Everything’s Biased: A Guide to Determining When Bias Matters

The polarization of American society leads to controversies surrounding almost every topic.
Students in first-year writing courses often focus on the degree of bias in authors, impacting their understanding of credibility.
This chapter introduces four strategies to cultivate a nuanced understanding of bias:
- Context Awareness
- Genre Awareness
- Classifying Opinions
- Evaluating Counterarguments

In her 2019 book "Biased," psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt discusses bias as a mental categorization effort.
This mental shortcut, while useful for processing information, limits understanding and can impede acceptance of those perceived as different.
The consequences of bias can manifest in systemic injustices such as violence against marginalized communities and exacerbating issues like misinformation during events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Definition of Context: According to Schick and Miller in "So What? The Writer’s Argument," context encompasses the "where and when" of a writer’s circumstances.
Example: Devoney Looser's 2017 narrative "Why I Teach Online" illustrated how her family health emergency influenced her views on online teaching.
- Students criticized her for bias, not recognizing her unique context and the pandemic’s impact on perceptions of online learning.
Important elements to consider:
- Writer’s circumstances at the time of writing.
- Reader’s current context and how it may differ significantly.
Conclusion: Recognizing divergent contexts can foster openness to information and reduce bias-driven dismissals.

Definition of Genre: Schick and Miller describe genre as a commonly recognized form of communication used for recurring purposes.
Students often encounter three primary genres:
- Academic
- Typically refers to scholarly articles from reputable databases.
- Bias vs. Argument: Distinguish personal bias from academic argument; biases must be identified, like confirmation bias, which is ignoring conflicting evidence.
- Importance of peer review in checking for integrity and biases in academic work.
- News
- Expected to be unbiased, yet biases can subtly influence reporting, making detection difficult.
- Recommendation: Carillo and Horning suggest evaluating sources for biases and noting potential slants.
- Opinion
- Often recognized as biased, yet a disclosed opinion can serve as valuable insight, provided it is not filled with hate or falsehoods.
- Avoid discarding opinion pieces solely due to bias; they can inform and guide arguments.
Understanding genre helps in knowing what to expect from different types of writing and enhances the writing process.

The term opinion is vague and used inconsistently in everyday discussion. Patrick Stokes differentiates opinions into categories:
- Preference - a casual choice (e.g., vegetarianism).
- Moral/Ethical Conviction - deeply held beliefs, unlikely to change without evidence.
- Evidence-Based Argument - relies on verifiable data, where bias matters more.
Checklist to assess credibility in opinion-based writing:
- Author’s credentials.
- Citation of credible sources.
- Fair treatment of counterarguments.
- Professional language usage.
- Disclosure of conflicts of interest.
Importance of precision in categorizing opinions is emphasized to avoid equating all opinions on controversial topics, which could lead to societal implications.

The tendency to acknowledge only one side of an argument demonstrates bias, as noted by Warrington et al.
Balanced portrayal is essential for credibility as a writer; provide multiple perspectives.
Challenges in identifying counterarguments:
- Read extensively to recognize valid opposing viewpoints and avoid well-known discredited ones (e.g., flat earth theory).
Real-World Example:
- First Draft's analysis showed a significant disparity between pro-mask and anti-mask sentiment on social media; many accepted mask mandates, while only a small group opposed.
Caution: Avoid giving undue legitimacy to minority opinions that lack credible support, as it fosters false equivalence.

Relying solely on "facts" can lead to misinformation; critical evaluation of sources is essential.
Example of trusting personal experiences over web claims, as people might prioritize intent and context over raw data.
Checklist for evaluating intent behind information:
- Reputation of the publishing organization.
- Verification of the individual’s credibility.
- Potential benefits for the author if the information is biased.
Emphasized the importance of acknowledging and reflecting on personal biases to improve the critical assessment of viewpoints.

The dialogue around bias plays a critical role in determining informational credibility.
Strengthening one’s critical thinking skills enables individuals to discern when bias affects arguments and the credibility of information sources.