POLI 156: Politics and Mass Media (Curry)

For this exercise, you can work individually or with a partner.

Using the Media Bias Chart, pick one news source and use the Internet to access the publication/website. Search for an article on one of the following topics:

• COVID-19
• January 6th Coup / Insurrection / Protest / Riot 
• Voting Rights in the U.S.
• Texas Abortion Law
• Gerrymandering / Redistricting
• A topic your group has decided upon

Answer the following questions regarding the source and/or the article you chose:

1. What information does the source provide regarding the author's credentials?
2. Is the article a factual report, an analysis of the topic, or an opinion piece?
3. What methods did the author(s) use to build the article (e.g., interviewed people, analyzed websites, report on a current event, etc.)?
4. Does the article include diverse voices or did the author(s) leave out any group(s) that would have knowledge about the topic or be affected by the topic?
5. Is there a mechanism for readers to provide feedback?

Put your answers in this padlet. Include your name(s), the name of the source, and the title of the article.

Using the Media Bias Chart, choose a news source that is different from your Exercise One source. For example, if you chose a conservative source for Exercise One, choose a liberal source this time OR compare a local source to a national source. Use the same topic you did previously.

In this padlet, compare the two sources by answering these questions briefly.

1. Are both articles of the same type (e.g., report on an event, an analysis, opinion piece, etc.)?
2. How would you compare the expertise of the authors for the two articles?
3. Do the author(s) have any connection to the locality they are writing about if reporting on a local event?
4. Which article represents a more diverse community?
5. Which source is more trustworthy? Why?