• "Criteria to Evaluate the Creditibility of WWW Resources," by Virginia Montecino.
http://www.mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm
• "How to Analyze a Newspaper Article"
http://www.understandmedia.com/topics/media-theory/
Assignment
For this assignment, you are a member of Congress who needs to know the truth about fracking and its
environmental effects, so you can vote with the best interests of your constituents in mind. How will you sort
through the many conflicting reports and stories on the subject of fracking? How can you see beyond media bias
and discover the facts?
Find two news reports on the subject of fracking from television, radio, newspapers, or news magazines. You are
likely to find what you need online by searching "fracking news reports," but you can also use print sources. Study
the two reports, and then use the What You Can Do guidelines to assess the reliability and biases, if any, of one
of the reports.
• Write one to two paragraphs assessing the writer or producer of the news report and the motivation behind
it.
• Write another one or two paragraphs that check the facts presented within the report. Use credible fact-
checking sources, such as those mentioned in the textbook.
• Write another one or two paragraphs that assess the overall bias inherent in the news report, or the lack of
any bias, based on your previous paragraphs.
• Finally, write a one paragraph message to the people of your congressional district explaining how you plan
to vote on the upcoming legislation, and why.
Essay:
Type your essay here.
2016 K12 Ing All rights recopied
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