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 task 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. Cut out each of the following headlines, cartoons and images. Study the headlines, cartoons and images. Determine which has a more liberal slant (either positive for the liberals or makes conservatives look less good) and which has a more conservative slant (positive for conservatives or makes liberals look/sound less good). Open your notebook so you have an empty left and right side of the notebook empty. At the top of the left page, write “Liberal Bias,” and on the top of the right page, write “Conservative Bias.” Layout the headlines, images and cartoons on the appropriate sides, liberal or conservative. 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… Use the glue stick to affix your headlines, images and cartoons. You need to use all of the headlines and images provided. If you do not finish in class, please finish whatever you have left so we can share tomorrow. Thank you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On President Obama’s State of the Union address last Wednesday… Headline Option 1 President Obama Changes His Tune The creation of new jobs (not healthcare reform) becomes the focus of the administration in 2010 Headline Option 2 Obama Cites a “Deficit of Trust” The president is calling for the GOP to start working with him in restoring confidence in the Federal Government. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Option 1: The Numbers are in, 9.7% of Americans are Without Work Option 2: According to President Obama the Recovery Act of 2009 Saved up to 2 Million Jobs

2. Put the following headlines onto the paper you think they would be most likely in which to appear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stemming from an argument between Rep. Michele Bachman (MN-R) and Sen. Arlen Specter (PA-D) during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity regarding heath care: Option 1 Bachmann ‘not seeing the big picture’ regarding healthcare according to Specter Option 2 Bachmann slams Specter for treating her like ‘a little girl’ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grocers pull Peter Pan & Great Value peanut butter from shelves Shoppers Adapt to Recent Salmonella Outbreak ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Gov. Scwarzenegger Asks Obama To Speed Aid; 12 Dead In California Mudslides

3. Obama Team 'Encouraged' Defiance of Pelosi on Stimulus Obama Has Been Disappointed by Pelosi's Pork Put the following headlines onto the paper you think they would be most likely in which to appear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FYI- Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D) is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Option 1 Option 2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The NBA suspension of Gilbert Arenas over gun offenses fits the crime What Florida Gator Quaterback Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad Can Teach the Pro-Choice Movement