Is there a bias in the media?

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Is there a bias in the media? 03.11.04 (9:20 pm)   [edit] It is evident that the media is biased in what it chooses to report and the manner in which it is reported. Conservatives claim that we have a liberal media, that favors and caters to the left-wing agenda. Liberals point out that there are conservative biases in the media, claiming that the media is biased in favor of Republicans. Neither argument is wrong. The media is biased, not either liberally or conservatively, but both. Watching the various news channels, you will see consistent coverage of issues relating to both the Rupublican and Democratic agendas. The mainstream media does a decent job of portraying two sides to every issue- the problem is, there are more than two sides. There is a constant display of the dichotomy of American politics, as well as American culture, evidenced in the media. But the opinions of those not reflected by the two major parties are overlooked by the media. The media focuses solely on two sides to every issue, neglecting all other viewpoints. This is the nature of the true media bias. It isn't entirely something to be critical about, however. It would be an incredibly daunting task to report on all issues affecting all people and from all viewpoints available. This is why the media bias of only reporting two sides occurs. The mainstream media reports what is mainstream. The issues that are predominant in our society are given greater attention by the media and the views that are most prevalent are the views that are expressed and examined. There will always be some sort of media bias, as there is no way to reasonably cover all stories from all perspectives. However, the argument over whether the media is biased towards the liberals or conservatives is overlooking the basic fact that the true bias lies in [b]only[/b] those views being examined in the media.   posted by: RedTigress (reply) post date: 03.11.04 (6:30 pm) You are 100% correct! The media is man-made, so it will never be bias-free. That's why people need to think more and examine the issues, independantly, for themselves and not take every news report (or every story at all, for that matter) as the 'gospel.' When people think, our species will advance. posted by: whoisjohngalt (reply) post date: 03.11.04 (6:55 pm) I think you'll find this page interesting: http://www.journalism.org/resources/research/reports/default.asp One of the ONLY sites I've ever seen that actually is "fair and balanced", unlike MRC or FAIR. In particular, the 2000 election coverage, the first 100 days of Bush's (vs. Clinton's) presidencies, and the "Return to Normalcy" articles really delve into the realm of media bias (or lack thereof...). posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.12.04 (10:40 am) Reply to: whoisjohngalt Yeah, that is pretty interesting. But (from what I looked at, anyway) it still only discusses what is reported by the media, not what is neglected. Comparing news stories, it shows that coverage is pretty fair in terms of favoring liberals or conservatives. But there's no room for other views. It's silly to argue that the media is biased in favor of either Republicans or Democrats, because it actually favors both. posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.12.04 (12:15 pm) Reply to: RedTigress People definitely need to think for themselves and really examine the issues, not just accept whatever they are told. When people think, our species will advance. Oh no, we are very likely screwed. ;) Your Name: Your Comment:

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