Self Audit

Media Bias: Self-Audit
Academic Connections, Summer 2008

This exercise will help you think through some of the biases you may have in reporting the news. It is important for you to recognize those biases in order to present information as truthfully as possible. Also, this list of descriptors is not comprehensive but should help you identifying your biases in other contexts.

Below is a list of descriptors of people. Indicate your initial reaction to the various descriptors from very positive to very negative. Mark “undecided” if you feel it is a more accurate representation of your feelings toward that descriptor.

This audit is for your own personal use and will not be collected. Please be as honest with yourself as you can so that you can get the most benefit from the exercise. We will discuss the audit after you've completed it. Only share the responses you feel comfortable discussing. Mark your responses to the following descriptors (check only one box):

Descriptor Positive Somewhat Positive Neutral Somewhat Negative Negative Undecided
Administrators
African-Americans
Asians
Buddhists
Californians
Catholics
Christians
Caucasians
Communists
Conservatives
Democrats
Doctors
Elderly
French
Gays/Lesbians
Honor Society Members
Jews
Jocks
Lawyers
Latinos
Liberals
Middle Class
Nerds
New Yorkers
Protestants
Republicans
Secretaries
Socialists
Sororities/Fraternities
Southerners
Students
Teachers
Wealthy
Welfare Recipients
Working Class
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