People who report the news are called journalists. And they have an important job. They share information that helps citizens understand what’s going on in the world. This includes reporting on everything from new laws to wars and sporting events. 

    Most news sources want to be seen as trustworthy. So journalists try to report the news in a fair and balanced way. There is even a code of ethics that many of them follow. 

    For example, they pledge to stick to the facts. They can’t accept gifts or favors from the people they report on. And if they make a mistake, they must acknowledge it—and correct it—quickly.

    People who report the news are called journalists. They have an important job. They share information. They help people understand what’s going on in the world. They report on new laws, wars, sporting events, and more.

    Most news sources want to be seen as trustworthy. So journalists try to report the news in a fair and balanced way. Many of them follow a code of ethics.

    For example, they report facts. They don’t make things up. They can’t accept gifts or favors from the people they report on. If they make a mistake, they must acknowledge it. And they must correct it.

    People who report the news are called journalists, and they have an important job. They share information that helps citizens understand what’s going on in the world. This includes reporting on everything from new laws to wars and sporting events and more.

    Most news sources want to be seen as trustworthy, so journalists strive to report the news in a fair and balanced way. There is even a code of ethics that many of them follow.

    For example, they pledge to stick to the facts. They also can’t accept gifts or favors from the people they report on. And if they make a mistake, they must acknowledge it—and correct it—quickly.

    Still, bias can creep in. That’s because journalists’ reporting is shaped by many choices: Which issues do they focus on? Who do they interview? What questions do they ask? What information do they include? 

    Let’s say a school newspaper is covering a field trip. A teacher writing about it might focus on what students learned. A student might write about the fun activities the students got to do. Both stories might be correct. But they would definitely be framed differently. 

    Journalists must also choose their words carefully. For instance, calling a crowd “massive” could be biased. But saying “a crowd of several thousand people” simply presents the facts. This allows readers to form their own conclusions. 

    Still, bias can creep in. How? Journalists must make choices. Which issues do they focus on? Who do they interview? What questions do they ask? What information do they include?

    Imagine a school newspaper. It’s covering a field trip. A teacher writes an article. It’s about what students learned. A student writes an article. It’s about the activities the students did. Both stories are true. But they are framed differently.

    Journalists must also choose their words carefully. For example, calling a crowd “massive” could be biased. But saying “a crowd of several thousand people” presents the facts. Readers can form their own conclusions from those facts.

    Still, bias can creep in because journalists’ reporting is shaped by many choices. These include the issues they choose to focus on, who they choose to interview, the questions they ask, and then what information they include when they write the article.

    Let’s say a school newspaper is covering a field trip. A teacher writing about it might focus on what students learned, but a student might write about the fun activities the students enjoyed. Both stories might be correct, but they would definitely be framed differently.

    In addition, journalists must choose their words carefully. For instance, calling a crowd “massive” could be biased, but saying “a crowd of several thousand people” simply presents the facts, which allows readers to form their own conclusions.

    Spotting bias is tricky. But experts say it’s not impossible. What’s most important is thinking deeply about the news you take in. 

    Here are some questions and tips that can guide you.

• First, look at the headline. Does it use sensational words? Does it appear to have an opinion? Are there a lot of exclamation points? These could be signs of bias.
• Photos are important. Does an article show a country’s leader? Does that person look kind or angry? Images can certainly sway your perspective.
• Consider who is being quoted. Whose voices are you hearing? Whose voices are you not hearing? This will affect your understanding of events you have not experienced yourself.
• Do some research on the places where you get your news. Do they have teams that fact-check their stories or posts? Have they printed or posted corrections before? (Every news source makes mistakes at some point! What’s important is that they own up to it.)

    Finally, don’t forget that some bias could come from you. We tend to seek out information in line with what we already believe. So push yourself to get your news from a variety of sources! It will only make you better informed. 

    Spotting bias is tricky. Experts say it’s not impossible. But you need to think about the news you take in.

    Here are some tips that can guide you.

• Look at the headline. Does it use sensational words? Does it give an opinion? Are there exclamation points? These could be signs of bias.
• Photos are important. Does an article show a country’s leader? Does that person look kind or angry? Images can sway your perspective.
• Think about who is being quoted. Whose voices are you hearing? Whose voices are you not hearing? This will affect your understanding of events.
• Research your news sources. Do they fact-check their stories or posts? Have they printed or posted corrections in the past? (Every news source makes mistakes at some point! What’s important is that they own up to it.)

    Finally, think about this: You might have a bias. We tend to seek out information that matches what we already believe. So try to get your news from a wide range of sources! This will make you better informed. •

    Spotting bias is tricky, but experts say it’s not impossible. What’s most important is thinking deeply about the news you take in.

    Here are some questions and tips that can guide you.

• First, look at the headline. Does it use sensational words? Does it appear to have an opinion? Are there a lot of exclamation points? These could be signs of bias.
• Photos are important. For example, does an article show a country’s leader? Does that person look kind or angry? Images can certainly influence your perspective.
• Consider who is being quoted. Whose voices are you hearing? Whose are you not hearing? This will affect your understanding of events you have not experienced yourself.
• Do some research on the places where you get your news. Do they have teams that fact-check their stories or posts? Have they printed or posted corrections before? (Every news source makes mistakes occasionally—what’s important is that they own up to it.)

    Finally, don’t forget that some bias could come from you because we tend to seek out information in line with what we already believe. So push yourself to get your news from a variety of sources—it will likely make you better informed. 

_{Special thanks to our experts: Beth Heldebrandt of Ad Fontes Media, Michael Koretsky of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Brittney Smith of the News Literacy Project.}

_{Special thanks to our experts: Beth Heldebrandt of Ad Fontes Media, Michael Koretsky of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Brittney Smith of the News Literacy Project.}

_{Special thanks to our experts: Beth Heldebrandt of Ad Fontes Media, Michael Koretsky of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Brittney Smith of the News Literacy Project.}