Library Skills Learning Modules

What is Media Bias?

• 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 same news story on different credible news sites.​

• 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 bias in news reporting so that you can critically evaluate the news and decide what stories you want to redistribute. ​

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.

What's a Filter Bubble?

Digital news outlets (there are so, so many!) connect to social media with constant updates. If you use one device (like your phone) to catch up on news, it can become very easy to get "stuck" inside a filter bubble. A filter bubble is the term used to describe being sheltered from information you do not like. An algorithm decides what content you see based on things/people/videos you "like" and does not share with you information beyond that. Filter bubbles are dangerous when people forget that they are in them, because then they THINK they are seeing news everyone sees, but the truth is, they are seeing a small fraction of the truth. For more information about the filter bubble, watch this video by Learn Free.

An important takeaway from the video is shown below. 

Avoid Fake News

Misinformation is created and shared with false information embedded, either by mistake or on purpose, and therefore unreliable. Disinformation is propaganda deliberately created and distributed with the intent to discredit (Conspiracy theories are an example). Fake news is both misinformation and disinformation: false, harmful news stories that should not be shared, opened, or "liked". In order to avoid fake news, you need to be able to identify it. Assessing the credibility of news outlets, websites, and other sources makes you a better-informed member of society. In other words, use your critical thinking skills in both academic researching AND real-world problem solving. 

• Consider the Source - Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.
• Read Beyond - Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What's the whole story?
• Check the Author - Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?
• Supporting Sources? - Click on those links. Determine if the info given actually supports the story. 
• Check the Date - Reposting old news stories doesn't mean they're relevant to current events.
• Is it a Joke? - If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure. 
• Check your Biases - Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgment. 
• Ask the Experts - Ask a librarian or consult a fact-checking site.