E3 | 3.6 News or Views: A Closer Look

How do the title and structure of the article "Facebook Photos Sting Minnesota High School Students" reveal the writer's bias?

• The article begins with the students so that the writer can later refute and question their credibility.

• The writer introduces the student perspective first so the adult perspectives later are given more weight.

• The writer is mainly concerned with the students and primarily focuses on their credibility for the duration of the text.

• The writer's sympathy lies with the students so the article begins with their perspective.

Read the excerpt from “Facebook Photos Sting Minnesota High School Students.”

Laurent tried to make his point by passing out red plastic cups that were similar to those seen in some of the photos. He noted that it was impossible to see what was inside the cups, so administrators couldn’t prove that students were drinking.

This excerpt supports the key idea that the student-athletes may have been punished unfairly by implying that the

• school administrators based their decision on bias rather than evidence.

• high school was at fault for not monitoring the students' behavior.

• school administrators based their punishments on an assumption rather than proof.

• majority of accused students could not be identified in the photos.

Does the article's focus in paragraphs 1-3 make the article seem more or less objective and why?

• More objective, because it starts with Laurent’s point of view, and he is not directly involved in the incident, so his opinion appears neutral.

• Less objective, because the article only includes the school’s official response, which shows bias in favor of administrators.

• More objective, because it focuses on the emotional reactions of students, helping the reader sympathize with their frustration.

• Less objective, because it begins by criticizing the students’ actions before presenting both sides of the issue.

How does the information provided by expert William McGeveran in paragraphs 17–21 and 27–28 develop the central idea that social media sites are not private places?

• He suggests that only teens who post publicly are at risk, while those who use privacy settings have nothing to worry about.

• He argues that schools and employers should be banned from viewing students’ social media, as it violates their right to privacy.

• He provides legal advice on how teens can block people from seeing their profiles to maintain complete privacy.

• He emphasizes that Facebook is essentially a public space and warns that teens should not assume their actions will stay private, citing research and offering real-world implications.

Which of the following is an example of bias through selection and omission?

• A news outlet publishes a story with quotes from multiple perspectives.

• A report leaves out conflicting eyewitness accounts that challenge the main narrative

• A headline uses emotionally charged language to provoke a response.

• An article includes visuals that exaggerate a person’s appearance.

What effect does bias through placement have on how readers interpret news?

• It highlights positive viewpoints while ignoring negative ones.

• It leads readers to trust only stories that include visual evidence.

• It influences how readers judge the significance of a story based on where it appears

• It proves that the author is trying to mislead the audience intentionally.

A headline reads, “Outrage as Students Exposed on Facebook.” What type of bias does this suggest?

• Bias by omission

• Bias through statistics

• Bias by headline

• Bias through placement

An article features a photo of a student with a downcast expression and a caption reading “Caught in the Act.” What type of bias does this reflect?

• Bias through placement

• Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles

• Bias by source control

• Bias through omission

A news story relies heavily on statements from administrators but includes no student or parent perspectives. What kind of bias might this show?

• Bias through placement

• Bias by source control

• Bias through statistics

• Bias through omission

What makes a source credible?

• It includes expert opinions and verifiable facts

• It is published on a well-known social media platform.

• It presents only positive viewpoints to avoid controversy

• It uses emotional appeals to make its message transcend beyond its target audience.