Learning objective

Students will identify and evaluate instances of false equivalence and false balance in journalistic content. They will also apply critical thinking skills to assess the validity of arguments and evidence presented in media reports.

• Student-facing objective: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to spot when news stories make unfair comparisons or give equal weight to unequal arguments, and explain why it’s important to avoid these mistakes.
• Standards: Journalists can sometimes present an inaccurate or misleading version of events by making a simple common mistake. We either try too hard to ‘balance’ a story then end up distorting the facts, or we assess contributors or actors in our story as being roughly equal when in fact they are not. This module looks at ways of avoiding two errors, applying ‘false equivalence’ and ‘false balance’.

Learning activities

Warm-up

Present students with two brief news headlines. One headline should clearly demonstrate false equivalence, and the other should demonstrate false balance. For example:

• “All politicians are corrupt, just like criminals.”
• “Climate change debate: Scientists vs. skeptics.”

Ask students to read both headlines and discuss with a partner which headline might be misleading and why. Encourage them to consider whether the comparisons or balances presented are fair or accurate. After a few minutes, facilitate a brief class discussion to share insights.

Direct instruction

Introduce concepts: Begin by defining false equivalence and false balance. Use real-world examples to illustrate each. For false equivalence, explain the statement “All politicians are the same” and discuss why this is misleading. For false balance, use the climate change debate, highlighting the disparity in scientific consensus versus minority skepticism.

Analyse examples: Present a news article excerpt that contains either false equivalence or false balance. Ask students to identify which error is present and justify their reasoning.

Use a structured approach:

• Identify the claim or comparison.
• Evaluate the evidence or arguments presented.
• Determine if the comparison or balance is justified.

Critical evaluation: Provide students with a checklist to evaluate news stories for false equivalence and false balance. Include questions such as:

• Are the compared items truly similar in all relevant aspects?
• Does the evidence support equal weight to both sides?
• Is there a significant difference in the credibility or quantity of evidence for each side?

Discuss how applying this checklist can improve their media literacy and critical thinking skills.

Guided practice

Think, Pair, Share: Distribute a short article or excerpt containing potential false equivalence or false balance.

• Think: Individually, students read the article and note any instances of false equivalence or false balance. Encourage them to use the checklist from direct instruction.
• Pair: Students pair up to discuss their findings. Each student explains their reasoning and listens to their partner’s perspective. They should focus on identifying the type of error and justifying their conclusions.
• Share: Facilitate a class discussion where pairs share their insights. Encourage students to compare their analyses and refine their understanding based on peer feedback.
• Clarify: As a class, clarify any misconceptions and reinforce the correct identification of false equivalence and false balance.
• Reflect: Ask students to reflect on how this exercise enhances their ability to critically evaluate media content.

Independent practice

• Assign students an online exercise where they identify false equivalence and false balance in various news articles.
• Instruct students to write a brief analysis of one article, highlighting the errors and suggesting how the article could be improved.
• Encourage students to apply the checklist from direct instruction to support their analysis.
  Circulate to provide guidance and answer questions as needed.

Assignment

Ask students to answer these questions:

1. How can false equivalence distort the truth in a news story?
2. Why is it important to recognise false balance in media reports?
3. What’s one question you still have from today’s lesson?

Here are some suggested answers:

• Suggested answer to Question 1: False equivalence can make different things seem the same, misleading the audience about their true nature.
• Suggested answer to Question 2: Recognising false balance is crucial because it prevents giving undue weight to less credible arguments, ensuring accurate representation of facts.

Teacher resources

Differentiation guide

• Advanced learners: Encourage deeper analysis by having students research and present additional real-world examples of false equivalence and false balance. Challenge them to explore the impact of these errors on public perception and policy. Consider assigning a debate where they must argue against a position that uses these errors, requiring them to refute misleading comparisons or balances.
• Striving learners: Simplify the concepts with more relatable examples. Use visual aids like Venn diagrams to illustrate differences in false equivalence scenarios. Provide sentence starters or templates to help them articulate their thoughts during discussions. Pair them with peers who can support their understanding during activities.
• Background reading: This lesson plan is based on the article ‘False equivalence and false balance‘, which we suggest you read before adapting the lesson outline for your own purposes.

Notable definitions

• False equivalence: A logical fallacy where two or more things are incorrectly presented as equal or similar, despite significant differences. Example: Claiming “all politicians are the same” ignores their diverse policies and actions.
• False balance: A journalistic error where two sides of an argument are given equal weight, despite one side having significantly more evidence or credibility. Example: Presenting climate change skeptics as equal to the scientific consensus.
• Misinformation: False or misleading information spread unintentionally. It can result from errors like false equivalence and false balance, leading to public misunderstanding.

Required materials

• News article excerpts demonstrating false equivalence and false balance
• Checklist for evaluating news stories
• Short articles or excerpts for guided practice
• Online exercise link for independent practice
• Assignment questions for reflection

Lesson summary

• Warm-up
• Direct instruction
• Guided practice
• Independent practice
• Assignment

The free teaching tools at the Khan Academy were used as a basis for converting the original article into a lesson plan.

