Media Bias Slides Presentation Voice & Agency
Lesson 1: Headlines and Blame
Media Bias Investigation
The Hook
Headline A
"Tigers destroy Eagles in championship final."
Headline B
"Eagles suffered a crushing defeat in final game."
1. Which headline sounds more aggressive?
2. How do the fans of the Eagles feel reading Headline B vs. Headline A?
3. Who is the "main character" of each sentence?
The Grammar of Power
Active Voice
The subject performs the action.
// Formula
Subject + Verb + Object
"The police arrested the suspect."
Creates clarity, identifies the "doer," and assigns responsibility.
Passive Voice
The subject receives the action.
// Formula
Object + Be-Verb + Past Participle
"The suspect was arrested [by the police]."
Shifts focus to the receiver, can hide the "doer," and sounds objective.
Case Study: Conflict
Imagine a protest where property was damaged. Compare these two real-world headline structures:
Source A
"Police officers injured three protesters during the rally."
Voice
ACTIVE
Source B
"Protesters were injured as tensions flared at rally."
Voice
PASSIVE
Analysis A:
Focuses on the actor (Police). Implies agency and potential blame.
Analysis B:
Focuses on the victim (Protesters). The actor (Police) disappears entirely.
The "Why" Behind the Voice
Protect the Actor
When you want to deflect blame or minimize the role of the person responsible.
Highlight the Impact
When the person affected or the event itself is more important than who did it.
Actor is Unknown
When the identity of the "doer" isn't clear or isn't relevant to the story.
Investigation Time
You are now Rhetorical Detectives . Open your "Headlines Under the Microscope" worksheet. You will analyze headlines to see how different news outlets use voice to shape the news.
Check Your Files
Headlines Under the Microscope Worksheet Media Bias Investigation
Case File: Headlines & Rhetorical Agency
Student:
Date:
Objective
Analyze how journalists use active and passive voice to emphasize specific actors, minimize responsibility, or highlight impact.
1
The Identification Phase
Identify the voice used in each headline and underline the Subject of the sentence.
A. Tech Giant released the data of 10 million users.
Active Passive
B. User data was leaked in massive security breach.
Active Passive
2
Forensic Analysis
Consider the headlines from Part 1. Why might a news organization choose Headline B over Headline A? Use the terms agency and accountability in your response.
Exhibit B: Conflict Coverage
Headline 1
"Police disperse unruly crowd using tear gas."
Headline 2
"Tear gas was used on protesters as tensions rose."
How does the subject shift between Headline 1 and Headline 2? Who is being "protected" or "hidden" in Headline 2?
3
The Redactor Challenge
Rewrite the following biased news snippets by switching the voice. If it is active (blaming the actor), rewrite it as passive (focusing on the event). If it is passive (hiding the actor), rewrite it as active to reveal the agent.
Original (Active)
"The mayor's office overspent the budget by three million dollars."
Rewrite (Passive)
Original (Passive)
"A crucial witness statement was accidentally deleted from the files."
Rewrite (Active - Invent a plausible actor)
Original (Active)
"Local firefighters rescued the cat from the burning skyscraper."
Rewrite (Passive)
Summary Reflection
In your own words, why is it vital for a news consumer to recognize when a headline uses the passive voice?
Media Bias Teacher Guide Teacher Support Resource
Headlines & Blame
Lesson 1: Media Bias Investigation
Duration
60-90m
Instructional Intent
Students often view "Passive Voice" as a grammar error to be avoided. This lesson reframes it as a rhetorical tool . By the end of this session, students will understand how shifting agency through sentence structure can protect powerful actors, emphasize victims, or create an air of "neutrality" that actually harbors bias.
Learning Objectives
Identify active and passive voice in contemporary news headlines.
Analyze the rhetorical effect of removing the "agent" from a sentence.
Evaluate how voice influences reader perception of responsibility and blame.
Rewrite sentences to intentionally shift rhetorical focus.
