Whats your thought on media bias? Does it exist? Even down to the lowest levels of community journalism?
Written by admin on October 21st, 2009
I’m a young journalist heading out into the crazy world of news reporting and I have become disheartened by the public’s view of the media. I work for a small daily newspaper and we try very hard to get all the sources, to be unbiased, to get both sides of the story and to run all letters from readers. I would like to know your thoughts on this … not just random comments but really take a look at it. I mean some major outlets such as the Weekly Standard and the Nation are proud of their support of one political view, but I mean community outlets really don’t take a side. In fact, journalists are trained in how to be unbiased. I’m not picking one side or the other, and I’m not suggesting that there isn’t or is bias in the news media (an no i don’t affliate myself with any party). I know that in these polarized times anyone reporting the news can’t make everyone happy, but what steps would you suggest a reporter take to ensure no bias. Also please list your political party if you wish.
Also what’s your thoughts on wire services like AP, NY Times, Reuters…are they biased? What about political cartoons?
Most complete,thoughtful answer to the overall question will be awarded best answer.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Media bias, yes it does exist. I feel it depends on who owns the media outlet and their affiliations and what is in their best interest and not the interest of the general public.
Look no further than Hurricane Katrina, US citizens called refugees in their own homeland. Hurricane victims of color called looters and caucasian hurricane victims were just “looking for food” and “trying to survive”….
I am a Democrat.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:00 am
I think all the talks about media bias is quite exaggerated. There is lot of truth to it because of increased corporate interests/stakes in news organizations and growing pressure to profit with news programmings (and tight competitions). Thus searching for loyal viewers, catering to some types of ‘groups’ marketing researchers target…etc and leading to what we now call ‘those horrible media bias.’
You have to see the big picture of what seem to be driving these so called ‘media bias.’ It’s hard to pin it down to one channel, one reporter, one program…etc. You have to realize there is much much larger force that encourage those crazy reports people label ‘media bias’ and get so angry about.
Don’t worry about bias if it is small newspaper and focus on reliability of sources and other basics of reporting. Do realize all these bias talk seem to be sparking from large corporate owned news organizations.
And no single story or report make one a bias news organization. It is series of reports and how overall viewing/reading experience of that news outlet lead one to think.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Excellent question. First of all let me congratulate you for working in an unbiased environment.
I think your news paper cannot be unbiased for ever. The moment there is a substantial viewership / readership, you will either have to take sides or you will be forced out of business. Today’s media is playing a puppets role in the hands of a few powerful people. Most of the media is out there to earn money. Journalism is no more a community service. It is business. Journalists should never give out their views, but rather their columns should be thought provoking. Good luck to you in your pious goal of being an unbiased journalist. Remember the classic saying…A pen is mightier than a sword.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Any time you have a lot of different people working for a big company (any news outlet), you run the risk of certain people having biases.
It does also depend on who is pulling the strings.
I’m a young reporter. I write what I write about things like… American Idol, the Academy Awards, and what have you. I don’t set out to put a bias on my writing, simply to find as many sources as I can and hope my audience finds something useful from what I write.
That said, I work for a small paper owned by a huge corporation.
Larger outlets with larger public figures work differently. It annoys me that three people make up our “editorial board,” and one of those people is the person writing the editorial. People’s political and social stances many times come from their position at a company, salary and experience. When the publisher of the newspaper contributes to an editorial endorsing a political candidate (which they do), I have a problem with that. That person, who makes upwards of $250,000 a year, doesn’t relate to the common man.
When editorials praising efforts to give illegal immigrants free tuition to college, I’m reminded that the same publisher doesn’t have to live paycheck-to-paycheck and worry that even more of her money is going toward funding illegal education.
Check out “Bias” by Bernard Goldberg. If nothing else, it will make you think.
Just my two cents.
October 31st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Undoubtedly bias exists, if just in the form of what news is actually published.
Media is in the midst of a vast transformation as the WWW becomes the primary means an informed citizenry accesses information.
There will always be an audience for credible information. Credible means unbiased, an ideal fortunately still taught (almost exclusively) in our Journalism departments.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
of course it does exist and pls. don’t tell me otherwise because its human nature instinct to be biased, at first when out of school some of this people don’t think they are but subconciously they have been because of the people who teach and trained them to think. now when they graduated they start to work with some people and they try their very best to be independent but in some way or the other their opinion. personal or otherwise becomes clear and critical or favorable to the item or subject they are reporting plus the influences of the environment as such really becomes so strong to the point of them becoming as such. i am independent but still once in a while i tend to become a conservative or liberal depending on the arguments presented whether it goes against me or in favor of me.