Biased Media Modern People

Today’s  live in a world where information can be received with a simple press of a button. People can see and learn about issues around the world within a snap of finger. Media outlets such as podcasts, newspapers, television stations, apps, radio channels, and the internet, all contribute to how people gain knowledge. This knowledge from media-based resources is expansive; it serves as a means of socialization. Further, media outlets have a crucial aspect in influencing media topics like politics and government.

However, political media’s influence does not come without flaws. Depending on the type of resource and its information, a person can be exposed to media bias and, or, rhetoric. Such techniques manipulate a viewer’s political opinions and create bias in a predestined route… no matter what political association a person might have.

The media as whole is filled with a lot of biases. According to Fair, “[it has] tremendous power in setting cultural guidelines and in shaping political discourse” (Fair, 2020).

This influence creates a problem because political outlets, most specifically news sources, have all the key information individuals rely on to be reported reliably and accurately. Consequently, “as [it] pertains to news, … [people] tend to seek out the sources that confirm [their] existing bias. [People] tend to watch just the conservative news, or just the liberal news depending on whether [their] own beliefs lean toward conservative or liberal,” as stated by Com Library. For example, President Trump, himself, has made several accusations that CNN is “fake news.

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” This is due to fact that the station continuously reports stories that do seek to reflect his presidency as positively as on other stations.

Therefore, columnist –Robert Farley– shows how Republican President, Donald J. Trump, felt the media was biased towards democrats. In one situation, for instance, President Trump believed CNN manipulated video footage to make it seem as if a crowd of people protested his judgment… to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. This case of conflicting bias serves an illustration of the American people’s constant argument that the political sources show favoritism and seek to negatively impact a candidate’s or party’s reputation. This can be seen in President Trump’s lashing-out; he feels angered and betrayed by the political bias of the media. Feelings like this, of irritation and pain, have impacted America in many ways. Reliable networks have become infiltrated with media bias.

The abuse of influenced news can be viewed on many platforms such as websites, news apps, and political television channels. Fair states: “Political coverage often focuses on how issues affect politicians… rather than those directly affected by the issue.” (Fair, 2020). Hence, the news channels often over zealously promote political agendas. Especially being that there is a definite bias on media platforms, having knowledge about the political divide in television station is important. Often, news outlets like Fox News and OAN are seen as republican channels, whereas ABC, CNN, and MSNBC are viewed as liberal channels. Such knowledge has a major impact on a viewer’s decision on what channel to watch. For example, a liberal may watch CNN, and agree with the station’s political viewpoint. Whereas, a conservative could watch CNN, and completely disagree with the station’s political viewpoint.

For instance, on January 25, 2020, Don Lemon, Rick Wilson (Republican strategist and anti-President Trump supporter), and Wajahat Ali (New York Times writer) poked fun at President Donald Trump and his supporters by laughing and mocking them. This group of democrats made statements regarding republican’s lack of intelligence and skill. This circumstance validates how democrats, as well, have biases. Furthermore, the case can be used to justify why a liberal or progressive might see President Trump as an unfit leader. On the other hand, a conservative might say the incident is mockery of the American government and the country’s pride. Once more, these conflicting points of view further display the ample amounts of bias in political sources. Incidents like this demonstrate the constant exploitation of information and opinion. It further shows that the media has become drenched in controversy, confusion, and rhetoric.

Luckily, many people have learned to recognize this fatal flaw. According to the Knight Foundation, “Americans’ perception of the news media is generally negative, and their perceptions of bias have grown considerably from a generation ago. A majority cannot name an objective news source”. Forty-three percent of Americans believe the new is mostly negative, thirty-three feel the news is positive, and twenty-three percent believe the news is neutral. Furthermore, seventy-three percent of people believe the conglomeration of inaccurate information on the internet is one of the biggest issues with news bias today, as stated by the Knight Foundation. However, Americans still do believe in the benefit of the media. For example, more than eight in ten U.S. adults believe the new is a critical aspect to America’s democracy that informs citizens about public issues and leader’s pros and cons. However, at the same time, as stated by the Knight Foundation: “Americans are more likely to say the media perform these roles poorly”.

Overall, despite a person’s political affiliation, bias can be seen in any political outlet. Thus, people’s political opinions become biased as well. Regardless of political affiliation – progressive, liberal, or conservative – all parties have been negatively affected by media bias. Especially since now, more than any other generation, technology’s ease of access has given people the means to learn about universal or even local problems. Political outlets, although helpful with socialization, can drive people apart through the use of bias. Media bias has impacted American society, it has become an expression of a judgmental society. Further, media bias displays the emphasized propaganda of politics and media networks. Media outlets, although informative, are over saturated with bias, rhetoric, and personal belief.