Key Terms
Agency
The capacity of an actor to act in a given environment.
Agent
The "doer" of the action (the Subject in active voice).
Patient/Receiver
The person or thing being acted upon.
Lesson Delivery Guide
00-10m
The Sports Hook
Use Slide 2. Ask students to describe the difference between the two headlines. Focus on the feeling . Headline A (Active) feels like an assault; Headline B (Passive) feels like a tragedy. Ask: "Which headline would the winning team tweet? Which one would the losing team's local paper print?"
10-25m
Grammar Refresh (Slides 3-5)
Keep this brief. Most 9th graders know the difference, but they don't know why it matters. Emphasize that "Passive Voice" isn't wrong—it's strategic . Use the "Protest" case study on Slide 4 to show how police or protesters can be highlighted or hidden.
25-50m
Independent Investigation
Distribute the "Headlines Under the Microscope" worksheet. Circulate as students work through Part 2. Students often struggle with the "Why"—push them to use the word "Accountability."
Worksheet Answer Key
Part 1: Identification
A: Active (Subject: Tech Giant) | B: Passive (Subject: User Data)
Part 2: Analysis (Sample Responses)
Tech Giant: Headline B protects the Tech Giant's reputation by removing them from the subject position. It makes the leak sound like a natural disaster rather than a corporate failure.
Exhibit B: Headline 2 hides the "Police" as the agent. By using "Tear gas was used," the reporter treats the gas as if it appeared on its own, minimizing the decision-making of the police officers.
The Rhetoric of Non-Apologies Slides Presentation Mistakes Were Made
Lesson 2: The Rhetoric of Non-Apologies
The "Non-Apology"
"Mistakes were made."
FACT 1
It is grammatically correct.
FACT 2
It is purely passive.
FACT 3
It admits the error but hides the sinner.
Real World: The Data Breach
Option A: Active Voice
"Our security team failed to update the firewall, and we allowed hackers to steal your information."
Admits total failure
Identifies the "doer" (Team)
Destroys stock price?
Option B: Passive Voice
"A firewall update was missed, and customer information was accessed by unauthorized parties."
Sounds "professional"
Sounds like an accident
No one is "at fault"
Is the Passive Voice Lying?
!
By removing the Agent (the person doing the action), the speaker removes Responsibility .
?
If no one did it, can anyone be blamed? If no one is blamed, can anything be fixed?
Crisis Management Lab
You are the PR Lead for "Global-Tech Inc." A massive error has occurred. You must write a press release that minimizes damage without technically "lying."
Initializing Simulation...
PR Damage Control Handout Global-Tech Internal Memo
Security Classification: Restricted // High Priority
Urgent
To:
Public Relations Management Team
From:
Chief Executive Council
Date:
January 17, 2026
Subject:
Messaging Strategy for the "Q4 Logistics Incident"
As you are aware, our automated delivery drones malfunctioned yesterday, dropping approximately 4,000 packages into Lake Michigan. While we technically know which engineers forgot to calibrate the sensors, our legal team advises against admitting individual or specific corporate fault.
"The goal is to provide information without accepting liability. Use the passive voice to center the 'event' rather than the 'actors'."
Phase 1
The Active-to-Passive Translation
Rewrite our draft statement. Remove the words "Global-Tech," "Engineers," and "We" as the subjects of the sentences.
Internal Draft (Active/Too Honest)
"Our engineers ignored safety protocols, and we lost the packages."
Revised Statement (Passive/Strategic)
Phase 2
Crisis Response Construction
Draft a full response for the press. You must use at least three passive voice constructions to describe the following facts without admitting someone did them:
The software crashed (Actor: Software Developer)
Customers were overcharged (Actor: Billing Department)
Apology emails were sent late (Actor: Marketing Team)
Ethics Checklist for the PR Lead
Reflect on the power of grammar in the corporate world.
"If Global-Tech uses the passive voice to say 'Mistakes were made,' who ultimately suffers the consequences of the sunken packages?"
