Do you believe the American mass media is unfairly biased?

[nightdrot]

Voted, Yes and tilts left. However, let us keep perspective here.

The media at the time the Founders laid out the First Amendment were almost all partisan news sheets. The very idea of an unbiased media would have been laughable.

Moreover, the term "yellow journalism" came out of the 19th century. Indeed, it was media reaction to the sinking of USS Maine that pushed a very reluctant President McKinley to ask Congress for a declaration of war against Spain. Indeed, speaking of "fake media," it was later discovered that the sinking was probably an accident and not a Spanish attack.

The notion of an unbiased media really only came about as an accident of technology. Television had three - four if you count PBS - networks. Radio had two national news networks - CBS and NPR. There were three newsmagazines - Time, Newsweek, U. S. News & World Report. Newspapers were always locally focused and it was only due to their location that The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal gained national prominence. (Later USA Today did create a national identity.)

Because of the limited outlets, in order to get the broadest possible audience, the news business had to attempt a high degree of balance. Moreover, during much of this period there was a stronger sense of social cohesion, which tended to reinforce the tendency toward balance.

However, beginning in the 80s with cable and the first cost effective lap top computers, it became possible to target a specific audience. Throw in the proliferation of outlets and social media and audience segmentation took off. Then, as night follows day, a more biased journalism followed. It was as much effect as cause.

Indeed, ironically, it was Fox News - under Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes - who first saw the potential for audience segmentation and who really began the tilt in media coverage. In this MSNBC and CNN merely were echoes - reaching the audience that Fox opted to forego. (Foregoing it because, especially in the 80s and 90s, the conservative audience was much larger than its liberal counterpart.)

Put another way, a biased media has been the historical norm. The trick is to be aware of your media and - most importantly - to be discerning about facts and aware of one's own biases. That, however, as George Washington said long ago, in the obligation of any good citizen.

What is more worrisome is the sloppiness and slipshod nature of journalism. In part it is fair to say that bias plays a part - when you see the President getting 90% critical coverage, it is fair to say it is not just about the facts. It is doubtful Hitler got 90% unfavorable coverage. (Yes, that was a joke.)

However, allowing for that, the pressure to get out ahead of a story - particularly in an age when every citizen with a phone is able to be a journalist, albeit an untrained journalist - is causing the media to get the story wrong and is reinforcing a mob mentality.

In a populist age when established institutions are under attack and when the public is apt to judge its own actions as higher than the law and social peace, that is highly dangerous. See also the high school kids from Covington, Kentucky, who were effectively subject to a mob all because of a smile and an edited and unexamined video.

This was, perhaps, the most odious episode. Adults, who should know better, reacted to visual stimulus, making no attempt to use reason to suspend judgment and get the facts, processing everything through the prism of their own bias and emotions. This was the response of animals, not civilized human beings.

Still, the fault lies as much with a vulgar public as a lazy slipshod media. To be sure, the media failed in its first obligation. Yet the public were no better.

[Soteris]

All media is biased. Its not actually anything inherently wrong with that, its actually a good thing. The bias is not the problem at all in fact. Lets say there is a left wing bias and I am a left wing person. The bias in question will determine the sort of news they cover, in other words they will cover the news that are relevant to my world view.

That is fine. They are basically doing my job for me since I am inherently interested in things that correlate to my beliefs and interests. Things like highlighting events that I would be interested in or news that are particularly interesting to my beliefs.

Bias does not mean that what they are reporting is wrong or even misleading. Only that it is selective. If we were to change the subject then I doubt you have any problems only watching movies that you would like for the rest of your life so a biased movie reviewer would be quite helpful right?

No the bias is not the problem. Propaganda is. Sure bias could have negative effects with people believing that the small piece of reality they personally experience is representative of the whole and all they do is consume biased media but thats hardly a big issue. Far worse is those that intentionally try to manipulate you. Organizations like Fox News for example.

[FactQueen]

Last week I saw a BBC documentary about how fake news has existed almost as long as mass media. It's by Ian Hislop (he is editor of a satirical magazine in the UK).

It went back to how photographs of the dead were posed during the American Civil War.

I learned from this programme that Pulitzer made his money from newspapers that valued entertainment and sales over truth. He set up the prize to make amends.

But I do harbour a secret delight in the more outlandish fake news stories like
"GORDON RAMSAY SEX DWARF EATEN BY BADGER".

[DannyFanny]

Its ridiculous not to think most media outlets have a leftist political view. Its as clear as day.

