Fourth JEA lesson plan focuses on objectivity, identifying bias

The fourth lesson plan in the Journalism Education Association’s comprehensive unit on news literacy teaches students about objectivity, a traditional cornerstone of journalism. Students not only learn to separate fact from opinion in what they read, but also they explore how to keep bias and personal views out of their journalistic work.

The lesson starts with a discussion of students’ understanding of bias and its effect on the quality of news. Students also think about how journalists should navigate having feelings and opinions without writing them into their stories. Next, students learn the different types of bias and try to find them in professional news stories. The lesson ends with students practicing how to make unbiased word choices.

The lesson is available for free on JEA’s website and is part of the Journalism Education Association’s weeklong news and information literacy curriculum designed by Dr. Megan Fromm and funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Click here to download the lesson.

JEA members have access to more resources and JEA’s complete curriculum. Click here to become a member.