Media Bias In Politics

Not only is the media biased in sports, but the bias seems to be more recognizable in politics. A rule of thumb, never debate religion and politics. Both topics will most likely end with some form of physical or verbal altercation. After working for the same company for the last decade, our breakrooms always show the Fox News channel. They seem to be bias with anything related to politics. No matter if the situation is good or bad, they always are in favor of Republican Party. The Democratic Party could find a way end world hunger and Fox News will be one of the first news channels to make mockery the Democratic Party for winning the battle of world hunger.
“Alterman professes that “I am certainly prepared to believe that members of
the media transmit liberal views in the guise of objective reporting on occasion.” This occurs, he admits, regarding abortion, gun control, and punishment” (John Attarian). Customarily, when the media is covering issues such as abortion, gun control, and punishment, you always get mixed emotions. Because some of the audience is for or against these very topics. However, when it comes to gun control, most people, especially avid hunters are against gun control. They seem to not understand how gun control is important to the inner cities and urban areas. For example, Chicago get worse every year when it comes to gun violence. Better gun control laws have a chance to control the violence in Chicago, Illinois. This sort of biasness resembles what Fox News display on September 20, 1016. They were covering a police shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This incident involved an unarmed African American being brutally shot by a white police officer. That suspect called 911 because he was in need of assistant in moving his broke-down vehicle. The police later tased him and as he walks back to his vehicle with his arms raised, an officer shot and killed this unarmed man. Fox only talked about this ordeal for a mere twenty seconds, and quickly moved to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie break up. One could find this segment or be bias because of not demanding justice or giving the general public more coverage of the killing of an unarmed man. In turn, is somewhat like the Colin Kapernick situation.
In "Left Turn: How Media Bias Distorts the American Mind." Groseclose argues that a liberal media bias distorts the average American's political viewpoint and tilts the political field to the left.
He also claims conservative news organizations such as Fox News actually present a centrist point of view. Statements as such, almost make you think politicians lace the members of the media’s pocket with money.” In turn, they somewhat con the general public by telling us only what they want us to hear. “Groseclose explains how omission is a major form of media bias. Groseclose says journalists often ignore stories conservatives would find important while concentrating on stories liberals would find important.” Some media members try to refute statements like these made by Groseclose. However, they have a difficult time arguing Groseclose credibility because he’s a professor of political science and economics at UCLA and most of his work on this subject has been published in respected academic
journals.
After years of pundits complaining about the bias in the media, one form of action was taking place and the revolt against media bias began, Anderson writes, “on America's AM airwaves. Until the 1980's, political talk radio was largely moribund thanks to the "fairness doctrine," a federal policy that required broadcasters to give equal time to both sides of an issue. In theory, the rule meant that if a radio host promoted, say, gun control, his station was required to provide time for the NRA to deliver a rebuttal. In practice, most station owners simply avoided political talk entirely” (Anderson). Some well-known members of the media will allow you to respond to their bias opinions. Once you’ve respond to said opinion, they jump all over you as if you’re a lonely gazelle out to pasture and a lion is lurking and ready to feast. It’s evident that the major news organization are bias based on a certain political party.
Most citizens wouldn’t have much negative feelings towards the bias in the media, if said media wouldn’t have so much animosity to change based on the news topic at hand. Most well-known media members are stubborn and believe what a particular political party dose or says is right. So much so, they agree with said party even if they believe they’re far left on certain situations. However, a questionable television show mocks and makes fun of politics. They try to bring laughter about the matter instead of sugar coating and being bias about the situation. Brian Anderson said, “South Park, now in its eighth season on the cable channel Comedy Central, is something of an acquired taste; its plot twists are grotesque, and foul language spews forth from its button-cute protagonists. But laced among the obscenities is some surprisingly sophisticated political satire. And unlike typical Hollywood fare, South Park picks its targets on an equal-opportunity basis, skewering figures on the Left and Right alike.” (Anderson) The general public would be more reluctant to view the media as bias, if they would simply call it how it
is.
Not only does the media influence the general public, the general public tends to influence the media. The media tends to only report what they would believe is news worthy and will boost their ratings. Because if they don’t satisfy the audience, than they will lose ratings. Ratings is a key component to having a successful news company. Ratings is like a customer. No paying customers, than your business will be force to shut down.
In conclusion, “Thus the most plausible answer to the question of whether the media have a liberal or a conservative bias is “both” –the bias is sometimes and in some ways liberal (through almost never explicitly socialistic) and at other times and in other ways conservative. This is not necessarily to imply that there is a 50-50 balance, only that we need to take an evenhanded overview of partisan viewpoints supporting the opposing camps, carefully weigh the evidence presented by opposing sources, and recognize more complexities in the issue than acknowledged by opposing partisans on either side, in order to arrive at our own judgement of what the actual balance might be (Lazere 314).” Bias in the media is a matter of opinion. If you view a certain media member as reporting bias material, they may view your disagreement as bias. That’s what makes bias in the media so intriguing and debatable.