How to detect media bias and propaganda in national and world news.
Find a current event related to a social issue of your choosing (no older than a few months) that was widely covered by the media.
- Choose two different news articles from two different media sources. Write an essay comparing and contrasting your two sources.
- Clearly identify the author, title of article, name of publication. Take notice of the type of article: local, national or international news story, editorial, or column, etc.
- Identify the main claim and supporting reasons or premises of your article.
- Analyze the logic of the article according to the critical analysis tools we have been studying throughout the course, including identifying fallacies and rhetorical devices. Try looking deeper into the news coverage to discern the significant information that is omitted, and if the evidence is viable. Discern the logic of the arguments in each specific news article. Be alert to discern if there are rival causes and if the evidence is deceptive. Consider what significant information is omitted or if other reasonable conclusions are possible.
Sources and Citation: In addition to the two news articles, find and cite two scholarly sources to back up the claims and conclusions of your analyses. Feel free to use the readings from the course. The CSU-Global Library is another good place to find your sources. Remember to include all sources used, including the newspaper articles, in an APA-formatted reference page.