TruthQuest!
What does Google say?
From text to memes to videos, where do you go next? Google, right?
- Below are results from a Google search for "gun violence" (including quotation marks)
- The three highlighted websites below are all news publications.
- Pick one of the sites highlighted in yellow; scroll down to the media bias chart below; find that source and see whether it is classified as "extreme liberal" or "skewed liberal" or "neutral" or "skews conservative" or "extreme conservative."
Keep scrolling for your task...
Media Bias Chart
Below is a media bias chart produced by a nonpartisan group, Ad Fontes Media. Notice the designations along the top as the chart categorizes media sources from extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Notice the criteria down the side from "Original fact reporting" to "Contains inaccurate, fabricated info." Watch the video below this chart about how your Google search results might be biased. Then scroll down to see instructions for your next task!
For the most recent version of the Media Bias Chart (Version 5.0), visit Ad Fontes Media's Interactive Chart.
Beware Online Filter Bubbles
Watch this video:
Your Task:
Pick one media outlet from the Media Bias Chart above and record it on your poster template. Note which column your source is from on the chart and add that label to your template ("extreme liberal" or "skewed liberal" or "neutral" or "skews conservative" or "extreme conservative."
Go to your selected media outlet website and search using "gun violence" or an appropriate keyword for your topic.
Select one relevant article from the result list; screenshot it and paste it into your poster template in the designated area. Remember to copy and paste the link beneath the image.
- How to Take a Screen Shot - Click on appropriate tab for your computer/device: Windows, Mac, etc.
- How to use the Snipping Tool - for Windows
- How to use Grab for Mac
Practice SIFT to check the validity of the source:
- Stop
- Does the content of this article elicit an emotional response in you?
- Yes? The content probably carries a bias.
- No? Continue!
- Does the content of this article elicit an emotional response in you?
- Investigate the source
- What do you already know about the website this article comes from?
- It's a reliable, trusted news source-go ahead and read the article.
- Don't know? Keep sifting...
- Who wrote it?
- Would you consider them an authority on the topic?
- Yes? Go ahead and read the article!
- No? Keep sifting...
- What do you already know about the website this article comes from?
- Find trusted coverage
- Are there other articles that support and affirm the information in this article?
- Yes! Bookmark them all-you will need them later.
- No? Toss it and move along.
- Are there other articles that support and affirm the information in this article?
- Trace claims, quotes and media back to the original context
- Is the article, video, research or image you're looking at original or reposted?
- No? Track down the original source (or sources)!
- Yes? Go ahead and read or watch the resource and gather information.
- Is what your looking at the entire work, video, research study or is it an edited version?
- No? Track down the original source (or sources)!
- Yes? Go ahead and read or watch the resource and gather information.
- Is the article, video, research or image you're looking at original or reposted?
- Stop
After "sifting" your article, rate your article on the poster template as:
- Fully reliable
- Somewhat reliable
- Unreliable
- Garbage