A timeline looking at the events and reporting surrounding the Hospital blast that targeted a hospital in the Gaza strip on October 17, 2023. Compare the reporting from Hamas claiming it was Israel who struck the hospital to the reports from Israel that it was a misfired rocket from Gaza. See the responses from people around the world protesting both sides.

A timeline looking at the events and reporting surrounding the Hospital blast that targeted a hospital in the Gaza strip on October 17, 2023. Compare the reporting from Hamas claiming it was Israel who struck the hospital to the reports from Israel that it was a misfired rocket from Gaza. See the responses from people around the world protesting both sides. 

Gaza Hospital Blast

Timeline of the most recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2023 Hamas launched a surprise assault from Gaza toward Israel inflicting casualties. Israel has responded by declaring war, further escalating the tensions in the region.

Timeline of the most recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2023 Hamas launched a surprise assault from Gaza toward Israel inflicting casualties. Israel has responded by declaring war, further escalating the tensions in the region.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">Since its inception, Ground News has always been a tech-first news company. While irresponsible uses of powerful tech have hurt journalism and weakened trust in the news, responsible uses can restore that trust and help repair our shared sense of reality. This belief is why we built Ground News - a news comparison platform that makes it easy to see a story from multiple perspectives, read between the lines of media bias and break free from algorithms.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">We're excited to introduce Frames: an AI-powered coverage analysis feature that enables you to easily lift the veil on media bias and understand a story from multiple perspectives quickly.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<h3 style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">How we're using artificial intelligence - responsibly</h3>
&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">For every story, Frames ingests the articles from two sources from the left, center and right, creating a bullet point summary from each perspective.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">While it depends on coverage breadth, we typically pull two influential and well-read sources from each side, ingest the articles, and create a summary that captures the language and key points emphasized by each side.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">We intentionally do not ask Frames to summarize the two articles from each side in a neutral manner. We do this to show how differences in framing and facts emphasized can change the understanding of a story. This means the summaries we present may contain biased statements and the inclusion/omission of facts that may be indicative of a political narrative. An example of concise and compelling summaries from the Left, Center and Right perspectives can be found <a class="editor-rtfLink" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #4a6ee0;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/ramaswamy-says-he-wants-to-cut-1m-civilian-federal-employees_58be76" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">here</a><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">, in a story about a policy proposal from US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">Frames goes a level deeper with its comparison capabilities by looking at the more subtle differences in how the story is covered. How are different sides framing the story? What facts are they emphasizing? What facts did they leave out? How does the language used differ? See the comparison feature <a class="editor-rtfLink" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #4a6ee0;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/american-income-falls-as-inflation-increases-us-census-bureau-says_1419c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">here</a><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">, in a story about US Household incomes falling for the third straight year.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<h3 style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">But isn't AI biased?</h3>
&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">We've seen the tweets as well. Since the launch of ChatGPT&nbsp;<em style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">and other LLMs<span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">, many people have shared screenshots of ChatGPT answers that many would consider politically biased. We share OpenAI's view that these concerns are valid and expose AI limitations that must be addressed. However, our use of the technology minimizes the potential for bias to pollute output. We do not ask the tool to make any value judgements; instead, we ask it to summarize content from multiple articles that ingest from the left, centre and right perspectives.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">For our comparison section, we prompt the tool to look at differences in story framing, emphasis, and context provided across differing articles. Using this analysis structure, we isolate ChatGPT's function to one similar to a grammatical tool rather than an arbiter of truth. We've tested, iterated and improved this feature for months with thousands of beta testers and are confident it is worth your time and trust.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<h3 style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Why we made Frames&nbsp;</h3>
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<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">The omission of specific facts and different framing of stories from sources with different biases contribute to the eroding of our shared sense of reality. Partisan media and the algorithms that create echo chambers are why conversations about issues often feel like an argument between fans of rival sports teams. The facts of the matter are irrelevant, and only one truth is accepted: that the other side is wrong.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">We built Ground News to help challenge the worldview of our readers, not complement it. We believe that integrating AI into our platform will allow open-minded newsreaders to easily see every side of the story and build a deeper understanding of the cause they care about, the world, and themselves. To learn more about Ground News, our vision of a better future for news, and the team driving that vision, check out&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: #4a6ee0;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/about</a><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">.
<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp;
<h3 style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Limitations</h3>
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<p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true">While we tested the feature thoroughly and optimized the prompt to reduce errors, we may occasionally generate summaries containing incorrect information and grammatical mistakes. For all stories, we recommend our readers read multiple articles from different perspectives to get the complete picture and deeper understanding of the story.