[DiscomfortZone]

Let me start of by saying I've lost my trust in this system long ago. On one hand, authoritative cuntservative inbred rednecks trying to force their filthy religion on everyone, thinking their rotten and devoid of morals behaviour is less of a problem than gay marriage. On the other hand, libtard democrats with their pathetic, ridiculous self- victimization trying to make it cool to be a dependent weakling and to turn attention-whoring to the new Americana. However, and that's the main point, you've hit the nail right on the head with what you've said about the media bias. It also makes perfect sense. How much money is thete in journalism? Barely enough for minimum wage unless you're part of the small percentage who doesn't end up working at McDonald's and running an obscure blog. Same as graduates of "Social Sciences", "Gender Studies" and other such bullshit degrees which basically mean "I went to college so I could party, have lots of orgies, do drugs, dye my hair and go to worthless protests so I can post selfies on FB". How many conservatives, firm believers of financial self-dependencie, would go for such a career? Exactly. That's why the field of journalism is swamped with feminazi garbage, selling their SJW excuse for an agenda, criticizing the piblic for not voting in a candidate whose entire idelogy was "I'm a woman, you have to vote for me or you're all rapists!!!". That's what we get. That's why the phenomenon you've described happens, the frminazis don't mind living on welfare money, so while they go and become podcast hosts for 7 listeners a week - the conservatives become business owners and millionnaires.

[hellionthesagereborn]

Well its not about belief, we know for an absolute fact that its biased to the left. If you look at the media, newspapers have almost never endorsed a conservative candidate (I believe the times has once, in 1953 if memory serves). We know its bias to the left because based upon voting over 90% of journalists speak positively about leftist ideas and negatively about the right. We know that about 90% who vote, vote for the candidate on the left. We know that based upon donations, over 90% of journalists who do donate to the left. If you analyze catch phrases and words (illegal alien for the right, undocumented worker if your on the left), the media overwhelmingly uses left leaning words, phrases, and talking points. They are overly negative towards conservatives and misreperesent them more often. Again, this is a fact we know they are bias to the left, its a wonder any one takes them seriously anymore.

[DashboardLight]

There is almost always bias unless you're simply posting facts, but then again, many people can't even properly decide what is a subjective opinion and what is an objective fact.

Murder is immoral. An opinion.
Murder is illegal. A fact.

Feminazism exists. An opinion.
Feminism exists. A fact.

I can go on and on. The point is: many people, including those working at media stations, are sometimes able to know that what they're posting is biased, but there are also plenty of times where people are posting opinions on something, but feel those opinions are so mainstream and widespread that it is as much a fact as it is an opinion.

[SkipStop]

I have done a lot of research on news and various sources. Majority of the media leans left. That makes it hard to find decent facts and stories sometimes. From my experience, sources that lean a little to the right tend to be more honest and provide the full picture. Sources that lean a little to the left always have something to hide. The most factual and unbiased source in my opinion is Reuters. It's my go-to source. I don't watch TV anymore.
For unbiased news I use: Reuters, Roll Call, Associated Press, Independent Journal Review
For left wing news I use: The Hill, Bloomberg
For right wing news I use: Legal Insurrection, Newsmax, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, National Review

[loveslongnails]

The false perception is that the media is "left" biased, because... they tend to tell more facts first, and then spin? The "right" stations tend to adjust the 'facts' to FIT their spin, so I've observed.

When it comes to mass media in the US, TV has only Fox on the conservative side as a mass media outlet. On the other end you have the standard networks plus CNN and MSNBC. Another choice is the BBC, as I find them very informative, and even Bloomberg.

On the radio side, conservative radio totally dominates the market. There are very few "liberal" radio shows, and by the way, I really loathe those terms, both conservative and liberal.

"Factual reporting" should be the CENTER of all news, neither left or right. It's the spin that moves it left or right. That said, I can't help knowing that it's 100% more likely I'll get facts from NPR than Rush Limbaugh.

[scholastic_vibez]

I think if we hadn’t begun talking about the differences between liberal, and conservatism media that the differences wouldn’t seem as different as they do. I mean, why do conservatives hate PBS, and talk about defunding it so much. *Sarcasm* Oh my god! Travel shows and cooking shows are so liberal. What’s so liberal about them? And if we’d just shut up about it, maybe we could just be entertained. But, no, everything is about having the most opposite extremes now. I can’t even watch an episode of Supergirl without some social justice theme rubbed in my face.

