The concept of news perspective bias necessitates the creation of an empirical standard by which to judge that bias. A study defined and tested a real life referent applicable to planned, sustained news events that have identifiable and accessible participants. The study compared the television news coverage of court ordered busing to achieve racial integration in the public school system of a large midwestern city with the perceptions of the students involved. News content came from the local affiliates of the three commercial television networks, and referent content came from students in a video communication project who were taught to use video equipment and then told to prepare tapes about their experience with the busing. Content categories were developed from both sets of tapes, and the kind and degree of bias was determined by comparing the newscasts to the students' material. Specific results obtained from this data are less important for themselves than for their implications for the concept of the real life referent. Although more difficult to apply than to advocate, the real life referent does directly address important issues of surveillance. (JL)