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Bias

Bias can be conscious or unconscious. Conscious bias is when a person is aware of their biases and actively chooses to act on them. Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, is when a person’s attitudes or beliefs are shaped by social and cultural factors and operate outside their conscious awareness.

There are different types of bias, including confirmation bias, where people tend to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs, and the halo effect, where a person’s overall impression of someone or something influences their judgment of specific attributes or characteristics.

It is important to be aware of our biases and work to mitigate their impact. By recognizing our biases and actively seeking out diverse perspectives, we can make more informed decisions, reduce prejudice, and promote fairness and equity.

Bias (full screen)Download

Part One

Look through articles in the Curated Library, search online, or check newspapers or magazines and find two art critics that discuss the same piece, and answer the following:

What is the author/creator’s purpose (eg. inform, entertain, teach, persuade, etc.)?
When was the article written?
Who is the audience, or who is the author targeting?
Is there a particular word or phrase that reveals bias?
Does the author have a strong point of view on the topic?
Are there any images or graphs? If so, do you think the picture could be taken out of context? Why?
Are there any other articles from this author? If so, do they have a similar theme or objective?
Does the title establish a tone of point of view?
Does the article help of hurt any person or group?
If there are any sources, determine if they come from a variety of point of views.
Do a quick search of the author and/or publisher to find their reputation. What is it?
Is there is anything in this article that goes beyond the facts?
Did the author leave out any important figure, group, or point of view?
Is there any feedback on social media/comment sections about the article? If so, do the commenters point out any obvious biases from the author? *be careful to sensor explicit comments

Part Two

Now compare both critiques and answer the following:

Which review did you agree with more? Why?
Did one author show their bias more than the other?
Which review seemed more fair? Why?
Did either critic miss anything you think would be important to mention about the piece?
Why is it important to be aware of bias in the news?