Media Bias
Citizens of the United States vary vastly. The exposure to media, however, is one common thread that connects the majority of the population. We trust popular news outlets to portray information we need or want to know, but do these stations always deliver it the same? CNN and Fox are two dominant forces in today's media driven society, but these two juggernauts often differ in coverage on many current prominent issues.
"...Protestors fired more than 100 gunshots and burned and looted as many as 25 buildings and vandalized police cars in Ferguson, MO...." (Gunshots) This is how Fox News reported the aftermath of the verdict to not indict Officer Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown. Although I do not plan to debate the
…show more content…
Fox reported Trump's victory with, "Donald Trump, defying the pundits and polls to the end, defeated Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s presidential election and claimed an establishment-stunning victory..." (Trump) The wording of this strongly suggests Fox's support for Trump's victory and portrays Trump more as a likeable underdog. It shows how he shocked the nation, but it has a delighted air about it that reinforces the positive connotation of the message. CNN's report varied greatly stating, "It was an earthquake. But Americans chose. After a gut-wrenching campaign, dominated by questions about character and temperament, Donald Trump will be America's 45th president." (Sesno) To the contrary of Fox's article, CNN highlights the questions and negative aspects of Donald Trump's campaign. The wording is that of a tragedy instead of an excited victory. They strongly imply that they do not entirely support the …show more content…
We saw all of these from the Obama administration this week as it desperately tried to defend its foolhardy plan to bring Syrian refugees into the United States without adequately vetting them for ISIS terrorists."(Fleitz) This was included in one article posted by Fox concerning the introduction of Syrian refugees into the United States. Although there were slightly more positive articles, the fact that it was even published by Fox shows the station's extreme bias towards the situation. It uses negative language throughout to stress this and even directly criticizes Obama and the decision. CNN took a more neutral stance with, "President Obama has ordered his administration to "scale up" the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States in the coming year, directing his team to prepare for at least 10,000 in the next fiscal year, the White House said Thursday"(Koran) I was honestly extremely surprised by this article as well. Compared to Fox's example, one could say CNN's was leaning liberal, but overall they seemed to report this occurrence objectively. I did not detect any loaded language, but the lack of usual bias may actually suggest they do not support the decision
Now a days people run to media for answers on current events and expect information to be accurate, but yet do the people know that almost all media news reports are bias. Often times people run to news channels that give out information they want to hear based off the media’s beliefs. The media has always been bias, but it wasn’t until certain events occurred that opened society’s eyes. There are six powerhouse news sources that all have their own type of bias which points out their own perspective on current events. When it comes to current events, different media platforms represent the story from different perspectives. Viewers want their views to be validated rather than challenged and don’t give ideas of what people should do. Although
Countless people have criticized Fox News and CNN for political bias, but recently outrage to media bias has resulted in lasting negative consequences far beyond years prior. Donald Trump has convinced a significant amount of his base to distrust the mainstream media, as evidenced by a Quinnipiac poll that reveals 5 in 10 likely voters believe the media is biased against him (Harper). This number jumps to an incredible 9 in 10 with Republicans. Trump supporters have refused to view media they perceive to be biased, even going so far to chant “CNN sucks!” at a rally in Pennsylvania (“10,000 Trump Supporters”). The resentment of a few news outlets affects not only those news outlets, but how the dissenters perceive the world as a whole. When
Speed, immediacy, global reach- the Internet provides vast, new opportunities for the distribution and reception of news. I had spent the past two weeks, Feb. 13- Feb. 28, observing the front-pages of CNN and Fox News online. Because both are powerful news networks, I focused my attention on the top-featured stories displayed on both web pages, and if stories were featured on both, did the news networks portray the stories similarly or differently. A lot of my attention was also focused on the diversity of both CNN and Fox News. I reviewed diversity by analyzing the difference in headlines, content throughout the story and the writers and reporters.
Media has been playing a significant role in our daily lives by developing our personalities, enriching our knowledge and providing us with different sorts of information. It has a tremendous power in framing cultural guidelines and shaping political dissertation. If the information provided to the U.S. citizens is distorted, then they cannot make informed decisions on the matters of public policy. Thus, it becomes vital to the American democracy that the news media and its institutions remain unbiased, fair and accurate. Media bias happens when a media systematically and persistently emphasize one particular point of view that is usually below the standards of professional journalism. There can be various reasons for media bias, some of
One problem that plagues us everyday without us even realizing it is media bias. We see it in the news. We see it on our favorite sitcoms. We read it everyday in the paper. Yet, we really don't recognize it when we hear it or see it. Media bias is evident in every aspect of the media, yet the problem is that we don't even recognize it when it is right in front of our faces. Are the impressions that we form about individuals a product of the media? Do we form certain opinions about particular types of people based solely on the things we see and hear in the media everyday without even realizing it? The problem is not only that there is media bias present, but also that we can't recognize it when we see it.
