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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.

(4 points)

Based on the passage, an inference that can be made about news media is that news organizations make efforts to minimize bias by hiring trained reporters and employing multiple editors to ensure the accuracy of the facts presented in their articles. The passage states, "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." This suggests that news organizations are actively trying to avoid bias and maintain credibility.

Based on the passage, an inference that can be made about news media is that bias in news stories is a concern for both readers and news organizations. The passage states that readers worry about biased stories and news organizations try to avoid bias by hiring trained reporters and employing multiple editors to double-check facts. This suggests that bias is a recognized issue in the news industry and efforts are made to minimize it. The passage also highlights that readers can take their own steps to avoid bias by reading news from multiple sources and fact-checking information on their own. Therefore, it can be inferred that both news organizations and readers are aware of the potential for bias in news media.

One inference that can be made about news media based on the passage is that bias in news stories can be unintentional. The passage states that news organizations try to avoid bias by hiring trained reporters and employing multiple editors to check the facts. This suggests that bias can creep into news stories despite efforts to prevent it. The passage also mentions that readers can take their own steps to avoid bias by reading news from multiple sources and verifying facts. This implies that bias can exist in some news sources and readers need to be cautious in their consumption of news.