Exploring Media Literacy in the Digital Age

Fact, Opinion, and Bias

In this lesson, students will experience the reality of fact vs opinion and the bias that can easily take place when reporting an event.

There will be two events that take place in the classroom:

Event #1 Three students will perform a roll play in the front of the class. One student will be sitting at a desk reading a book with a set of keys under the chair. The second student will walk into the room, pick up the keys and walk out of the room without any interaction between the two students. Student number 3 will videotape the event.

Event #2 Three different students will perform a second role play. One student will be sitting at a desk reading a book. There will be a closed notebook on the desk. Student number 2 will walk in the room and “snatch” the notebook off the desk and walk out of the room. Student number one will look up at the student after he snatches the book but does nothing. Student number three will videotape the event.

Create: Students will now play the role of news reporters. Assign Event #1 to half the room and Event #2 to the other half of the room. Using Google Docs/Draw/Slide or https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp each student will create a news headline and 2 to 4 sentence story of what they just saw. Students will have time to add some visual content or color to make the story look appealing or newsworthy.

Ask several students to share their headlines and text with the class.

Now review Fact and Opinion

Fact is something known with certainty that can be objectively verified. A journalist covering a news story is sent out to gather facts - who, what, where, when. The journalist is not meant to add his/her own meaning to the facts but rather to write down or broadcast everything they see in great detail. Facts are descriptive in nature and can be supported by evidence.

Opinion is belief or conclusion not necessarily substantiated by positive knowledge or proof. This is where the person relaying the story guesses, speculates or fabricates the details about what happened by interjecting his or her own interpretations or judgments. (Strongly held preconceived opinions are referred to as bias).

Analyze: Watch the videos without commentary, to remind the class of what actually happened.

Ask these questions:

What opinions were included?

Did anyone write that the keys or notebook were lost or stolen?

Did anyone report the feelings or emotions of either student?

Did anyone report that individuals were good, bad or misguided?

That the student was going someplace specific with the keys?

Did anyone design their story with visuals that show opinion or bias?

Explain how personal bias, past experience, stereotypes, or a desire to sensationalize contribute to the blurring of lines.

Discuss the consequences of presenting opinion as fact. Does it matter? Do we care? Why?

Explore: Compare to what could be reported in a critical news event.

Lesson from MediaLit Lesson Plan Archive, Did you see what I saw?
Lesson modified to add a second event and visual creation to analyze opinion/bias in media representation. http://www.consortiumformedialiteracy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=24. Retrieved April 20, 2017