L E T ’ S LO O K AT H O W T H E N E W S I S M A D E !

WHY ARE NEWS SOURCES BIASED?

1ST: SOMETHING HAPPENS

2ND: PEOPLE DECIDE IT’S IMPORTANT ENOUGH (NEWSWORTHY)

3RD: FACTS ARE QUICKLY RESEARCHED, CONFIRMED, AND RELEASED

WAIT! WHY IS IT REALLY-REALLY-REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET THE FACTS

RIGHT?

TURN TO A PARTNER AND DISCUSS FOR 1 MINUTE!

4TH: MORE INFORMATION IS GATHERED (WITNESSES, PICTURES, VIDEOS, EXPERTS, ETC)

AND RELEASED

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

• We find out what’s happening in the world through news sources (also known as the media)

• This can be through the newspaper, the internet, the radio, or the TV

• Activity: Writing Down the Bones• You will just write whatever comes into your head (on

topic) that answers the question• Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar• Just write your thoughts!• You will share your most significant/important thought

when we’re doneQuestion for writing: What is the responsibility of those that report the news? What do we expect from them?

OUR POINT OF VIEW (OR HOW WE SEE THINGS) CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE TALK

ABOUT THEM TO OTHERS

• The Responsibility of News-Makers:- Those making the news must be aware of

their own point of view and their own biases before they present a story

- They must be sure they are telling facts without accidentally putting their opinion in

- They should try to see it from both sides to make sure they are being fair

- What is OUR responsibility as News-Takers?

WHERE DO THESE NEWS BIASES COME FROM?

• Reporters, anchors, writers, and producers of the news are human– they have strong feelings and beliefs about certain things that might influence their point of view on a subject• News is a for-profit endeavor• This means that almost all producers of news must make

money• They are a type of business• They have to please their customers, which is YOU (and

all the people around you)…if the customers don’t like the way they are reporting, the customers will change the channel!

WHERE DO THESE NEWS BIASES COME FROM?

• Newspapers, cable stations, radio stations, etc. are owned by PEOPLE who have ideas that might influence the stories that they report on and how they report them

• Time and space are limited, so not everything can be reported; someone must choose what to include and what to discard. It’s hard to include every point of view on an issue. In the end, someone’s ideas are disregarded and someone’s story is left out

• Sometimes news sources don’t pretend or try to not be biased. They might have a stated goal (to stop global warming, for example) and give a point of view that supports that goal

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE NEWS ONLY SHOWS YOU ONE POINT OF VIEW?

CHOOSING WHAT TO SHOW OR CUT OUT CHANGES WHAT THE PICTURE TELLS US…

What do the three versions show?

WRITE DOWN A HEADLINE FOR THIS PICTURE (AS IF IT WAS A NEWS STORY)

WHAT WAS YOUR HEADLINE ABOUT?

A WOMAN LOOKING IN A MIRROR?

OR A SKULL?

IS THIS ONE MAN OR MANY?

WRITE A HEADLINE FOR THIS IMAGE!

HOW MANY FACES ARE IN THIS TREE?

WE CAN ALL SEE THE SAME THING BUT IT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO EACH OF US

• At first glance, we might not see the same thing at all• The more we look, think, and talk, the more likely

it is that we will arrive at the same conclusions• After a minute or two, did you ALL see the skull

AND the mirror? Did you find more faces in the tree than you originally found?

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

• Get your news from more than 1 source (more than 2 is even better!)

• If something doesn’t sound right, find more sources…Google the facts yourself!

• Talk to others about what you hear on the news. Politics and current events are NOT dirty words. The key is to be polite, to ask questions, and to respect different ideas!

• If a source continues to be overly- biased, stop using it!• Don’t be afraid to change your mind!