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A Closer Look at Bias in the Media
Even if your work is free of bias, you need to be a critical observer of the news media and have a greater understanding of bias in reporting. Because it happens. All the time. Bias can occur in many ways, particularly through:
- Selection and omission of specific details
Click here to examine how two articles cover the same news event in much different way.Then click on some of the other menu items and explore this excellent University of Michigan website on news bias. Are you surprised by some of the hidden bias?Then watch these two video clips and share some of your thoughts:
Bias Detection
Hacking Story
Yes, I was very surprised at the hidden bias in the articles/video clips. If I was not told beforehand about the bias from the networks in these reports, I would have been influenced by their opinion without realizing it. Comparing and contrasting the two articles involving the UN and Iraq was very eyeopening regarding hidden bias. After reviewing them, it was clear the see the mainly U.S. paper and the international paper had slight but siginificant difference in sources and word choice. Also, in my opinion, CBS used exaggarated terms to describe the subjects and the situation in the hacking story. The local news station involved student sources as well as faculty sources at the school.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was surprised by the bias in the video clips and news articles. Since the bias words and phrases were highlighted in the U of M articles, it really occurred to me that there is a lot of bias language used in publication, intentional or not. Most of the bias could be removed by different wording or eliminating exaggerated phrases. As for the video clips, I think the CBS video was not as bias as the other. The CBS video seemed to use more facts, but still was not completely unbiassed.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked by the comparison of the two articles on the U of M websitse. When a topic as specific and political as that, it seems easier to just read it and agree with what the reporter is saying, becuase you want to automatically assume that they have everything correct and neutrally spelled out. However, the side-by-side comparison made it blatantly obvious that this isn't the case. One article made it sound as though Iraq was a huge threat, while the other didn't. By simply using different words and facts, the journalist can drastically change the undertone and the overall purpose of the story. The first video also explained this, and made me realize that you can't fully depend on one article, even if it does seem professional and neutral.
ReplyDeleteThe hidden bias in the articles and video clips were very surprising, especially the one on the U of M website. While reading the two articles, the authors swayed me to believe what they thought were right. But with such a serious hard news article it's not okay to have so much bias. I didn't know whether to think if Iraq was a threat or not, because an article like that should be neutral. The video and the color key for comments on the article were very helpful and cool tools to use, and they made it really easy to pick out the bias in the articles, and it was crazy how much there was. The CBS video clip focused a lot on how the boys hacked into the computer and what their punishments were, and the local video clip focused more on the boys. The CBS clip used bias language against the boys when describing them, but the local one talked about how Daniel was very smart and that he didn't need to change the grades.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was very surprised at the hidden bias in the articles and video clips. I was especially surprised to see the differences in the two articles about Iraq. The article written by Reuters made it sound like Iraq was not a threat and that the problem was just a misunderstanding while the other article made it sound like Iraq was a threat and that the problem was not a misunderstanding but a threat and evidence of Iraq not willing to cooperate with the U.N. If I had only read one of the articles neither would have seemed biased but reading them as they are next to each other makes the bias in the articles very clear. As for the videos it seemed as if the first video didn't think that the hackers story was very serious and just told the facts while the second story also told the facts, but made the story seem much more serious and told us in more detail what happened.
ReplyDeleteYes, the bias was very surprising to me because it seemed so subtle yet it made such an impact on the story. I was being persuaded that Iraq was a huge threat without my awareness. It was crazy to see how big a difference just a few biased words could change the whole meaning of a story. I liked how the UofM article underlined a few of the biased words because it helped me really get a grasp on what bias looks like in a piece of writing. In the video clips, I really enjoyed the "Identifying bias" video because it explained things really well and I believe that the CBS video used a lot more biased terms to describe facts about the story than the other video. This instantly caused me to have a biased opinion.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was very surprised by the amount of hidden bias in the videos and articles. It was also surprising that little words could influence my thinking so greatly. The way that the one article was worded regarding Iraq and the UN made Iraq sound very threatening and dangerous while the other stressed more on the incident being a misunderstanding. For the three boys who hacked the school, CBS was very biased even in their tones. Some of the reporters made the story sound a lot more shocking than it was just by their tones. They also talked a lot about the boys' punishments and consequences. The other news channel focused more on the boys themselves and used less descriptive words which made it sound less bias. I was also surprised that I could be influenced so easily and without knowing. I thought I would be able to pick up on the bias and make my own opinion, but the bias is often so subtle that my opinions were swayed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was very surprised with the amount of bias that was displayed in the articles and videos. People are taught to believe the news, since it is our way of knowing what's going on with our government, country, and state. The U of M story comparing the U.N. and Iraq articles shocked me. While one was more nuetral, the other with laced with hidden bias. It was constantly ruling in favor of the U.N., sublty bashing Iraq. Reading this made think about how many articles I have read prior to this and did not realize how the writer may be persuading me to agree on their politcal stance. As for the videos, I believe the CBS video was way more bias than the local one. The CBS video tried to make you hate the kids, while the local one really went into their character.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video clips, I was surprised at how easily bias can be slipped into the media. Generally when I think of bias I think of obvious bias like clear opinionated articles. However, watching these clips makes me think about all the subtle details that imply a journalists perspectative that is not clear to a reader. As for the U of M articles, I really did not see any bias, it was an article based on fact and quotes, not really point of view.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am suprised by the many ways that biased opinions are hidden throughout writing. While I am reading articles and other sources, it is difficult for me to detect biased views. After reading the two U of M articles, it is now easier for me to find biased points of views in writing, being that the articles are highlighted, helping me to understand where biased points are incorporated. After seeing the videos I now know to make sure to find multiple sources that are covering the same topic so that I can gain an amount of fairly neutral information. Knowing all this will help me to not easily be persuaded to certain opinions.
ReplyDeleteI was aware of biasand have seen a few examples, but after reading the articles and seeing the video clips, it's obvious to me. I found that looking at various articles of the same topic and other places might give a better view.
ReplyDelete