Although most journalists try to be objective and factual in reporting events, there is no such thing as a news story without a point of view. Every news story is influenced by the attitudes and backgrounds of the reporters, photographers and editors who select and edit the images and information they offer us.

Bias can be unintentional or deliberate, depending on the motives of news gatherers and the sources of information they rely on.

Most reporters and editors are adults who, naturally, see the world from an adult's point of view.

They may also assume that their audiences are mostly adults who share similar views. Age-related bias may influence how much importance they attach to issues concerning young people, and the angle they take on such issues.

Stereotypes can be a side effect of tight deadlines. Reporters for daily newspapers or news shows often have to research, write and present a story in one working day. They may not have time to present several sides of an issue. They may need a quick, convenient, pre-packaged image, and a stereotypical word or headline can provide that.

Because the news industry is under pressure to attract readers and viewers, it has to produce stories that are compelling, short and easily understandable to a general audience. By using stereotypes, a complex issue involving people with complex motives can be reduced to a simple conflict between "good guys" and "bad guys." This can happen when the media try to make real events appear more dramatic, or when a situation needs to be explained in a 10-second sound bite.

In the search for images and stories that will attract audiences, the media tend to focus on issues of crime, violence, tragedy and disaster. (Check the local TV news to see how much coverage they give to what the police and fire departments did today!) While car crashes and shootings are sure-fire attention grabbers, a steady diet of these images can give us a distorted view of what goes on in the world. The negative slant of the news means that when young people (and members of other minority groups) do appear in the headlines, it is most often in the context of crime, drugs, violence, death, or some other alarming issue.