Frame It In The News

1. Frame It In The News Teaching Information Literacy Without a Research Paper Willie Miller Assistant Librarian Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis LOEX Conference May 4, 2013 @LibraryWillie

2. Presentation Outline • Institutional Background • Problem & Solution • Professional Standards • Theoretical Basis • Learning Outcomes • Lesson Plan • Student Work @LibraryWillie

3. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Institutional Background

4. First Year Seminar Course Background

5. The Problem

6. A Solution News Coverage of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

7. Professional Standards • IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs) • ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC)

8. Theoretical Basis • Social Responsibility Theory of the Press (Peterson, 1956) • Gatekeeping Theory (Lewin, 1947) • Agenda Setting (Lippman, 1922) • McCombs and Shaw (1972) • Fragmentation (Abramson, Orren, & Arterton, 1990; Katz, 1997; Morris, 2007; West, 2001; Williams & DelliCarpini, 2004)

9. The fragmented news era boasts a heterogeneous news environment wherein accounts of one issue, topic, or event can differ significantly depending on the source (West, 2001, pp. 93-95).

10. Describe bias in news media • Discuss methods of decoding bias in the news • Illustrate examples of bias in the news Student Learning Outcomes

11. Lesson Plan • Lecture • Close Reading • Class Discussion • Homework (Optional)

12. Lesson Plan • Lecture • Information literacy • Bias • Bias in Reporting • Close Reading • Class Discussion • Homework (Optional)

13. Bias In Reporting • Partiality • One-sidedness • Unbalanced selection or presentation • Tendency or inclination that prevents a fair of balanced approach • Temperamental or emotional leaning to one side • Favoritism that distorts reality • Personalized, unreasoned judgment • Predisposition or preference (Sloan & Mckay, 2007 p. 6)

14. Lesson Plan • Lecture • Close Reading • Class Discussion • Homework (Optional)

15. Close Reading

16. Lesson Plan • Lecture • Close Reading • Class Discussion • Homework (Optional)

17. Lesson Plan • Lecture • Close Reading • Class Discussion • Homework (Optional) • Watch the next debate • Find an example of biased reporting on the debate • Write a one page paper illustrating ways the article is biased with examples • Provide APA citation(s)

18. Student Work The author fails to give the article balance on remarks, responses, and attitudes. Guffaws, snickers, interrupter, aggressive, chuckles, smirks, hammered, gaffes, feisty, are just some of the words used to describe Biden’s behavior and attitude at the debate. Ryan got remarks such as, “maintaining a steady and comparatively reserved demeanor throughout.” You are the judge here, but I call this article biased. In response to : Sparks fly as Biden, Ryan face off in feisty vice presidential debate. (2012). FoxNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/11/biden-ryan-face-off-in-high-stakes-vice-presidential-debate-in-kentucky/

19. Student Work Quotes describing Paul Ryan’s statements used words such as said, declared, or pointed out. Biden’s began or followed with words like sharply retorted, argued, and asked bluntly. The debate’s analysis offered opinion of how the debate resonated with Republicans, describing Biden as annoyed and likened him to Al Gore rolling his eyes in his debate against President Bush. In response to: Zeleny, J., & Rutenberg, J. (2012, October 11). Biden and Ryan quarrel aggressively in debate, offering contrasts - NYTimes.com. Retrieved October 12, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/us/politics/biden-and-ryan-quarrel-aggressively-in-debate-offering-contrasts.html?ref=presidentialdebates&pagewanted=all

20. Student Work In the Fox News article “Biden accused of being disrespectful in vice presidential debate with grins, laughs” the bias towards the Romney/Ryan ticket was instantly evident by the title. Any news article deserves a title that informs the readers, in several words, what they can expect to read. The journalist who wrote this did just that- by running with criticism of the opposing party’s debate etiquette…. In response to: Sparks fly as Biden, Ryan face off in feisty vice presidential debate. (2012). FoxNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/11/biden-ryan-face-off-in-high-stakes-vice-presidential-debate-in-kentucky/

21. Engaged class participation • Achievement of learning outcomes • Happy faculty Results

22. Considerations • Students knowledge of current events • Conflicting lessons in other classes • Interest in topic • Faculty buy-in

23. References • Abramson, Jeffrey B, Orren, Gary R, & Arterton, F Christopher. (1990). Electronic Commonwealth: The Impact of New Media Technologies on Democratic Politics: Basic Books, Inc. • Katz, Jon. (1997). Virtuous Reality: How America Surrendered Discussion of Moral Values to Opportunists: Nitwits, and Blockheads Like William Bennett. • Lewin, Kurt. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics II: Channels of group life; social planning and action research. Human Relations, 1(2), 143-153. doi: 10.1177/001872674700100201 • Lippmann, Walter. (1922). Public opinion. New York: Macmillan. • McCombs, Maxwell E., & Shaw, Donald L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187. doi: 10.2307/2747787 • Morris, Jonathan S. (2007). Slanted objectivity? Perceived media bias, cable news exposure, and political attitudes. Social Science Quarterly, 88(3), 707-728. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2007.00479.x • Peterson, Theodore. (1956). The social responsibility theory Four theories of the press (pp. 73-103). Urbana, Il: University of Illinois Press. • Sloan, Wm. David, & Mackay, Jenn Burleson. (2007). Media Bias: Finding It, Fixing it. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. • West, Darrell M. (2001). The rise and fall of the media establishment: Bedford/St. Martin's. • Williams, Bruce A., & DelliCarpini, Michael X. (2004). Monica and Bill all the time and everywhere: The Collapse of gatekeeping and agenda setting in the new media environment. The American Behavioral Scientist, 47(9), 1208-1230.

24. Photo Credits • Slide 3: IUPUI campus photo gallery, http://communications.iu.edu • Slide 5: http://mustmakecomments.wordpress.com/category/college/ • Slide 6: • http://thedroidlawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ • http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1250961!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/obama- • http://i2.cdnds.net/12/05/618x504/us_mitt_romney.jpg • http://socialistworker.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/330/images/elections-2012-split-screen-b.jpg • http://cdn2.kimkcdn.celebuzz.com/files/2012/10/Kim-Kardashian-Vote-2012-492x330.jpg • http://aidontheedge.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/20122.jpg • Slides 9&10: University of Michigan, http://www.umich.edu/~newsbias/ • Slide 24: http://www.123rf.com/photo_16515446_a-thinking-man-or-person-thinks-beside-the-words-questions-comments-concerns-problems-and-complaints.html • Background slides: Indianapolis Recorder, January 6, 1906, http://ulib.iupui.edu/digitalscholarship/collections/IRecorder

25. Contact:Willie MillerAssistant LibrarianIUPUIwmmiller@iupui.edu@LibraryWilliePresentation: http://go.iu.edu/7pD