Use the passage to complete the activity. 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.
Based on the passage, one inference that can be made about news media is that bias is a potential issue that can undermine the reliability of news stories. The passage states, "They are worried that news stories might be biased" and "Readers sometimes worry that news organizations, intentionally or accidentally, publish biased stories." This suggests that bias is a concern for many readers and that news organizations are aware of this issue and try to avoid it. Additionally, the passage mentions that readers can take their own steps to avoid bias, indicating that it is a legitimate concern in the news media.
Based on the passage, an inference that can be made about news media is that bias is a concern for both news organizations and readers. News organizations are aware of the potential for bias and take steps to avoid it, such as hiring trained reporters and employing multiple editors to fact-check. Readers are also encouraged to be proactive in avoiding bias by reading news from multiple sources and fact-checking information themselves. The passage states, "They are worried that news stories might be biased" and "Readers sometimes worry that news organizations...publish biased stories." This suggests that bias in news media is a valid concern for both producers and consumers of news.
Based on the passage, an inference that can be made about news media is that bias is a concern for both news organizations and readers. The passage states that news organizations try to avoid bias by hiring trained reporters and employing editors to check facts. This suggests that news organizations are aware of the issue of bias and take steps to minimize it. Additionally, the passage suggests that readers should also take their own steps to avoid bias by reading news from multiple sources and fact-checking information. This indicates that bias is a shared concern between news organizations and readers, and both parties play a role in ensuring accurate information is shared.
