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Topic:
Liberal Bias
Essay Instructions:
Find five scholarly articles (no more than two from the syllabus) addressing the question of alleged news media bias. Summarize and present a critical analysis of the studies and their findings and make a logical argument based on the analysis. Then draw from the studies a conclusion based on their findings about what we seem to know, and what we don¡¯t know, about media bias. Does it exist? If so, what form does it take? Do these studies answer the question for you, or are there questions you think remain unaddressed?
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A study on Liberal Bias in Media
Abstract
The phrase “media bias” means pervasive biasness in terms of news coverage which goes against the journalistic code of ethics. It is the biasness at which the pressmen in the media industry exhort in selection of news, events and stories to report and cover. The bearing and level at which the media can be termed bias varies under different countries. This paper reviews studies on how the media biasness is depicted under different categories. Research on media operations has greatly depicted the aspect of media biasness in different places. Evan Thomas for instance, observed that media biasness in New York is rife than say, Washington DC. This is because; NY has more networks than Washington. Thomas further noted that large organisations were more exposed to media biasness than smaller organisations.
Studies on Media Bias
In a research by Pew for the people and the press, more than half of the respondents participating in the study (51%) were contented that the USA media was “liberal”. Those who observed that it was conservative were 26%. In light of this finding, Alterman (2003) observes that liberal bias in the USA media is considered as an obvious phenomenon. In his article “What liberal media?” he argues that the postulation that the media is liberal is a figurative expression created by people to cover those who like expressing their sentiments in the public. Alterman opines that the media in actually sense has occasionally fallen victim of biasness in its news reporting and coverage, a feature which has resulted into the shaping of political aspect and agenda in America (Aterman, 2003, 129).
He presents various evidences to support his arguments as in ‘punditocracy ‘of reporters and anchors both in TV and radio, print media and the internet and in organisations. For instance, there is not even one efficient liberal commentator who can be traced in the entire media industry in USA. He goes on that the commentary on the television is more geared towards the aspect of good verse evil opinions on many political ideologists. The liberal insinuations are not in most cases clear in most TV commentaries or shows.
Another study was conducted by D’Alessio and Allen Mike to establish media bias in presidential elections. Ameta-analysis of the findings in this study was based on 59 secondary quantitative reviews with regard to the divisive media biasness realised in the presidential media campaigns since the year 1948. The categories of media bias that were measured included; gate keeping bias, which is the notion of preferring news from one political party or the other, coverage bias, which is the amount of time located for coverage for each party. There was also the aspect of the statement bias, this dealt with the level at which the media favoured some political parties than the other. The findings indicted that there were no significant aspect of biasness realised in the print media. However, the meta-analysis in the electronic media indicated the presence coverage and statement biasness to some extent (D’Alessio and Mike, 200, p133).
Lichter and Rothman argue that the pressmen themselves have a role to play in the escalating media biasness. This is evidenced from the findings of several surveys indicating that many journalists are subjects of media biasness. The evidence from the survey is consistent and factual (Lichter, Rothman, 1986: p20-53). For instance, a survey carried out in corporate media firms in 1980 in USA found that more than half of the respondents recognized themselves as left of centre while 17% identified themselves as right of centre. Reporters who sided with the main political figures overwhelmingly went for Democrats: 94% voted for Lyndon Johnson, 87% went for Hubert Humphrey while Jimmy Carter and George McGovern each garnered 81 percent from the journalists. On the same note, Cleveland Wilhoit and David Weaver (1996: 15-19) established that 47% of reporters recognized themselves as either being left or left leaning.
Apparently, 22% of the journalist identified themselves as right of centre. With regard to party support, 44% of the journalists supp...
Course title:
Instructor:
Institution:
Date Due:
A study on Liberal Bias in Media
Abstract
The phrase “media bias” means pervasive biasness in terms of news coverage which goes against the journalistic code of ethics. It is the biasness at which the pressmen in the media industry exhort in selection of news, events and stories to report and cover. The bearing and level at which the media can be termed bias varies under different countries. This paper reviews studies on how the media biasness is depicted under different categories. Research on media operations has greatly depicted the aspect of media biasness in different places. Evan Thomas for instance, observed that media biasness in New York is rife than say, Washington DC. This is because; NY has more networks than Washington. Thomas further noted that large organisations were more exposed to media biasness than smaller organisations.
Studies on Media Bias
In a research by Pew for the people and the press, more than half of the respondents participating in the study (51%) were contented that the USA media was “liberal”. Those who observed that it was conservative were 26%. In light of this finding, Alterman (2003) observes that liberal bias in the USA media is considered as an obvious phenomenon. In his article “What liberal media?” he argues that the postulation that the media is liberal is a figurative expression created by people to cover those who like expressing their sentiments in the public. Alterman opines that the media in actually sense has occasionally fallen victim of biasness in its news reporting and coverage, a feature which has resulted into the shaping of political aspect and agenda in America (Aterman, 2003, 129).
He presents various evidences to support his arguments as in ‘punditocracy ‘of reporters and anchors both in TV and radio, print media and the internet and in organisations. For instance, there is not even one efficient liberal commentator who can be traced in the entire media industry in USA. He goes on that the commentary on the television is more geared towards the aspect of good verse evil opinions on many political ideologists. The liberal insinuations are not in most cases clear in most TV commentaries or shows.
Another study was conducted by D’Alessio and Allen Mike to establish media bias in presidential elections. Ameta-analysis of the findings in this study was based on 59 secondary quantitative reviews with regard to the divisive media biasness realised in the presidential media campaigns since the year 1948. The categories of media bias that were measured included; gate keeping bias, which is the notion of preferring news from one political party or the other, coverage bias, which is the amount of time located for coverage for each party. There was also the aspect of the statement bias, this dealt with the level at which the media favoured some political parties than the other. The findings indicted that there were no significant aspect of biasness realised in the print media. However, the meta-analysis in the electronic media indicated the presence coverage and statement biasness to some extent (D’Alessio and Mike, 200, p133).
Lichter and Rothman argue that the pressmen themselves have a role to play in the escalating media biasness. This is evidenced from the findings of several surveys indicating that many journalists are subjects of media biasness. The evidence from the survey is consistent and factual (Lichter, Rothman, 1986: p20-53). For instance, a survey carried out in corporate media firms in 1980 in USA found that more than half of the respondents recognized themselves as left of centre while 17% identified themselves as right of centre. Reporters who sided with the main political figures overwhelmingly went for Democrats: 94% voted for Lyndon Johnson, 87% went for Hubert Humphrey while Jimmy Carter and George McGovern each garnered 81 percent from the journalists. On the same note, Cleveland Wilhoit and David Weaver (1996: 15-19) established that 47% of reporters recognized themselves as either being left or left leaning.
Apparently, 22% of the journalist identified themselves as right of centre. With regard to party support, 44% of the journalists supp...
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