Critical Analysis

1. What portion of Americans are in a news bubble?

2. What is the big story this data tells?

3. Identify two reasons that explain why so many Americans live in news bubbles:

4. Identify two consequences of so many Americans living in these news bubbles:

5. What do you think is the biggest news source for the Republicans* in the news bubble and what do you think is the biggest news source for the Democrats* in the news bubble?

6. Explain how the news bubble impacts elections.

7. How do demographics impact the news bubble?*

8. Are you in a news bubble?*

9. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or strengthens one's prior personal beliefs or hypotheses. When we think of confirmation bias in media and politics we refer to this as selective exposure. Do you suffer from selective exposure?

10. List any media source that transcends ideology (that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on).*

Action Extension

Look at the chart of media sources above. Find a media source that is very different from your own beliefs. Use that media source for 48 hours and list two things you learned from using this source. Share your learning in class or online.

Learning Extension

Watch This Ted Talk.

Very Visual Extension

Check out this swag data from the Pew Pew Pew Research Center.