BIAS What Is Bias? Bias can be defined as favoring one side, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BIAS

What Is Bias?

 Bias can be defined as favoring one

side, position, or belief – being partial or prejudiced

 Where have you seen bias?

Bias vs. Propaganda

 Bias is …

… prejudice; a preconceived judgment or an

• pinion formed without grounds or sufficient

knowledge.

 Propaganda is …

… a systematic effort to influence people’s

• pinions; to win them over to a certain side or

view.

What Does Biased Language Look Like?

Not biased (just an observation): Frank spends very little money. Biased favorably: Frank is thrifty. Biased unfavorably: Frank is a cheapskate.

Can Bias Be Found In the News?

Consider these two sentences in a potential news story:

1.“A crowd of more than 900 attended the

protest.”

2.“Fewer than 1,000 showed up to protest.”

How could you state this detail in a neutral way?

How To Detect Bias When Reading

Every news story, article, etc. is influenced by the:

 thoughts  opinions  background

• f the:

 author  editor  interviewer

How To Detect Bias, Continued

 Bias isn’t always on purpose – sometimes

it just creeps in.

 By looking for it, you can spot bias and

become a better reader.

Let’s Examine Bias Through …

 Omission  Placement  Photos  Names and Titles  Statistics  Word Choice and Tone  Source Control

Bias Through Omission

 Sometimes, certain details or facts will be

cut out of a story, and others will be included.

 This can change how readers/viewers

think about the story.

 Make sure to consider multiple sources to

get the “full” story.

Bias Through Omission, Continued

A news story could be written about people booing during a speech.

1.“The President’s remarks were greeted by loud

jeers.”

2.“A small handful of people disagreed with the

President’s remarks.”

Bias Through Placement

 Usually, stories in a newspaper or on a news

program that are chosen to be put first are seen as the most important stories.

 Stories that appear at the back of a

newspaper or at the end of a broadcast are seen as less important.

Bias Through Placement, Continued

 For example, if a story about the disaster in the

Philippines is on the front page of the newspaper, it will be seen as important.

 If the story about the typhoon in the Philippines is

buried in the back of the paper, it will be regarded as less important.

Bias Through Photos

 Some photos can make the subject look

serious, beautiful, healthy, and so on. Other photos, however, can be very unflattering and make the subject look ridiculous, sick, etc.

 The images of someone in the news can

influence how people think about him or her.

Bias Through Photos, Continued

Compare these images …

Bias Through Photos, Continued

… to these photos.

Bias Through Names and Titles

 The way a person is described or labeled

can influence how we think about him or her.

Bias Through Names and Titles, Continued

Consider the difference in the following statements:

1.“John Doe, an ex-con, is now running for

• ffice.”

2.“John Doe, who was convicted 20 years ago

for a minor offense, is now running for office.”

Bias Through Statistics

 Numbers and statistics can be

manipulated to change the way we think about them.

Bias Through Statistics, Continued

Consider the following statements:

“The fundraiser for the school raised only

$1,100.”

 “The school’s successful fundraiser raised over

$1,000.”

Bias Through Word Choice

 The words and tone the journalist/writer uses

can influence a story.

 Using positive or negative words can change

how we feel about the news story.

 We can also be influenced by a news

broadcaster’s tone of voice.

Bias Through Word Choice, Continued

Consider the following examples:

 “The politician presented his well-thought

• ut and intelligent plan to Congress.”

 “The politician presented his shoddy and

disorganized plan to Congress.”

Bias Through Word Choice, Continued

Here are the headlines and lead paragraphs of two articles which came out the morning of March 11, 2003. They are covering the same incident:

Iraq forces suspension of U.S. surveillance flights UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iraqi fighter jets threatened two American U-2 surveillance planes, forcing them to return and abort their mission and return to base, senior U.S.

• fficials said Tuesday.

U.N. Withdraws U-2 Planes WASHINGTON (AP) – U.N. arms inspectors said Tuesday they had withdrawn two U- 2 reconnaissance planes

• ver Iraq for safety reasons

after Baghdad complained both aircraft were in the air simultaneously.

New York Times 03/11/2003 USA Today 03/11/2003

Here are hockey headlines from the hometown newspapers of the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings:

The Denver Post Red Wings 5, Avalanche 3 Injury begin Avs’ tumble The Detroit News Red Wings 5, Avalanche 3 Wings are too much for Avalanche

Bias Through Controlling the Source

Ask yourself:

 Where does the story originate?  Who is the source of the story?  Whose point of view am I reading or

hearing?

Bias Through Controlling the Source, Continued

Example:

 How would the information look if you

interviewed each legal team during a murder trial?

 What would happen if you only interviewed

the prosecution for your article?

What Influences News Bias?

 Geography

American sources like CNN have labeled the conflict in the Middle East as the “War in Iraq”

 Ideology

A writer’s/journalist’s personal beliefs

 Institutional Affiliation

Who is paying the writer? Does the payer have a bias that the writer has to use?

 The Medium Being Used

Example: leading story from a 30-minute evening news program vs. front page article of the New York Times

Critical Thinking Questions

 Who created/paid for this message?

 For what purpose was it made?  Who is the “target audience”?  What techniques are used to attract my attention

and increase believability?

 Who or what might be omitted, and why?  What do “they” want me to think or do?  Where might I go to get more information?

Questions, Continued

 Why is this message being sent?

 Who stands to benefit from the message?  How might other people interpret the message

differently from me?

 What can I do with the information I obtain?  What do I know; not know; want to know?