SpinSpotter

SpinSpotter is an online service, developed by Seattle-based SpinSpotter Inc., designed to surface specific instances of bias and inaccuracy in any news story online. Users of the service install a browser toolbar called Spinoculars in order to see, share, and edit signs of bias on Web news stories and other online pages. The service launched in beta form on September 8, 2008; the Spinoculars toolbar initially is available only for Firefox 3, although an Internet Explorer version is planned. SpinSpotter Inc. was founded by Todd Herman and its chief executive officer is John Atcheson; the company identifies them as politically conservative and liberal, respectively. [ [http://spinspotter.com/press-releases/launch.pdf SpinSpotter Inc., Press Release, SpinSpotter Debuts Service To Spot Media Bias and Inaccuracy Online; Leading Writers, Media Critics and Journalism Professors Help Establish Guidelines for Identifying Bias in the Media] (Sept. 8, 2008).]

SpinSpotter says its service looks for areas of news which appear to present "spin" from a published list of rules of spin; enables news users to rate spin, edit out the spin, share it or find instances it missed; and learns from the input of trusted users. The designated forms of spin are reporter's voice; passive voice; biased source; disregarded context; selective disclosure; lack of balance; and overreliance on press releases. [ [http://spinspotter.com/rules SpinSpotter, The Seven Deadly Spins] (visited Sept. 10, 2008).]

In early reaction to the beta release, Language Log concluded that the service appeared to be overly reliant on user input and that its spin-spotting software doesn't actually do anything at all. [ [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=575 Mark Liberman, Spinner Unspun] , Language Log (Sept. 10, 2008).] "The New York Times" reported that there appear to be few phrases in SpinSpotter's database of spin and that the service's algorithm cannot account for context or tone. [ [http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/start-up-attacks-media-bias-one-phrase-at-a-time/ Claire Cain Miller, Start-Up Attacks Media Bias, One Phrase at a Time] , "N.Y. Times" (Sept. 8, 2008).] Language Log also noted that the service's example of passive voice is not in fact in the passive voice. [ [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=574 Geoffrey K. Pullum, Dumb Mag Buys Grammar Goof Spin Spot Fraud] , Language Log (Sept. 9, 2008).]

References

External links

* [http://spinspotter.com/home SpinSpotter home page]