Description
Instructions:
For this discussion, we will analyze bias in news articles and explore various sources of news. Students will choose two news aggregators and compare the same story from different viewpoints, such as Fox News vs. CNN, TikTok vs. X (Formerly Twitter).
Choose two news articles from these different sources that cover the same topic. Study them for trigger words. You may use an AI program search for trigger words and then rewrite the into one unbiased article. Then discuss your findings.
Here are some questions to consider:
How does news selection amplify one’s political views?
How do digital platforms impact the choice and quality of news for consumers?
What choices might writers, editors, producers, and so on make that could lead to bias in news sources?
How can headlines be misleading, and how can editors express bias by choosing whether or not to use a specific news story?
What are some ways to detect bias in news media, and why is it important to compare news reports from a wide variety of sources?
AI News Generators
Here is just a few possible options you can use. Please note that some require a paid subscription but almost all offer a free version or a free trial. If you know of others that I did not list below, please share them with me so I can use them in future classes.
Links to an external site.
APP SonicLinks to an external site./
Login | Writesonic – Best AI Writing Tool
Perplexity.aiLinks to an external site.
Perplexity
BardLinks to an external site.
Bard – La herramienta conversacional de Google basada en IA y PaLM 2
TextaLinks to an external site.
: Write Magazine/Newspaper Articles with Texta – AI Powered Generator Tool. Explore Different Topics and Get Published Discourse in No Time!
Write SonicLinks to an external site.
AI Writer & Article Generator | Writesonic.com
Hour OneLinks to an external site.
AI Video Generator: From Text to Video in Minutes – Hour One
Step 1: Source Selection
Choose two news aggregators of your choosing
News websites (e.g., NYTimes.com, WashingtonPost.com, CNN.com)
News aggregators (e.g., Google News, Reddit, RealClearPolitics)
Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok)
Television (cable news channels such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, or broadcast channels like CBS, NBC, and ABC)
Radio and podcasts (terrestrial talk radio, SiriusXM, podcast industry)
Newspapers (physical newspaper subscriptions or purchases)
Pick a story and examine the same news story from contrasting perspectives (e.g., Fox News vs. CNN).
Provide a link or citation for these sources.
Step 2: AI News Generator
Access one of the free AI news generator tools provided (e.g., APP Sonic)Links to an external site..
Use the AI tool to generate a new article based on a news story from your selected news aggregator(s).
Step 3: Share the News Articles
Share the original news sources, or a summary, and AI-generated article with your classmates on the discussion platform.
Step 4: Analyze Bias and Trigger Words in the Original Articles
Analyze the original news articles from your selected sources (e.g., Fox News and CNN) for any potential bias and trigger words (see chart below).
Specifically, look for language or elements in the original articles that may indicate a particular bias or perspective.
Note if you find any trigger wordsLinks to an external site. ( List of 100 Trigger Words for More Effective Marketing (teachable.com) ) in the original articles. See chart below.
After analyzing the original articles, compare your findings with the content of the AI-generated article.
Discuss whether the AI-generated article reflects any bias or trigger words present in the original articles, and how it may differ or align with the original sources.
Step 5: Advantages and Disadvantages
Share your thoughts on the advantages of getting news from your selected sources. How do these sources excel over other news sources? Do they provide news more quickly, accurately, in more depth, or with more currency?
Discuss the disadvantages of getting news from your selected sources. What shortcomings do these sources have compared to other news sources? Are they more superficial, less accurate, or less timely?
Based on your preferences, explain which sources you would prefer to use to get your news and why.
