Renee Hobbs describes research methods for exploring how media literacy education may shape people's understanding of media bias.

1. Research in Media Studies
COM 520
Fall 2016
Renee Hobbs

2. Nonverbal Bias
The behavior of a friendly or hostile
television interviewer can affect
viewer impressions of the interview
subject
Halo effect: positive attitudes about
the subject associated with behavior of
the interviewer
Media bias effect: negative attitudes
about the subject associated with
behavior of the interviewer
Would media literacy HS students be
more or less susceptible to
nonverbal bias?

3. Media Analysis
A one-semester course open to students
in all grades taught by a veteran media
literacy teacher.
The course emphasized the key concepts
of media literacy, and students engaged
in the process of critically analyzing
news, advertising, and film through
critical questioning.
Students completed assignments in
which they analyzed the credibility of TV
news and Internet Websites and
examined patterns in the representation
of violence in the media.
Other topics discussed in the class:
• body image and the representation of
gender in mass media
• media coverage of historical events
• presidential ad campaigns
Students learned to analyze media by
applying concepts such as purpose,
audience, point of view, media languages,
subtext, representation, and technology to
diverse forms of visual and digital
messages from contemporary and popular
culture.
Subjects
N = 88
Age range 13 – 18
48 males, 40 females
50% African American
40% Caucasian
10% Other
Quasi-Experimental
Design

4. Babad, E., Peer, A., & Hobbs, R. (2012). Media literacy and media bias: Are media literacy students less susceptible to non-
verbal judgment biases? Psychology of Popular Media Culture 1(2), 97 – 107. DOI: 10.137/a0028181
Rate your perceptions of the politician who was interviewed…
NONVERBAL
PERCEPTION STUDY

5. Babad, E., Peer, A., & Hobbs, R. (2012). Media literacy and media bias: Are media literacy students less susceptible to non-
verbal judgment biases? Psychology of Popular Media Culture.1(2), 97 – 107. DOI: 10.137/a0028181
Media literacy
students are
immune to the
media bias
effect
NONVERBAL
PERCEPTION STUDY
Rate your perceptions of the politician who was interviewed…

6. Developing and Validating Measures
 Review prior work on nonverbal bias
effect
 Theorize why media literacy students
may be immune to media bias effect
 Recruit a school & teacher to
participate in the study
 Gather data
 Analyze and report results
 Generate new questions for future
research and practice
HOW WE DID IT
Babad, E., Peer, A., & Hobbs, R. (2012). Media literacy and media bias: Are media literacy students less susceptible to non-
verbal judgment biases? Psychology of Popular Media Culture 1(2), 97 – 107. DOI: 10.137/a0028181

7. www.mindovermedia.tv

8. SOME CAVEATS

9. ^
research is
SOME CAVEATS

10. Community of Scholars

11. www.mediaeducationlab.com

12. CONTACT ME
Renee Hobbs
Professor, Department of Communication Studies
Director, Media Education Lab
Harrington School of Communication and Media
University of Rhode Island USA
EMAIL: hobbs@uri.edu
TWITTER: @reneehobbs
WEB: www.mediaeducationlab.com