It is important that news broadcasting networks do not let personal bias effect the story that’s being told to its audience. People who watch the news, opinions are heavily influenced by the information given to them. Viewers think their opinion is original but are unaware that the information they receive is biased and is meant to influence and form their opinions about a certain topic or argument. Many believe that the news is unbiased and factual because journalist or experts are providing them with evidence.When, in fact, these news outlets are filled with producers, reporters, and writers, who share the same viewpoints. This is groupthink and groupthink is very prominent in news broadcasting networks. Groupthink is when a group of people who share the same ideologies make decisions as a group. In an interview with Fox Business’s John Stossel, Bernie Goldberg explains that groupthink effects the viewer because like-minded people at news networks only show the audience one-side of an argument or story because of their personal opinions on a the topic. This means that news
Journalists play an important part in the democratic process. Traditionally, the roles of the news media are to provide a forum for debate, represent opposing perspectives on the day’s issues and hold public officials accountable while serving their constituents. However, in recent decades, media has given way to biased forms of news— partisan media. In Matthew Levendusky’s “How Partisan Media Polarize America,” he explores if these partisan media influences viewers. The book’s second chapter, “What Do Partisan Media Actually Say?” concludes that partisan media promotes a larger agenda separately to Democrats and Republicans, attack the opposing side while denouncing compromise, and usually side with their candidate of choice during
The author is the David S. and Ann M. Barlow Professor of Political Economy and
When Americans attempt to find the truth in the media, it is important Americans realize what bias each individual media platform has. In the beginning of television, there were only 3 major news channels. These news networks were: ABC, CBS, and NBC; also known as “Mainstream Media”. The mainstream media held views that aligned with American liberals and seemed to always side with this group and were the only news stations for Americans to view. Ultimately, since these were the only news outlets available, whatever views these news stations presented to its watchers, were the only opinions that the majority of Americans held. However, as time went on cable television was created and gave Americans additional news networks. In 1980, CNN debuted
This paragraph will go through if the media are bias and use the example of newspaper endorsements and its effects on voting. According to recent survey data over a half of voters believe that the American media is biased. But another forty percent say that they filter out the media because of how biased it is. Newspapers are driven by an economic motive more than a political motive, which is why it wouldn’t make sense for newspapers to just be biased without any real economic motive. The only real explanation for this is that newspapers are biased only towards what their consumers want to hear, and if consumers hear what they want to hear then they will keep buying the newspaper. Newspaper endorsements are a very popular method by newspapers
and the ANC (Terblanche, 2016). Bias in the media is the perception that the press is reporting the news in a prejudiced and non objective manner. This falls under one of the three principles of the role of media, honest reporting. According to Windschuttle, the role of the media can be characterised by 3 principles: Honest reporting; Adhering to the ethical obligations that bound them to the listener, viewer and reader; Lastly, commitment to good writing (Windshuttle, 1997). The role of the media is extended to informing the public of what they need to know in order to make decisions. The guard dog theory is a common way to describe the way mass media and journalists support various political views and groups but can also criticise the same groups when they violate the values they promised to adhere to. The theory claims that the idea of the guard dog is found in the middle ground between the ‘lap dog’ and the ‘watch dog’. They are neither entirely subservient to the powerful entities that control them nor completely serve the publics best interests (Akumey-Affizie, 2017) Most of the headlines from The Daily Maverick, The Citizen, The Huffington Post, and Time Live reflected the President and his decision in a negative light, with rare glimpses of positivity from newspapers like The New Age. Media coverage and the way they frame their stories directly affect the opinion and response of the public.
If a news anchor tells viewers the news in a certain way and gives a personal opinion on it, are they going to believe the same as them? People believe that media officials have news anchors tell news in an agreeable way. But some people will think what they want. But can’t both be right?
There are many different hidden truths in the media that people do not know about due to the fact that the media emphasizes on just one particular point of view. Throughout the years, people have been biased in the media and the reason as to why this happens is that people choose to lean on one side such as republican, democrat, libertarian, or conservative. To be biased means to only be on one side of an argument or situation and only favor more of what one person has to say. There are a variety of different news channels in which they all tend to lean more on one side, there is not a single news channel that is on the same side as another. There are many current events that have multiple contentious between other news channels. The viewers
In today’s society, remaining connected and knowledgeable of current events and the newest trends is vital to staying ahead in business, education, and social standing. This information is supplied to everyone through the internet, newspapers, television, and radio. One can tune into stations such as CNN, NBC, Fox News, Al-Jazeera, and many others (“SQs of Media Outlets”). In order to meet the needs of viewers, readers, and listeners, the ideal media system would contain accurate, quick information, with a purely impartial view on the facts as they are known. However, this modern media system has not maintained an objective view, pushing opinionated and slanted reporting onto the population in order to create profit and gain customers. The exploitation of information media for personal gain has created a toxic and inaccurate present, constant in today’s society.
For decades, the Media have been increasingly perceived as bias, untrustworthy, and accused of reporting “fake” news—but there is much debate about the truthfulness of these claims. Now one of the most important journalistic ethics, objectivity really gained popularity in about 1890. Before that time, papers were openly biased, funded mostly by the political parties themselves. Now candidates use media bias for a different advantage. Both Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump actively used “liberal media bias” to further their campaigns, and some argue that it was key to Trump’s win. Liberals undoubtable garner the most accusations of bias, causing conservatives to flock to Fox news, who use their conservative bias to their benefit.