How we are using the technology to broaden your worldview 

How we're using AI to help you see the full story

&nbsp;A timeline of events following Canada and India's spat about the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar while he was residing in Canada. Tit for tat events have been happening including the dispelling of diplomats in both countries and India issuing a travel adivsory

A timeline of events following Canada and India's spat about the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar while he was residing in Canada. Tit for tat events have been happening including the dispelling of diplomats in both countries and India issuing a travel adivsory

The India-Canada Rift

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Every day, Ground News processes about 60,000 news stories. We look at which outlets are reporting on an issue and where they fall on the political spectrum so that news readers can easily compare coverage from diverse sources. But there&rsquo;s another important layer of analysis &hellip; <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/mediaopoly"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">who owns them</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Why does Media Ownership Matter?&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Journalism is rooted in a strong sense of purpose. It&rsquo;s often described as a pillar of democracy - a means of holding the powerful accountable - but in most cases it&rsquo;s also a business run by powerful people. We see those interests collide at the ownership level. When media companies become publicly traded, they have a responsibility to their stockholders to maximize profits. One way to do this is to cut expenses. Another way is to create content that maximizes engagement. As the owner of a news outlet, do you prioritize purpose or profit?&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Conflicts of Interest&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Media owners want to make money. Even if they don&rsquo;t see their news outlet as a driver of growth, they often have other business interests. What happens when a story breaks about their company? Are the interests of the owners implicitly considered when deciding which stories get published? In some newsrooms is it even explicit? How is that effect amplified when one organization, or even one wealthy individual, owns several news outlets?
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fun Fact: The name of our Twitter tool, Mediaopoly, is inspired by<a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh6Hf5_ZYPI"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">this</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> 1998 SNL segment that only aired once. It leans heavily into the issue of censorship and conflicts of interest.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Concentration&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A recent <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.mediareform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Who-Owns-the-UK-Media_final2.pdf"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">report</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> by the Media Reform Coalition found that in 2021, 90% of national newspapers in the UK were owned by only three companies. One of those companies, Reach, is the largest <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/rating-system#ownershipCategory"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Media Conglomerate</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> in terms of content output analyzed by Ground News. The second and third largest Media Conglomerates are Hearst Communication and Nexstar Media Group.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In some cases, these conglomerates are owned by a single family, in which case they fall into our Wealthy Private Owner category. Here, the Roberts family takes the lead. They own Comcast Corporation, an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate, which owns NBC Universal, which owns Hulu. Should one family own so much of the media landscape?
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cost Cuts &amp; Convergence&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The impact of media concentration is even more concerning at the local level. Most local newsrooms don&rsquo;t have the resources to support robust digital programs, so they end up getting bought out by larger media conglomerates. Subsequently, the local coverage shifts to less expensive national stories which can be easily shared among stations. <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10584609.2021.1901807?casa_token=6-V5bDS-YDkAAAAA:1UOO2bRX5jgIKpX_5dBV3Hm08aw6uL30CzaasD0iP8cLiw7-BpnJ-TV_OWO9wTPzpIvJi3SqE-Pz"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There is research to suggest</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> that people who consume more local news have more moderate beliefs about national elections, so as local news becomes more nationalized can we expect increased polarization and partisan animosity?&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fragmentation &amp; Media Distrust&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the same time, as local news becomes homogenized, journalists are setting out on their own. The creation of <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://substack.com/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Substack</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and newsletter services that operate on a subscription basis are creating a new model that allows journalists to operate independently without being beholden to the interests of corporate owners. There&rsquo;s danger here too. If news readers who are frustrated by the current media landscape turn to a couple of their most trusted journalists, they&rsquo;re less likely to consume diverse perspectives or engage with ideas that challenge their worldview.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What Can You Do About it?&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We created <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/mediaopoly"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mediaopoly</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to visualize media ownership in a simple and engaging way. Is there a &ldquo;good&rdquo; media ownership score? Not necessarily. Some Media Conglomerates have high walls between entertainment and news. Some Independent news outlets blur the line between journalism and activism.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The point is to seek out diverse perspectives. We&rsquo;ve all gotten more attune to the impact of media bias. Ownership is another factor to consider as we move toward a world where critical thought is the baseline of our news, media, and information consumption. Here are a few steps you can take to diversify your media diet.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Awareness - Are you in a Media Bubble?&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Unless you make a concerted effort to keep social media algorithms guessing, you are likely enveloped in a filter bubble. These algorithms will figure out, behind-the-scenes, what news articles you clicked on in the past, and then send you down a rabbit hole of seeing similar content over and over again. Let's change that.
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Analysis - Examine Where Your News Comes From
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Take a deeper look at the news sources you are consuming. Do they all have a similar underlying narrative? Do you tend to engage with news outlets on one side of the political spectrum? Are most of them owned by one Media Conglomerate? Corporate biases and political biases can influence the news that is reported - and the news that isn&rsquo;t.
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Action - Burst Your Bubble
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The best way to burst your filter bubble is to read news from diverse perspectives. Independent news, Government news, even Media Conglomerates - they all have something different to offer and they&rsquo;re all likely to cover different topics. Our newest feature, <a style="text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/my-news-bias"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My News Bias</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, makes this easy. See stats on your top news sources, article bias, ownership data, factuality, blindspot consumption, topic insights, and more.
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For press/other inquiries, contact us at feedback@ground.news

Journalism is rooted in a strong sense of purpose. It’s often described as a pillar of democracy - a means of holding the powerful accountable - but in most cases it’s also a business run by powerful people. What happens when purpose and profit collide? 