Property of Global-Tech Inc. Do Not Distribute File: PR-Simulation-2B
Scientific Objectivity Slides Presentation The Invisible Scientist
Lesson 3: Objectivity & Tone in STEM
Professionalism Check
Version A
"I mixed the eggs and flour in a bowl, and then I heated the pan to 350 degrees."
Personal Tone
Version B
"The eggs and flour were mixed in a bowl; the pan was heated to 350 degrees."
Objective Tone
Which sounds like a casual blog? Which sounds like a formal procedure?
The Logic of the Passive
Repeatability
It doesn't matter who did the experiment. It matters that anyone can get the same result by following the steps.
Objectivity
Focuses on the evidence and the process , not the person watching it happen.
Authority
Removing "I" and "We" makes the findings sound like universal truths rather than personal opinions.
Lab Report: Chemistry Lab 102
Before (Active/Informal)
"We poured the acid into the beaker and observed a color change."
After (Passive/Formal)
"The acid was poured into the beaker, and a color change was observed."
"Notice how the scientist vanishes, leaving only the data behind."
Scientific Redaction
You will be given a first-person lab report. Your job is to "redact" the scientists and rewrite it in a professional, objective tone.
Begin Simulation
Lab Report Redactor Worksheet Lab Report Redactor
Department of Technical Communications // 9th Grade STEM
Project ID: 301-OBJ
Rev. 004
Lead Researcher:
Test Date:
Task 1: Identify the Personal Bias
The following paragraph is from a draft lab report. Underline every instance of a personal pronoun (I, we, our, my) and circle the active verbs that describe what the researchers did.
"For our second trial, my partner and I decided to increase the temperature of the water. We carefully poured exactly 200ml of distilled water into the beaker, and then I turned the Bunsen burner to high. We watched the water until it started to boil. Once it reached 100 degrees, we dropped the sugar cubes in and I started the stopwatch to see how long they took to dissolve."
Task 2: Professional Redaction
Rewrite the paragraph from Task 1 above. Your goal is to make the researchers invisible by using the passive voice. Focus on the water, the beaker, and the sugar—not the "I" or "We."
[Draft your professional, passive-voice procedures here...]
Task 3: Technical Description
Technical manuals often use passive voice to describe how a system works. Convert these direct "Imperative" instructions into "Passive" descriptive statements.
Instruction (Active Command)
"Insert the USB drive into the port."
Manual (Passive Description)
The USB drive is inserted into the port.
Instruction (Active Command)
"Press the emergency stop button if the red light flashes."
Instruction (Active Command)
"Lubricate the gears every six months."
Pro Tip: Modern science writing allows some "We" in the introduction, but the Methods section almost always remains in the passive voice to ensure objectivity.
Mystery and Suspense Slides Presentation The Phantom Agent
Lesson 4: Suspense & Mystery
The Hook
"A heavy thud was heard from the attic. Slowly, the bedroom door was pushed open. The candle was extinguished by a sudden gust of cold air."
Notice what is missing: Who is doing these things? By using the passive voice, the author keeps the "agent" hidden in the shadows.
Rhetorical Effect: Suspense
The reader feels powerless because the threat is invisible. We only see the results , not the cause.
Rhetorical Effect: Atmosphere
It makes the environment feel alive. Objects move "on their own" because the agent is removed.
Active vs. Passive
Active Voice (The Reveal)
"The monster grabbed her hand."
The danger is known . The tension is about the action itself. High energy, clear threat.
Passive Voice (The Mystery)
"Her hand was grabbed from beneath the bed."
The danger is unknown . The tension is about the identity of the agent. High fear, hidden threat.
When to use Passive in Fiction?
01
To emphasize the feeling of the victim rather than the action of the villain.
02
To delay a reveal in a plot twist or mystery climax.
03
To create a supernatural tone where objects seem to act on their own.
