Difference between revisions of "Placement bias"
m (I believe that placement bias is not specific to online encyclopedias (WP is mentioned regardless :( ), so reword slightly as such. All content is otherwise identical in meaning.) |
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| − | Placement bias is the manipulation of the placement of | + | Placement bias is the manipulation of the order and placement of information in order to distort the impression left in the reader. [[Liberals]] often use placement bias to obscure important facts unfavorable to their argument, and to promote [[liberal]] claims beyond what is justified. For example, the [[Wikipedia]] entry on [[Boy Scouts v. Dale]], a case that they lost, features near the top of the entry glowing praise of the attorney on their side, which had no relevance to the decision that he lost.<ref>[[Bias in Wikipedia]].</ref> |
| − | On Wikipedia, placement bias is taken on step further by downplaying facts unfavorable to [[liberals]] by placing them in less-visited entries. | + | As any newspaper editor knows, the number of people who read a fact is proportional to its proximity to the beginning of the article. Moreover, readers expect the more important facts to be first, and place more emphasis on them in reading an article. |
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| + | On [[Wikipedia]], placement bias is taken on step further by downplaying facts unfavorable to [[liberals]] by placing them in entirely different, and less-visited, entries. | ||
[[category:media]] | [[category:media]] | ||
| + | [[category:politics]] | ||
Revision as of 23:26, October 6, 2007
Placement bias is the manipulation of the order and placement of information in order to distort the impression left in the reader. Liberals often use placement bias to obscure important facts unfavorable to their argument, and to promote liberal claims beyond what is justified. For example, the Wikipedia entry on Boy Scouts v. Dale, a case that they lost, features near the top of the entry glowing praise of the attorney on their side, which had no relevance to the decision that he lost.[1]
As any newspaper editor knows, the number of people who read a fact is proportional to its proximity to the beginning of the article. Moreover, readers expect the more important facts to be first, and place more emphasis on them in reading an article.
On Wikipedia, placement bias is taken on step further by downplaying facts unfavorable to liberals by placing them in entirely different, and less-visited, entries.