Fact, Opinion and Bias

.To demonstrate an understanding of the differences between fact, opinion and bias.

.To recognize bias in different sources.  

Fact is a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true and can be proven.

For example:

1. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

2. There are 12 months in a year.

3. Rain is wet.

An opinion is a personal belief, viewpoint, judgment or attitude that is subjective, can be disputed and cannot be fully proven.

For example:

1. Mermaids and tooth fairies exist. 

2. Red is the most beautiful color. 

3. Scotland is the best place ever!

Bias is an individual or source’s particular feelings, opinions, or beliefs which affects how they express their viewpoints on various issues..

Bias is especially common in the areas of race, religion, nationality, gender, social class, politics, etc. 

If someone is biased towards a political group or party, he/she will tend to speak more positively of politicians belonging to that party. Additionally, if that same person is biased against a different political group, he/she might quickly disagree with anyone who aligns with that political party.

After the first World War, Adolph Hitler blamed the Jews for the general decline in the economic situation in Germany. This was his personal view and may not have been entirely true. This biased viewpoint led to the Holocaust.

Tone: Pay attention to the overall tone of the article – is it associated with any particular emotion? 

Language: Does the author use very descriptive language, which may be positive or negative, which shows bias? 

One Perspective: Does the source share just one perspective, or are multiple perspectives shared?

Opinionated: Could you re-write the source using the same information but tell a completely different story?

Attitude: How does the author treat the events/people they are writing about – positively, negatively, or balanced?

Missing Information: Is any information missing, or does extra analysis suggest bias?  r

Images: Consider how people are portrayed positively or negatively through pictures or video.

Looking Closely: When looking closely for bias, take notes on who, what, when, where, how and why in 3 columns – “positive” “negative” and “balanced” information.