When I was in school I remember tests frequently having a reading comprehension component. I always liked this section because I was pretty good at it. I think when practicing reading comprehension skills there should also be some element of developing a skill for bias detection. This occurred to me as I'm now hearing and seeing campaign ads everywhere. Campaign ads make their bias obvious by saying who they are in favor of and who they don't like. I would say that most information we receive has a bias and often times it is not as clear as a campaign ad. For example in school we are taught that certain sources are acceptable for research and paper writing purposes but the reasons for their credibility aren't always clear. They may use legitimate facts in their stories but without examining their bias can we really use the information responsibly? Even in a news story that would claim to just be relating the facts of what happened can communicate a very subtle bias by the use of a couple adjectives.
Obviously we can't eliminate bias, and we shouldn't. But I think students should be learning how to detect it. When they read or hear things they should be equipped with an evaluation process that encourages them to ask questions like: Who is putting out this information and why are they doing it? Is there potentially more facts or another side to this story that isn't being given? and why is that? Is the source known for feeling a certain way about things? Is some specific action being encouraged? if so what would be the result of that action?
How wary are you of bias in the information you receive? I know I have certain sources of info that I trust more than others but I think due diligence is still important before we let some one guide our beliefs or actions.
