In today’s culture, media plays a key role in our daily lives. We have the choice to read, listen or watch whatever media outlet we please. In today’s age of ever expanding technology, media polarization has become a concerning problem. Two well respected media outlets are Fox News Network and CNN. Fox news is a fairly conservative outlet while its counterpart CNN is considerably liberal. Over the course of two nights I observed CNN and Fox News, both have their similarities, but they also have their differences. I believe that media in 2017 is polarized and that there is no changing it. Media’s main goal is to please their viewers and promote their own political agenda. Reporting facts is a thing of the past and media will continue to be impartial. …show more content…
Its roots have ties with the GOP, which in turn lead to its conservative bias. I have watched roughly two hours of news footage and visited their website. On the first impression it is evident Fox cares a lot about United States political system. Their news coverage consisted of the Alabama senate race and the recognition of Israel. On Tv, Fox talked a lot about the president and his involvement with the Israel recognition, they praised Trumps decision and thought it would help build a better relationship with such a vital asset in the Middle East. They made it clear everything Trump has been doing has helped the country and its relationships abroad. One thing I noticed was Fox seemed to put Trump on a pedestal but at the same time they were critical of him. They were pleased with his political standpoints and the decisions he has made, but they would grill him for his social standpoints. Such as his use of twitter and his name calling antics. Once it got past the one-hour mark the primary topic shifted to politically opinions. Speakers such as Tucker Carlson, Tucker began to talk about last night’s senate election in Alabama. The view of Mr. Carlson was conservative, and he was not taking an unbias look at the problems he was discussing. He made it clear that he wanted Roy Moore to win the Alabama senate election. The guests he had on the show were mixed, some with liberal opinions and some with conservative opinions. For …show more content…
CNN has been one of the most trusted names in news coverage for the last 36 years. Its reputation is well known, and it among one of the most watched news outlets in the world. On a first impression it was clear CNN was progressive. CNN offered both political and economic news as well as pop culture news. Once CNN started to discuss politics it became clear they were not happy with the performance of the president. They had one good thing to say about him and that was his recognition of Israel. Aside from that they talked him down and discouraged him. For example, CNN was being critical of how President Putin thanked President Trump by phone call for the CIA preventing a terrorist attack in Russia. They made it seem that contact with the Russian president was bad, Because of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. Also, CNN was being critical of its competitor Fox News. By saying, Fox is helping the president by giving him good publicity and glorifying him. For example, CNN reported that Fox is providing shelter for president Trump in the Mueller probe by creating an “anti- Mueller feedback loop.” On a further note CNN’s stated that more than half of voters want the democrats to run congress. After some investigation it seems that that poll is inaccurate, Time magazine stated that the majority of voters want the Republicans to maintain control of congress. Only 47% of registered voters voted for the democrats to control congress.
“The old argument that the networks and other ‘media elites’ have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that it’s hardly worth discussing anymore…No we don’t sit around in dark corners and plan strategies on how we’re going to slant the news. We don’t have to. It comes naturally to most reporters.” (Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News) This example is tremendously important in the author’s discussion because it proves that news stories do manipulate people through bias. Popular news networks are viewed by thousands of people every single day, thus making it have a huge impact on the public since they believe what they see. When news reporters present their news segments, it is natural for them to give their insights due to human nature being instinctively biased. “The news media is [sic] only objective if they report something you agree with… Then they’re objective. Otherwise they’re biased if you don’t agree, you know.” (CNN’s American Morning) In this quote, the readers are presented to current panelists agreeing that news consumers have a very hard time separating their own view of the news from the perspective of the news reporters because they are presenting their own opinions throughout their segments. This problem exists once again because of the bias that is contained in media
Blanda explains Fox News, Red State or Slate links only exist to produce content to be shared so friends can agree with each other and those who disagree. “Sharing links that mock a caricature of the other side isn’t signaling that we’re somehow more informed” – Sean Blanda. It shows people would rather show off to their friends how much they’re like them rather than try to understand an opinion different then
Fox news has been known to have controversies on whether or not they can be trusted, and where they stand in certain situations, stirring many articles and researchers to determine their reliability. It has been researched that approximately sixty percent of all “facts” reported by Fox news are false (Mintpress News Desk). The Network has become one of the biggest sources that lie to the public, beating numbers even from CNN and MSNBC. A poll from the Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism was determining the percentage of commentary/opinion and factual reporting for three different news groups: Fox, CNN, and MSNBC. Fox news has been shown to be forty-five percent factual reporting, but fifty-five
Although, in recent years it is seen that consumers are less likely to subscribe to newspapers and/or watch the daily news. This is due to the fact that they are typically bias in their opinions, and are seen to lack the whole story when presented. Rise in polarization in the media is due to a new found competition between news networks, which was not present sixty years ago. Wilson says, “the news we get is not only more omnipresent, it is also more competitive and hence often more adversarial”. The media outlets are fighting for views, and are willing to do whatever it takes to get them. Which leads to them configuring the stories to what people want to here. Thus making their viewer ratings higher. It is known that certain news stations get more views depending on the political party. “Those who watch CNN are more likely to be Democrats than Republicans; the reverse is emphatically true of Fox”. The media has more outlets to reach their viewers to maximize the effectiveness of their biased
With every large successful materialistic object or figure in society comes its pros and cons. For the Fox News Channel, these pros and cons include its overall ratings and viewership. For over a number of years Fox News has remained atop of the rating scale in the number one spot, providing the public with the news. People claim it is biased and justly unfair, however, it is that very news that they produce which has made it famous and one of the most well respected news networks to this day.
