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Media Report

Bias in the media

by Arthur Weinreb

July 29, 2002

There are other reasons that account for bias in the media other than that which is inherent in the editing and production functions of news reporting. One major cause of bias is the blending of fact and opinion by journalists and television commentators. Years ago, when newspapers were the main source of news, fact and opinion were clearly separated with opinion being relegated to editorials. But now it is difficult to find a news item that does not contain some element of opinion.

One reason for this blending is the proliferation of news outlets. News is highly competitive broadsheets, tabloids, 24-hour radio and television stations, TV tabloid shows and the internet. News has often become intertwined with entertainment in order to attract and keep audiences and readers. Facts are just facts and to attempt to be competitive, something different and more entertaining has to be added — opinions on the facts. A good example of this type of reporting appeared on CNN’s coverage of the plane crash involving John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1999. There was almost continuous coverage between the time the aircraft was reported missing and the time the bodies were recovered in order that the latter could be reported live as "breaking news". The cable network showed a lot of water during that coverage and broke the silence by injecting opinion into the news (or lack of it). Opinion becomes necessary in news stories to fill in time and to try and gain an edge over the competition.

Bias also emanates from descriptive terms that are used by reporters. For example, Timothy McVeigh was almost always referred to as a "right wing extremist". While this was a proper characterization, the Unibomber, a left wing extremist, was never referred to as that. If the media felt the need to describe him at all it was as a "former mathematics professor". The predominately liberal media just don’t seem to see dangerous left wing activists in the same way they view their right wing counterparts.

There are two sides to every story, but sometimes the media only report one side. While the piece does not contain opinion as such, the opinion of the reporter can be inferred from what is not present. An example of this type of reporting can be found in the reporting of the bombing in Gaza City last week where 15 Palestinians, including 9 children died. What many stories did NOT report was Israel’s response to the bombing — that they had intelligence reports that indicated that there were no civilians in the area and that previous planned attacks were called off because of the presence of civilians. There was even less coverage in the media of the fact that Israel had been requesting Yasser Arafat to arrest Hamas leader Salah Shahada for the past two years. An unbiased media would have reported all of the facts and let the readers and viewers reach their own conclusion about whether or not Israel’s actions crossed the line.

These are just some of the ways that bias is found in the media.



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