UC Merced

Without the ability to detect biased news, misinformation can spread easily. Are people able to detect biased headlines, and can this ability be improved? Do our own biases impair our ability to accurately detect biased headlines? To find out, an online experiment study was conducted wherein participants were randomly assigned to receive either anti-bias training or media history training. After completing the brief training, participants rated the bias of news headlines. Results indicated that participants were able to detect biased headlines, and this ability was significantly improved by the brief anti-bias training. Moreover, participants’ ability to detect biased headlines was modulated by their political affiliation and trust in the news. In conclusion, while biased news reporting can be a source of misinformation and can potentially mislead the public, we find that naive participants are reliably able to detect biased headlines and that this ability can be easily and quickly improved.