In time for the election, a new Web application promising to spot bias in news stories launches this week. SpinSpotter, initially accessible only through the Firefox browser, and Spinoculars, a
downloadable toolbar application, scan Web pages and spot certain potential indicators of bias. The toolbar allow users to flag phrases in news stories and opine on phrases called out by other
Spinspotter users.
The application uses six key signs of bias, derived from the guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists and an advisory board of journalism experts. "It
might prove some stories don't have the level of bias that some people perceive," says professor Martha Steffens.
SpinSpotter will also look for news stories that closely resemble press
releases and can direct users to different takes on a single news development.
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