Neutral resources for current events lessons

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 10:12 am

I teach current events. Besides the actual news, I also teach skills, such as translating cryptic headlines (not always easy for kids who have never done it), understanding cartoons, etc. One of the skills I teach is recognizing bias.

One of the most important points when discussing bias is that everyone has them. Denying that only causes a blind-spot. So... please don't tell me that the entire MSM is biased, nor do I want links to Breitbart or the New York Times. I will use some articles from there to point out obvious bias.

Right now I want to show them what unbiased fact-based reporting looks like. Because of my own bias, I would like other people's feedback to point me in the direction I need.

Is there anything truly neutral available anywhere? I'm beginning to despair of both sides.

And in related news, "post-truth" edged out "alt-right" for Oxford's Word of the Year. How appropriate to my lesson today.

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 10:37 am

Try www.theweek.com Its more of a consolidation site than a breaking news service, but it may have what you want. You can also try Bloomberg, or USA Today.

IMNSHO, the NY Times and Breitbart are not a fair comparison. Maybe NY Times and Fox.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 10:43 am

SixOfWands wrote:

I agree lol. I was overcompensating for my bias.

(And preempting some posters who would direct me to the "truth that only they have the guts to report"...)

I want facts, not opinions.

I will check out theweek, thank you.

I have found my job getting harder in recent years because of the proliferation of sources. I need to wade through so much junk to get to quality content.

I have a vague impression that USA Today skews slightly liberal and Bloomberg the other way, am I wrong?

Is the AP reliably fact-based? Reuters?

I appreciate the help.

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 10:51 am

amother wrote:

I think Reuters skews right, but maybe I'm just influenced by its views on Israel.

But this might help; I remember seeing it recently.

https://www.washingtonpost.com.....nces/

In any case, until you get to things like Breitbart on the right, and -- I don't know, Rachel Maddow? -- on the left, everything is pretty much fact-based. But there is an almost inevitable skew in reporting. So "fact based" and "skewed" aren't mutually exclusive. Its a spin. Eg, the NY Times isn't going to lie to you about Israel. But the way that the facts are presented may influence your opinion one way or another.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:20 am

SixOfWands wrote:

True. Facts can be presented in a slanted way. That's the point I'm building up to.

I am teaching this topic in stages, starting with basic fact vs. opinion, then obvious bias such as propaganda techniques, denotation vs. connotation, and moving on to more subtle forms of bias such as juxtaposition of facts, bias by omission, placement bias, etc.

I'm looking for sources that don't do that at all.

If you looked at the chart in the article you linked, NONE are smack in the middle.

The Week had an anti-trump opinion article on the home page today. At least the title opinion makes it clear that it is not pretending to be unbiased.

Perhaps the fact that it is so difficult to find what I'm looking for is the best lesson of all.

rfeig613

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:24 am

Depends on the level of the student. Generally, for a mix of views:

NYT
Washington Post
Wall Street Journal
Washington Times

If the students look at 2 conservative and 2 liberal sources, these are the best and most representative of those perspectives. I look at these 4 when doing any sort of research on issues.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:32 am

rfeig613 wrote:

Thanks, I appreciate your MSM list. (I was not expecting that from you.)

My question is if there are any news agencies that do not allow any opinion or bias to seep in to their reporting of events, or at least make a huge effort not to. And bias can get really subtle.

I want them to compare and contrast what a truly neutral report would look like versus subtle bias.

I might have to write my own version of news events, I guess.

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:34 am

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." — sometimes attributed to Disraeli, often to Mark Twain

There's no such thing as neutral reporting in today's politically charged America. Facts can be manipulated, used selectively, skewed, and are always looked at through one's own weltanschauung. The best you can do is present a variety of sources such as suggested by rfeig613 above.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:40 am

Thanks, rubber ducky. I suspected as much, but I was hoping I was wrong.

While we are on the subject of current event sources, I sometimes have a problem with news stories that don't give enough background history.

For example, the renewed bombing of Aleppo is all over the news, but if it's the first time I'm covering the topic I would like to give my students an overview of the history of the conflict. Most news stories throw in some background, but if anyone knows of the kind of sites that cater to teachers like me I would appreciate links.

amother

Navy

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:49 am

It's hard to find anything truly neutral. What you can do is edit out some of the slant, and then show them the full unedited article so they can see the difference (especially some of the more nuanced differences). And use both right slanting and left slanting mainstream sources.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 11:50 am

amother wrote:

I like this suggestion, thank you!

Oh, the joys of lesson preparation...

rfeig613

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 12:02 pm

amother wrote:

There is no such thing as journalists reporting the news anymore. Every single headline and article has an implciit bias that cannot be separated from the content itself. Finding neutral news is like trying to find a pink elephant.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Nov 16 2016, 4:33 pm

amother wrote:

...
Is there anything truly neutral available anywhere? I'm beginning to despair of both sides.

And in related news, "post-truth" edged out "alt-right" for Oxford's Word of the Year. How appropriate to my lesson today.

This is an interesting topic to explore. It may be reasonable (depending on the age of your student) to teach how to fact check news. With so many made up news stories out there I think this important. Teaching them how to drill down a story to primary sources. Or, how about having students identify a glittering generalization, ad hominem, unequal examples etc.

I have a lot of empathy for you I taught PS contemporary social studies (current events were included) in 1968, while Nixon was campaigning. I started by identifying the components of propaganda, and used a lot I learned from SI Hawakaw in Language in Thought and Action.