Who Owns Your Media?

NPR has officially become the first major U.S. news organization to leave Twitter, announcing that they will no longer post their content to the platform. Their departure comes after a weeklong dispute after Twitter labeled NPR as &ldquo;state-affiliated media,&rdquo; putting it in line with Russia&rsquo;s RT. After receiving criticism for the move, Twitter updated NPR&rsquo;s label to &ldquo;government-funded media,&rdquo; and also applied this label to other outlets like the BBC.
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But what&rsquo;s the difference between &ldquo;state-affiliated media&rdquo; and &ldquo;government-funded media&rdquo;?&nbsp;
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We took a look at three outlets central to the controversy and broke down how much government funding they receive, how the level of funding is set, and the systems that shape how they receive the funds.
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Twitter defines state-affiliated media as &ldquo;outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution. Accounts belonging to state-affiliated media entities, their editors-in-chief, and/or their prominent staff may be labeled. We will also add labels to Tweets that share links to state-affiliated media websites.&rdquo; Examples of media outlets with this label on Twitter include RT, Xinhua, and TASS.
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In contrast, Twitter defines government-funded media as &ldquo;outlets where the government provides some or all of the outlet&rsquo;s funding and may have varying degrees of government involvement over editorial content.&rdquo; Examples of media outlets that have sported this label on Twitter include NPR, Voice of America, and BBC, though BBC&rsquo;s account has since been updated to display a &ldquo;publicly-funded media&rdquo; label.&nbsp;
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NPR says it receives less than 1% of its funding directly from the U.S. federal government, but InfluenceWatch.org says it receives up to 10% of its funding indirectly from federal, state, and local governments. Most of NPR&rsquo;s funding (70%) comes from corporate sponsorships and dues from local radio stations. These stations receive large portions of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a publicly funded entity whose budget is decided by Congress. Congress funds the CPB, which then funds the local member stations that purchase NPR&rsquo;s content, thus indirectly funding NPR.
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In response to the label, NPR has said, &ldquo;Under no circumstances do we skew our reports for personal gain, to help NPR&rsquo;s bottom line or to please those who fund us.&rdquo;
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To compare, the BBC is established through a royal charter and funded by the British public through annual license fees set by the government. U.K. households and businesses pay &pound;159 annually to the U.K. government for a TV license fee to stream any live broadcasts, including from the BBC. In 2022, the BBC received &pound;3.8 billion from the government, accounting for around 71% of its total income.
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In response to the government-funded media label, the BBC said, &ldquo;The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.&rdquo; Twitter has since updated its label to &ldquo;publicly-funded media.&rdquo;
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RT, on the other hand, has a state-affiliated media label on Twitter and is directly funded by the Russian government. The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media sets funding for RT and other state-funded outlets, though the amount of funding can be overridden by the President, as was the case in 2012 when Putin chose to allocate $10M more in funding for RT than the agency planned. RT is expected to receive about $335M annually from the government, making it the leader in state funding among all Russian media.
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RT says it is &ldquo;an autonomous, non-profit organization that is publicly financed from the budget of the Russian Federation.&rdquo; The U.S. Department of State describes RT as a &ldquo;critical element in Russia&rsquo;s disinformation and propaganda ecosystem.&rdquo;
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So, what&rsquo;s the difference?
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All three news sources claim to be autonomous and free of government influence. However, all three news sources ultimately have some portion of their budget decided by the government. What separates the three sources is the democratic norms and press freedom in the country they operate in.
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Reporters Without Borders&rsquo; Press Freedom Index measures the level of freedom journalists have to do their work in 180 countries around the world, taking into account factors such as censorship, restrictions on access to information, and violence against journalists. The U.K. ranks 15th on the Press Freedom Index, indicating a relatively high level of press freedom in the country. The U.S. ranked 42nd. Russia, on the other hand, ranked 155th, indicating a very low level of press freedom in the country.
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To learn more about NPR, the BBC, RT, and other sources, <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">download the Ground News app</a> to see their ownership, bias ratings, and the news content they produce.

NPR leaves Twitter after being labeled "state-affiliated media," which was later changed to "government-funded media." Read about the difference and where the labels come from.