[Liam_Hayden]

Of course they are. Just this week NBC intentionally and selectively redacted a statement by AG Barr. Chuck Todd then used the partial quote to blast Barr for not saying what Barr actually did say in the unedited version. They only apologized because they got caught.

This has been going on for decades. My uncle told me a story from when Reagan was running in 1980. He was campaigning in Spanish Harlem. He was asked, "What can you do for us?" Reagan replied, "I can't do anything for you if I don't get elected." You guessed it. The networks edited the response to, ""I can't do anything for you." And there is the famous 1988 deal where CBS tried to make Bush, Sr. look stupid by asking him questions about something while showing him something different on his display.

[burlen]

All news media are biased in some shape or form. However, some strive to be objective while others are opinionated. Some media present the facts while others spin the facts. Some strive to be balanced with presenting the facts while others present incomplete facts.

[normalice]

The right is entirely made up of scammers. I suppose if one were to ask exactly how much consideration one should give to scammers, in proportion to non scammers, I would be hard pressed to justify any number other than zero. The fact that the right has any media outlets at all is, thus, a bias in their direction -let alone the richest most powerful networks of fake news..

[JackSmy]

It's so obvious that it doesn't need to be said!! OMG the American NEWS IS NOTHING BUT LIES!! Drama to get ratings and scare people to control and manipulate them!!
Yet nearly none see it!!

[letssee89]

There's bias on each side of the political spectrum in media. And over the last 40 years, it's gotten so bad, that I think it's actually become a broken system. It's the very reason corporations shouldn't be allowed to make political donations, even when it comes to endorsing candidates by news agencies.

[stuntbrain]

Absolutely. The major issue isn't presenting facts with political leaning, but how their willingness to blatantly lie and gaslight the public abandons all journalistic integrity

[Sargentcaptain]

Every news outlet has its own bias, whether to the left or to the right, either way it's a problem that should be addressed.

[shyapples2]

it IS biased and everyone knows it, but the bias isn't necessarily left or right, it is towards protecting the establishment and the people with all the money and all the power

[goaded]

No, it's just that at this point reality looks like left-wing bias because the right has jumped the shark.

Do you want the government to access your browsing history, without any suspicion of a crime? That's McConnell's latest plan.

[YesIsaidit]

Every media outlet is there to sell a story. The truth according to them don't sell or market well. So made up propaganda sell, market well and attract investor, you figure out who those are lol

[Unit1]

All media are biased. Period. Get your news from your fellow people and not from the official media.

[llorando]

Wheres "Yes and partial to the right and left" option? Mass media is biased, some outlets are biased to the right and some biased to the left. Virtually all the mass media that is biased to the left, is biased to the establishment left.

[Anonymous]

I try not to watch the news either way. I just read a couple headlines and that’s it.

[DrippingHoney]

The "news" isn't about informing the public anymore. It's about entertainment and agitating the public for ratings.

[likelyOK]

Yes but which way depends on the media source also their is an underlying agenda that is not left or right that people don't tend to recognize.

[Unknown_User7]

As someone who has no horse in this race. It's very clear from the outside that the media is bias towards the left.

[existential_laments]

Of course it is. All collective news media outlets have some form of dishonesty in them.

[Anonymous]

I voted A, but the truth is, they're either biased to the left or to the right. But the biased to the right was only a response to the biased to the left. I wish the media would just report the facts, but this is one of the flaws of the first amendment.

[Anonymous]

This one seems pretty obvious to anyone who's been paying attention with a pulse, no?

[Daniel_Dano]

Mass media is unfairly biased everywhere around the world , not just in America.

[NorthwestRider]

CNN, Fox, and MSBNC are all state media towards the two major parties. All there are enemies to the public

[KrakenAttackin]

Only a complete idiot would say American media is biased toward the right.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Literally all high end news media outlets will report facts such as Who, What, When and Where. After all that pretty much everything else is just bias opinions like you and I have.

[OddBeMe]

D. biased to both sides. Biased toward extremes bc that’s where the ratings are. Viewers need to become smarter. Especially Fox viewers.

[Numbnuts89]

Just look at fox news, when there's a republican president

[Iron_Man]

Yeah Democrats news people

[John_Doesnt]

Fox News is clearly run by Republicans.

[Anonymous]

If the left are such snowflakes why is the right always crying? Fox news isn't far right enough?

[BronzedAdonis]

Yeah

[Anonymous]

Fox news is the worst