Spin It
Module 1, Activity 1.4 - Slant, Spin, and Bias
Teacher Page
(student page for this lesson)

Introduction:

In this lesson students are introduced to the concepts of slant, spin and bias. Often students make the assumption that if an article or feature is on a reputable news program that everything said is a fact. However, each story may be often written by an individual with his/her own ideas and biases. This lesson teaches students to recognize bias, slant and spin in journalism and in their own lives.

Resources:

- An article demonstrating or discussing slant.
- An article from a Canadian news source and an article from an American news source focusing on the same current event.
- An example of a Venn diagram (.rtf) or (.doc)

Activities:
Task One - Defining

Students should record definitions in their own words for further reference. Once the students have a general understanding of these words, they will complete the following tasks looking at slant, spin, and bias. Students will have the opportunity to work through their understanding of slant and bias in this lesson. They will develop their understanding of slant in lessons to come.

Task Two - Recognizing Slanted Language Students should brainstorm a list of "highly-charged" words or phrases (slanted language).

"Highly-charged" words
1. Murder
2. Forced
3. Captured

Less "highly-charged" options
1. Death
2. Assisted
3. Detain

Discuss how using these types of words in journalism is what can create slant in a piece of writing. Students should read the CBC article discussing the use of the word terrorist.
After reading the article, students should find a partner. Each student should take one of the sides represented in the article, and then re-read the article. While re-reading, students should look for evidence to support the sides they are defending.

Students should use the evidence thay have found as the basis for a mini-debate about whether publications have the right to edit in the way the article suggests. The mini-debate should last 3-5 minutes (see example format to the right).
The purpose of the mini-debates is for the students to understand that different people perceive different things as bias. In addition, they should be able to identify slanted language.

After the mini-debates, debrief with the class, through questioning, to ensure that they understand the above points.

Objectives:

Students will be able to
- recognize how pervasive information is in contemporary society
- recognize what is news
- evaluate the concept of objectivity

Instructional Strategies:

Task 1 - Reading for Meaning(Indirect)
Task 2 - Brainstorming and Mini-debate (Interactive)
Task 3 - Concept Formation (Indirect)
Task 4 - Assigned Writing (Independent)?

1. 1st Headlines
2. World Press Wire
3. World Headlines

Each student should find a Canadian news source and an American news source that are reporting on the same event. After reading each article the students are responsible for filling in a Venn diagram. The students should use the diagram to determine the facts of the event (the similarities in the two stories) and the spin in each story (the different focus or slanted language used to create bias).

Task Four - Arguing a Bias
Students should choose a topic they feel very strongly about (a demonstration of one of their own biases). Their task is to write against their bias. They must argue the side opposite of what they believe in an attempt to convince someone else of their position.

The teacher could do a summative evaluation of the written assignment (Task Four) through a rubric or other evaluation tool.

1. Students will get into partners. One of the students will argue that publications have the right to edit in the way the article suggests.
2. This person will have 1 minute to present his side.
3. Now the other partner will take a minute to argue the other side of the debate.
4. While one partner is arguing, the other partner's job is to write down points that he would like to bring up based on what his partner has mentioned.
5. Each student will then have a second minute to re-discuss his/her position.