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Recognizing Bias in Sources of Information

Have you ever overheard a conversation in which one person accuses the other of bias? Perhaps you have
had occasion to label someone biased especially when he or she does not agree with your point of view.
Often, when someone accuses you of bias or you return the compliment, there is an undertone of a grievous
fault being committed. If the truth is told, in one sense, having a bias is as natural as taking a breath of
air. What then is a bias? The Oxford Concise Dictionary defines "bias" as "the inclination or prejudice for
or against one thing or person". We all express a bias when we select clothes, music, food, and friends
· according to our tastes. No one loves and appreciates everything with equal measure. For whatever reason,
we show inclination, preference and even prejudice for some things and people and not for others.

But when someone accuses you of bias and when you do the same, you are hardly commenting on that
person's natural preference for one thing over another. More often than not, you use bias to mean the lack
of objectivity and fairness. You are referring to the second meaning from The Oxford Concise Dictionary
which defines "bias" as the act of influencing unfairly or to prejudice someone's thoughts. Both meanings,
cited above, are important when we evaluate the information we gather from any source. People have natural
preferences and prejudices that will be reflected in the information that they produce. Also, people at times
deliberately manipulate information to influence you towards certain attitudes, beliefs and actions. These
facts are also true of any information you will produce as an individual. To demonstrate a bias is not always
part of an underhand strategy aimed at manipulation and subterfuge. There are sources of information
that were created and exist to promulgate a particular perspective on a given issue. Interest and pressure
groups like some non-government organizations, political parties, governments and religious groups all
fall into the category of organizations whose mission obliges them to promote a biased perspective on
certain issues.
 Bwn though groups will have tm·ss10n · s . that • Be alert to stereotypin~, nam~-cal]jng or
coostnun them to take a 4.'.ertain slant o n an ,ssue, labeUing in the presentation o_f ~ITnation
thett are still rules of fairness tha t we can use to based on race, gender, ethnicity. sexua1
~valuate the information we get from th em . The o rientation or nationality.
Problem is not with havmg . a b"135· Ever}r source • Tone that is sarcastic, treats the subject
that pu ts intormat10n
. into. t he pu brJC domain
· takes .
with ridicule or is angry towards the
subject is evidence of bias.
tfme to edit, slan t and care full Y com Pose it to smt .
th eir purpose. The problem ts . tn• using unethical d
• Images, captions and other graphics
influence an which either do not fit the facts
.
and underhand tactJCs to un,air } '- · 1 , . f
prejudice a reader or listener
. un der the gmse o presented or sensationalizes them are alsa
evidence of bias.
being objective and fair. Be,ore we enoage
· . , O
a fuller.

discussion of the different ways bias m ay a~pear m

The following strategies of speech or ,.vriting are
information, consider th e following checkhst:
indicators that bias may be present - that is, an
attempt to unfairly influence or prejudice you.r
• See if sources of in format.ion have a vested views .
financial, political or professional interest
in slanting the material presented so
Consider the source of the
that the views of the other side are not information
acknowledged at all.
• Question whether the author of the
Since we have already concluded that every source
message draws information from a variety has a bias, always check the source ofthe information
of sources in composing the message or to determine if the bias present is a natural one or
only from sources which agree with his the result of manipulation. Consider whether the
perspective. source is an eyewitness, the police or some expert.
• Investigate if the evidence offered to prove Consider whether the event reported is staged
a daim contain(s) emotive language, such as demonstrations, news conferences, dinner
exaggeration or innuendo. speeches and debates. Are they real news events or
Check to see that the author has not occasions to gain news coverage and publicity? Ask
editorialized, that is s/he has whether the source of information ( if considered to
not presented her opinions as if they be an expert) stands to personally gain financially,
are facts. politically or professionally fron1 providing the
Observe carefully if the author has information. The broader the bases from which
subjectively selected informatjon that sources are drawn and the greater the diversity of
gives a skewed and not a balanced view sources, the less the likelihood of bias. Consider
of the event or situation being spoken or the point-of-view from which the information 1~
written about. reported and check to see if this perspective is one·
Ensure that captions, headlines and sided or balanced. Messages which acknowledr
the other side of the issue which is different from
graphics are not intended to mislead or
misdirect the receiver of the message. the side the author supports are less likt.'ly to l'i
biased. Acknowledging the other side is refer~d h'
as having a counterclaim.