State-Affiliated or Government-Funded Media? NPR Leaves Twitter

<h1>Students at Florida State College at Jacksonville access the Ground News platform using OpenAthens single sign-on to critically evaluate news resources in real time.</h1>
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In a state that has become the focus of national debates about the future of higher education, <a href="https://www.fscj.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida State College at Jacksonville</a> (FSCJ) is empowering students to navigate the information landscape with Ground News.
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<a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ground News</a> gives students access to more than 50,000 media sources from around the world and across the political spectrum. With just a click or swipe students can compare related articles to see what details are being emphasized, exaggerated or left out entirely.
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Students at FSCJ can now access the Ground News platform with the same single sign-on credentials they use for other services at their college via <a href="https://www.openathens.net/">OpenAthens</a>.
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<blockquote>
We&rsquo;re pleased to collaborate with Ground News, not only helping them extend their reach to libraries across the world, but to also offer users a powerful tool for navigating today&rsquo;s complex media landscape. By providing simpler access to diverse perspectives and reliable news sources, library users can deepen their understanding of the world around them.
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Kieran Prince, business development manager at OpenAthens
</blockquote>
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Stories on Ground News are accompanied by bias, factuality and ownership ratings derived from independent news monitoring organizations. Knowing the bias of a media outlet can help students understand how and why a story is being framed a certain way. The process of verifying the credibility of a source as you read it is known as lateral reading and is one of the top strategies used by fact-checkers.&nbsp;
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<blockquote>
While many databases provide access to scholarly journals and publications, they do not address students' news literacy challenges in the digital age. What&rsquo;s great about Ground News is that it works on social media platforms that appeal to students while also integrating traditional news publications.
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Susan Mythen, dean of library and tutoring services at Florida State College at Jacksonville
</blockquote>
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Ground News also reveals news stories that are disproportionately covered by only one side of the political spectrum. These stories, known as <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/blindspot">Blindspots</a>, make it easy for students to discover information from sources outside of their typical news consumption.
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"It's particularly helpful to have not just &lsquo;the other side&rsquo; but to be able to point to reputable resources with high factuality ratings. The ability to compare those against other types of media that might be more opinion-based is an important component because many students have a hard time recognizing the difference,&rdquo; says Mythen. 
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Founded by a former NASA engineer, Ground News uses data to help students survey the media landscape and think critically about what they&rsquo;re reading.
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<blockquote>
Every day, we can unlock our phone and release a firehose of information. But most of us don&rsquo;t have the time or resources to evaluate it thoroughly. On our platform every story appears within a larger context. It puts the reader back in control instead of an algorithm.
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Harleen Kaur, founder and CEO of Ground News
</blockquote>
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<a href="https://about.ground.news/contact-groundeducation-from-partner">Interested in finding out more? Get in touch!</a>

In a state that has become the focus of national debates about the future of higher education, Florida State College at Jacksonville is empowering students to navigate the information landscape with Ground News.

Ground News collaborates with OpenAthens to help students navigate a complex media environment

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about the origins of the virus have remained prevalent. The theory that the virus may have originated from a laboratory leak in China began to emerge in the early days of the pandemic, though the theory was originally met with skepticism and dubbed a &ldquo;conspiracy theory&rdquo; by some prominent media outlets and scientists. On February 26, 2023, more than three years after the first reported cases of COVID-19 in China, the U.S. Department of Energy concluded that a lab leak was the most likely origin of the virus.Insert Blog Post Body Here

Questions about the origins of the virus have been raised since the beginning of the pandemic. The theory that the virus may have originated from a laboratory leak in China has consistently been talked about. The lab leak theory was originally met with skepticism and dubbed a “conspiracy theory” by some prominent media outlets and scientists. On February 26, 2023, more than three years after the first reported cases of COVID-19 in China, the U.S. Department of Energy concluded that a lab leak wa

The Covid Lab Leak Theory

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched what they called a &ldquo;special military operation&rdquo; in Ukraine. The following months saw an escalation of tensions between the two countries, with thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and significant shifts in the geopolitical landscape. Read the stories on our interactive timeline

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched what they called a “special military operation” in Ukraine. The following months saw an escalation of tensions between the two countries, with thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and significant shifts in the geopolitical landscape. Read the stories on our interactive timeline

One Year of War

On February 3, 2023, a train carrying hazardous material derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a large fire and forcing residents to evacuate. In the days following, Ohio crews released toxic chemicals from the derailment into the air, with many residents questioning the potential consequences of this decision.

Ohio Train Derailment

Last week, the U.S. downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been hovering over the continental U.S. Within the following days, three more unidentified airborne objects were downed over North American skies. With questions growing about the nature of these unidentified objects, we’ve compiled a timeline of events surrounding this story.

