News Literacy Week: How Fox 4 remains an unbiased news source

At Fox 4, we know how important it is for you to turn on the news, and get the facts, so you have the information you need to make the big decisions for you and your family.

We also know not all information is created equal.

That's why news literacy is so important.

E.W.

Scripps, the company that owns Fox 4, has partnered with the News Literacy Project, a non-partisan education non-profit, for "National News Literacy Week," so we can give you the tools to determine what information you should trust, and base your decisions on.

HERE AT FOX 4, WE KNOW HOWIMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOU TO TURNON THE NEWS, AND GET THE FACTS,SO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION YOUNEED TO MAKE THE BIG DECISIONS,FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

WEALSO KNOW -- NOT ALL INFORMATIIS CREATED EQUAL.

THAT’S WHYNEWS LITERACY IS SO IMPORTANT.LISA IS HERE TO EXPLAIN MORE.E-W SCRIPPS -- THE COMPANY THATOWNS FOX 4 -- HAS PARTNERED WITHTHE NEWS LITERACY PROJECT -- ANON-PARTISAN EDUCATION NONPROFIT -- SO WE CAN GIVE YOU THETOOLS TO DETERMINE WHATINFORMATION YOU SHOULD TRUST,AND BASE YOUR DECISIONS ON.DURING THIS PARTICULARLYDIVISIVE TIME IN OUR COUNTRY,THIS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT --YOU WANT YOUR INFORMATION WITHNO AGENDA.

NO SLANT.

NO HIDDENMESSAGE.

SO WE WANT TO TAKE THENEXT FEW MINUTES, TO EXPLAIN TOYOU HOW ALL OF US HERE AT FOX 4,FOCUS ON THE FACTS, AND BRINGYOU *ALL PERSPECTIVES.

HOW WEREMAIN UNBIASED, CAREFULLYCONSIDER HOW WE COVER STORIES,AND GIVE EQUAL TIME TO OPPOSINGVOICES.

AND I’M BRINGING IN SOMEOF MY FRIENDS TO HELP ME SHOWYOU44 to1:36 to 1:41WHETHER IT’S A STORY ABOUTCRIME, PROTECTING OUR PARADISE,A TIGHT PRESIDENTIAL RACE, ORANYTHING IN BETWEEN --[Duration:0:15] <CHRIS"everything we do, every storywe tell here at Fox four, wewant to start with the facts andthe truth and concentrate onthat.

And if there’s adifference of opinions, we wantto try to get as many of thosedifferent opinions as possible"15 secTHAT’S CHRIS SHAW -- MY COANCHORON FOX 4 MORNING NEWS.

HE -- ANDALL OF US -- FOLLOW STRICTGUIDELINES WHEN IT COMES TO WHATWE PUT ON AIR.

EACH PERSON YOUSEE ON OUR CHANNEL HAS GONE TOSCHOOL, TAKEN ETHICS COURSES,GOTTEN A DEGREE, AND GONETHROUGH SPECIFIC TRAINING TOBECOME A JOURNALIST.CHRIS "And that’s what we are,no matter what you may think, orwhat we look like or anythinglike that.

All of us here arejournalists.

And so we have beentrained on how to tell a storythe right way." 12 secA BIG PART OF THAT TRAINING --IS FOLLOWING SCRIPPS’ JOURNALISMETHICS GUIDELINES, WHICH FOCUSON:HONESTY -- BEING TRANSPARENTABOUT HOW WE GATHER OUR NEWS,AND HOW AND WHERE WE GET OURINFORMATION.

EDITING TO PRESERVETHE INTEGRITY OF THE STORY.AND FAIRNESS -- REPORTING THEFACTS WITHOUT PERSONAL OPINIONS,CHOOSING WORDS WISELY, ANDSEEKING INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVESFROM MULTIPLE ANGLES.THIS IS HOW WE BRING YOU THENEWS, UNBIASED.IT’S SOMETHING FOX 4 REPORTERROCHELLE ALLEYNE EXPLAINSPERFECTLY.LISA "how in your daily life doyou protect that ability toremain unbiased?" 6 secROCHELLE "I acknowledge my bias.we all have opinions about everysingle thing because we’rehumans, our job just asks of usto put those opinions aside, andtry to make sure we seeeverything from both sides" 10secWHEN REPORTING A STORY, ROCHELLESAYS FIRST, SHE FIRST CHECKS HEROWN BIAS.ROCHELLE "I’m like, ’Do I haveany biases that might influencehow I tell the story?’ from thestart.

I ask myself thatquestion.

I’ll talk to myproducer and say, ’Hey, I’mseeing the story from one lens,because this is the perspectiveI come from.

But am I missingsomething?

Is there somethingelse I should be adding?

Isthere another voice I should beadding?’" 16 secCHRIS "it’s important for peopleto know that the individuals,the management here at Fox 4,the corporation that owns us,there’s no agenda, there is nothing that we’re trying to pushon our viewers.

We are justtrying to tell what’s going onin our area.

And we are tryingto represent the people in ourarea" 18 secAND ALL OF US BRINGING YOU THENEWS HERE AT FOX 4, HAVE ONEPURPOSE.ROCHELLE "to shed light onissues that are happening in mycommunity because I care aboutSouthwest Florida.

And I givevoices to those who don’t havevoices otherwise.

That’s mymission.

That’s what I do as ajournalist" 10 secAND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW WE DO WHAT WE DO ASJOURNALISTS -- ASK US!

WE’REHAPPY TO PULL BACK THE VEIL ONWHAT WE DO, TO HELP YOUUNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESSACTUALLY WORKS.YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ONTHE NEWS LITERACY PROJECT