interactive skills for students how to analyze the news click your mouse or hit enter to advance...

Interactive Interactive Skills Skills for Studentsfor Students

How to Analyze the How to Analyze the NewsNews

click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation

How To Analyze The NewsHow To Analyze The News

Why Learn This Skill?Why Learn This Skill?

News is noteworthy information. Usually it relates to News is noteworthy information. Usually it relates to current events or issues.current events or issues.

You can gather valuable information about events You can gather valuable information about events that happen in your community, in the United that happen in your community, in the United

States, and around the world by watching or States, and around the world by watching or reading reading news reports.news reports.

Analyzing news and news stories is an Analyzing news and news stories is an important part of being an active citizen.important part of being an active citizen.

Developing this skill will also help you form Developing this skill will also help you form educated opinions and make well-reasoned educated opinions and make well-reasoned decisions.decisions.


Learn It!Learn It!What are news sources?What are news sources?


News sources are

Published in print

Broadcasted on television and radio

Published to the Internet


Learn It!Learn It!News is published in print publications that include:News is published in print publications that include:


Newspapers

Examples: DailiesWashington Post

Miami HeraldChicago Tribune

Examples: WeekliesMiami New TimesColumbus Alive!

Magazines

Examples: WeeklyTIME

NewsweekNew Yorker

Examples: MonthlyThe Atlantic

The EconomistVogue


Learn It!Learn It!News is also presented on televisionNews is also presented on television.


Network News

ABC, CBS and NBCproduce evening news and

weekly news shows.

Cable News

CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and Fox Newsproduce news stories

throughout the day, every day.


Learn It!Learn It!Some radio stations broadcast the news.Some radio stations broadcast the news.


Radio stations also broadcast news stories.

On most radio stations, traffic reports, weather, and local news stories are broadcast

throughout the day.

Some radio stations only broadcast national and

world news.


Learn It!Learn It!On the Internet, news is available through Web sites.


Web-based news

Some newspapers and magazines have both print

and web versions: The New York Times

at NYTimes.com or TIME magazine at TIME.com.

Some news organizations only publish on the Web:Politico, Salon, Slate,

The Associated Press, and Reuters


Learn It!Learn It!


Critical Thinking

Skills Needed to

Analyze the News

You will use several different skills to analyze You will use several different skills to analyze the news you read or watch.the news you read or watch.


Learn It!Learn It!


Evaluate Sources

Analyze Visuals

Recognize Bias

DistinguishFact from Opinion

Critical Thinking

Skills Needed to

Analyze the News



Think CriticallyThink CriticallyTo apply critical thinking skills when you analyze To apply critical thinking skills when you analyze the news, you should:the news, you should:

distinguish facts from opinions. distinguish facts from opinions.

ask yourself questions about ask yourself questions about whowho created the story created the story and and whywhy..

notice how the news story was produced and the notice how the news story was produced and the decisions made to bring the story to the public.decisions made to bring the story to the public.

recognize and think about any bias in the story.recognize and think about any bias in the story.

evaluate the quality and reliability of the news source. evaluate the quality and reliability of the news source.



Analyze VisualsAnalyze VisualsDoes the story include images, video, or graphics? Does the story include images, video, or graphics? What decisions were made in creating the story?What decisions were made in creating the story?

What visuals were What visuals were chosen?chosen?

Are there graphs, Are there graphs, charts, or other charts, or other

representations of representations of data?data?

Do these images add information to the story, or do they illustrate

information that is already presented?

What feelings or reactions are created by the images?

Is source material given for data?

Does the data contribute to the message of the story?


Do other news sources present

similar information?

Can the author or publisher be

contacted to verify

information?

Is the author or publisher

clearly stated?

Can facts and information be verified?

ReliableReliableSourcesSources


Evaluate SourcesEvaluate SourcesWhat are What are reliable sources?reliable sources?





contacted to verify

information?

Is the author or publisher

clearly stated?

Can facts and Can facts and information information be verified?be verified?








contacted to verify

information?

