University of Kwazulu-Natal

News Literacy Understanding Bias In News Media

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
news literacy understanding bias in news media

Scrolling through the comments on a news organization’s website or social media page reveals a widespread perception: Many people perceive bias in news coverage. Although, few people find that the news is biased in their favor. Young people are no exception. Almost 70% of teens believe that news organizations intentionally add bias to their coverage and only present the facts that support their own perspective, according to the News Literacy Project’s survey of teen information... During National News Literacy Week, the News Literacy Project’s Peter Adams led a webinar for educators that shared practical advice and tips to help students regain trust in credible news and to question faulty... Here are some takeaways from Adams’ presentation, which provided educators tools to teach this vital, controversial and complex topic in ways that empower students to meaningfully evaluate the fairness and impartiality of news coverage.

(View the recording.) Some organizations publish charts or rating systems that show where they believe news sites fall on a political spectrum. Although the creators of these rankings claim to make bias within news organizations more transparent, Adams warns against taking the representations at face value. Rankings appear to offer a solution for people looking to “unbias, unspin or decode news coverage,” Adams said. But they imply that bias is present in every newsroom and that the creator of such charts is objective enough to discern how to quantify each news organization. Adams recommends taking a critical look before basing opinions about news coverage on these tools.

Analyze not only how they represent different organizations, but the reasoning behind their conclusions. Adams also notes the importance of differentiating between news reports and opinion pieces. On some media bias charts, opinion pieces are included in a site’s ranking. Opinion pieces, which are not intended to be impartial, should be excluded when assessing whether a site’s news reports are neutral and credible. by webmaster | Feb 4, 2025 | Media Literacy | 0 comments Today, countless websites and apps share news, changing not only how we get information but also how often we receive it.

Even with more information available than ever before, this doesn’t mean we’re better informed. In addition, the prominence of opinion journalism has risen over the years and is present everywhere from newspapers, to TV news programs, to social media. Opinion journalism presents their audience with an opinion and is meant to provoke a discussion or persuade their audience. However, news journalism has a different purpose. News journalism is meant to inform the public without trying to persuade the audience one way or another. So, how do you tell the difference, and how do you ensure that the news sources you are consuming are truly meant to inform and not persuade?

Look for clues Many pieces of opinion journalism and sponsored content have clues to let us know that the article or video is meant to persuade rather than inform. Consider bias as a spectrum All news sources contain some level of bias. However, when we consider news to be on a spectrum of less biased to more biased, we can evaluate sources more effectively. Media have tremendous power in shaping political and cultural narratives—telling us what and who matters, why things are as they are and what it would mean to change them. An informed and critical audience challenges news media to be fair, independent and accurate. Here are some questions to ask yourself about news you consume, whether it’s in print, online, on TV or radio or in your social media feed.

Make note of the people quoted in the story, and at what length. Who is considered an expert on the subject? Media tend to over-rely on “official” sources like government, corporate and think tank representatives, and often fail to highlight the perspectives of ordinary people most affected by a problem, or their advocates. A 2014 FAIR.org survey of major cable news discussion programs shows a stunning lack of diversity among the guests. Everyone harbors some level of bias, either implicitly or explicitly.​ Media bias relates to the underlying influences (usually political) that affect how news is presented across different credible news sources.​ Media outlets and news organizations DO NOT all present the news from the same point of view.​ Reading one news story is NOT a comprehensive way to understand the whole story.

Reading from multiple points of view is crucial to news literacy and spotting media bias. Inherent biases can shape how news is covered. Journalists may be asked to "spin" a story that reflects the values of the news organization, sponsors, and stakeholders. How a news story is presented (images, language, and tone are good indicators of the type of bias presented) can be identified by watching the same story on different news videos or reading the... The purpose of understanding NEWS LITERACY is understanding that media bias exists and to intentionally seek out multiple news sources (THAT ARE CREDIBLE) so that you are exposed to different levels and types of... ​

You can use FACT CHECKERS to help evaluate news stories to determine their accuracy. Snopes, Politifact, and AllSides are good examples. Each of these examples provide a range, rating system, or scale to measure facts in news stories. There is a vast amount of online information, and navigating the validity of different sources is an important aspect of media literacy. When you encounter online news, it is important to slow down and evaluate the information before citing or sharing the source. Below are some resources to help students and researchers find accurate and useful online news.

The SIFT Method (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace) is an efficient strategy for navigating online information to determine if a source is credible or not. Follow these four steps to analyze the credibility of a source. When you are first confronted with an online news source, stop to see if it is a reliable source before citing or sharing. Do you know the author(s)? Is the headline misleading? Do a search to find out more about the author and source that is publishing the article.

What can you find out about the source? Do a quick search t find what other news outlets are saying about the same information. How do other sources compare? Last updated 2 weeks ago. Our resources are updated regularly but please keep in mind that links, programs, policies, and contact information do change. In an era of unprecedented information flow, understanding media bias and media objectivity is crucial for every citizen.

