Biased Words

1
Biased Words

• Biased words signal the writers attempt to
  influence the reader.

2
What is bias?

• Bias indicates a subjective or emotional
  viewpoint.
• Since we all have feelings on topics, we all have
  some sort of bias.
• Bias favors or disfavors a someone or something,
  usually based upon experience.

3
Bias is emotional.

• Recognize bias or slanted viewpoint by
  identifying the characteristics
• Emotional Responses
• What normal person would want to watch a stupid
  football game when a wonderful romantic comedy is
  on?

4
Bias is exaggerated.

• It is not my fault that the computer never works
  right.
• The professor is always talking and talking.
• No one in the world understands me at all.

5
Bias overgeneralizes.

• Once I saw a TV program about Mexico and the
  people barely spoke English.
• No doubt no one in Mexico speaks English
  fluently.
• It is probably the same all across Latin America.

6
Bias uses stereotypes.

• Everyone in small towns works so slow that they
  never get rich.
• City people talk so fast that you cant
  understand their accent if you tried.
• Old people could care less about time because
  they dont have to work.

7
Bias states opinions as facts.

• It is colder in Georgia than in Florida because I
  like Florida better than Georgia.
• My family is better than yours in every way.
• After all, we cant be wrong and you cant be
  right.

8
Bias is imbalanced and one-sided.

• The awesome Georgia Bulldogs should always beat
  the retarded Tennessee Volunteers in any sporting
  match because we live in Georgia.
• Toyotas are way better than Hondas since my
  cousin sells great Toyotas and doesnt even like
  stupid Hondas.

9
Bias is selective.

• When the US President addressed the Congress
• Five senators made angry remarks
• A few dissidents were upset
• Everyone smiled and listened carefully
• Which ending represents an unbiased viewpoint?

10
Bias uses placement.

• Readers of papers judge first page stories to be
  more significant than those buried in the back.
• Television and radio newscasts run the most
  important stories first and leave the less
  significant for later.
• Where a story is placed, therefore, influences
  what a reader or viewer thinks about its
  importance.

11
Bias uses camera angles

• Some pictures flatter a person, others make the
  person look unpleasant.
• A paper can choose photos to influence opinion
  about, for example, a candidate for election.
• On television, the choice of which visual images
  to display is extremely important.

12
Bias uses names.

• News media use labels and titles to describe
  people, places, and events.
• Is Bill Clinton the ex-president or the former
  president?
• Is Saddam a terrorist or a freedom fighter?

13
Bias has sources.

• To detect bias, always consider where the news
  "comes from."
• Is information supplied by a reporter, an
  eyewitness, police or fire officials, executives,
  or government officials?
• Companies and public relations directors supply
  news outlets with puff pieces through news
  releases, photos or videos.
• Often news outlets depend on pseudo-events
  (demonstrations, sit-ins, ribbon cuttings,
  speeches and ceremonies) that take place mainly
  to gain news coverage.

14
Bias uses statistics.

• To make a disaster seem more spectacular (and
  therefore worthy of reading about), numbers can
  be inflated.
• "A hundred injured in an aircrash" can be the
  same event as "only minor injuries in air crash."
  
• It all reflects the opinion of the person doing
  the counting.

15
Should the news headline read Asian Crime?

• Over the holiday, three men were stabbed in a
  late-night brawl in the Latino restaurant on
  Waugh Avenue.
• The restaurant is Hispanic those involved in the
  fracas were of Spanish origin.
• Last fall, when high school students were
  involved in a drunken encounter with police, no
  one talked about "white crime."

16
Where can bias lead?

• Calling minorities criminals encourages policing.
• It increases involvement of the group in crime.
• The increase in police arrests confirms
  stereotypes of crime.
• It leads to more policing and then more arrests.
• It all gets even worse when youth become angry
  because of racism!

17
Where is the bias?

• Dalton City Council made the right decision
  recently when they voted to extend alcohol sales
  in the city from midnight Saturday to 2 a.m.
  Sunday in bars and restaurants.
• Officials with the Northwest Dalton Hospitality
  Association had requested the change.
• They think the associations members were losing
  business to establishments in Chattanooga and
  elsewhere where bars can serve alcohol past
  midnight Saturday.

18
Is there another side?

• What is the other side of the citys decision to
  extend hours for the sale of alcohol?
• Why did the city stop alcohol sales at midnight?
• Did the article even consider the other side?
  Why not?

19
Any biased words here?

• War is brutal, inglorious and a terrible waste.
  Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are
  forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors
  were my comrades incredible bravery and their
  devotion to each other. Marine Corps training
  taught us to kill efficiently and to try to
  survive. But it also taught us loyalty to each
  other and love. That esprit de corps sustained
  us.

20
Adjectives especially present bias.

• War is brutal, inglorious and a terrible waste.
  Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are
  forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors
  were my comrades incredible bravery and their
  devotion to each other. Marine Corps training
  taught us to kill efficiently and to try to
  survive. But it also taught us loyalty to each
  other and love. That esprit de corps sustained
  us.

21
Review on Bias

• Bias indicates a subjective or emotional
  viewpoint.
• Since we all have feelings on topics, we all have
  some sort of bias.
• Bias favors or disfavors a someone or something,
  usually based upon experience.