Research Paper
on Media Biased in
Politics
Independence of the media has always been viewed with admiration everywhere in
the world. The media is a source of learning the issues facing the society,
state, and above all, nation. The fact that the media plays a great role in
lives is well known, but its role as a political tool is also well rooted in the
political systems. The media nowadays chooses which political issues to report
and how to report it. To influence the nation and world, the media presents the
findings with as bias as possible to ensure that population makes up their minds
accordingly. Practically however, media shows the bias most when dealing with
the political aspects. The extensive contact of the media allows it to
correspond and communicate freely the ideas with the public, apart from the
public awareness. The elections of different countries at present are the major
instances of the bias the media contains. The way media analyzes the surveys,
media releases, and journalist’s statement, it is visibly clear that the media
in fact is more concerned with the political structure of a nation than the
politicians being covered.
Whenever the economy of a country is flourishing the people are more or less
very happy with their leader, and even the leader is expecting a reelection.
However whenever there is a difference of opinion within the political scene of
the governments, the media jumps in and finds a new shape. If the media desires
it can shape the feelings of the public either way. The people can be irritated,
associates of one party can be very concerned but if the media does not want any
affair to be highlighted it will simply be quite on the matter. This bias makes
the things very different for the nation. The people are not much influenced.
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People today remain in touch with media almost instantly through television and
Internet to be informed all the time of what is going on in their country.
Instead of receiving the straightforward facts of reporting, they receive the
personal direction of the media. Many media reporters who do not support a
particular policy do not commit and say they are in favor of a certain political
policy, but they do convey the information in such a manner that makes the
policy or the political view appear ridiculous. The media instead of reporting
the unbiased political picture some time involve themselves to either favor a
point of view or negate some political programs making one group more prominent
and the other less significant. And when the public turns out to support a
specific view, the media then works to lessen its importance. The media plays
down the view of the public and introduces own thoughts into the minds of the
ordinary citizen.
The most realistic piece of evidence of media bias comes not from statistics or
polls, but from the personal views of prominent personalities connected with the
media and journalism. Such journalists are the best sources for analyzing their
peers and political scenario. One of the, CBS correspondent Bernard Goldberg
stated, "There are lots of reasons fewer people are watching network news, and
one of them, I'm more convinced than ever, is that our viewers simply don't
trust us. And for good reason 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," (freerepublic.com)
The hired media is certainly the group of correspondents does an informative job
and they attempt to influence the political structure, which has a dramatic
impact on the political atmosphere. For politicians, it is disturbing to notice
that the media are led by commercialism. From the political perspective, what is
missing in the media is, a clear advocacy of public affairs by journalists, a
lack of transparent rules of ethics within the trade. A clear standard for fair
reporting and for professional criticism is also generally lacking. No matter
what good things a person has done in the past, if the media decides to publish
the bad, their chances are blown. Population as a whole also recognizes the
large role the media plays in their lives. They are well aware that the press
plays the most dominant role in determining which issues and events are
considered significant. The media’s role in politics is even more significant.
They help shape the political culture, and have the power to make a candidate
appealing or repulsive. The media can also lead the general public to
misunderstand the actions of one particular political group, and as a result,
other political parties have to face a difficult political situation. The media
is primarily needed to fix it self to reporting on politics, not shaping it. The
media should not have the bias of the nation, but should offer information to
allow ideas to form liberally and independently.
Media can surely help alter political behavior and beliefs. The significant
aspect however is that most of the effects are truly effective and accumulative.
Repetition of a message through the media with, its regularity over time, and
clear justification help shift public opinion. That role of the media as it
stands today is quite controversial. The people do not elect the people
belonging to the media. They are not even appointed or confirmed by elected
officials. It is quite clear that the group of people working generally for
private corporations should not have the influential role in political fields.
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The media is also some times called “Fourth Estate,” which reveals some
understanding about the role of the press in society. Media literally means the
various technologies that convey information from ink on paper to telephones and
television to the Internet. Despite its literal meaning, however, the word has
come to imply information itself, and those who deal in it, more than actual
newsprint and copper wires. In what is rightly called the Age of Information,
purveyors of information are a foreseeable influence on society and politics.
There is a general feeling about the political bias of the media that it is too
negative. They place an importance on finding out what is wrong, but do not tell
the complete picture about what is being done. This negativity also applies to
coverage of other major institutions, such as religion, education, the economy
and business. Media role should be that of a watchdog which should wake up when
something goes wrong. The media should not play the role of attack dogs’ .The
media shows to have too much attitude towards political likings and disliking
instead of reporting facts and devoting themselves to comprehensive research.
Media runs fast towards conclusions and opinions about politics, people, trends
and events. People are pressed into vigorous pace of the news cycle, in which
breaking stories are covered immediately by television. Media misapprehend the
public need by pushing compelling them to formulate premature frame of mind
instead of providing basic information and letting people make their own
decisions in evaluating it. The analysis is helpful and essential in today's
complex world, but some media are pushing it to an upsetting new level of
political influencing. (asiawide.or.jp)
The media is intensely influential in the present days systems of domination.
Because the majority of the public does not in fact hear political speeches,
witness activities, or observe actions of leaders, they depend on the media to
exhibit the news in an accessible form. It becomes easy to comprehend how vital
the media is, and what will be the effects of the news on the society whenever
it is presented. Even a little change of news has the potentials to greatly
influence public opinion. (people.virginia.edu)
References
The Liberal Effect: Media Bias in Politics, http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/
MEDIA AND POLITICS Report on the Conclusions and Recommendations on, 24 March
1997,
http://www.asiawide.or.jp/iac/meetings/Eng97media.htm
Laura Kay Reynolds Media bias robs Americans of freedom to choose, November
01,2002,
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~lkr8v/politics.htm
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