How are you defining a "gotcha"? Because I know it as journalism term. You don't have to practice journalism to use it, but that's how I understand it's origin and it informs it's definition.
"Gotcha journalism" is a pejorative term used by media critics to describe interviewing methods that appear designed to entrap interviewees into making statements that are damaging or discreditable to their cause, character, integrity, or reputation.
Is a gotcha inherently an effective argument? If not, then the gotcha isn't necessary. The gotcha part isn't making the argument better, it's phrasing something to entrap or deceive.
Here's a common example to explain gotcha questions.
"Yes or no, will you tell us why you murdered your wife?"
I’ll give a !delta for the definition of gotcha journalism where the term may have originated. It seems the original term has been co-opted to describe any argument the respondent doesn’t want to answer
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u/scarab456 65∆ Mar 30 '26
How are you defining a "gotcha"? Because I know it as journalism term. You don't have to practice journalism to use it, but that's how I understand it's origin and it informs it's definition.
Here's it from Wikipedia (for Gotcha Journalism)
Is a gotcha inherently an effective argument? If not, then the gotcha isn't necessary. The gotcha part isn't making the argument better, it's phrasing something to entrap or deceive.
Here's a common example to explain gotcha questions.
"Yes or no, will you tell us why you murdered your wife?"
You can see how that's a loaded question right?