A timeline about the US and other countries locating and shooting down unidentified balloon-like objects hovering over North American skies. Questions remain about the nature of these unidentified objects

Spy Balloon Saga

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few times a month, an email from an educator arrives in the Ground News inbox. There&rsquo;s a distinct theme to these emails - a sense of relief and excitement about finding a tool that helps solve a problem. The challenge revolves around teaching students to practice discernment, critical thinking and constructive dialogue. A common activity in classrooms is to have students compare news articles on a particular subject. Ground News makes this activity richer and more rewarding for students by allowing them to easily compare news coverage and visualize bias. It&rsquo;s a welcome reminder of why we created Ground News in the first place.
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At any moment we can unlock our phone and release a firehose of information, yet most of us don&rsquo;t have the time or resources to evaluate it thoroughly. To make matters worse, we don&rsquo;t even have access to the same information. Algorithms prioritize and sort information for us, often without us realizing it. Unfortunately, algorithms also end up sorting us into filter bubbles that lack diverse perspectives.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Imagine what that experience is like for an adolescent. Imagine having to teach students to navigate this complex digital world, which most of us find daunting even as adults. Imagine taking on that enormous responsibility even though the curriculum doesn&rsquo;t require it. <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://medialiteracynow.org/mlnpolicyreport/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only 14 states have media literacy language on the books today</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite these challenges, the teachers we hear from go above and beyond to bring media literacy into the classroom. People like Kristin Schnerer, a high school teacher in Toledo who created a Media &amp; Politics class. Or Michael Wells, a Library Director at Wilmington College who&rsquo;s always on the lookout for tools that help students practice discernment. Or Nate Noorlander, a high school teacher who partnered with a university professor to produce <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://nomadicprofessor.teachable.com/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">online history lessons</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that challenge students to analyze primary and secondary sources.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We&rsquo;ve spent the last several months talking to educators about how Ground News can <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/ground-education"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">play a role in the classroom</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. We didn&rsquo;t set out to create an education product, but we&rsquo;re certainly glad teachers are finding it useful. Here are some of the major themes that emerged from our discussions.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Practicing Lateral Reading&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At its core, Ground News is a lateral reading tool. Lateral reading is a term that came out of a research study conducted by the <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://sheg.stanford.edu/"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stanford History Education Group</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that looked at how professional fact checkers evaluate information online. It&rsquo;s a pretty simple concept - when evaluating an online source, leave the site to see what other digital sources say about it. Ground News makes this easy by providing important context around all the major news publications including political bias, factuality and ownership.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understanding Media Bias
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all have biases. It&rsquo;s a part of the human experience. These biases shape how we see the world and understand issues. Naturally, they can make their way into news coverage, so it&rsquo;s important to be aware of them. Ground News uses a combination of <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/rating-system"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">third-party news monitoring organizations</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and our own data to assign a bias rating to media outlets. For every news story, we include a media bias chart to show the distribution of coverage. Making the political leanings of news organizations transparent helps readers avoid filter bubbles and interpret news coverage with a critical eye.&nbsp;
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visualizing Filter Bubbles
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A filter bubble results when algorithms guess what information a person would like to see based on their browsing habits such as location, click-behavior and search history. Algorithms tend to show us information we like, cutting us off from ideas that might challenge our perspective and expand our worldview. Ground News exposes this phenomenon through our <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/blindspot"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blindspot Feed</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This dedicated feed highlights news stories that are underreported by one side of the political spectrum. Readers can use this feed to seek out stories they might be missing if they are stuck in a filter bubble.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exploring Local &amp; Global Perspectives
&nbsp;
<a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/local"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Local news </a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is incredibly important. In many ways, it has the most direct impact on our lives, yet local newsrooms are suffering the most under changing business models. Ground News supports the distribution of local news in a variety of ways. If available, we always put local news sources first. We also highlight local news from around the world, which gives an on-the-ground perspective that might be missing from national coverage. This provides a more nuanced understanding of geopolitical issues by showing how the same news story is covered across the globe.
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thinking Critically About News Consumption
&nbsp;
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most important things we do at Ground News is make the invisible, visible. We use data and analytics to help our readers understand their news consumption. Our biggest step forward in this area comes with the launch of our <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/subscribe"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vantage</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> subscription and the <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://ground.news/my-news-bias"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My News Bias</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> feature. Now, not only do we help readers analyze information in real time, we allow them to look back at what they chose to consume and make changes to their behavior. Think of it as a health report for your news diet with valuable insights to help you adopt more productive reading habits.&nbsp;
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At any moment we can unlock our phone and release a firehose of information, yet most of us don’t have the time or resources to evaluate it thoroughly. Media literacy is an important skill and a common activity in classrooms is to have students compare news articles on a particular subject. Ground News makes this activity richer and more rewarding for students by allowing them to easily compare news coverage and visualize bias.

How do we Teach Media Literacy in the Modern World?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #24292f; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', 'Noto Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji'; font-size: 14px;">Take a look back at the news that captured our attention from 2022. Reflect on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Take a moment to remember the death of Queen Elizabeth. Check your Blindspots and enjoy the best weird and good news stories.

Take a look back at the news that captured our attention from 2022. Reflect on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Take a moment to remember the death of Queen Elizabeth. Check your Blindspots and enjoy the best weird and good news stories.

