Bias

Authorship and perspective can sometimes lead to bias, or true skewing of the facts. Consider the agenda that may lie behind particular assertions or studies.

Scenarios with potential for bias:

A study is released suggesting that cookies lead to a healthy lifestyle. The funders of the study are a corporate food and snack conglomerate.
A newspaper article sums up the rationale supporting development of a downtown convention center. The owner of the paper is on the board of the real estate development firm slated to do the work.

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Last modified: Dec 19, 2007, 15:29 EST