No matter how much we may try to ignore it, human communication always has an opinion during standard individuals and groups. These groups have been positioned historically, politically, economically, and socially. The state of affairs is neither bad nor good. It simply is, what it is. Bias is a small word that identifies the collective influences of the entire context of a message.
Politicians are certainly biased and overtly so. They belong to parties and support policies and ideologies. While they may think their own ideologies are simply common sense, they sometime forget that they speak from political positions.
Journalists, too, speak from political positions but usually not overtly so. Journalistic ethics are objectively and fairly strong influences in their line of business. But journalistic impartiality is not to spot neutrality of viewpoint. Instead, a journalist attempts to be objective by two methods. One method is fairness to those concerned with the news and the second method is a professional process of information gathering that seeks fairness, completeness, and accuracy. As we all know, the ethical heights the media set for themselves are not always reached. But, all in all, like politics, it is an honorable profession practiced, for the most part, by people trying to do the right thing.
The press is often thought of as a unified voice with a distinct bias. I believe journalism often do what they do without reflecting upon the meaning of the premises and assumptions that support their practice. I think they need to begin reflecting upon journalistic practice by noticing that the press applies a narrative structure to unclear events in order to create a rational and causal logic of events.
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A'Rae, you make some very good points in regards to journalistic bias. It is very hard sometimes to read the news or even watch it because their is bias everywhere and unless you can filter it out or ignore most of it, it tends to become hard to really trust the media. On the other hand I think that it is very hard for a journalist not to be bias or conform to the norm because they do tend to work for large companies that have their own views and political sides in mind that they want represent it almost all the time. For example Fox News is known to be conservative when reporting the news. In a way this allows people to be able to read or watch what ever news station or paper that tends to lean more towards their political ideology. From what we read in class journalist really don't have much of a say in what they write because they are being monitored by the larger corporations that tend to approve what is written and said on the air before it is even given out to the audience.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, I found the cartoon of the public lined up to hear comforting lies to be humorous.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic. The views expressed about journalists objectivity explains a lot about todays news. Objectivity in news is subjected to all kind of influence. As you pointed out the two methods that journalist attempts in reporting the news. I too believe that the professional is of a high regard. The picture further shows that we as audience do not demand the truth but want the "comforting lies".
ReplyDeleteA/Rae,
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading this post, you made very good points and I'm so glad that someone else sees what I see. The news is always biased and it really is something people are taught but no one finds as an issue. Families continue to be loyal to their favorite program and even allowing what the broadcasters say affect their decisions for voting. That should not be the way it works. You should vote for someone because you understand and agree with their policies not because the host of your favorite shows says they're great. Too many people are basing their choices on someone else's statements and not educating themselves about the candidates.