Bias Shapes What We Notice And What We Believe
- Every text, whether it is a speech, an advert, a news report, or a biography, is the result of choices.
- Writers and speakers choose what to include, what to leave out, and how to present information.
- Those choices can create bias, which affects how audiences interpret events and decide what is true, fair, or important.
- In English Language and Literature, analysing bias is not about deciding whether a text is "good" or "bad."
- It is about recognizing the point of view a text promotes, the methods used to promote it, and how those methods influence an audience.
Bias
Bias refers to a systematic preference or inclination that shapes how theories are constructed and applied.
Objectivity, Subjectivity, And Bias Are Related But Not The Same
Texts often get described as objective or subjective, but these terms are best understood as a spectrum rather than two boxes.
Objectivity
Being based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings or beliefs.
Subjectivity
Being influenced by personal feelings, beliefs, or opinions rather than only by facts.
- A text can be subjective without being "wrong" (for example, a personal review), and a text can appear objective while still being biased (for example, by presenting only one set of facts).
- Bias is especially likely when the purpose of a text is to persuade, because persuasion requires supporting or opposing a "side."
- However, bias can appear in any text type, even those that claim to be neutral.
Bias Often Works By Sounding Reasonable
- Many readers expect bias to look like angry language or obvious insults.
- In reality, bias is often more effective when it feels calm, factual, and "balanced." A biased text may:
- Use a formal tone and factual vocabulary to gain trust
- Include a few "safe" facts, then attach a strong interpretation
- Use statistics or examples without context
- Quote some voices and exclude others
- Do not confuse "contains facts" with "is objective."
- Facts can be selected, arranged, and framed to push a viewpoint.
Language Choices Reveal Attitudes Through Connotation
- Loaded language is language with strong positive or negative associations (connotations).
- Two words can refer to a similar idea but guide readers to opposite judgements.
Loaded Language
Words and phrases with strong positive or negative associations that influence how an audience feels about an idea.
- Words like slender and skinny give similar information about body size, but they carry different attitudes:
- Slender has a positive connotation, suggesting elegance or health.
- Skinny has a negative connotation, suggesting weakness or unattractiveness.
- The same applies to assertive versus pushy:
- Assertive implies confidence and healthy self-expression.
- Pushy implies rudeness or selfishness.
Euphemism Can Hide The Reality Of Something
- A euphemism replaces a harsh or unpleasant idea with a softer expression (for example, "passed away" instead of "died").
- Euphemisms can be polite, but in persuasive contexts they can also reduce the emotional impact of a disturbing reality.
Euphemism
A mild or indirect word or phrase used in place of one that might seem harsh, unpleasant, or too direct.
- A company might say it is making "workforce adjustments" rather than "firing employees."
- The euphemism shifts the reader's attention away from harm and towards a neutral, administrative frame.
Persuasive Techniques Can Signal Bias In Speeches
- A persuasive speech often mixes emotional appeal with claims that sound factual.
- In Animal Farm, Old Major's speech is designed to persuade the animals to accept a particular interpretation of their lives and to take action.
- The speech uses rhetorical features that build certainty, urgency, and unity.
Opinion Stated As Fact Encourages Agreement
- One strong indicator of bias is opinion stated as fact: evaluative statements presented like undeniable truths.
Opinion Stated As Fact
A claim that expresses judgement or interpretation but is presented as if it is an unquestionable fact, often without evidence.
- When a speaker presents conclusions as certainties, audiences may feel there is nothing to debate.
Rhetorical Questions Pressure The Audience
- Rhetorical questions are questions asked to make a point rather than to receive an answer.
- They can create the sense that "any sensible person would agree."
Rhetorical Question
A question used for persuasive effect, where an answer is implied rather than requested.
- To test a rhetorical question, rewrite it as a statement.
- If it becomes a strong claim (for example, "You have been exploited"), then it is functioning as persuasion, not inquiry.
Rule Of Three Makes Ideas Memorable
- The rule of three groups ideas in threes to create rhythm and emphasis. Lists of three often feel complete and convincing.
Rule Of Three
A persuasive pattern where ideas are presented in groups of three to sound complete, balanced, and memorable.
Asyndeton Speeds Up The Message
- Asyndeton is the deliberate omission of conjunctions (like "and") in a list.
- This can create speed, intensity, and the impression of overwhelming evidence.
Asyndeton
A rhetorical device where conjunctions are omitted from a list to create a fast-paced, forceful effect.
Contrast Creates "Us Versus Them" Thinking
- Contrast places two ideas side by side to make differences feel sharp and morally clear (for example, "we suffer, they benefit").
- This can simplify complex situations into a binary choice.
Contrast
A technique that highlights differences between two ideas, groups, or situations to strengthen a persuasive message.
- "Us versus them" framing can be persuasive because it offers a simple explanation, but it may also erase nuance and alternative causes.
Bias In Biography: The Illusion Of Neutral Life Writing
- A biography is a life story written by someone other than the subject, usually in third person, largely in past tense, and often in chronological order.
- Because it appears factual, readers may assume it is neutral. However, biographies frequently contain bias.
- Biographers choose what moments to include, what to emphasize, and how to describe the subject and other people involved.
Biography
A written account of a person’s life created by someone else, typically using third person narration and mainly past tense.
Authorized And Unauthorized Biographies Can Shape Bias Differently
- An authorized biography is produced with the subject's permission (often with their input).
- An unauthorized biography is produced without that approval.
- Neither type is automatically more truthful.
