Introduction
I will discuss what I learned from reading Brill’s Content article. Then, I will discuss my findings from visiting Media Research Center (MRC) and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) websites. I will share my opinion of about the Newsweek. Finally, I will share my thoughts about the role I think the media should play in a democracy.
Brill’s Content
Before I purchase a big price item I do a lot of research, after reading Gartner’s article, I realized I should do the same when reading or listening to news. I like the 10 question approach, it’s simple and the questions make sense. I find the approach useful because people should be more cynical of the news. The question that I found most useful was “is she getting paid.” It’s useful because the conviction and passion is different from an unpaid contributor and a paid one. Gartner said a paid contributor would be more outlandish and controversial, but I think a person who is unpaid has passion and righteousness. Another useful question was “how can I believe you.” I especially think this when I see reporters on Fox news or CNN. I am always very skeptical because I feel both are bias.
At first impression, I thought I was going to favor MRC over FAIR. I do not like anything liberal; their opinions tend to anger me. I began by reading their “About Us” pages. They are both grass-roots and 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations, meaning they need donations in order to operate. They both may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates (IRS, n.d.). My thoughts up to this point were that they are the same but w...
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...from http://fair.org/
Gartner, M. (n.d.). How to evaluate the media (from Brill's Content). Retrieved from https://ccis.ucourses.com/d2l/le/content/216952/viewContent/2248317/View
IRS (n.d.). Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Exemption-Requirements-Section-501(c)(3)-Organizations
Johnston, D. C. (2014, April 16). Too Big to Jail. Newsweek, April 25 Issue. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/2014/04/25/too-big-jail-248153.html
MRC (n.d.). Media Research Center. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.mrc.org/
Newsweek (2014, April 25). Newsweek, April 25 Isssue. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/2014/04/25/issue.html
Newsweek (n.d.). Stories by David Cay Johnston. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.newsweek.com/authors/david-cay-johnston
Taking these three points that I have discussed thus far, it is no wonder why I feel that print media is a far better source of obtaining accurate information. It is difficult to find glitter and flash on paper, therefore the meat must come from the facts. Unlike electronic media, with all their flash and glitter, whose focus is to find something that, the public would enjoy watching so that they can achieve their goals of ratings and profit. Because “…There’s No Business, But Show Business” (Postman, 98)
Discrepancy in Media Coverage Name:.. Course: Using the X College: Tutor: Date: Discrepancy in Media Coverage More boys than girls indulge in sports activities in school. This has become a huge source of concern. Male students take active part in sports activities. Girls on the other hand shun such activities.
All pieces of information, unless hard fact, are biased. Bias may arise intentionally or not, but either way it is imperative that readers, watchers, and listeners are aware when they come in contact with media bias. Although it is unrealistic for the media to be completely objective in every issue they cover, media bias is a prevalent issue in the world today, and will continue on unless consumers of the media become truly educated about the world and its events. This is demonstrated in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, as all forms of media are controlled by the World State, in favor of the World State and the culture they have created.
One of the major problems in the American media today is non-objective reporting which is also known as bias. This has been a trend since the early 1980?s and is very alarming for American citizens who watch the news for truth and honest reporting. Not only has bias been a problem in the broadcast media of ABC, NBC, and CBS, but it has also been a problem in mainstream newspapers such as The New York Times, The Sun, and The Boston Globe. For years, these media outlets have built their reputations on truth and now the trend is to lean left and not tell the whole story. Evidence of this has become very prominent in war coverage and election bias. Bias in the media is a big issue and causes lots of problems throughout the public such as losing trust in a once great source for news, people going elsewhere for information, being ill-informed, and leading to a low voter turnout.
Paul, Richard, and Linda Elder. How to Detect Media Bias and Propaganda in National and World News. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Criticalthinkingforbusiness.org. Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2006. Web.
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
The discrepancies in media coverage in coverage of female and children athletics have large gaps, but are gaining momentum in sharing equality. Major athletic leagues such as the NBA and FIFA World Cup have wide gaps in marketing and ratings for their male and female athletes. Children are future athletes and superstars, but as funding and coverage in athletics catering to the males, women are breaking the barriers to be in the spotlight of sport. Both gender contribute equally to athletics, and challenge the each other to accept new ideas and change. The sports world that has a single gender dominating the media is unjust. Society does not want to bored, we need change in sports entertainment to cater to all. Not all parents and teachers are available to educate our children about the concepts of sharing and teamwork, our children are growing up learning key concepts through media. I will discuss these concepts and how they intertwine.