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 the purpose for Writing lnformatio
wi ll have ·intended fo r general public readers h.1p

co, ~1
•de' and different features of vocabulary, cont~nt
,pose has a big influence on what . . style of presentation than will information
, f't,l •
,citef s d how it is commumcated. First, check if
lS
intended
and . for. a spec1.a11·ze d group of say tee h rucians
. .
,\ \1ref1 af1 )1aS stated his or her purpose. If he has . c scientists. This in turn differs from
i .,citer . obvious from the statement If t.h ' m1ormat'ion intended
· 'specifically ' for children . As
ev, bias · e awha
research
. er, y_ou w ill have to distinguish
. . . b~nv~en
tl1 c~ for t clearly stated a purpose, could ther
cl1e·1er i,as no·c reason.? Mos t responsible . mf?rmatlon has a specific and perhaps lmnted
inter et application to a target audience and which you may
1 a str3
~f cieS and spokespersons will not releas
beorovPs,agen generalize to be relevant to your work.
e to the pub1·ic wit. h out ac kn owledging thee
: J11essag d the purpose. Consider the nature of the proof
rce an
5oll . e whether the author intended the contents A claim or statement that is biased will rarely
~afl1 1~ information or entertainment. Is the attempt to convince you by reasoned argument
to be ~r n intended to be viewed as 'scholarly' or and logical proof. There is a heavy reliance on
pllbucatlO . •fi cant dia-
•? There are s1gm uerences between emotional persuasion and the use of language is
'poptJlar.of researc h an d ev1'dence that a scholarly particularly effective here. Be sensitive to a writer's
.1. Jeve 1 is expecte d to contam . as opposed to a or speaker's use of loaded and emotive words that
u,e . t·on
bbCll can create certain connotations that colour your
f~ Jar' publication. The tone of th~ mformation
1 . .
accurate perceptions of ideas, issues and peoples. ln
P Pid offer clues as to the writers purpose. Is our present context, classifying persons by names
shou e serious, sat1nca . . 1 or h umourous? If it is like 'terrorists', 'freedom fighters' and 'patriots'
the n
. hto satirical or humourous, expect to have less is a clear indication of a writer's bias. Innuendo,
e1t erhasis on solid . ev1'dence and facts and more the technique by which something unpleasant or
on the techniques o f entertainment.
ernP . For example, disparaging is alluded to or suggested about an
the title used by authors can give you a clue as opponent, is a common feature of biased writing.
to whether you are expected to take the content
seriously and expect well- researched and reasoned Check to see that opinions are not
arguments. So if the topic of an article on alcoholism passed off for facts
is entitled, "Alcoholism: The Silent Epidemic" you
Often, the credibility of a writer's or speaker's
would expect it to be a more serious discourse than
claim hinges on whether the audience can
if it were entitled, "Happy Juice". distinguish between the facts and the opinions of
the presentation. Facts are statements that can be
Consider the Intended Audience objectively proven to be true or false. There can
therefore be true facts and untrue ones. Thus, if
If you fail to consider the audience that the a writer claims that 2000 jobs were created in the
information was intended to benefit, then you may tourism sector this year, one may physically count
~ell misjudge the usefulness and cogency of the those employed within the period to verify if this
mformation. Always seek to ascertain for whom is true or not. Opinions, on the other hand, are
the message is intended. If a writer is addressing statements that cannot be objectively proven to be
th0 se who subscribe to his or her beliefs, the tone either true or false. A claim that 'River Splash' is the
to the "faithful" will be more motivational and the best soft drink on the market is impossible to prove
e~idence less compelling and comprehensive than objectively. For one thing, there is no objective
will be the case if the message were intended for measurement for best soft drink.
opponents.

