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Reading an interactive graphics "book" to learn the fundamentals.

START HERE 1) What is the news? 2) Who tells us the news? 3) Why is the news important? 4) How is the news made? 5) Where can I find the news? 6) How do I tell if information is real? 7) What is media bias?

The go-to, realistic guide for navigating social media as a tween in 2022!

Have you finished the modules and social media guide? Do you believe you're a media master? Put your skills to the test in the Ultimate Quiz!

Find your local paper in this interactive map and searchable database of newspapers!

Fun, in-person activities to make you think, report, and write like a journalist!

Fascinating news sources and articles that are kid-friendly!

About the toolkit and its creator.

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    7) What is media bias?

    Tap the side arrows to navigate. (Pro tip: You can also swipe if you're on a phone or tablet!)

  • Since the internet and social media have so much content, it can be hard to decide whether a news outlet or article is biased.

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    You might come across a post or story that refers to factual content, but the information is presented in an opinionated way.

  • It's important to understand the difference between factual, objective reporting and opinions presented as fact.

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  • Presenting information in a biased manner can either be very obvious or very hard to detect.

    • Example of a mild bias: Imagine someone gets elected as president. Maybe one news outlet describes the candidate winning as "a grand victory" while another describes it as "an bad accident." Both presented real information, but portrayed the same situaion in a different light

  • A biased news headline looks like this:

  • "The awful President Biden was elected, seems sketchy"

    • And a factual, objective headline looks like this:

  • "President Biden is elected, will start in January"

  • When looking for media bias, here are some questions to ask yourself:

    • 1) Is it presented as an opinion piece or as a news piece?

    • 2) What sources are quoted or cited? Are they experts or professionals on the topic?

    • 3) Are there any sides or perspectives missing?

    • 4) What evidence, if any, is listed?

  • Some people are quick to deem news pieces as "fake" if they don't like the facts within it.

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    But the truth is objective, and news can still very much be real even if someone doesn't like the content.

  • It's easy to listen to podcasters, celebities, and other influencers make claims, but it's important to deem whether or not they're telling the truth.

  • A great source of recieving objective news is through local newspapers.

  • True objective, journalists are taught a code of ethics and are heavily fact-checked before publishing a piece.

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  • It's vital to make opinions for one's self, but one must understand the importance of journalism in a democracy to do so.

  • The free press, at its core, is necessary for a fair, structured country. Anyone who is strongly against the free press doesn't have people's best interests at heart.

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    Be critical of what you read, double-check your information, and always ask questions.

  • This rule of logic applies to watching videos, listening to podcasts, and browsing social media.

    For example: A Minecraft youtuber is not a credible source of information for politics.

  • Bias is everywhere, and although nobody or no outlet is perfect, journalists can strive to achieve the most objective outlook possible for their readers' benefit.

  • Congratulations! You've finished all of the chapters. Next, check out the "Social media guide" page and take the "Ultimate Quiz" to check your mastery of the material. You can also head over to the "Newspaper Locater 3000", "Activities", or "News for kids" sections!

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