2022 in News - A Year in Review

Today, Americans are heading to the polls to vote in the <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/feed/2022-us-senate-election">midterm elections </a>which will decide the balance of power in Washington. Going into the elections, Democrats have a narrow hold over both House and Senate, but Republicans are expected to take control of the House. 
 

The future of the Senate is a lot less predictable and could be determined by four key states - <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/feed/2022-georgia-senate-election">Georgia</a>, <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/feed/2022-pennsylvania-senate-election">Pennsylvania</a>, <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/mark-kelly">Arizona</a> and <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/feed/2022-nevada-senate-election">Nevada</a>. Democrats need to win three of these four races to maintain control of the Senate, while Republicans only need to win two. 
 

These midterm elections are expected to be the most expensive in history, with a <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/federal-and-state-spending-on-2022-elections-set-to-top-167-billion-making-them-the-most-expensive-midterms-ever_b6127f?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">record $16.7 billion spent</a> at the state and federal level. And it’s no surprise that these key states are at the top of the list in terms of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/by_race/2022?disp=R&pty=A&type=G">outside spending</a>. 
 

But it’s not just political ads that are flooding the airwaves to sway voters. Media coverage plays a critical role in framing the issues and informing the public. Let’s take a look at how these key Senate races are being covered by media outlets across the political spectrum.
 
<h2>Georgia: Raphael Warnock Vs. Herschel Walker</h2> 


<a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/raphael-warnock">Raphael Warnock</a>, the Democratic Senator who defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler in Georgia's 2021 special election runoff, is going up against Republican newcomer and former NFL running back, <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/herschel-walker">Herschel Walker</a>. This race has received the most media attention with 81% of news articles centering on Walker and 48% of the coverage coming from left-leaning news outlets. 



The top stories include a report from the Daily Beast that claimed <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/republican-us-senate-hopeful-herschel-walker-denies-report-he-paid-for-abortion_a2ef06?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Walker paid for a woman's abortion </a>after the two conceived a child while they were dating in 2009. This story was picked up by 212 news outlets with the majority of the coverage coming from left and center sources.
 
<h2>Pennsylvania: John Fetterman Vs. Mehmet Oz</h2> 


This Republican-held seat is up for grabs as GOP Senator Pat Toomey is retiring. Democratic candidate <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a> is facing off against Republican candidate and television personality <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/mehmet-oz">Mehmet Oz</a>. Fetterman has received the most media attention with more than 1,000 articles focusing on his candidacy and 43% of the coverage coming from right-leaning news outlets. 



Former President Donald <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/trump-endorses-oz-in-pennsylvania-senate-race_2db140?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Trump’s endorsement of Oz</a> was reported on by more than 100 news outlets, but the top story of the race occurred when <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/f44f7c2a-5318-42e4-bbe8-473f835fdd5d">Fetterman suffered a stroke</a> in May. More recently, <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/oprah-backs-oz-rival-fetterman-in-pennsylvanias-us-senate-race_363dbe?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Oprah’s announcement</a> that she is putting her support behind Fetterman garnered a lot of attention given she helped launch Oz’s TV career nearly two decades ago when she brought him on her talk show.
 
<h2>Arizona: Mark Kelly Vs. Blake Masters</h2> 



<a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/mark-kelly">Mark Kelly</a>, a former astronaut, won this Senate seat in the 2020 special election. Now he’s facing off against <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/blake-masters">Blake Masters</a>, a venture capitalist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 
 

Overall, this race has received considerably less coverage than Georgia and Pennsylvania with 41% of the coverage coming from right-leaning sources compared to 37% on the left. The articles are pretty evenly split with Blake Masters receiving slightly more coverage at 57%.
 

The top story occurred when Arizona’s <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/arizonas-libertarian-senate-candidate-dropping-out-of-race-endorsing-masters?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Libertarian Senate candidate dropped out of the race</a> to endorse Masters just last week. This race has also produced several Blindspot stories where coverage is disproportionately coming from one side of the political spectrum. Right-leaning media outlets have focused on former Democratic party member <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/tulsi-gabbard-to-campaign-for-kari-lake-blake-masters-in-arizona_e366de?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to campaign for Masters</a>, while left-leaning outlets have highlighted changes to <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/blake-masters-backtracks-on-abortion?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Masters’ position on abortion</a>.
 
<h2>Nevada: Catherine Cortez Masto Vs. Adam Laxalt</h2> 



In Nevada, Republican <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/adam-laxalt">Adam Laxalt</a> will face off against Democratic incumbent <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/interest/catherine-cortez-masto">Catherine Cortez Masto</a>. These two former Attorney Generals will compete in one of the closest Senate races of the night.
 

Of the four key races, Nevada has received the least media attention with Laxalt getting 61% of the coverage. Of the news outlets reporting on this race, 22% lean left, 24% are center and 39% lean right. 
 

