Understanding Bias
What does the word "bias" mean in the context of news?
A. When a reporter tells all sides of a story fairly.
B. When a report is only about sports.
C. When a reporter shows a strong preference for one side of an issue.
D. When the news is printed in a newspaper.
C. When a reporter shows a strong preference for one side of an issue.
Bias by omission is when a news outlet:
A. Puts the story on the front page.
B. Uses very long words.
C. Writes stories only about history.
D. Leaves out facts or entire stories that don't fit their point of view.
D. Leaves out facts or entire stories that don't fit their point of view.
Which of the following is a sign that a news report might be biased?
A. It uses simple words.
B. It is very short.
C. It uses strong, emotional, one-sided language.
D. It has a picture.
C. It uses strong, emotional, one-sided language.
What is the goal of a news report that is objective?
A. To make people angry.
B. To sell a product.
C. To change the law.
D. To report the facts without adding personal opinion.
D. To report the facts without adding personal opinion.
If a report is only based on rumors and not on verifiable facts, it is:
A. Objective
B. Biased and unreliable
C. Very easy to write
D. A government report
B. Biased and unreliable
Why is it important to know about media bias?
A. To make sure all the news is happy.
B. To know which TV channel is the oldest.
C. To help you become a news reporter.
D. To help you think critically about what you read or watch.
D. To help you think critically about what you read or watch.
A TV news show spends 10 minutes talking about the good things a new law will do, but only 30 seconds on the problems. This is an example of bias by:
A. Photo selection
B. Placement
C. Spin/Emphasis (or selection of facts)
D. Humor
C. Spin/Emphasis (or selection of facts)
A news report about a debate only shows clips of one speaker making good points and the other speaker stumbling. This is an example of:
A. Bias by placement
B. Bias by selection of facts/video clips
C. Bias by omission
D. Bias by length
B. Bias by selection of facts/video clips
A headline for an article about a small town festival might be biased if it uses:
A. The town's name.
B. Exaggerated words (like "The Most Amazing Event Ever!").
C. The date and time.
D. A simple summary of the event.
B. Exaggerated words (like "The Most Amazing Event Ever!").
A news channel decides not to run a story about a crime because the person who committed it is related to the channel's owner. This is the clearest example of:
A. Bias by placement
B. Bias by language
C. Bias by photo
D. Bias by omission
D. Bias by omission
If a newspaper only writes stories that support one political party, what type of bias is this?
A. Bias by omission
B. Political bias
C. Entertainment bias
D. Location bias
B. Political bias
If a newspaper puts a story supporting a new school on the front page and a story against it on page 12, this is bias by:
A. Placement
B. Omission
C. Language
D. Background
A. Placement
If a news website is owned by a large company, and they only write good things about that company, this is an example of:
A. Age bias
B. Political bias
C. Gender bias
D. Corporate/Owner bias
D. Corporate/Owner bias
When you read an article and you can easily tell the author’s personal opinion, the article lacks:
A. Pictures
B. Objectivity
C. A headline
D. Paragraphs
B. Objectivity
The use of a statistical graph that is confusing or misleading is an example of:
A. Bias by statistics/visuals
B. Bias by source
C. Bias by repetition
D. Bias by color
A. Bias by statistics/visuals
A news source that is unbiased tries to be:
A. Funny and exciting.
B. Very short and quick.
C. Fair and objective.
D. Expensive to read.
C. Fair and objective.
When a reporter uses words like "disaster" or "hero" to describe a situation, they are using:
A. Bias by language/tone
B. Neutral language
C. Facts and data
D. Simple grammar
A. Bias by language/tone
Reading news from many different sources is a good way to:
A. Get a more balanced view of an event.
B. Find out the winner of a sports game.
C. Learn how to spell difficult words.
D. Only find funny stories.
A. Get a more balanced view of an event.
If a news story says "Experts claim the plan will work," but does not name the experts, you should be:
A. Happy
B. Bored
C. Excited
D. Skeptical (meaning: you should question it)
D. Skeptical (meaning: you should question it)
Which type of bias is mostly shown by News Channel B? Explain your answer.
Channel A: Interviewed the parents and kids about the park's renovation. And most of them were excited about the changes.
Channel B: Interview only the parents who were against the park's renovation. And they said it was waste of money.
Bias by Selection of Sources and Bias by Omission
Which of these is NOT a common type of media bias?
A. Bias by selection of sources
B. Bias by omission
C. Bias by weather forecast
D. Bias by placement
C. Bias by weather forecast
Bias by selection of sources means:
A. The news is very old.
B. The news only uses information from a book.
C. The news only reports on animals.
D. The news only interviews people who agree with one side.
D. The news only interviews people who agree with one side.
A journalist only interviews the CEO of a company about a labor dispute and never speaks to the workers. This shows:
A. Bias by placement
B. Bias by language
C. Bias by selection of sources
D. Bias by omission
C. Bias by selection of sources
What does it mean to be a critical consumer of media?
A. To watch news all day long.
B. To criticize all news on social media.
C. To carefully think about and question the news you see.
D. To only read news that you agree with.
C. To carefully think about and question the news you see.
Explain how Newspaper A's headline and Newspaper B's headline show different types of bias (spin or language).
Newspaper A: The new increase bill hikes on electricty and water are crushing the pockets of individual.
Newspaper B: Electricity and water supply were not properly monitered and poorly maintained in the past years. Bill hikes would improved the supply and maitenance.
Newspaper A uses Negative Bias by Language/Spin "Crushing"
Newspaper B uses Positive Bias by Language/Spin "Historic"