The news media shapes how we perceive the world, understand our government, and make informed decisions. This guide explores these concepts to help you navigate the complex media landscape, identify potential biases, and become a more critical and informed news consumer. Making sense of how news is produced and presented is a key step toward making government and its functions more accessible and understandable. When you read a news article, watch a broadcast, or scroll through social media, you’re encountering the product of complex decisions that can influence your understanding of events, policies, and public figures. Media objectivity is a cornerstone principle in journalism, referring to the aspiration that media outlets should present news and information in a neutral, balanced, and impartial manner, free from the journalist’s personal biases or... The core goal is providing factual reporting that allows individuals to form their own opinions rather than being swayed by a particular viewpoint.

Media Literacy is the practice of taking in media messages and understanding their influence on your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. When you interact with a media message it can be helpful to ask yourself some key questions: When you ask these questions, you're developing your media literacy. The goal of media literacy is thoughtful engagement and informed decision-making about the information you consume. Another example of media literacy in action is working to uncover any kind of bias that might be present within a message. Bias can be defined as prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair (Oxford Languages Dictionary).

Identifying bias can be tricky because it is not clearly stated. Bias can exist on a spectrum of political ideology, religious views, financial influence, misinformation, and more. All sources should be evaluated for potential bias - from a tweeted link to a scholarly article. When you suspect you may be engaging with biased media a good best practice is examining the language and tone of the message. Other times, bias can be identified due to a lack of cited sources. Or the sources the author chooses to cite may be questionable or unverified.

Cat Murphy, a college student, has wanted to be a journalist since she was 11. Many of her friends don’t understand why. When they engage with the news — if they do — they hear a cacophony of voices. They don’t know who to believe. Reporters are biased. They make mistakes.

Besides, why would you hitch your future to a dying industry? “There is a lot of commentary — ‘Oh, good for you. Look what you’re walking into. You’re going to be screaming into the void. You’re going to be useless,’” said Murphy, a 21-year-old graduate student at the University of Maryland’s journalism school. She is undeterred.

And it’s also why she’s not surprised by the findings of a study this fall that documented negative attitudes toward the news media among 13- to 18-year-old Americans. The press rarely fares well in surveys of adults, but it’s sobering to see the same disdain among people whose opinions about the world are still forming. Asked by the News Literacy Project for one word to describe today’s news media, 84% of teens responded with something negative — “biased,” “crazy,” “boring,” “fake,” “bad,” “depressing,” “confusing,” “scary.” For information on voter registration and requesting an absentee ballot, check out our Voting guide: News and information about current events comes in many formats at various stages of the information cycle, from live-streamed videos to long-researched publications. These are some basic definitions of news media terms to frame and contextualize what's being communicated and by whom, what it means to be factual, and how information can be distorted or misunderstood.

Source: Stony Brook University Digital Resource Center's Glossary (Accessed December 2023) Accountability: "Taking direct responsibility, by name, for the truthfulness and the reliability of the report. Examples include bylines in print and digital journalism and sign-offs in audio and video reports." Balance: "Equality between the totals of the two (or more) sides of the account. Balance is a more technical term than fairness. It's a quantitative measurement that can be used as a tool to achieve fairness, especially in cases where the facts are in dispute or the truth is still developing."

People Also Search

Scrolling Through The Comments On A News Organization’s Website Or

Scrolling through the comments on a news organization’s website or social media page reveals a widespread perception: Many people perceive bias in news coverage. Although, few people find that the news is biased in their favor. Young people are no exception. Almost 70% of teens believe that news organizations intentionally add bias to their coverage and only present the facts that support their ow...

(View The Recording.) Some Organizations Publish Charts Or Rating Systems

(View the recording.) Some organizations publish charts or rating systems that show where they believe news sites fall on a political spectrum. Although the creators of these rankings claim to make bias within news organizations more transparent, Adams warns against taking the representations at face value. Rankings appear to offer a solution for people looking to “unbias, unspin or decode news co...

Analyze Not Only How They Represent Different Organizations, But The

Analyze not only how they represent different organizations, but the reasoning behind their conclusions. Adams also notes the importance of differentiating between news reports and opinion pieces. On some media bias charts, opinion pieces are included in a site’s ranking. Opinion pieces, which are not intended to be impartial, should be excluded when assessing whether a site’s news reports are neu...

Even With More Information Available Than Ever Before, This Doesn’t

Even with more information available than ever before, this doesn’t mean we’re better informed. In addition, the prominence of opinion journalism has risen over the years and is present everywhere from newspapers, to TV news programs, to social media. Opinion journalism presents their audience with an opinion and is meant to provoke a discussion or persuade their audience. However, news journalism...

Look For Clues Many Pieces Of Opinion Journalism And Sponsored

Look for clues Many pieces of opinion journalism and sponsored content have clues to let us know that the article or video is meant to persuade rather than inform. Consider bias as a spectrum All news sources contain some level of bias. However, when we consider news to be on a spectrum of less biased to more biased, we can evaluate sources more effectively. Media have tremendous power in shaping ...