Media Bias Flashcards
How do you recognize “Spin”?
Spin is a type of media bias that means vague, dramatic or sensational language.
What are unsubstantiated claims?
Journalists sometimes make claims in their reporting without including evidence to back them up. This can occur in the headline of an article, or in the body.
Statements that appear to be fact, but do not include specific evidence.
How are opinions presented as facts?
Sometimes journalists use subjective language or statements under the guise of reporting objectively. Even when a media outlet presents an article as a factual and objective news piece, it may employ subjective statements or language.
Describe sensationalism & emotionalism?
Sensationalism is a type of media bias in which information is presented in a way that gives a shock or makes a deep impression. Often it gives readers a false sense of culmination, that all previous reporting has led to this ultimate story.
Sensationalist language is often dramatic, yet vague. It often involves hyperbole — at the expense of accuracy — or warping reality to mislead or provoke a strong reaction in the reader.
How do recognize Mudslinging and “Ad Hominem”.
Mudslinging is a type of media bias when unfair or insulting things are said about someone in order to damage their reputation. Similarly, ad hominem (Latin for “to the person”) attacks are attacks on a person’s motive or character traits instead of the content of their argument or idea.
Ad hominem attacks can be used overtly, or as a way to subtly discredit someone without having to engage with their argument.
How does mind reading play out in media bias?
Mind reading is a type of media bias that occurs in journalism when a writer assumes they know what another person thinks, or thinks that the way they see the world reflects the way the world really is.
What is Slant?
Slant is a type of media bias that describes when journalists tell only part of a story. It can include cherry-picking information or data to support one side, or ignoring another perspective. Slant prevents readers from getting the full story, and narrows the scope of our understanding.
How do you recognize flawed logic?
Flawed logic or faulty reasoning is a way to misrepresent people’s opinions or to arrive at conclusions that are not justified by the given evidence. Flawed logic can involve jumping to conclusions or arriving at a conclusion that doesn’t follow from the premise.
How do you recognize bias by omission?
Bias by omission is a type of media bias in which media outlets choose not to cover certain stories or omit information that would support an alternative viewpoint.
Media outlets sometimes omit stories in order to serve a political agenda. Sometimes, a story will only be covered by media outlets on a certain side of the political spectrum (for example, according to research by AllSides, stories about Benghazi were mostly ignored by the Left, while some climate change stories have been mostly ignored by the Right).
What is omission of source attribution?
An informative, balanced article should provide the background or context of a story, including naming sources (publishing “on-the-record” information).
How do spot bias by story placement?
The stories that a media outlet features “above the fold” or prominently on its homepage and in print show which stories they really want you to read, even if you read nothing else on the site or in the publication.
Many people will quickly scan a homepage or read only a headline, so the stories that are featured first can reveal what the editor hopes you take away or keep top of mind from that day.
How do spot bias by viewpoint placement?
This can often be seen in political stories. A balanced piece of journalism will include perspectives from both the left and the right in equal measure.
If a story only features viewpoints from left-leaning sources and commentators, or includes them near the top of the story/in the first few paragraphs, and does not include right-leaning viewpoints, or buries them at the end of a story, this is an example of bias by viewpoint.
