Assignment Instructions:
Select two media sources with very different viewpoints from each other, but which discuss some of the same issues. Students should easily recognize the way that viewpoints act as "filters" so that two reporters starting with the same facts will interpret them very differently. Students may find it helpful to analyze their choice of graphics, navigation, typography, advertisements, letters to the editor, tables of contents, etc. to get a feel for their points of view.
When the sources with contrasting viewpoints have been identified, students will locate a news story in each source that discusses approximately the same subject matter (international events, politics, science, etc.). Use these two news articles to finish an essay demonstrating this assignment's thesis: The viewpoint of a news source influences the opinions expressed in the articles it publishes.