- Authorization can increase access to information, but it can also encourage favourable framing.
- Lack of authorization can allow critique, but it may also increase reliance on limited sources.
Authorized Biography
A biography published with the subject’s permission, often influenced by the subject’s access, preferences, or involvement.
Unauthorized Biography
A biography published without the subject’s permission, often with less direct access to the subject and potentially a more critical or speculative tone.
- In a biography describing a political leader, an author might highlight "decisive leadership" (positive frame) or "ruthless control" (negative frame) for similar actions.
- The facts may overlap, but the language and selection guide interpretation.
A Practical Method: How To Analyse Bias In Any Text with PEEL
When you analyse bias, you are building an argument about how meaning is shaped. A reliable approach is to move from purpose to choices to effects.
Step 1: Identify Purpose, Audience, And Context
- Ask:
- What does the creator want the audience to think, feel, or do?
- Who benefits if the audience accepts this message?
- What is the situation or debate the text responds to?
Step 2: Look For Choices That Reveal A Point Of View
- Common "choice areas" include:
- Diction (word choice): loaded language, euphemisms, labels
- Structure: what comes first, what is repeated, what is missing
- Evidence: what counts as "proof," and what is not supported
- Voice and perspective: who is quoted or represented, who is silent
- Visual features (in multimodal texts): images, captions, layout, colour
Step 3: Explain The Intended And Likely Audience Effect
- Bias matters because it changes audience judgement. Link a feature to an effect:
- Loaded labels can create admiration or disgust
- Rhetorical questions can discourage disagreement
- Selective examples can make one side seem typical and the other side rare
- In analytical writing, avoid simply spotting a technique. Use the chain:
- feature (what) → purpose (why) → effect (so what) → implication (what it suggests about viewpoint).
- For example: "The biography describes the meeting in a 'dimly lit' room, which frames the leader as threatening, encouraging the reader to distrust him."
Writing About Bias Without Becoming Biased Yourself
- When you write about bias, your goal is to be precise and fair. That means distinguishing between:
- What the text says (content)
- How it says it (methods)
- What that encourages the audience to believe (interpretation)
- Use careful verbs such as suggests, implies, frames, positions, invites the reader to, rather than claiming you can prove the author's intentions.
Putting it all together with PEEL
P: Point
- Identify where bias is present and what type it is.
- The writer uses language bias to portray the protesters negatively.
E: Evidence
- Quote a word choice, image, statistic, or omission.
- This is shown in the phrases “sparked outrage” and “blocked traffic.”
E: Explain
- Explain:
- how this choice influences the reader
- which perspective is favoured
- The phrase “sparked outrage” encourages the reader to view the protest as unreasonable, while “blocked traffic” focuses on inconvenience rather than purpose. This language favours the perspective of commuters and authorities, while the protesters’ motivations are ignored.
L: Link
- Link to:
- the text’s purpose
- the message being promoted
- As a result, the bias supports the article’s purpose of presenting the protest as a disruption, encouraging the reader to prioritise order and convenience over the protesters’ cause.
- Sentence starters for bias analysis
- Identifying bias
- The writer shows bias by…
- This text presents a biased perspective through…
- The article favours one viewpoint by…
- Using evidence
- This is evident in the word choice…
- The phrase “… ” suggests bias because…
- Explaining effect
- This language encourages the reader to feel…
- By focusing on …, the writer influences the reader to…
- This choice marginalises the perspective of…
- Linking to purpose
- As a result, the bias supports the text’s purpose of…
- This biased framing shapes how the reader understands…
- Identifying bias
Now it's your turn...
- Practice task: analysing media bias
- Media extract
- A city council decision sparked outrage last night as protesters blocked traffic during rush hour. Frustrated commuters were delayed for hours, while officials struggled to restore order.
- Your task
- Write one PEEL paragraph answering the question below.
- Question:
- How does the writer use bias to shape the reader’s view of the event?
- What students should focus on
- word choice that creates judgement (e.g. “outrage,” “blocked,” “frustrated”)
- which perspective is prioritised (commuters vs protesters)
- whose voices are missing
- how the language encourages sympathy or criticism
- Helpful tip for students
- Ask yourself:
- Who is shown as reasonable?
- Who is shown as a problem?
- What information might be left out?
- Ask yourself:
Solution
The writer uses language bias to position the protesters negatively and encourage sympathy for commuters. This is evident in phrases such as “sparked outrage,” “blocked traffic,” and “frustrated commuters,” which frame the protest as disruptive rather than purposeful. These loaded words emphasise inconvenience and disorder while avoiding any explanation of the protesters’ motives, guiding the reader to view the event as a problem to be controlled. By focusing on disruption instead of cause, the article prioritises one perspective over others. As a result, the biased language shapes the reader’s response by encouraging criticism of the protesters and sympathy for commuters.
- P: Point
- The writer uses language bias to portray protesters negatively and favour commuters.
- E: Evidence
- This is shown through phrases like “sparked outrage,” “blocked traffic,” and “frustrated commuters.”
- E: Explain
- These words create a sense of chaos and inconvenience while excluding the protesters’ reasons, influencing the reader’s judgement.
- L: Link
- As a result, the language bias directs the reader to sympathise with commuters and view the protest unfavourably.
- One-box revision summary: spotting bias quickly
- Bias
- A point of view shaping how information is presented
- Seen in word choice, selection, omission, visuals, and sources
- Quick checks
- Who is shown positively or negatively?
- Whose voice is missing?
- What words carry judgement?
- What information is included or left out?