How To Analyze The News

Interactive Skills
for Students
How to Analyze the News

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How To Analyze The News
Why Learn This Skill?

 News is noteworthy information. Usually it relates to
current events or issues.
 You can gather valuable information about events

that happen in your community, in the United
States, and around the world by watching or
reading news reports.
 Analyzing news and news stories is an

important part of being an active citizen.
 Developing this skill will also help you form

educated opinions and make well-reasoned
decisions.
Learn It!
What are news sources?
News sources are
Published in print
Broadcasted on television and radio
Published to the Internet
Learn It!
News is published in print publications that include:
Newspapers Magazines
Examples: Dailies Examples: Weekly Examples: Monthly

Examples: Weeklies
Washington Post TIME The Atlantic
Miami New Times
Miami Herald Newsweek The Economist
Columbus Alive! New Yorker Vogue
Chicago Tribune
Learn It!
News is also presented on television.
Network News Cable News
CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN,

ABC, CBS and NBC
MSNBC, and Fox News
produce evening news and
produce news stories
weekly news shows.
throughout the day, every day.
Learn It!
Some radio stations broadcast the news.
Radio stations also

broadcast news stories.
On most radio stations, traffic

Some radio stations only
reports, weather, and local
news stories are broadcast
broadcast national and
throughout the day. world news.
Learn It!
On the Internet, news is available through Web
sites.
Web-based news
Some newspapers and

Some news organizations only
magazines have both print
publish on the Web:
and web versions:
Politico, Salon, Slate,
The New York Times
The Associated Press, and
at NYTimes.com
Reuters
or TIME magazine at TIME.com.
Learn It!
You will use several different skills to analyze
the news you read or watch.
Critical
Thinking
Skills
Needed to
Analyze the
News
Learn It!
Distinguish
Fact from
Opinion
Critical
Thinking
Evaluate Skills Recognize
Sources Needed to Bias
Analyze the
News
Analyze Visuals
Learn It!
Distinguish
Fact from
Opinion
Critical
Thinking
Analyze the
News
Analyze Visuals
Learn It!
Distinguish
Fact from
Opinion
Critical
Thinking
Analyze the
News
Analyze Visuals
Learn It!
Distinguish
Fact from
Opinion
Critical
Thinking
Analyze the
News
Analyze Visuals
Think Critically
To apply critical thinking skills when you analyze
the news, you should:
 distinguish facts from opinions.
 ask yourself questions about who created the story

and why.
 notice how the news story was produced and the

decisions made to bring the story to the public.
 recognize and think about any bias in the story.
 evaluate the quality and reliability of the news source.
Analyze Visuals
Does the story include images, video, or graphics?
What decisions were made in creating the story?
Do these images add information
to the story, or do they illustrate
information that is already
What visuals were
presented?
chosen?
What feelings or reactions are
created by the images?
Are there graphs, Is source material given for data?

charts, or other
representations of Does the data contribute to the
data? message of the story?
Evaluate Sources
Can facts and
What are information
reliable sources? be verified?
Do other news
sources present Reliable Is the author
or publisher
similar
information? Sources clearly stated?
Can the author

or publisher be
contacted to
verify
information?
Evaluate Sources
Can facts and
Do other news
or publisher
similar
Can the author

or publisher be
contacted to
verify
information?
Evaluate Sources
Can facts and
Do other news
or publisher
similar
Can the author

or publisher be
contacted to
verify
information?
Evaluate Sources
Can facts and
Do other news
or publisher
similar
Can the author

or publisher be
contacted to
verify
information?
Evaluate Sources
Can facts and
Do other news
or publisher
similar
Can the author

or publisher be
contacted to
verify
information?
Distinguish Fact from Opinion

It is important to be able to recognize facts and opinions in a
news story. Then, you can determine if the information is
likely to be accurate or likely to be an appeal to emotions.
Definition:
Fact something that is true and

can be supported with
evidence or data
Definition:
Opinion a point of view or

interpretation of facts
Recognize Bias
Recognizing bias helps you analyze and understand
the information presented to you.
Definition:
Bias Having a pre-existing opinion,

attitude, or belief about
something.
 News stories contain some bias.
 The message in any news story reflects the

attitudes, beliefs, and ideas of the author.
In order to recognize bias, ask:
Who produced the news story?
Who paid the costs to

present the news?

