Part of Lesson Plan: Personal and Media Bias

Activity Overview / Details

Watch a portion of the video (start at Start at: 17:45) at URL: http://www.learner.org/resources/series173.html?pop=yes&pid=1920

Discussion Questions (after watching the clip)

What is news? Can you identify criteria that make something worth reporting?
What role does the interests of the audience play in the selection of news?
How do the norms of professional journalism interact with the need to attract and keep an audience interested?
How do you get your news?  What are your sources?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your sources?
What are some different forms of media?
What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different media types (print, broadcast, and internet)?

Constructing the TV lineup
Distribute handout The World in 22 Minutes News Handout to each group plus a large piece of chart paper and markers. Each team will arrange a 22 minute news broadcast by evaluating the sample news stories, discussing their competing importance, strategically choosing which stories to include and which to leave out, and arranging them in order. Explain the “Rules of the TV News Game” and the competing needs of each rule. Use Links Dealing with Bias for additional information.

Each team should print their list of stories large and post it on the wall for the whole class to see. One student from each team should present their team’s lineup, explaining why they selected certain stories and left others out.

Reflecting on Differences and Similarities
Compare and contrast program lists posted on the walls.
What similarities and differences exist?
How do you feel about what you had to drop?
What were some of the hard decisions?
What insights does this give you about the news broadcasts that you watch everyday?

Additional Activities

Understanding Media: The Inside Story
Try the Critical Thinking Activity and some of the Additional Readings.

Heads-Up Headlines and You Be the Reporter Activities from the University of Michigan News Bias Website.