Similar to Arizona, there are noticeable discrepancies in coverage. Only one left-leaning news outlet reported on a recent poll showing <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/laxalt-leads-cortez-masto-in-nevada-senate-race-poll_184c11?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">Laxalt leading Cortez Masto</a>, while only one right-leaning outlet reported on an earlier story about <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/cortez-masto-endorsed-by-14-members-of-gop-rival-laxalts-family_fb894b?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share">14 members of Laxalt’s family endorsing his opponent.</a>
 
<h2>See the Latest Midterm Coverage for Every State</h2> 



Head over to the Ground News <a href="https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/feed/2022-us-senate-election">2022 Midterm Election Feed </a>to see the most covered candidates in every state along with live polling data from FiveThirtyEight. As midterm election news breaks, we’ll help you cut through the noise by highlighting which stories are receiving the most coverage and empowering you to compare how left, center and right-leaning media outlets are framing key issues like abortion, inflation, immigration and the future of democracy itself.

Today, Americans are casting their ballots in the midterm elections which will decide the balance of power in Washington. Going into the elections, Democrats have a narrow hold over both House and Senate, but Republicans are expected to take control of the House. 

Midterm Elections: Key Senate Races to Watch

The short answer is no, but don't worry, all hope is not lost.
 
 To have bias, is to be human. Being afraid of heights is a bias against high-up places. Disliking anchovies is a bias against the taste of a small fish. Bias can be useful. It can help you make quick decisions, or give you a sense of identity. But it can also have a negative impact when it comes to how information is presented.
 
 <h2>What is Bias?</h2>
 
 There are two main types of bias. Implicit bias includes the attitudes or beliefs that affect us in an unconscious manner. Explicit bias includes attitudes or beliefs that affect us in a conscious manner. 
 
 Explicit biases are our declared positions toward anything from the foods you like, the sports teams you support, and the types of people you tend to clash with. Implicit biases, however, are ones that you may not realize you have, and often don't align with our declared beliefs.
 
 <h2>How Does Bias Impact the News I Read?</h2>
 
 The people who own or lead a news organization may have explicit biases that influence the types of stories that are reported, which stories are given the most visibility, or the language and tone of the articles it publishes. 
 
 Perhaps a news outlet sees a gap in coverage and wants to fill that niche to reach a new audience. Or, maybe a local news outlet finds data on the political leaning of their community and shifts the language of their reporting to align with that position in the hopes of increasing readership. These decisions are informed by biases like, left-leaning stories are more successful these days, or, everyone who lives here is right-leaning. Whether these biases are based on opinion or fact varies.
 
 Implicit biases include beliefs or attitudes that unintentionally affect the way a story is reported. For example, a journalist who favors a certain politician may write that they had a “triumphant win” over the opposing candidate, rather than just stating that they “won”.
 
 Implicit biases are very challenging to identify within ourselves because they are unconscious. This is especially true when people tend to be surrounded by those who have similar views to our own. In this environment, there is no contrast to make us question our own beliefs.
 
 <h2>Is the News More Biased than it Used to Be?</h2> 
 
 Since its origin, the news has always been biased. In fact, in the nineteenth century it was normal for newspapers to have explicit affiliations with political parties. The writing style was grand and dramatic. News articles read more like novels. 
 
 If you compare the <a href='https://journalism.missouri.edu/the-j-school/the-j-school-legacy/'>Journalist's Creed</a>, written by the first dean of the Missouri School of Journalism over a century ago, to modern ethics codes for the <a href='https://caj.ca/ethics-guidelines'>Canadian Association of Journalists</a>, <a href='https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp'>the Society of Professional Journalists</a>, or other journalistic organizations, it's obvious that over time the practice has actually shifted towards objective, fact-based reporting. 
 
 <h2>Why is Everyone Talking About Media Bias Now?</h2>
 
 <a href='https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2960.html'>There is evidence</a> that over the past 30 years the shift to digital media has led to an increase in reporting that is more subjective, relies more heavily on argumentation and advocacy, and includes more emotional appeals. 
 
 A report titled, <a href='https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2314.html'>“Truth Decay”</a> from the RAND Corporation, a nonpartisan institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis, identified four interconnected media trends that offer insight into why media bias is such a major topic of conversation today.
 
 Increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data
 A blurring between opinion and fact
 An increase in the relative volume of opinion and personal experience over fact
 Declining trust in formerly respected sources of factual information
 
 <h2>How Can I Trust the News if it's All Biased?</h2> 
 
 A healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing when it comes to reading the news. To take what you see as blind truth is a recipe for disaster, especially in today's highly partisan media landscape. Instead of trying to find the perfect “unbiased” news source (remember, those don't actually exist), try the following tips:
 
 Read Multiple Perspectives
 
 See what both a left and right-leaning new source have to say about the same event. If there is bias in either of the articles, you're more likely to see it by comparing and contrasting the information. It's also an opportunity to discover how people with a different worldview see that issue. Give it a try by reading about <a href='https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/article/steve-bannon-sentenced-to-4-months-in-jail-for-contempt-of-congress_5d4ba4'>Steve Bannon being sentenced to 4 months in jail</a>.
 
