News Bias: Myth or Reality?
The health of a free society depends upon a free press informing the public in an objective manner. Although most journalists will proclaim the objectivity of their work, a perusal of news sources may lead the reader to a different conclusion. We may assume that most journalists are sincere in their attempts to report objectively but cultural and other biases do find their way into the nations news sources. It takes a vigilant and educated populace to monitor the press. Upon completon of this WebQuest you will be an educated and vigilant monitor.
The Task
You are a member of The News Watch Institute, a private organization dedicated to detecting bias in the media. You will be working for the News Department. Your mission, should you choose to accept it ( and of course, you will) will be to observe and monitor headlines, photographs, and articles for bias. After your observations have been completed you will submit a document of your findings to the Institute. (This message will not self distruct in five seconds.)
Resources
To complete your task you will use the resources of the Institute's library. You will be required to scour the CD-ROM databases (Sirsand Ebsco's Full Text Elite) to locate an article on the topic. You will also use the print versions of The New Bedford Standard Times, The Wareham Courier, and The Boston Globe. You may use any other national paper also.
You will use the following World Wide Web sites to help you with your investigation. If you find or know of other sites which could be used notify your Chief of Investigation (your teacher) in writing. Note the address of the site, its name and your opinion of its usefullness for this assignment.
Web Sites
Additional Resources
More Web Sites
Books, Periodicals and other Sources
The print materials listed below will give you additional information and insight into the assignment.
Books and Periodicals
Bernards, Neal, ed. The Mass Media. Opposing Viewpoints. St. Paul, Minnesota: Greenhaven Press, 1988.
Carey, H. and Judith E.Greenberg. How to Read a Newspaper. A Social
Study Skills Book. New York : Franklin Watts, 1983.
Conrad Eva. "In the Media", The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Personal
Relations v.4. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1990.
Fleming, Jared B. "Rosewell, Letters: Newspapers Lose Public Trust Through
Attitude, Inaccuracies." The Atlanta Journal. September 2, 1997. A09.
Kronenwetter, Michael. Politics and the Press. Issues in American History.
New York: Franklin Watts, 1987.
Leo, John. "Why Ruin a Good Story?", U.S. News & World Report.
May 5, 1997.
Weiss, Ann E. News or Not? Facts or Feelings in the News Media. New York:
E.P. Dutton, 1977.
CD-ROMS
Sirs Researcher. CD-ROM. Boca Raton, Fl: Sirs, Inc. 1997.
Ebsco MAS Full-Text Elite. CD-ROM. Ebsco Publishing, 1997.
The Process
- You will begin with the reading assignments. This will give you some background before you start your investigation.
- Complete the assignments on headlines, photographs, and articles.
- Create the final opinion paper for the Institute. You will be required to present your findings to the Institutes News Bias Committee.
Learning Advice
Keep all of your work in a folder. Tape or glue all pictures and news articles to construction paper. All of your original work should be typed using a word processor. Do not use a font size larger than 14. Also use an appropriate font. Keep all of the articles you will be reading for this investigation in your folder. You will not need to do any searching for sites to do this assignment. However, if you know of or come across an interesting site please share with the group.
Conclusion
When you have completed this investigation you should be able to read a newspaper, and view on-line news sources with a critical eye. You will know what to look for when searching for an unbiased opinion. This will help you make informed desicions.
A Message for Educators
THIS PAGE DESIGNED BY Cynthia Tobojka SEPTEMBER 6, 1997.
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