Step 1: Pick a social or political issue of your choice.
Wedge issues work best: global warming, gun debate, legalizing marijuana, same-sex marriage, abortion, et cetera. Don\’t take sides, your task is to analyze how these news reports are constructed. The issue itself is irrelevant.
Step 2: Pick two media sources from opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Why pick the extremes on the political spectrum? Because it\’s easier to pluck out the bias, especially when you\’re reading the same story side by side.
Either two magazines/journals (The Nation vs. NRO) or
two local newspapers (NY Times vs. LV Review-Journal) or
two television broadcasts (The Rachel Maddow Show vs. The OReilly Factor)
Use any sources that express opposing views, below are a few examples:
Leftist or Liberal
Rightist or Conservative
The Nation
The Huffington Post
Mother Jones
NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post
MSNBC (Rachel Maddow, etc.)
The American Spectator
National Review Online (NRO)
The Weekly Standard
Wall St. Journal, LV RJ, Washington Times
FOX News (Bill O Reilly, etc.)