The Haunted Draft
You are writing the opening scene of a thriller. Your challenge: describe a character entering a room where everything is wrong, using only the passive voice for the first three sentences.
ACCESSING CREATIVE FILES...
Suspense and Mystery Creative Prompt The Haunted Page
Classified Dossier: Narrative Voice Mechanics
REF: MYST-004
LOG: [CONFIDENTIAL]
I.
Annotation: The Invisible Threat
Analyze the three snippets below. Circle the passive voice constructions. In the margin, explain what the missing agent adds to the mood of the passage.
"The floorboard was depressed by an invisible weight. A moment later, the bedroom door was creaked open just an inch. The light from the hallway was swallowed by a growing shadow."
Rhetorical Effect
"His name was whispered from the darkness. He turned, but the speaker could not be seen. His pulse was quickened by the sudden realization: he was not alone."
Rhetorical Effect
II.
Challenge: The Reveal
Write a short paragraph (5-7 sentences) describing a character discovering a crime scene or a spooky room.
The Constraint: Use ONLY the passive voice for the first four sentences to build dread. In the final sentence, switch to the active voice to reveal the "agent" (the cause of the fear).
Self-Check: Did I include a be-verb?
Self-Check: Is the actor hidden until the end?
Beware of the agent in the shadows.
Rashomon Challenge Slides Presentation The Rashomon Challenge
Final Synthesis Project
Case #4092-B
One Event, Three Voices
A story is never just about what happened. It is about who is telling it and how they use grammar to shape the truth.
Mode 1: The Objective
The Police Report. Use passive voice to emphasize the procedure and the facts. Remove emotion.
Passive Required
Mode 2: The Personal
The Victim's Statement. Use active voice to emphasize the agent and the direct impact. High emotion.
Active Required
Mode 3: The Strategic
The Biased Headline. Use voice strategically to protect one party or blame another.
Hybrid Strategy
The Incident: "The Broken Fountain"
"At 2:15 PM, a local teenager, Alex, was skateboarding near the historic park fountain. Alex lost control of the board, which flew into the marble base of the fountain, causing a large crack. Park security guard, Officer Miller, witnessed the event and immediately confiscated the skateboard."
Rewrite this event from three conflicting perspectives.
The Rhetorical Checklist
Deflect Blame
Passive Voice hides the agent (Alex) or centers the fountain (the victim).
Assert Power
Active Voice highlights the actor (Officer Miller) and his authority.
Open Your File
Your project packet contains the "Evidence Workspace." Complete all three narrative versions and the final "Rhetorical Reflection."
Start Project
View Rubric
Voice Manipulation Project Packet Case File: 4092-B
The Rashomon
Challenge
Synthesis Project: Voice & Rhetorical Agency
Status
Under Investigation
Researcher:
Date Filed:
The Incident Summary
"Alex (16) was skateboarding in Central Square. The board hit a crack in the pavement, slid, and struck the base of the 100-year-old Memorial Fountain, causing a visible fracture in the marble. Officer Miller (Park Police) confiscated the board and issued a citation. Total damage estimated at $1,200."
01
Perspective: The Police Report
Goal: Be objective and professional. Use passive voice to focus on the fountain and the legal procedure. Avoid naming 'Alex' as the subject of every sentence.
// LOGGED STATEMENT START:
02
Perspective: Alex's Statement
Goal: Be personal and direct. Use active voice to describe your experience. Emphasize the accident nature of the event.
"I was just..."
03
Perspective: The Local News Headline
Goal: Choose a bias. Either protect Alex (Passive) or blame Alex (Active). Write a headline and one-sentence summary.
Rhetorical Reflection
1. Compare your Police Report (V1) to Alex's Statement (V2). How did the change in voice change the "blame" in the story?
2. In your News Headline (V3), what was your intended bias? How did you use grammar specifically to achieve that bias?
3. Synthesis: Why is the ability to shift between active and passive voice a "power" for a writer? What responsibility comes with that power?
Case Finalized