317
 _Facts are veri~able, either by your own kn owledge Chee~ placement, caption, and
,md observat10n or by corroboration from other headlines in the news media
~ources. Editorializing, or passing off opinions as
1f they are facts, has a greater potential to unfairly The placements
· d of stories
. . in newspapers' magaz1n.
influence than facts that are proven to be false an d ra. d10 an telev1s10n broadcasts ind'1cate thes
Opinio!1 claims can sound very convincing but yo~ prommence and importance that the di e
must differentiate opinions from facts if you are to ascn'b e to the story. This in turn influence tors
' . ' es the
avoid being manipulated. If a writer makes 'factual' rea
. d er s or viewers perception of what is imp·· ~ ~

statements that are proven to be untrue, he wiII smce news organizations are major opinion le d '
· • c • Th aers
damage his credibility in the eyes of the audience. m our m1ormat1on age. ose considered st
·
important mo
w1·11 be p1ace d on the front page, center
Consider whether the information spread or back page of newspapers and magazin ·
while in radio and television broadcasts they ::,
has been fairly selected
made the lead stories. Stories considered of less e
.
importance are often placed towards the back of
The selection of details to be included in a
the newspaper or towards the end of the broadcast.
communication message will affect the tone and
content of the message. While we accept that
Captions and headlines are the most read sections
a writer cannot put every single detail into a
of newspapers and magazines. When you take up
message, be alert to deliberate or even inadvertent a newspaper, you almost instinctively scan the
omission of details that (if included) would change headlines to decide what is of interest to you even if
the impression or conclusion given by the message. you never read the stories in details. These captions
Information is likely to be more objective if it is and headlines, brief as they are, often perform
not limited and narrow in its selection of details the function of conclusive statements on the
from other sources. It is easier to detect bias in the information they report. In one word, a caption or
selection of details by comparing more than one headline can connote and convey condemnation or
account of the same event. approval before supporting evidence is presented.
This is fertile ground for hidden bias. You may even
In news reporting, the aspect of the story that the have found that the impression a caption or headline
reporter chooses to focus on or whether the news gave for a story was not quite supported by the fact
story is carried at all may be a useful indicator of of the information when you read it. Captions and
bias. For example, the Prime Minister is met by a headlines can be quite sensational and blow issues
group of protesters outside parliament as he exited out of proportion. Since the tendency to exaggerate
after delivering an important speech. One reporter the facts is an indicator of bias, be alert to this kind
who described the incident as "Pandemonium of use of captions and headlines.
·eigned outside the parliament when the Prime
~inister received a stormy reception" would Consider whether the treatment of
lisplay a different bias from the one who reported, content is stereotypical
Citizens demonstrated their democratic right to
isagree with the Prime Minister': To stereotype an individual or group is to take so~e
111
characteristic or feature that has been observed
another like individual or members of the ·group or
and apply it to all others without exception
qualification.
 ryping is often negative
~(eo . . I an d un
St"' ,erahzat1on. t categor· represen
o,,e, Iv because you had an un I People Unf:tar. tve
· -ge1 1zes .
5i111P ;omeone of a particular p easant enco:lrly.
vv ·th· JI persons of t hat race race d 0 esn't n-.nter
1

h3( a . • are Sirnu ••lean

t typing as an indication of . . arty ruct
-rereo l . l 6 ias is f e.
' h not exc us1ve y, convey d h requentl
t,otlg 11· e t rou h y,
t bels name ca mg and dism· . g . the us
ofla ' . iss1ve desc . . e
riptions
check the tone ·

