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Bias in Information Sources

In addition to bias within algorithms, bias may also be present in the content of an information source. 

Bias is a point of view that may influence how information is conveyed. This does not necessarily mean that the information in and of itself is incorrect, but the information may be presented in such a manner that it could be interpreted to mean something else or be aligned to specific values. Bias is not always intentional—it can creep into resources without the creators realizing it. It is important to keep a critical eye out for bias and factor that in to your evaluation of a source's trustworthiness.

Recognizing Bias

It's not always easy to recognize bias in an information source. It sometimes takes some digging into an author or organization in order to find any potential outside influences that could affect the point of view presented. Here are some tips:

  • Search for the author's name online.
    • What is the author's educational background or work experience? Does this align with the topic they have written about?
    • Are they affiliated with any organizations? Do these organizations have a political or social agenda? 
    • What other topics does the author write about? Are there common themes in the subject matter?
  • Look for an About page for a media organization or publisher.
    • Do they claim to be non-partisan or independent? Does the language used to describe the organization reflect a non-partisan or independent viewpoint?
    • Are they transparent about any sponsors or affiliated businesses or organizations? Do these sponsors or affiliated groups have a political or social agenda?
    • Do they state if they conduct fact-checking or peer-review?

Next, we'll take a look at the Interactive Media Bias Chart from Ad Fontes Media which is a great tool you can use to determine a media organizations' credibility and bias.

Sources

“bias, adj., n., and adv. Links to an external site.” OED Online, Oxford University Press, Sept. 2020.

This page "Bias in Information Sources" by Kaela Casey is  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and is a derivative of "Information Sources: Bias Links to an external site." from Introduction to College Research by Walter D. Butler, Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,  published by Pressbooks.