Newseum video on BIAS – questions

Watch the video with the rest of the class and think about the following things when you are watching it:

► What is “bias”? Is bias inherent in the news media?

â–º What can news consumers do about bias in the news business?

► How does freedom of the press function in today’s society?

â–º Should the news media follow ethical guidelines? Which guidelines, and why?

â–º What is our role as news consumers?

 

Then answer the following questions in a word doc and turn it in to the WEEKLY EXTRA folder:

1. Biased reporting is protected by freedom of the press. (In other words, reporters cannot go to jail or be fined for
reporting in a biased manner.) Do you think it should be protected? Why or why not?

2. Why should journalists be careful about the labels they use to identify people or ideas?

3. Some people think the news media are too liberal. Others think they are too conservative. How can this be? (In your
answer, consider the narrator’s observation that “bias is often in the eye of the beholder.”)

4. When a journalist is conducting an interview, is asking tough questions the same as being biased? Explain your
answer.

5. How can you identify bias in the media? What should you do about it?

6. How does biased reporting affect your trust in the news media? Explain.

 

 

(from the newseum lesson plan)

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