputy's traffic stop unravel as he accuses one-handed driver of holding phone 0%
Fox News - By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten - 5/29/2026, 9:42 PM
Biased Writer Voice 30.5% - Negativity Bias 28.4% - Framing Effect 17.5%
A Florida sheriff's deputy is facing intense internet backlash after viral body camera video captured him doubling down and ticketing a woman for using a phone in her right hand — even after she revealed her right arm stops at the elbow. The roadside hiccup went down in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in February, when a Palm Beach County... more
Is the Pope starting an anti-Ai revolution? 0%
CBC Arts - By Nathan Chizen - 5/29/2026, 9:12 PM
In-Group Bias 17.1% - Negativity Bias 16.6% - Confirmation Bias 15.3%
In his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas — Magnificent Humanity — Pope Leo took a stance against the use of artificial intelligence, stating that it “must be disarmed.” Arriving at the same time when university students are booing their commencement speakers at the mention of AI and more celebrities continue to speak out... more
NEW: China-backed 'shadow fleet' helping Iran skirt US oil sanctions 0%
Fox News - 5/29/2026, 11:15 AM
Negativity Bias 13.4% - Framing Effect 9.6% - Hasty Generalization 8.6%
US and Iranian negotiators reaching an agreement on a 60-day ceasefire extension pending President Trump's final approval. But even as diplomacy moves forward, a high seas black market is keeping Iran afloat despite economic and military pressure. Hundreds of tankers known as the Shadow Fleet continue helping Iran move billions of... more