In class, we will watch the video that is posted below. As you watch, pretend you are a reporter working for a newspaper. Your boss wants you to only cover the most important facts of the event so your readers don't waste time on unimportant details. You want to make your boss proud so after watching the video you decide to write a three sentence summary of the events you just witnessed. After taking down your notes, turn to another journalist (otherwise known as your classmate) and discuss what you have written. Did you write the same three facts? Or, were they entirely different? Why do you think you got these results and how does this connect to bias?
What is Media Bias?
Journalists run into the same problem in the real world when reporting on events. There is simply too much going on as a news story is unfolding to be able to include every detail. And every journalist will consider different events the most important to write about.
This is called media bias. To learn more about media bias read the Student News Daily article entitled "Media Bias".
Now that you understand Media Bias, keep this information in mind as you read the news. When I read a news article, I always look to see where the article came from first before I read the article. Sometimes, depending on which newspaper an article comes from, I do not read the article at all because I do not trust it. As you form the habit of reading the news, you will find that you prefer certain sources over others and you will be able to create your own list of your favorite newspapers. However, as long as the stories you are reading are accurate, it is important to sometimes read articles from sources that have a different belief system than your own. This way, you are constantly challenging your opinions and understanding every side of the argument. The more you read the news, the easier this will become.
**If you would like to challenge yourself, try to find news articles about US current events written in newspapers from other countries. This can be fun and eye opening because you can begin to understand what people around the world think of our actions based on what they are reading. Sometimes their opinions of our country are very different from our own. A strong example of this distinction can be seen in news articles from around the world during the Civil Rights Movement.**