Directions

-Read the excerpt below from Noel Sheppard's post at newsbusters.org on April 5th.
-Read "Types of Media Bias" in the right column. Then answer the questions.

Imagine for a moment … that Alaska experienced near-record high temperatures for the month of March. Do you think this would have been headline news…?

Well, if the answer is a resounding “Yes,” why didn’t any of these news agencies bother sharing weather data from America’s 49th state concerning the previous month being one of the coldest on record?

As reported by the Alaska Climate Research Center (emphasis added):

MARCH
Near-record cold in
Alaska and abundant snow in the southeast

Strong and widespread cold described March this year all across Alaska. Temperatures throughout the mainland were more than 8°F below average and the most extreme temperature departures of more than 16°F below average were observed in the central Interior. Areas along the Arctic coast and the southeast panhandle had relative warmth with temperature departures less than 8°F below average.

Now, just for argument’s sake, let’s diametrically change the entire report, and try to guess how the global warming alarmists in the media would have addressed it:

MARCH
Near-record
heat in
Alaska and scarce snow in the southeast

Strong and widespread heat described March this year all across Alaska. Temperatures throughout the mainland were more than 8°F above average and the most extreme temperature departures of more than 16°F above average were observed in the central Interior. Areas along the Arctic coast and the southeast panhandle had relative cold with temperature departures less than 8°F above average.

………………..

Think that would have generated some interest from [the] media?…

Go to NewsBusters.org for the original posting.

Identifying Media Bias

To accurately identify different types of bias, you should be aware of the issues of the day, and the liberal and conservative perspectives on each issue.

Types of Media Bias:

Questions

1.  Many news reports emphasize global warming, including melting glaciers and dire predictions for a coming warming.   Why do you think the media did not report the same way on near-record cold in Alaska?  Explain your answer.

2.  Do you think the post below is an example of bias by omission and/or story selection?  Explain your answer.


Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.

Answers

1.  and  2.  Opinion questions. Answers vary.