present the news?
What is the goal or

purpose of the story?

present the news?
What is the goal or

purpose of the story?
What choices were made when

presenting the story?
Recognize Bias
Who produced the story?
Examples:
Is this a Some news sources
article in a major
try to present
well-known information about
newspaper
and reliable events with little
story on national
news source? bias.
network news broadcast
Examples:
Is this an article posted on a
Some news sources
political party Web site
opinion-based support a belief or
story? cause.
editorial about a
news event
Recognize Bias
Who paid the costs to produce the story?
Who owns the publication, station, or the Web site?
government special political

corporation
department interest group organization
These groups may try to convince people to support

a particular point of view.
Recognize Bias Level of Bias

What is the purpose of the story?
Used for many has least bias since it is

To inform news stories meant to present facts
May include facts, if selling a product,

but also may idea, or course of
To entertain include opinions or action, might be more
beliefs biased
Intended to may include facts and

persuade, or data but will also
To persuade convince a person contain more opinions
to think a certain and, therefore,
way more bias
Recognize Bias
What decisions were made in creating the story?
What did the author focus on?

What content was
In what order are the facts or
included? events presented? Does that
influence how you interpret them?
What do you want to know that is

missing from the story?
What content was
Why might the author have chosen
excluded? to exclude information? Was it due
to lack of space, or was it to
present a particular point of view?
Recognize Bias
Who is the audience?
An audience is a group of people

who hear or read a news story.
News is created for specific audiences.
General audience Specific group
American public people of a specific city or region
People around the world people of a certain age or gender
members of a political party
Apply It!
Remember:
 Analyzing news media helps you be an active citizen.
 Think critically by determining what information is

factual and what information is biased.
 Consider the source of the news and how the story

is presented to help you draw conclusions about
what you have read or heard.

How To Analyze The News

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Interactive Skills

How to Analyze the News

Why Learn This Skill?

 You can gather valuable information about events

 Analyzing news and news stories is an

 Developing this skill will also help you form

News sources are

Broadcasted on television and radio

Published to the Internet

Examples: Dailies Examples: Weekly Examples: Monthly

Network News Cable News

CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN,

Radio stations also

On most radio stations, traffic

Some newspapers and

 distinguish facts from opinions.

 ask yourself questions about who created the story

 notice how the news story was produced and the

 recognize and think about any bias in the story.

 evaluate the quality and reliability of the news source.

Are there graphs, Is source material given for data?

Can the author

Can the author

Can the author

Can the author

Can the author

Distinguish Fact from Opinion

Fact something that is true and

Opinion a point of view or

Bias Having a pre-existing opinion,

 News stories contain some bias.

 The message in any news story reflects the

In order to recognize bias, ask:

In order to recognize bias, ask:

Who produced the news story?

In order to recognize bias, ask:

Who produced the news story?

Who paid the costs to

In order to recognize bias, ask:

Who produced the news story?

Who paid the costs to

What is the goal or

In order to recognize bias, ask:

Who produced the news story?

Who paid the costs to

What is the goal or

What choices were made when

Who owns the publication, station, or the Web site?

government special political

These groups may try to convince people to support

Recognize Bias Level of Bias

Used for many has least bias since it is

May include facts, if selling a product,

Intended to may include facts and

What did the author focus on?

What do you want to know that is

An audience is a group of people

General audience Specific group

American public people of a specific city or region

People around the world people of a certain age or gender

members of a political party

 Think critically by determining what information is

 Consider the source of the news and how the story