Political Bias – Creating a Newspaper Layout

1. Political Bias – Creating a Newspaper Layout By now you should recognize that most news is delivered with a bias of some sort. Your taks today is to create the front page of two newspapers, one with a conservative bias, the other with a liberal bias. You will find scissors & glue in the boxes in the back of the classroom. Pick up a large piece of paper from the back of the room. Use one side of the paper for each of your “front pages.” Use the headlines, images, political cartoons, and editorial topics provided to design your paper. Remember, language and layout are powerful things. Think about which side would do what to sway public opinion in its favor – oh, and FYI, the top half of the front page is called “above the fold” and newspapers usually put what they see as most important there… You need to use all of the headlines and images provided. When you are finished, write in your notebook an analysis and a justification. What do you see in the political cartoons? What are their messates? Why did you structure your newspapers as you did? If you do not finish in class, please finish whatever you have left so we can share tomorrow. Thank you!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On President Bush’s efforts to interrogate and try suspected terrorists the way he sees best… Headline Option 1 GOP Infighting on Detainees Intensifies Bush Threatens to Halt CIA Program if Congress Passes Rival Proposal Headline Option 2 Bush: Interrogation vital Warns Congress about failure to pass proposal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About Rep. Bob Ney, Ohio Republican, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the public, becoming the first member of Congress to admit peddling influence for convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Option 1 Option 2 Ney to enter guilty plea Representative Nay Agrees to conspiracy to Plead Guilty

2. Put the following headlines onto the paper you think they would be most likely in which to appear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On President Bush’s efforts to work with candidates for the Federal Courts: Option 1 Option 2 Fast-Tracking of Bush President Set to Renominate Five Judicial Nominee is for Appeals Courts Outrageous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grocers pull bagged spinach from shelves Shoppers Adapt to Spinach recall ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FYI – UAW = United Auto Workers, a large and powerful union in the auto manufacturing world. Ford’s Vision Shrinks with its workforce UAW Softens Attitude about cuts in Detroit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Political bias affects brain activity, study finds Democrats and Republicans both adept at ignoring facts, brain scans show Conservatives see liberal bias in class - and mobilize Complaints that teachers push liberal ideology are trickling down from college campuses to the K-12 level Yes, There Is a Bias on College Campuses: Towards Intellectual Honesty BWCA Fires Force Evacuation of Resorts and Homes