Q&A for How to Recognize Bias in a Newspaper Article

Check whether the author uses the interview as evidence to favor one side. If yes, it would probably be considered bias but that depends on the context. If no, the interview is just being used to inform the reader more (not considered bias). Also, be aware that balance is not achieved by digging up an extreme fringe group to state their case as some counter-balance to the wider majority and minority insights into an issue -- that would be trying to manufacture a balance that suggests the extremists are legitimate in their fringe beliefs or opinions when few people would consider them reliable.

It's important to be able to recognize bias because this kind of knowledge and skill will help you form your own opinions. You don't just want to repeat what someone else thinks without knowing the facts and picking your own side!

It can take a lot of experience and a good deal of knowledge of the subject at hand to recognize bias. But, for example, you could notice bias in a newspaper article announcing the results of a presidential primary in which one candidate won one state and the other candidate won another state, but the headline or article really emphasizes the win of one of the candidates and downplays the other. It can be easier to recognize bias if you frequently read work by the same author or paper, and compare it to how other sources report on the same subject - you may start noticing patterns in who or what the author/paper tends to write more positively/negatively about, and you can question whether that's justified by facts or just a bias.

Usually, reporters won't use the first person (which includes the pronoun "I") in their reporting. If you see the word "I," you may be reading either an editorial or a column, pieces in which reporters write about their own opinions. You might also be reading a personal reflection, which are also sometimes printed in newspapers.

The date is irrelevant. You would look for the same clues as to a reporter's bias.

Ad Fontes Media has a convenient media bias chart for major news sources, both video and print.

No, it is not a crime, it is legal. However, it can make people think a different way and lean towards one side. It's relatively common for news reporters to accidentally write biased articles. What would be against the rules would be plagiarizing or stealing information from different sources and getting paid to write an article for propaganda.

Yes. Then only thing to be aware of is bias in other websites. Use trusted and neutral websites to compare the article. You should also use multiple websites to compare, not just one.