Fair News or Fake News: Identifying Media Bias
In this one-time class students will examine mainstream and social media news sources for bias.
Keegan Warne
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(121)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students will have the opportunity to complete an after-class activity to practice their skills.Assessment
During class there will be many opportunities for discussion, so that students can ask for clarification on anything they find confusing. Additionally, I will provide an optional after-class activity that I will happily review and annotate if students decide to submit it to me.Class Experience
Beginner Level
Everyday we are confronted with news from organizations that have their own agenda. Perhaps they have a political agenda, or maybe they are writing sensationalist headlines to boost their ratings. Either way, it's important that we, as informed citizens, are able to recognize the bias in the news we are exposed to, and are able to separate fact from opinion. This class will examine the way we get our news, and the way news sources can amplify political views. We will compare and contrast the way different mainstream news outlets cover similar stories, and examine the way they select their headlines. This class will also examine the way social media can influence the news we see, and the way a websites algorithm can lead to amplification of political opinions. The majority of this class will be discussion based with students working with me to identify the types of bias we see in news articles today. There will be an activity in which students will visit the websites of major news outlets to compare/contrast their new coverage, and we will share our findings as a group. Finally, students will discuss the ways we can better curate our own media consumption, so that we are not consistently exposed to the same bias and are aware of differing viewpoints.
Learning Goals
✓ Students will be able to identify media bias in news articles, television programs, and social media feeds.
✓ Students will know the difference between factual and opinionated reporting.
✓ Students will understand the way social media algorithms affect the news articles we see.
✓ Students can apply strategies for curating their own media consumption.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Students will be visiting mainstream news sites, and news related Facebook feeds as part of our examination of media bias. These sites will be viewed live and their content will depend on current events. It's important to note the news outlets and examples in the class will come from media in the United States. However, the concepts, knowledge, and skills we will be practicing can be applied to media from any country.
Supply List
1) Pen and paper, or other platform for taking notes. 2) Students will be visiting mainstream news websites for compare/contrast purposes. They should be on a device they feel comfortable accessing those sites while using zoom, or have a secondary device they can use.
Joined May, 2020
4.9
121reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a licensed social studies teacher from the state of Virginia, and have taught this subject in my government/civics classes on many occasions. This class will not be debating the politics of the articles we are viewing, and will remain politically neutral.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$15
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 163 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-8 learners per class
