An investigation into the suitability of selected newspapers as resource materials in secondary social studies

Ayyad, Margaret Joan Abbott (1978) An investigation into the suitability of selected newspapers as resource materials in secondary social studies. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Because current affairs form an important part of the social studies curriculum in high school, it was decided to attempt to assess the amount of bias which might be found in the resource materials (newspapers) which were believed to be used for this purpose. Through a sampling process, the Daily News and the Evening Telegram of St. John's and the Globe & Mail of Toronto were chosen as sample newspapers and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 was chosen as the sample event to study for bias. Four types of analyses were conducted--one of reliability, one of headlines, one of column-inches, and one of illustrations. -- The Globe & Mail showed measurable bias in the same direction on each of the four analyses. Although the Evening Telegram and the Daily News showed statistically significant bias on only one measure, the Daily News showed bias in the same direction on all four analyses, and the Evening Telegram showed bias in the same direction on three of the four analyses. Besides this, many of the accounts were lacking in essential details. Consequently, it was concluded that a teacher using one source as resource material for current events would be depriving students of essential information. It was recommended that the teacher attempt to find a variety of resource materials and attempt to teach students to recognize commonly used techniques of implanting bias.

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