Build the Story
Media Mixed Bag
Media and Democracy
Bias Busters
Opinions Allowed
100

This opening paragraph of a news story gives readers the most important verified information first.

What is a lead?

100

The element in this list that IS NOT essential for a story to be newsworthy: interesting, tragic, timely, important

What is tragic?

100

The name for the group of reporters that closely follow the president, sometimes accompanying him on Air Force One and covering domestic and international events.

What is the White House Press Corps?

100

Calling a proposal a "reckless disaster" instead of describing what it does is bias of this.

What is language?

100

An article by a guest writer that argues for a personal viewpoint is this form of journalism. 

What is opinion or op-ed?

200

This news-writign structure places the most essential facts at the top and supporting details below (and it has nothing to do with Egypt)

What is the inverted pyramid?

200

Programs such as Survivor and Love Island belong to this television genre, even though editing shapes the stories viewers see.

What is reality tv?

200

This amendment protects freedom of speech and of the press. 

What is the First Amendment?

200

Citing only 1/4 of the relevant statistics in order to hide more well-rounded data shows bias of this type.

What is emphasis?

200

An article that evaluates a movie, video game, restaurant, album, or book is this type of journalism.

What is a review?

300

Written in the largest font, it's the part of the article that most readers see first.

What is a headline?

300

The name for the words that accompany a photo embedded in an article.  It might describe the photo or give information that moves the article forward.

What is a caption?

300

What the acronym FCC stands for.  

What is the Federal Communications Commission?

300

Quoting only people who support one side of an issue demonstrates bias of these.

What are sources?

300

At many newspapers, this group writes opinion pieces representing the publication's institutional view and is separate from the newsroom.

What is the editorial board?
400
The missing word in this list: who, what, [blank], where, why, how.

What is when?

400

TikTok's For You Page and similar feeds use this set of computer rules to predict what will keep a user watching.

What is an algorithm?

400
One of the media outlets banned from the white house press briefings.

What is CNN, MS NOW, and Politico?

400

This type of reading allows a consumer of media, especially social media, to determine whether a story is true or a source is trustworhty.

What is lateral reading?

400

A review is stronger when its judgements are supported with specific scenes, performances, dishes, or other examples--this kind of support. (English teachers agree!)

What is evidence?

500

The second paragraph in a news story gives background and explains why the story matters (and has nothing to do with cashews or pecans)

What is the nut (para)graph?

500
This online news source, basically run by one man, first broke the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal.

What is the Drudge Report?

500

This broadcast policy called for contrasting viewpoints on controversial public issues; the FCC repealed it in 1987

What is the Fairness Doctrine?

500

A story that makes a strong claim but supplies no documents, data, obersvations, or reliable testimony is biased because it is weak in this area. (Your English teacher might agree)

What is evidence?

500

Rather than simply saying I liked it, an effective opinion piece starts the same way an effective English essay does, with this.

What is a claim?