First, the role of the media is to represent the public and intervene between the public and the government. The media is a mirror, which re...
Malcolm X once said “The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” In 1990, fifty-nine year old Delbert Ward was accused of killing his brother Bill Ward. Delbert was one of four brothers who lived on the family’s land operating a small farm producing milk from cows. During and after Delbert’s trial, loads of media preyed upon the ill-educated man and the village like vultures. Given his impoverished surroundings and his appearance, the media depicted Delbert as a salvage who killed his brother on the same bed that they shared for years. The documentary “Brother’s Keeper” investigated the truth behind the death of Bill Ward. It presents the argument that media manipulates public opinion. Media does manipulate public opinion using many techniques to influence the minds of the mass. The media’s effectiveness, level of bias present, and types of the media source used to portray information to determine how media influence public opinion, as well as address the opposing view to the argument.
Media bias has existed nearly as long as the media in this country. In fact, in the 18th, 19th, and even into the early 20th century, it was not unusual for political parties to support and therefore, influence newspapers. In fact, media bias was so common it was nearly expected. Politicians were even known to direct individual editorial pages to fit their campaigns. Readers themselves are also biased, which affects news reporting.
Some of the sections to look carefully at pertaining to this essay are accuracy, accountability, digital media publication. “Accuracy is the moral imperative of journalists and news organizations, and should not be compromised”; it’s what journalists should seek out in finding stories and their accompanying sources, what they must take responsibility for. On that note, journalists are accountable for the fairness and reliability, the distinction between news and opinion of all reporting. Finally, under digital media, journalists must be careful to name all sources of media, they must obtain permission from those they are displaying in their publications, and “use these photos and videos for news and public interest purposes only, and not to serve voyeuristic
The introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation. Since there is no longer a need to wait until the next print day, news from all over the world is available at a person’s fingertips within hours or even minutes of the event. With this advent of such easily accessible information, new problems for the news media have also arisen. Aside from potentially losing good economic standing because newspapers are no longer being purchased in the quantities they used to be, the credibility of the information itself is also put into question. No one would argue that credibility of news sources is unimportant, but there is a discrepancy in what takes precedence; economy and speed or getting the information out correctly at the first publishing by taking the time to make sure all facts are checked. The importance of having a system of checks on all information submitted is paramount. People trust what they read and believe it to be so without always questioning. If all information were to not be checked thoroughly, there would be instances where people read an article only for information included to be wrong and they go on believing such information. This can be very dangerous as misinformed people make misinformed decisions. With an increase in errors being made by citizen bloggers and even major publications, many are worried that journalistic ethics and credibility in the news media are being sacrificed in order to maintain swiftness in the news circuit and to retain personal profits. Though getting information to the masses quickly is a major part of the media’s importance, this should not mean that the credibility of that information being presented should be sacrificed for it...
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the media in todays world: does the media report fairly, reporting vs creating the news, and whether or not the media should be monitored are all ways the media today are questioned. People rely on the media to deliver quick and accurate information to the public. When there are allegations of false or fabricated information being reported, from some of the only sources of information we have access too; it’s hard to tell whats the truth is. The media today doesn't report fairly. Most commonly discussed forms of bias occur when the media support or attack a particular political party, candidate, or ideology.
The elimination of media bias is pretty much impossible due to the fact that large corporations head the media, and the heads of most large corporations are white men, but by the implementation of certain strategies it would be a move in the right direction. Media bias is a problem, though it may not be blatant, it is serious because it could be helping to form people?s beliefs about others. People are scared of the unknown, and by giving them a certain portrayal of someone they have had no interaction with; it can have detrimental effects. Who knows actually what impact media bias has had on the nation as a whole. How do we know whether or not media bias has made an individual not get or even lose a job? How do we know how many friendships media bias has stopped from even being initiated? Hopefully one day we will be able to recognize what media bias is, only then will we be able to begin the process of fighting to put an end to it. Only then will we be able to create a fair, unbiased media that is diverse and one that encompasses the ideas of an ideal media.
In trying to attract new audiences, news media have begun to transition from reporting to becoming a form of entertainment. With the meteoric rise of social media’s role as a news source, the fight for an increase of diversity in the media, and the ever-growing desire of immediate content, the future of responsible journalism is more important than ever. Ask yourself, why do I think the way I do? Where do my political views originate? How do I prove them? Most likely, it is due to the biased portrayal of issues in the media and the politicization that accompanies what we consume. Now, compare your views to your preferred news reporting entity. More than likely, they are the same.