Why Is the News Sometimes Controversial?
Reporters gather facts and write about them—so why do some people say the news is unreliable? They are worried that news stories might be biased.
Bias is an unfair representation of something or someone. It can happen when only one side of a story is presented, when only certain facts are shared, or when news organizations choose which stories they want to publish. Readers sometimes worry that news organizations, intentionally or accidentally, publish biased stories.
News organizations try to avoid bias as much as they can. They hire trained reporters who know how to ask good questions about all sides of a story. They also employ many different editors to double-check all of the facts cited in the articles.
Readers of the news can take their own steps to avoid possible bias in the news they read. They can read news from multiple sources, or they can look up facts on their own to make sure the news matches other websites and records. It is impossible to avoid bias completely, but news writers and news readers can still do a lot to make sure the information they share and read is accurate.
In 3–5 sentences, identify and explain an inference you made about news media based on the passage. Support your answer with text evidence from the passage.