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Chapter 18: Looking for bias
LEARNING INTENTION
Examining and sourcing digital texts that demonstrate a bias focusing on company ownership, influencer sponsorship and ‘fake news’.
LEARNING OUTCOME
3.4 Act as a critical consumer by presenting digital media texts that highlight bias.
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Becoming critical consumers requires us to examine companies and products that we use. Bias is present in every media we consume so it is important to learn how to recognise it and determine for ourselves whether we want to trust it. Knowing how and why people promote products, services and news articles is essential to becoming critical consumers. Bias is a key aspect in advertising and marketing.
SAMPLE
MATERIALS
Digital devices with internet access. eLearning platform: Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom Microsoft Word
Mentimeter.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=276jfKNZaD4 https://www.her.ie/beauty/non-surgical-face-lifts-what-are-they-how-do-they-work-and-are-theyright-for-me-508289 https://www.infowars.com/social-distancing-sign-says-look-away-when-passing-other-people/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52389285 https://beforeitsnews.com/health/2020/07/texas-doctor-reverses-coronavirus-symptoms-in-100-ofcases-with-inexpensive-treatment-3031007.html
ACTIVE LEARNING METHODOLOGIES
Reflection journal Thinking hats Think-pair-share Digital brainstorm
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Collages
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this chapter students will be able to:
Define Describe Explain Evaluate Create Digital media formats Bias Fake news How celebrities promote their products and why bias can exist in these recommendations. The effect fake news can have. How to identify fake news What a critical consumer is What fake news is If a source is fake news. If a company is promoting products because of bias. Digital collage SAMPLE
ACTIVITY 1:
EXPLORATION Students will find two examples of online distributors (that also sell their own products) and investigate if they use bias to move consumers toward their own brand products.
ACTIVITY 2: MENTIMETER Using mentimeter.com, students will brainstorm all the influencers they know that are sponsored by a company. See who your class’s favourite influencers are!SAMPLE
ACTIVITY 3: INTRODUCTION TO “FAKE NEWS VERSUS REAL NEWS” Online articles have a mix of statistics, opinions, facts and figures, but it is important to distinguish what is fact and what is opinion. Using one of the examples provided, students will determine whether the article is fake news or not. Examine the title for clickbait, research the author, research the news outlet and check whether the author uses more opinions than facts in the article.
ACTIVITY 4: COLLAGE Students will create a collage of guidelines for your school noticeboard about how to spot fake news. ACTIVITY 5: THINKING HAT DEBATE Using the thinking hat debate strategy, students will think about and discuss the following statement from all perspectives. “All bias should be removed from advertising, sponsorships and news outlets” SAMPLE PAUSE & REFLECT In their reflection journal, students will describe: Three things you learned in this section Two things you already knew One thing you would like to learn more about