Related article

False equivalence and false balance

The post Lesson: False Equivalence first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Journalists can sometimes present an inaccurate or false version of events by trying too hard to ‘balance’ a story or incorrectly treating elements of a story as being roughly equal.

This article looks at ways of avoiding two errors, applying ‘false equivalence’ and ‘false balance’, which are both about making inaccurate comparisons.

False equivalence is when you say that two or more things are the same, when in fact they are significantly different.

An example of false equivalence is to state that “politicians are all the same”. They are not. They might have similarities and some common attributes but that does not mean they are the same.

False balance is when a report suggests that two sides in a dispute have equally valid arguments, when in fact the evidence weighs heavily in favour of one side.

An example of false balance is the treatment of the climate change debate. Scientists come down heavily in favour of the proposition that human beings are causing, or at least helping to cause, global warming. A tiny minority, perhaps as low as three per cent, disagree, and it is false to represent the dispute as evenly-matched.

Ironically, many cases of false balance happen because the journalist is trying to avoid being biased.

When reporting a controversy, quite properly the journalist does not want to take sides.  But sometimes it is necessary to show that one side’s arguments and evidence are much more persuasive than the other side’s.

An example here is Donald Trump’s often-repeated claim that he won the 2020 US Presidential election. He has failed to produce any evidence to support that claim and has lost numerous court battles challenging the result. So it is false to present his claim as a viable argument.

False equivalence and false balance can both be used deliberately to mislead people. They are often used in misinformation and disinformation campaigns. Or they can be examples of lazy thinking by the journalist.

Either way, they are inaccurate and care must be taken to avoid using them. In order to avoid using false equivalence and false balance keep the following in mind:

• Justify: When you are tempted to say that two or more things are equal, ask yourself if you can justify the statement.
• Explain: If the comparison is likely to be controversial, explain why you think it is valid.
• Validate: Do not accept or repeat other people’s statements of equivalency, without testing their validity.
• Reflect: When covering a dispute, make sure you reflect accurately all sides of the argument.  If some of the arguments are questionable, explain why.

It’s important to keep in mind that it is not biased to expose deficiencies in an argument, as long as you subject all sides to the same level of scrutiny.

Questions

1. What is false equivalence, and how does it differ from false balance in journalism?
2. Provide an example of false equivalence mentioned in the text.
3. Explain why false balance can be misleading in journalistic reporting.
4. How might a journalist unintentionally create false balance when reporting on a controversy?
5. Discuss the potential consequences of using false equivalence and false balance in media.
6. Why is it important for journalists to test the validity of statements of equivalency?
7. How can journalists ensure they are accurately reflecting all sides of an argument in their reporting?
8. Analyse the role of bias in the context of false balance and false equivalence. How can journalists avoid it?
9. Evaluate the statement: “It’s important to keep in mind that it is not biased to expose deficiencies in an argument, as long as you subject all sides to the same level of scrutiny.” What does this imply about journalistic integrity?
10. Synthesise the strategies mentioned in the text to avoid false equivalence and false balance. How can these strategies improve the quality of journalism?

Answers

1. False equivalence is when two or more things are presented as the same, despite significant differences. False balance occurs when a report suggests that two sides in a dispute have equally valid arguments, even when evidence heavily favors one side.
2. An example of false equivalence is the statement “politicians are all the same,” which overlooks their differences.
3. False balance can mislead by suggesting that both sides of an argument have equal merit, even when evidence strongly supports one side over the other.
4. A journalist might unintentionally create false balance by trying to avoid bias and presenting both sides equally, even when one side lacks substantial evidence.
5. Using false equivalence and false balance can mislead audiences, contribute to misinformation, and undermine trust in journalism.
6. Testing the validity of statements of equivalency is crucial to avoid spreading misinformation and to ensure accurate reporting.
7. Journalists can ensure accuracy by thoroughly investigating all sides, presenting evidence, and explaining why some arguments may be more credible than others.
8. Bias can arise when journalists fail to critically evaluate the evidence for each side. Avoiding bias involves scrutinising all arguments equally and presenting evidence-based conclusions.
9. This statement implies that journalistic integrity involves critically evaluating all arguments and presenting evidence-based conclusions, rather than striving for artificial balance.
10. Strategies to avoid false equivalence and false balance include justifying comparisons, explaining controversial comparisons, and scrutinising all sides equally. These strategies enhance journalistic accuracy and credibility.

Lesson plan for trainers

If you are a trainer of journalists we have a free lesson plan: False equivalence and false balance which you can download and adapt for your own purposes.

Take a look at these other modules on Media Helping Media to help you keep your journalism up to the highest standards.

Unconscious bias and its impact on journalism

Impartiality in journalism

Accuracy in journalism

The post False equivalence and false balance first appeared on Media Helping Media.