A Claim-Structure Taxonomy of Competence Mimicry in High-Production Media

This paper proposes a structural taxonomy for analyzing a class of high-production media artifacts that simulate analytical competence without meeting core epistemic requirements. Rather than evaluating the truth or falsity of individual claims, the framework examines claim construction patterns that systematically resist falsification, substitute narrative for evidence, and borrow authority through affective and quantitative signaling. The taxonomy identifies seven recurring structural layers—including atmospheric framing, anecdotal singularity, narrative causality, quantification without denominators, authority laundering, moral compression, and resistance to falsification—that jointly reduce structural payability. A worked example and contrast case demonstrate application, while boundary conditions, reflexivity, and methodological limitations are explicitly addressed. This artifact is intended as an exploratory analytical framework for studying AI-era explainer media, productivity narratives, and political commentary, and is positioned as complementary to fact-checking and content-level evaluation.