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English 201 Madsen Research Guide: Media Bias

Information on source types and evaluating information for English 201

Political Bias

Some news publications are perceived as having a liberal or conservative bias. Some news organizations acknowledge a bias while others do not. Other organizations try to present a variety of viewpoints.

Knowing an organization’s reputation can help you evaluate its information, but it should not be the only factor. Individual articles may differ from a publication’s overall orientation. Look at each article individually and apply evaluative criteria to determine its reliability, credibility, and usefulness for your project. Consult Using Evaluation Criteria to learn about using Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose as standards for information evaluation.

You may choose to use biased information sources in your research. However, you do not want to rely solely on sources with one viewpoint. Compare biased sources with each other and consult more objective sources. Strive for a balance in the sources you use for your research project.

Media Bias - Selected Sources

Media Bias Chart

AllSides Media Bias Chart Version 7.1, 2022