Detecting Bias: The MOST IMPORTANT Reading Skill

Achebe stated in his article “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’” that “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked.” If this is true, it teaches us the importance of recognizing bias in everything we see, hear, and read. We must ask ourselves in every situation: “Is my normal way of thinking actually normal? Is it commiserate with global views or is it particular to my region? How many others share my same thoughts? Are my thoughts truth or perception?”

Today’s assignment asks you to examine multiple articles and detect bias. I have chosen the Trump election as the topic since there are so many viewpoints on it. When detecting bias, there are several things to examine, including but not limited to the following:

  • choice of pictures (either actual photographs or word images)
  • diction (word choice)
  • what information is included
  • what information is excluded

This assignment has 4 parts. Your work should be typed or written, using MLA format. When citing evidence, be sure to use correctly formatted parenthetical or in-text citations. Then, create a correctly formatted, corresponding Works Cited page.

Part I: Choose 3 of the following articles written by US newspapers. For each article, identify its bias and cite evidence to support your analysis. BE sure to explain how the evidence shows bias. Also, speculate on the root of the bias.

Part II: Find another article of your choice written by a US newspaper. Identify its bias and cite evidence to support your analysis. BE sure to explain how the evidence shows bias. Also, speculate on the root of the bias.

Part III: Use the links below to examine5 different reactions from people living outside of the US. Identify the group (name of news organization and its country) and its bias. Cite the evidence that indicates bias and explain how your evidence proves that bias. Also, speculate on the root of the bias.

In Spanish, but they can use Google Translate to get a general idea.

Video; Chinese people on the street in Beijing interviewed

Japan’s oldest English language newspaper

Japanese Americans were surveyed on whom they voted for, their reactions to the election results, et al.

One of Korea’s largest media outlets; can search “Trump election”; in English

Part IV: Try to construct a news report about this same topic that is completely free of bias.