A kind of fallacy that is used as ammunition by people more concerned with an agenda than the truth.

Example:

  1. Extreme radical magazine runs a poory researched, biased story that quotes some nutball who says that kids are 50% more likely to commit suicide when they are denied fresh breast milk until the age of 8.
  2. Moderate radical magazine runs a deceptively worded story in which they mention how a recent study revealed the 50% figure.
  3. Some pundit mentions 50% on The McLaughlin Group
  4. A lazy reporter at Respectable news weekly watches The McLaughlin Group, and works the 50% figure somewhere deep into a story already in progress.
  5. For ever after, advocates of breast feeding will quote 50% as being from a 'serious' story in Respectable news weekly and not Extreme Radical.
Note that at each stage of increasing respectability, the prior source is not mentioned.

Aside from outright lies, this is also how many urban legends are inadvertently spread.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.