Major Project: Political Bias and the Media
PURPOSE:
Skills: The purpose of this assignment is to understand the nature of US politics in terms of political behavior (ideology, public opinion) and how it is linked to parties, interest groups, and the influence of media.
Knowledge: It has long been argued, particularly by conservatives, that there is a liberal bias in the mass media. On the other hand, progressives and liberals counter that conservative media has its own bias and that conservative media spends most of its time trying to invoke fear and division in the general public. With these two points of view in mind, complete the following assignment.
THE TASK:
Explanation of Activity:
Define media bias and explain at least four types of media bias.
Locate two current event news articles covering the same topic or event in American politics.
Make sure that your article is within the 6-month time frame (count backward from the due date 6 months). If the due date is November 11th, and the article is written on February 7th, then the article is not within the 6-month time frame.
You MUST include the hyperlinks to the articles. If you fail to insert the hyperlinks, the project will be returned to you for revision.
Avoid using “Op-ed” articles for this assignment. These articles are editorials (which is news commentary rather than actual news reporting). Generally, these types of articles are labeled as such, however, the nature of cable news has made this less clear (see your textbook for additional explanation). You might look for things like a reporter’s use of voice in the article to gauge its bias. For example, a story might report “there was a crash on I-85”–or it might say something like “there was a horrific crash on I-85.” See the difference? What’s horrific to her might not be horrific to you, so that would be an instance where the writer’s objectivity may have faltered. Be sure you don’t rely upon “op-ed” pieces or other editorials as you prepare your paper. Those are supposed to be biased. We’re looking for bias in articles that are presented as news by the networks and publishers.
Compare and contrast (the reporting of) the two news articles. Explain in detail how these articles are or are not example/s of media bias. If you did find bias, including which types of bias you may have identified.
Discuss the impact of media bias on public opinion. As part of your research and examination of media, bias includes recent polling data results showing the public’s confidence in the objectivity and/or fairness of the media. The Gallup polls in the lesson module are a great place to start.
Use the template provided below to help complete your assignment.
Create a 3-5 minute video comparing/contrasting the two news articles based on your research. Additional guidance and instructions are provided below.
GRADING CRITERIA:
See the attached rubric in addition to the following specifics regarding the criteria on which your grade will be based:
You MUST use the template provided. The template is there to help you follow the instructions and gain the maximum points for the assignment.
Each paragraph MUST contain at least five sentences.
You MUST include the hyperlinks in the template.
You MUST ensure that your article is within the 6-month time frame (count backward from the due date 6 months). If the article is not within a 6-month period, your assignment will be returned to you with a zero and you may be allowed 48 hours to redo the assignment.
Check your grammar and spelling.
At a minimum, one paragraph must contain in-text citations from your text.
Do NOT directly copy the article word for word for your summary. Your summary is your words, not the author’s. If you directly copy the article (Plagiarism), then the assignment will be returned to you with a zero. You will be allowed 48 hours to redo the summary.
In the video: Your face and name must be clearly visible in your ID, and your face must be visible in your video.
The video must be at least 3 minutes in length and clearly articulate the points made in your research.
TEMPLATE:
You MUST use the template provided below. The template is to help you follow the instructions and gain the maximum points for the assignment.
Title (Example) Political Bias in the News
Your Name: ________________________________
Hyperlink to Article #1: ______________________
Date of Article #1: ___________
Hyperlink to Article #2: ______________________
Date of Article #2: ___________
Due Date of Assignment: __________
Introduction:
Prompt: A good introduction includes at least three parts, according to guidance provided in this How to Write an Introduction article by Grammarly.
A hook to capture the reader’s attention
Background for context.
Define media bias and explain at least two types of media bias found in the articles that you chose, introducing the two articles to be discussed.
A clearly defined thesis statement or main point of your paper
First Body Paragraph:
Prompt: Begin by comparing or contrasting the two articles. For example, statements might be worded in the following manner:
“In the article (title of the article), (author) explains/discusses/describes/argues (choose only one of the previous words) while in the article (title of the article), (author) explains/discusses/describes/argues (choose only one of the previous words)…”
“To illustrate this point, the author states….”
Second Body Paragraph:
Prompt: Compare or contrast evidence of bias in each of the two articles. For example, you might state:
“The article (title of the article), demonstrates (name a type of media bias used in the article, by (doing or stating what).”
“Meanwhile, the article (title)…”
State whether the bias suggests a conservative or liberal bias and why you believe this to be true.
Third Body Paragraph:
Prompt: As part of your research and examination of media bias include recent polling data results showing the public’s confidence in the objectivity or fairness of the media. Provide an Internet citation for each polling source discussed. For example
“According to a recent Gallup poll conducted (when?), a (certain percentage of Americans believe…”
Conclusion Paragraph:
Prompt: Wrap up and summarize your points, especially as they pertain to the thesis statement or main point of your paper. Detail why this is an important exercise for the course. Link the assignment to the material covered in class. Be sure to cite your textbook page number. You may cite it as (Text, p. xxx) and substitute the page number for xxx. For example, your conclusion might say something like this:
“In conclusion, my research has shown….”
“This research illustrates (what) from our class readings (or textbook).”
“This insight is valuable because….”
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