Self-Assessment: Bias Suggested Answers

Self-Assessment: Bias (suggested answers)

1. Provide the denotative and connotative meanings for the words in the table below.

	Denotative meaning	Connotative meaning
supercharged	An engine with extra energy or power	Explosive or combustible state of being, incredibly strong
cool	Cold or lower in temperature	Enjoyable or trendy, or accepting
awesome	Extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration or fear	Extremely good, excellent, enjoyable or neat
peace	Freedom from disturbance	Ultimate world goal; no war and happy coexistence
punk	Fast moving often political musical movement	A worthless person (a negative term)

2. If I run a newspaper and I choose to use or I choose not to use a specific news story, what kind of bias am I exhibiting?

A. Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles
B.  Bias by placement 
C. Bias by omission
D. Bias by spin

3. News media often use labels and titles to describe people, places and events. A person can be called an "ex-con" or be referred to as someone who "served time twenty years ago for a minor offense". What kind of bias does this demonstrate?

A. Bias by omission
B. Bias by labelling
C. Bias by placement
D. Bias by story selection

4. Readers of papers judge first-page stories to be more significant than those buried in the back. Television and radio newscasts run the most important stories first and leave the less significant for later. What kind of bias is this?

A. Bias by placement
B. Bias by labeling
C. Bias by selection
D. Bias by spin

5. A local politician is well-funded and running for Member of Parliament in his riding. His competitor is not well-funded but is a candidate in the same riding. As a result, more promotional videos or filmed public relations material involving the well-funded politician goes to the local news station. What kind of bias is this?

A. Bias by placement 
B. Bias by selection 
C. Bias by labeling 
D. Bias by spin