accept that the tone of Written

rfwe , . cornrnun ·
· ls the wri ters attitude toward h. 1cation
revea d" s ts/her b·
rter and au 1ence, then tone su Ject
ma ortant m . d 1ca
. t or o f b"1as. Wheth rnust
. be an Consider th b • .
iJllPken discourse, tone can influener 1n Writt en or civilian e ,1as that 1s implied in calling
spo . . ce us towa d that reports
deaths, collateral
d damage', or the story,
eptance or reJect1on. A newscast , r s
ace er s tone mo erate losses among the troops
/he reads the news can subtly conv h as ~opposed to the caption, 'Fifteen more invaders
s th 'd ey, t rouoh
inflection, do: I e~ ~r _persons she Wishes ~o . ed today'. Information displayed in graphs
disparage anh osheth sets in sympathy With. Tone is generally influential on people who associate
.5 conveyed t roug e speaker's or ,.,... -t , h . such presentation with evidence of research and
1 1 er s c oice scholarship .
f words. Be on the lookout for loaded• and .
o of language.
use emotive
Consider how you and your source
quote other sources
consider manipulation by visual
images and graphics
No matter how relevant information is to your
purpose, if it is quoted incorrectly or unfairly,
If a picture is really worth a thousand words, its reliability and validity vanish. As you gather
consider how much more effective and economical information from other sources, consider whether
pictures can be in unfairly influencing our your sources are primary or secondary. If a source
perceptions and emotions. Especially in politics, is secondary, has it reported the original source
pictures have been used to influence both goodwill correctly and clearly? 1s there any way to verify the
or scorn for candidates. A glamour type photo of accuracy of the original? Always check the quality
a candidate and his family posing for the cameras of your sources' research and the validity of their
is likely to generate more goodwill than one that conclusions based on the facts that have been
presented. The conclusions they draw may not fit
catches the candidate in an unflattering position or
the facts presented.
disposition. The commentaries which accompany
pictures often reinforce a negative or positive bias.

Graphic display of information such as histograms,

bar charts, pictograms and others can be used
to sensationalize and distort in1orma
c 1·wn. For
example, the death count in a war is often an
emotional issue.

319
 Assumi ng friat d ie sources you are using are sound, Consider the Researcher's
there are still potentia l da ngers in the way you, the Methodology
researcher, will use the information. Make sure that
you understand th e source material well and that The researcher's method of collecting data d
in presenting it you don't ignore the main ideas or conducting research has a significant influean
fa cts. Remember that you will not be fair to your on the. veracity of the findings. If the resear · cnhce
er
source if you present the data in a manner that ~xp1ams ~he me~h_odology that he used to gather his
is not sequential and logical. Such a presentation mformatlon, cntlcally examine the methodol
could well distort the data from the source and to see if it is scientific and sound. Areas of poss~~
weaknesses. are imp_roper sampling, inadequat:
could unconsciously reflect a bias on your part
data collection techmques and the ethical practice
especially if you do not agree with the source.
of the researcher. If the sample is not suflicie t
For the purpose of your research you will have to
or representative of the total population that hnas
organize the data from each source in a meaningful
been surveyed, then the generalizations that the
and logical way but resist the temptation to so researcher makes will be unreliable. Question
juxtapose and synthesize the data that it conveys whether the data collection techniques are the
what your source never intended. best that the researcher could have used for the
purpose. Remember that a combination of different
Consider if your source can be collection techniques is a more reliable way of
corroborated ensuring that the techniques capture the data
intended. Look for indications that the researcher
We have already discussed that information from is adhering to ethical practices in the collection of
sources is more believable if it conforms to what data for the research. Was permission granted from
is generally known within that field of knowledge. respondents to use them in the study?
The more spectacular the claim, the greater the
proof needed to make it believable. Apart from this Especially for studies of sensitive issues, researchers
common sense rule, there is a greater probability have been known to be less than honest in their
that the information is true if the claims of a source determination to collect data. Consider if the
are supported by other sources. In comparing and researcher has used the information confidentiallv
contrasting the information from different sources and that no harm or distress comes to th~
on a research topic, you will be able to evaluate
participants.
the nature of the disagreement among sources.
You will discover that some disagreements are
minor, referring to style and expression. Others
are substantial referring to methodology and
interpretation. By cross-checking information
from various sources, you will be better able to
draw your own conclusions after considering all
the available evidence on the issue.

320