Unit 4 – The Broader Picture
Lesson 2 – Media bias and Linguistic manipulation of Agency and Voice
Class time: 74 minutes
Objective: To introduce students to linguistic concepts of agency and voice. To explore
linguistic structure in media data.
Materials Needed:
-Powerpoint (Unit4_Lesson2_PPT.ppt)
-Handout 4.4 (Reading Excerpt for Data Analysis)
-Handout 4.5 Answer Key (Handout4.5_Answer.doc)
-Handout 4.5a (Data Analysis Worksheet Page 1)
-Handout 4.5b (Data Analysis Worksheet Page 2) (Print these front/back)
-Handout 4.6 (DATA WORKSHOP 1 Description)
INTRODUCTION (5 min)
Re-cap Monday’s introduction to the unit and find out if students have any
questions about their assignments, etc. Collect any surveys that are returned.
LECTURE/DISCUSSION (25 min)
Lead students through powerpoint lecture, discussing the inherent power that
media has in the ways we think about issues, and the ways language plays a part in
this. Introduce concepts of agency and voice, the ways they can be manipulated, and
the ways media may use it to create certain perceptions of what is being reported.
Start by asking a few questions about media data and ‘truth’ in media:
-When looking at media data, what is important?
-Do you always believe what is reported in news media? Why or why not?
-Is the news media objective? Is it supposed to be?
-What is bias? Is news media biased?
There are many slides for today’s lecture. The slides on Bias should go quickly,
just as examples of the 8 categories of bias, with a focus only on the last two, which
will be discussed in more detail in class and are directly relevant to the concepts of
agency and voice that will be discussed today. See powerpoint for more detailed
lecture notes.
Note: There is a chance that some students may contest some of the ideas or
issues brought up in several lectures during this unit. Be sure to explain that we are
not advocating (outwardly) any side, but merely showing the ways language is used
in media in general.
ACTIVITY (35 min) – Data-based application of agency/voice
Pass out Handout 4.4 (Reading Passage) and 4.5 (Activity Questions: Both
pages front and back) to each student. Briefly explain the activity as outlined on the
handout. Instruct students to work in small groups (2-3 students per group) to read
through the article (out loud) and then answer the questions on the handout. Assign
each group three of the sentences to focus on in their group, and allow 15 minutes
for each group to go through their assigned sentences. After 15 minutes, bring the
class together and have each group go through one or two of their sentences with the
class on the board, so everyone can fill out the handout. Make sure each group
explains their justification for their answers, and focus especially on Column 4 of the
handout. Answer any questions and troubleshoot any difficulties in the answers.
NOTE: Class times during these lessons when implemented was different than
normal. This can be broken up and added to the next lesson based on timing constraints.
DATA WORKSHOP 1 HANDOUT (15 min) – Choose “Current Event”
Have the class settle back into their seats, and pass out Handout 4.6 (Data
Workshop 1). Review details of the handout briefly, and outline their expected tasks.
Then, as a class, decide on a current event to look at. It is most beneficial to find a
current event that is political or potentially controversial in nature so differences in
bias can be seen more clearly. You may choose to instead suggest a few current
events instead of asking the class.
Once that is chosen (take no more than 3-5 minutes on that), assign groups (3
students per group, no exceptions), and have each group select a news source from a
list that you put on the board. (See suggested media sources below) No two groups
may have the same news source. Field any questions students may have about the
data collection, the data itself, what they are expected to look for, or anything else they
may not understand.
Media Sources to consider*:
NPR
CNN
New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Your town’s local newspaper/website
MSNBC
Fox News
La Opinion
*Keep in mind that this task involves internet collection of articles; double check all
sources ahead of time to make sure their articles are internet accessible. For the New
York Times and other similar sources, there is sometimes a monthly limit on viewable
articles; for these students inform them to be careful to only open articles that they
believe are going to be relevant.
WRAP-UP (2 min)
Before the bell rings, remind students that their reading responses are due in
class on Friday. Answer any other questions students may have.