HIDDEN AGENDAS

=Why did they write it?= Information published in the media may not have been written to simply inform it's readers. Authors often have an agenda themselves. To evaluate the intended '''purpose''' of information presented to the public it may be helpful to start with two questions *'''Who published the information and / or who do they represent?''' *'''Who is the target audience?''' ==Vested Interests & Agendas== In many articles the author might try and persuade the reader accept a certain viewpoint. To better ascertain the validity of their argument you must ask yourself; what is the author trying to achieve? What motivate them to write the article and do they stand to gain from its publication? *An author has a '''vested interest''' if they somehow stand to gain from the publication of the article *An author has an '''agenda''' if they are trying to use the article in to somehow facilitate a desired outcome The authors agenda might be: *Religious *Political *Financial *Professional *Emotional For instance, a journalists may try to be impartial and include opposing viewpoints in order to present a balanced story. However, they will also be trying to generate readership. This is why journalists often sensationalise issues in order to generate greater interest in the story. Generating readers will help further their journalistic career. Authors don't usually disclose their agenda or any vested interests. You may need to look carefully for evidence of how their agenda is conveyed? NCEA Level 2 Biology students will be asked to read three different articles and '''identify the author''', '''identify the target audience''' ("the general public" is not specific enough) and '''explain how a vested interest or personal agenda is conveyed'''.