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CHAPTER
What Biases Shape the News That We See and Hear?
Rliush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter. Theirs are the voices of the radical right. Arianna Huffington, Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell.

It's no wonder that tempers flare and blood pressure rises over claims of media bias. There's a fine line between news and commentary. There's also a fine line between news and entertainment. Glenn Beck, for example, has called himself a commentator, an entertainer, and a rodeo clown. He has also identified himself with the late Peter Finch's character Howard Beale from the 1976 film Network, who came to be known as the Mad Prophet of the Airwaves and whose catchphrase was "I'm as mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Bill Press, on the left, named his most recent book Toxic Talk: How the Radical Right Has Poisoned America's Airwaves (2010). Bernard Goldberg, on the right, named his A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media (2009). The one thing that all sides agree on is that the days of objective news reporting are over — a serious concern no matter what one's political persuasion.

Formal Writing Assignment III: Policy Argument Formal Writing Assignment III English 5 – Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing Policy Argument Date Assigned: March 30, 2014 Prepare and include an Annotated Bibliography Readings: (in Elements of Argument 10/e) 1. What Biases Shape the News That We See and Hear (p. 644) 2. Media/Political Bias (p. 645) 3. America’s Town Meeting p. 651) 4. Most Americans Just Don’t Trust Them (p. 654) 5. The Age of Limbaugh: When Politics and Popular Entertainment Collide (p. 656) 6. Secrets of Talk Radio (p. 660) 7. Polarized News? The Media’s Moderate Bias Writing Assignment: We are conditioned to some extent to believe that public approaches to subject of truth are sincere. Encompassing any electoral process is Rhetorical in every aspect. We hear claims of fact, value, and policy coming from all candidates. The overarching question “What biases shape the news that we see and hear?” guides the group of reading. This is an opportunity to explore that very appropriate question. Aside from the readings, you must listen alternately to KSFO Radio at 560 AM, and KGO Radio 810 AM each for not less than 30 minutes to gain a sense of what is covered and how – attitude, tonal quality, etc. A written report of this listening assignment is part of this process, and must be employed as an additional source. This assignment enables students to use texts as models for argument, to practice analyzing and evaluating rhetorical strategies in print, visual, and auditoria media. Writing Prompt: How does one evaluate truth and fiction within the confines of a political climate? What biases do indeed shape the news that we see and hear (television, print media, and radio)? Are changes needed, and if so, where should and how should those changes be made? Does the general public deserve the truth? In preparation for writing: 1. Make “Thinking and Writing about Media Bias” (pp. 669-670) your first reading to help shape your thesis. This writing assignment must set forth a claim of policy 2. Prepare an Annotated Bibliography 3. Review American Psychological Association Style (APA) 4. Prepare References page with all 7 sources (plus 4 external sources) 5. Write an introduction and claim 6. Use APA formatting 7. Include the appropriate running head, References page. (Not counted in the 5-7 body pages.) 8. Policy Argument weighted 20% of Total Grade After completing the reading and annotating of the texts, and completing the writing process your paper should take shape as follows: 1. Introduction 2. Body (5-7 pages) 3. References page 4. Annotated Bibliography Criteria to be met: Essays will be judged based on successful demonstration of these five criteria: 1) focus on a specific assertive thesis/ primary claim in response to reading (and research); 2) clarity of organization; 3) support of claims with evidence; 4) awareness of multiple, conflicting perspectives on complex issues; and, 5) correctness. Grading Criteria: An “A” paper will exceed expectations in all five areas - demonstration well beyond the requirements of the assignment; a “B” paper will demonstrate well in all areas with exceptional performance in one or two; a “C” essays will fair well in all five areas; but both “D” and “F” papers will be lacking significantly in two or more of areas. Expectations for individual assignments will be included in written assignment handouts, and questions regarding expectations are always welcome.