Is the author or Is the author or publisher publisher

clearly stated?clearly stated?








Can the author Can the author or publisher be or publisher be

contacted to contacted to verify verify

information?information?








Do other news Do other news sources present sources present

similar similar information?information?

Can the author Can the author or publisher be or publisher be

contacted to contacted to verify verify

information?information?








Distinguish Fact from OpinionDistinguish Fact from Opinion


It is important to be able to recognize facts and opinions in a It is important to be able to recognize facts and opinions in a news story. Then, you can determine if the information is news story. Then, you can determine if the information is likely to be accurate or likely to be an appeal to emotions.likely to be accurate or likely to be an appeal to emotions.

FactFact

OpinionOpinion

Definition:

something that is true and can be supported with

evidence or data

Definition:

a point of view or interpretation of facts



Recognize BiasRecognize Bias

BiasBiasDefinition:

Having a pre-existing opinion, attitude, or belief about

something.

Recognizing bias helps you analyze and understand Recognizing bias helps you analyze and understand the information presented to you.the information presented to you.

News stories contain some bias.News stories contain some bias.

The message in any news story reflects the The message in any news story reflects the attitudes, beliefs, and ideas of the author.attitudes, beliefs, and ideas of the author.



In order to recognize bias, ask:In order to recognize bias, ask:




Who produced the news story?





Who paid the costs to present the news?






What is the goal or purpose of the story?






What is the goal or purpose of the story?

What choices were made when presenting the story?



Recognize BiasRecognize BiasWho produced the story?Who produced the story?

Is this a well-known and reliable

news source?

Examples:article in a major

newspaper

story on national network news broadcast

Some news sources try to present

information about events with little

bias.

Is this an opinion-based

story?

Some news sources support a belief or

cause.

Examples:article posted on a

political party Web site

editorial about a news event



Recognize BiasRecognize BiasWho paid the costs to produce the story?Who paid the costs to produce the story?

Who owns the publication, station, or the Web site?

government department

special interest group

corporationpolitical

organization

These groups may try to convince people to support a particular point of view.



Recognize BiasRecognize BiasWhat is the purpose of the story?What is the purpose of the story?

To inform Used for many news stories

To entertain

May include facts, but also may

include opinions or beliefs

To persuade

Intended to persuade, or

convince a person to think a certain

way

has least bias since it is meant to present facts

if selling a product, idea, or course of

action, might be more biased

may include facts and data but will also

contain more opinions and, therefore,

more bias

Level of BiasLevel of Bias



Recognize BiasRecognize BiasWhat decisions were made in creating the story?What decisions were made in creating the story?

What content was What content was included?included?

What content was What content was excluded?excluded?

What did the author focus on?

In what order are the facts or events presented? Does that

influence how you interpret them?

What do you want to know that is missing from the story?

Why might the author have chosen to exclude information? Was it due

to lack of space, or was it to present a particular point of view?



Recognize BiasRecognize BiasWho is the audience?Who is the audience?

General audience

American public

People around the world

Specific group

people of a specific city or region

people of a certain age or gender

members of a political party

An audience is a group of people who hear or read a news story.

News is created for specific audiences.


Apply It!Apply It!


After reading a news

story, what have you

learned?

Ask yourself:

Has what you

learned affected

your opinion?Are you surprised at

the amount of news

sources there are?


Remember:Remember:

Analyzing news media helps you be an active citizen. Analyzing news media helps you be an active citizen.

Think critically by determining what information is Think critically by determining what information is factual and what information is biased.factual and what information is biased.

Consider the source of the news and how the story Consider the source of the news and how the story is presented to help you draw conclusions about is presented to help you draw conclusions about

what you have read or heard.what you have read or heard.

How To Analyze The NewsHow To Analyze The Newsclick your mouse or hit enter to advance animation

interactive skills for students how to analyze the news click your mouse or hit enter to advance...

Documents

news news sources

television news

news webbased news

world news

news reports

evening news

news network news abc

fox news