 Use Data-Driven Tools
 
 There are several news organizations that use scientific methods to rate the bias of news organizations including <a href='https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news'>AllSides</a>, <a href='https://adfontesmedia.com/'>AdFontes</a> and <a href='https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/'>Media Bias/Fact Check</a>. On Ground News we take all of those ratings to show you the bias distribution for every news story.
 <img src='https://groundnews.b-cdn.net/assets/web/images/blog/biasChart-unbiased-news.png' alt='bias chart'/>
 
 Check Your Blindspots
 
 When we started Ground News we thought media bias was all about how an issue is covered. But media bias also includes what doesn't get covered. We noticed stories that were only being reported on by one side of the political spectrum and created the <a href='https://groundnews.lakegeneva.lib.wi.us/blindspot'>'Blindspot' feed</a> to highlight these inconsistencies. It's a great place for readers who gravitate toward news outlets from one side of the spectrum to discover stories they might be missing.

To have bias, is to be human. Being afraid of heights is a bias against high-up places. Disliking anchovies is a bias against the taste of a small fish. Bias can be useful. It can help you make quick decisions, or give you a sense of identity. But it can also have a negative impact when it comes to how information is presented.

Are There Any Unbiased News Sources?

The discovery of the laptop alleged that the then vice president Joe Biden acted in Ukraine to protect his son from a corruption investigation by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. On October 14, 2020, the New York Post published an article based on an email from the laptop about a purported meeting between then-Vice President Joe Biden and Burisma advisor Vadym Pozharskyi. Below is a timeline of the media coverage of the events, highlighting the split in coverage between left-leaning and right-leaning news outlets.

You might have heard a lot (or a little) about Hunter Biden’s laptop depending on where you get your news. Let’s take a look at how this story played out on the left vs. the right.

Timeline: Hunter Biden's Laptop

We believe that context is crucial, so we've assembled a coverage timeline of important but not universally reported events that led up to the January 6th Capitol Hill riot. It is easy, almost unavoidable, to see a pattern if we block out anything that doesn't fit it. Try reading the stories on just one side, then just the other side, then altogether. See if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone who came to a very different set of beliefs that you did.

On January 6, 2021 the U.S. Capital was locked down as Trump supporters broke into the building. Let’s take a look at media coverage of key events leading up to this moment.

Timeline: January 6th

We believe that context is crucial, so we've assembled a coverage timeline of important U.S.-Afghan events, spanning from the beginning of the Trump Administration to yesterday. Click on each story to dive deeper and compare how outlets covered the event.

On April 13, 2021 President Joe Biden announced he will withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021. Let’s take a look at the events that led to this decision and how they were covered by the media.

Timeline: US Army Withdrawal from Afghanistan

From signing executive orders on the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative to wooing Latin American voters, people perceive President Donald Trump’s relationship with this demographic in different ways. These various vantage points have polarized news outlets, creating a very different narrative depending on where you look. As consumers face the challenge of navigating these murky waters, Ground News is here to help. Our intelligent algorithm has the ability to discern underlying nuances in coverage of events, bulletins and activities between the Trump administration and the Hispanic community.  There is a vast array of news about Trump and Hispanics. We don’t deliver “a version” of the news: we rate what’s out there and let you see inherent or overt biases. This effectively levels the field, allowing the average news reader to view side-by-side comparisons, learn the real facts and decide on the truth for themselves.  The Trump immigration policy has cheerleaders and naysayers; the Trump approval rating among Hispanics is varied; are Trump and Hispanics on the same side? These aren’t areas in which a news outlet should answer for you.  You deserve the bare facts and to make up your own mind. Our “power to the people” approach is evident here, as you can see the categorization of up-to-the-minute news bulletins about Trump and Hispanics. Check it out below and read more to understand how we deliver news without bias. Want more of the same? Go here to see the feed at Ground News.

There has been a lot of interest in Donald Trump’s relationship with Hispanic voters. Let’s take a look at how news media outlets on the left and the right cover the Trump administration’s handling of events that impact they have on Hispanic voters.

Timeline: Trump & Hispanics News Coverage

"It would be hard to pin down a more colorful, controversial character than President Donald Trump. His path to power has been polarizing. In a nation already divided by partisan politics, there is no doubt that the major swings between Democratic and Republican power in the last decade have heightened the tension. Donald Trump taking the presidency was no exclusion.

Donald Trump news makes headlines in virtually every 24-hour news cycle. Not just in U.S. news but on platforms around the world, what President Donald Trump says and does is always of interest. This is partly because of his powerful role as the U.S. president and partly because his behavior is predictably unpredictable."

Donald Trump makes headlines in virtually every news cycle, not just in the U.S., but around the world. Let’s take a look at how publications on the left and the right cover one of the most dominant media figures in recent history.

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