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3/2/10 1 A Look at Bias in Informa0on What is Bias? Bias means someone is only pu3ng forward one side of an argument. For example: An advert will only tell you the good things about a product, and may exaggerate those! Remember, a writer may only be telling you one side of a story! always think about what a writer may not be telling you. don’t always believe what you read! “They’re Great!” According to Tony the Tiger. But how about all the people who have diabetes because of all the sugar? Types of Bias

Types of Bias - LPSisite.lps.org/ngeiken/Web/documents/Civics_Bias.pptx.pdf3/2/10 5 • When looking for bias by labeling, remember that not all labeling is biased or wrong (As long

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3/2/10

1

ALookatBiasinInforma0on

WhatisBias?•  Biasmeanssomeoneisonlypu3ngforwardonesideofanargument.– Forexample:

•  Anadvertwillonlytellyouthegoodthingsaboutaproduct,andmayexaggeratethose!

•  Remember,awritermayonlybetellingyouonesideofastory!–  alwaysthinkaboutwhatawritermaynotbetellingyou.

–  don’talwaysbelievewhatyouread! “They’reGreat!”AccordingtoTonytheTiger.

Buthowaboutallthepeoplewhohavediabetesbecauseofallthesugar?

TypesofBias

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Omission•  LeavingonesideoutofanarNcle,oraseriesofarNclesoveraperiodofNme.

•  Ignoringfactsthattendtodisproveliberalclaims,orthatsupportconservaNvebeliefs(orviseversa)

•  Tofindinstancesofbiasbyomission,beawareoftheconservaNveandliberalperspecNvesoncurrentissues.–  Example:SeeiftheconservaNveperspecNveisincludedinstoriesonaparNculareventorpolicy.

Selec0onofSources•  Includingmoresourcesthatsupportoneviewoveranother.–  Thisbiascanalsobeseenwhenareporterusessuchphrasesas"expertsbelieve,""observerssay,"or"mostpeoplebelieve".

•  Whenanewsstoryonlypresentsoneside,itisobviouslythesidethereportersupports.–  JournalistsoWengolookingforquotestofittheirfavoriteargumentintoanewsstory.

ExampleofCNNprogramsthatinterview“panelofexperts”toaddcommentary

andopiniontoastory.

•  Notallstorieswillincludeexperts,butinthosethatdo,makesureaboutanequalnumberofconservaNvesandliberalsarequoted.–  Ifastoryquotesnon‐experts,

suchasthoseportrayedasaverageciNzens,checktobesurethataboutanequalnumbercomefrombothsidesoftheissueinquesNon.

OccidentalCollege?Whereisthat?Howisshean“expert?”

Withoutknowingthestory,whatques0onsshouldyouaskyourselfabouther0tle?

• Is/wassheawitnesstoanevent?• Doesshegotoclassatthecollege?• Doessheworkatthecollege?• Issheaparentofacollegestudent?

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StorySelec0on•  ApaaernofhighlighNngnewsstoriesthatcoincidewiththeagendaofonesidewhileignoringstoriesthatcoincidewiththeagendaoftheotherside.–  Example:PrinNngastoryorstudyreleasedbyaliberalgroupbutignoringstudiesonthesameorsimilartopicsreleasedbyconservaNvegroups(andviseversa).

Webnewssite“TheDrudgeReport”runsmanynega0vestoriesaboutliberalpoli0cians.

Whiteflagimpliessurrenderordefeat.

•  ToidenNfybiasbystoryselecNonyou'llneedtoknowtheconservaNveandliberalsidesoftheissue.

•  SeehowmuchcoverageconservaNveissuesgetcomparedtoissuesontheliberalagenda(andviseversa).–  Howacertainstoryorheadlinetreatsaperson(PosiNve/NegaNve)

Ques0onstoaskyourself?IsthisaposiNveornegaNveheadline?

WhatpoliNcalpartydoesHilaryClintonbelongto?IsthispartyknowntobeconservaNveor

liberal?

DoyouthinktheDrudgeReportisconservaNveorLiberal?

DoyouseeBiasbystoryselec0oninthispicture?

Whodoyouthinkisbeingtreatedbeaer,theObama’sorthePalin’s?

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Placement•  Storyplacementisameasureofhowimportanttheeditorconsidersthestory.– Studieshaveshownthat,inthecaseoftheaveragenewspaperreaderandtheaveragenewsstory,mostpeoplereadonlytheheadline.

ReporNng9/11onthefrontpageisanappropriateuseof

placement.

•  BiasbyplacementiswhereinthepaperorinanarNcleastoryoreventisprinted.– Tolocateexamplesofbiasbyplacement,observewhereanewspaperplacespoliNcalstories.

–  IsonearNcleonthefrontpageandotheronthe6thpage. Doyouthinkthisisan

appropriatestoryforthefrontpageofanewspaper?

Labeling•  Biasbylabelingcomesintwoforms.–  ThefirstisthetaggingofpoliNciansandgroupswithextremelabels.

–  ThesecondkindofbiasbylabelingoccurswhenareporternotonlyfailstoidenNfyaliberalasaliberal,butdescribesthepersonorgroupwithposiNvelabels,suchas"anexpert.”

Yes,butwhatis“TheBlueandWhite?”

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•  Whenlookingforbiasbylabeling,rememberthatnotalllabelingisbiasedorwrong(Aslongastheyequallylabeleverybody).–  Biasbylabelingispresentwhenthestorylabelsoneside,butnottheother.

– Whenthestoryusesmoreextremesoundinglabelsforonesidethantheotherside.•  "ultra‐conservaNve,“"farright,”"liberal""farleW,"and"ultra‐liberal".

TheNewYorkTimesisoWenlabeledasa“liberal”newspaper.

TheNewYorkPostislabeleda“conservaNve”newspaper.

LookingatthisnewspaperheadlinewhatwouldmakeyouassumetheNewYorkPostisconservaNve.

Spin•  BiasbyspinoccurswhenthestoryhasonlyoneinterpretaNonofaneventorpolicy,totheexclusionoftheother.

•  Spininvolvestone‐it'sareporter'ssubjecNvecommentsaboutobjecNvefacts;makesoneside'sideologicalperspecNvelookbeaerthananother.

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•  Tocheckifit'sspin,observewhichinterpretaNonofaneventorpolicyanewsstorymatches‐theliberalorconservaNve.–  Ifastoryreflectsonetotheexclusionoftheother,thenyou'vefoundbiasbyspin.

WasthepresidentofColumbiaUniversityCollegeDemocratsinterviewed?

NewscommentatorBillO’Reillyhasevenwriaenabestselling

bookdenouncing“spin.”

ComedyNewsProgramming

Inthepastdecadecomedy/newsprogramminghasbecomeincreasinglypopular.

• HumorousslantonimportantpoliNcalissues.

• OWencriNcalofbothsides.

• However,theysNllhavepoliNcalbias.

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TheDailyShow•  BlatantlyLiberal–Theydonottryandhideit.–  DescribedasawatchdogtopopularconservaNvemedia.

TheColbertReport•  StephenColbertplaysanultra‐conservaNvetalkshowhost.•  ModeledaWerBillO’Reilly•  CharacterdisplaysconservaNvestereotypes.

TheTwoMostPopular

ColbertandSweetness•  StephenColbertoWensaysheis“inacommiaedrelaNonshipwithmylifepartner,Sweetness.”

•  Sweetnessisahandgun.•  ThisplaysuptothestereotypethatallconservaNvesaregun‐to3ngmaniacs.

•  ColbertandSweetnesshavebecomeaculthit.OWenthemostpopularproponhisprogram.