Since the advent of television networks, Americans have relied on local and national newscasts to inform them of the world’s happenings. In the 1950’s there were no other mass informational outlets besides the network news and newspapers. Today we have the internet, which allows independent research, but the majority of Americans still depend on network and cable newscasts for their local, political, and foreign news. With the responsibility and power of informing an entire country, are television newscasts as reliable as most Americans assume them to be? Most Americans don’t consider where their news is coming from or who is producing it. Network and cable news are owned and operated by people and thus are not as objective and unbiased as we would like to think. In light of the war in Iraq and the most recent presidential election, critics of television network administration are voicing their concern for today’s presentation of the news. Increasingly more Americans are demanding a rehabilitation of newscasts, starting with ownership.
Many people believe that liberal media bias is very relevant in this day in age, but really it is just a myth. Conservatives, also known as republicans, tend to forget that most of the American media is influenced heavily by corporate business owners(Schaller 49). Topics such as issues of war and peace, taxes and spending, and government regulation are heavily favorable to the conservatives. A study done by Media Matter for America shows that over sixty percent of U.S. daily newspapers publish conservative journalists rather than liberal(Schaller 49). On the other hand, it is obvious that some hot topics in the news are liberally skewed.
Both CNN and Fox News influence these immense populations with how each utilize pathos, ethos and logos in the topics discussed during the broadcasted show. For example, Fox News 's audience seems to be primarily conservative, while CNN’s audience seem to be more liberal (Engel). So each network’s stories “focus on the issues that” conservatives or liberals “want to watch and talk about” (James). These topics are used to develop a more conservative or liberal fan base in the respective news networks. As the dominant news network on cable television, Fox News impacts the greatest quantity of citizens, bringing in an audience of over two million for primetime (James). Therefore, Fox News influences the largest percentage of Americans listening to news networks by effectively using these manipulative literary techniques. However, CNN has a younger audience than Fox News (Carter), which contributes to CNN’s audience growing from 350,000 a night, in 2013 (Agee), to 629,000 viewers a night (James). CNN and Fox News compete with each other to influence the greatest amount of people and the public’s opinion of current events. Each network appeals to pathos, logos and ethos differently and similarly to coax the greatest amount of listeners each night.
Journalists and reporters for the major networks will strongly denounce the suggestion that they favor of one side or the other when it comes to being politically biased. On the other hand there are other media sources that come right out and say they are “Liberal Intelligence” such as “The American Prospect”. In another article from the American Prospect website, they talk about border security and how good Obama and the Democrats are doing at making the border laws stricter. In the article they say, “In the last two years, President Barack Obama has introduced border-enforcement policies that are stricter than those of his predecessors, leading to record number of deportations and massive spending on security resources (American Prospect).” Never once do they mention that the border security has not been as large of an issue in the past, and the government was more worried about the terrorism from 9/11 and our economic crisis. This example shows how a publication that is considered to be more to the left, favors democrats by showing them in a more positive light.
of an easier time than the unsupported party. The popular broadcasting station, Fox News, is
The news media rejects the fact that they are biased. They claim that they are the “middle of the road,” and are neutral on the stories that they cover. Publishers also claim that they are the watchdog for the political system, and they make sure that the system is free of any corruption, or wrongdoing. Th...
The airing of presidential debates on television is another very crucial part of the election process today. They are a chance for the public to see the candidates speak about vital current issues and their stance on political subjects. They are also a major deciding factor for voters. For example we can contrast the election between Kennedy and Nixon in 1960 and the election between Gore and Bus...
In trying to attract new audiences, news media have begun to transition from reporting to becoming a form of entertainment. With the meteoric rise of social media’s role as a news source, the fight for an increase of diversity in the media, and the ever-growing desire of immediate content, the future of responsible journalism is more important than ever. Ask yourself, why do I think the way I do? Where do my political views originate? How do I prove them? Most likely, it is due to the biased portrayal of issues in the media and the politicization that accompanies what we consume. Now, compare your views to your preferred news reporting entity. More than likely, they are the same.
...ir and balanced” news? No. Certain members of the public need to be reminded that, in today’s media, a “No-Spin Zone” does not exist, on any channel. To be an informed citizen requires research, the ability to understand the message behind a pundit’s words and, most importantly, knowing all sides of the issue. And so, on behalf of network news: turn off your brain, listen, no need to interpret–we are here to do that for you. Then you are informed; albeit “Fox News-informed” or “MSNBC-informed.”
The purpose of journalism is to report a story accurately; simply to tell it like it is. Over the past two decades, with increased tension over political and religious ideologies, the media’s original purpose is being lost. Yes, being well-informed remains an asset in the world today. Our now, globally-focused world will always value knowledge and awareness. With the television, internet, newspaper- all mediums of entertainment- available at the snap of a finger, we have non-stop access to news. One problem with this is the blatant bias of news networks. Every news source has a bias. Viewers typically recognize the platform of the major sources, therefore deterring them from certain networks. When reporters feed viewers the same opinion through different stories, the viewer isn’t getting a balanced intake in terms of overall understanding. In today’s society, viewers are truly at the mercy of what those in authority provide. Think of George Orwell’s 1984 where the all-powerful “Big Brother,” through “The Party” oversees every little piece of information that passes through the telescreen (along with everything that passes by the telescreen on the other end.) The citizens of Oceania are essentially clueless to the truth because they have no access to it. The television: typically a source of entertainment, transformed itself into an instrument for controlling. Yes, the modern technology is