2. Some sources have a reputation
Research
the
Source
for giving a particular slant on the
news
Google source title + reputation
EX: The New York Times + bias
+reputation
3. Look at
how the
writer
treats the
writer
treats the
people
s/he is
writing
about
Do some sources or witnesses
"claim" their stories while others
"explain" them?
Make note of language that gives
you a positive or negative feeling
about a piece of information
Also notice if it is just the writer’s
opinion and not a verifiable truth.
4. Does the feeling the source gives
Pay
attention
to the
overall
tone
you relate to the information
given (e.g. murder makes you feel
sad)
Or does it seem to relate to the
writer's opinion (e.g. a particular
political part is scary)?
5. Think
about
what is
missing
from the
article
Is there a source, witness, or
explanation that has obviously
been ignored?
Is the "why" unclear?
Does the article fail to present the
position of one or more parties
involved in the story?
6. These are vaguely-defined terms
Watch for
buzzwords
("the homosexual agenda" or "the
Christian agenda") that are
designed or tend to evoke an
emotional reaction without giving
you any real information.
Investigate the article for
undefined terms, especially when
you come across a word that gives
you a very strong feeling
7. By asking the reader to identify
Look for
labels and
identifications
with a group mentality, the writer
may be expecting the reader to
forget to think for him/herself.
"regular guys"
"working class"
"concerned citizens"
"mothers"
"Christians"
"teens"
"intelligent people"
8. A good reporter will allocate
Look for
multiple
sides to
the story
adequate space in the story to
present facts and figures
supporting all sides of an issue.
Ask yourself if all sides of this
argument or dispute would agree
that their views were represented
fairly? If not, the story may show
bias.
9. Where did those statistics and
studies come from?
Who collected or conducted
Dig deeper
into the
statistics
them?
Who funded the research?
The best articles will reveal this
information.
10. If headlines or charts claim "the
worst/best/highest/lowest in X
years”, do some research.
Keep
digging
More data might show that if you
go back 2 or 3 times "X" years
ago, "X years ago" things really
weren't so good or bad as the
headlines would lead you to
believe.
11. If headlines or charts claim "the
worst/best/highest/lowest in X
years”, do some research.
Keep
digging
More data might show that if you
go back 2 or 3 times "X" years
ago, "X years ago" things really
weren't so good or bad as the
headlines would lead you to
believe.
