Reading Between the Lines: A Workshop on Media Bias

News media is not serving the community—but what can we do about it?

Welcome to the launch of the The Media Integrity Project. We are a non-partisan group dedicated to moving from "doom-scrolling" to constructive action.

For our first meetup, we aren't just analyzing the news; we are working on tools to respond to it.

The Goal: To identify specific failures in media integrity (bias, omission, sensationalism) and finding effective ways to take action as citizens.

What we will do (Workshop Style): We will identify recent examples of reporting and review them:

1. Identify the Issue: Is this misinformation? Is it "rage-bait"? Is it a factual error or just a framed opinion? Naming the problem is the first step to fixing it.
2. Ways to fact check: How to find ways to reliably separate fact from opinion. What are suitable alternative sources.
3. Tackle the Issue: Once we identify bias, how can we respond? When is it best to write a Letter to the Editor, submit a formal complaint, when to share a fact-check, and when to simply disengage.

The Agenda:

• Welcome (15 mins): Welcome to our group and introductions
• The Review (15 mins): In small groups, we discuss news examples to understand the "integrity gap."
• The Toolkit (30 mins): We discuss approaches to tackle these examples.

House Rules:

• Focus on the Journalism, not the Politics: We criticize how the story was told and the impact on community, not the voting habits of the people involved.
• Respectful Dialogue: We are here to build a community of action, not to win a debate.

Who is this for? Anyone tired of doom scrolling and ready to explore practical ways to support better media standards.