Definition
In response to a critique, the article shifts focus to a different alleged wrongdoing rather than addressing the original critique.
Reasoning methodology
Whataboutism
Deflecting from criticism by raising a different issue.
Detection criteria
Requires explicit deflection away from an original criticism.
Genuine instances
- Asked about the spending claim, the piece pivots to the opponent's unrelated travel costs.
Common false positives
- The article compares two relevant policy records side by side.