How to Detect bias in the news

Recap What do the following terms mean? Objective Subjective Persuasive Bias

Why study bias? Despite the journalistic ideal of “objectivity,” every news story is influenced by the attitudes and background of its interviewers, writers, photographers, and editors Not all bias is deliberate You can become a more aware news reader, viewers, or listener by watching for the following journalistic techniques that allow bias to “creep in” to the news

Bias through selection and omission Choosing to use, or not to use, a specific news story Ignoring some details and including others can give viewers a different opinion This type is difficult to detect Can only really be found by comparing different news reports on the same topic If a news story on Linsanity is front page news and another story on the Northern Gateway Pipeline is not featured, then that selection and omission would reflect a particular bias

Bias through placement Where a story is placed influences whether readers/viewers think it’s important Readers judge first page (or first listed) stories to be the most important Television and radio newscasts run the most important stories first and leave less significant for later

Bias by headline Headlines are the most-read part of the paper Example Headlines are the most-read part of the paper They can convey excitement, express approval or condemnation, etc. Detroit Lions Lose 2 of Last 3 Games Vs. Detroit Still Second in Division with 6-3 Record

Smiley face artist may face charges A 43-year-old male was questioned and released by police officers Tuesday afternoon after he was caught drawing a smiley face on the center of the Diag. The man was using a permanent marker to apply the grafiti, making it a miscellaneous destruction of property because it does not wash away. Overton said the man is "somebody (DPS) deals with frequently" for trespassing, making it more likely he will be prosecuted for the crime.

Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles Some pictures flatter a person, and others make the person look unpleasant Photos influence opinion One photo tells the reader that Brangelina are happy, and the other tells us they’re splitting up

Bias through use of names and titles News media use labels and titles to describe people, places, and events A person can be called an “ex con” or can be referred to as someone who “served time twenty years ago for a minor offense” Both titles are true, but they send very different messages about the person

Bias Through statistics and crowd counts Numbers can be inflated or deflated to make an event seem more or less spectacular Numbers reflect opinions of the person doing the counting Look for words like “only” “ “Approximately one hundred injured in air crash” Vs. “Only minor injuries in air crash”