Is the Media Biased?

What is media bias? Media bias is the one-sided perspective of the broadcasters and journalists of the news. I believe that major broadcasts and newspapers can be biased because the opinions of journalists and newscasters can influence the way people view information based on the way it is presented. If we base our views on what’s reported in the media, it can affect our outlook on national and global issues. As I observed news broadcasts between FOX and CNN, I’ve noticed that FOX seems to have a more conservative perspective while CNN and other news broadcasts have a more liberal or balanced way of reporting the news.

One of my observations between FOX and CNN was how they reported the CIA scandal of General Petraeus. FOX news seems to place more emphasis on the White House knowing about the scandal but covering it up until the election was over. They show bias towards the Republican Party and seem to illustrate favoritism toward their own political views.

CNN focused more on the relationship between General Petraeus and Paula Broadwell and how the FBI began its investigation. Another national issue where there appears to be bias in the reporting was Hurricane Sandy. FOX news analysts felt like White House should have received more criticism on the response of Sandy, as the Bush administration did for Hurricane Katrina. CNN focused more on interviewing victims of Sandy that were affected in this disaster. CNN also questioned several people on the response of the Red Cross assistance.

The overall goal of media outlets is to generate revenue and increase viewers, but being bias can sometimes hurt those goals. Media in the format of television, radio, newspapers, and also the internet, are in the business of providing information as well as entertaining viewers, readers, and listeners.

The truth of the matter is… Goldberg says “there is no greater sin than to bore the audience…” (Government in America 227) That uninteresting information and honest facts is not always what attracts a huge audience. “Ratings are the reason television people do almost everything. (Goldberg 213)” Goldberg states that liberal networks such as CNN, NBC, and CBS, control most of the news market. FOX news has increasingly become more popular over the last years because of the controversial views and bias opinions. This has turned out to be an excellent news marketing concept because viewers that may not agree with FOX news will watch just to hear what the other side has to say. I believe that media can bore people unless there is some sort of controversy, conspiracy theory, or conflict of interest.

A media outlet that has become one of the strongest forms of media is the internet. The internet has opened the floodgates to the world which allows anyone to express their opinions. “The internet is certainly changing the nature of our media system.”(Oligopoly 283) With the rise of the internet, people are able to express their bias opinions using social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Broadcast news does not always report the important issues or what is factual in daily society. The worldwide web has become a more dependable source of daily news where people can find information that may favor their own views. It gives anyone the ability to blog, post content, or videos about our own bias opinions on politics, our government, and other global issues.

It also provides us a platform to speak out against the bias news media to whoever wants to listen to our side in our individual way of thinking. There are tons of bias videos on YouTube, such as 9/11 conspiracy theories, President Obama being a terrorist, or the Tea Party being racist against blacks. Even though media outlets can come off as being bias, it is more profitable for networks, and newspapers to have more open-minded journalists that will attract more viewers and readers. The news should be based on real-life incidents and facts but there always appears to be distorted information from different media broadcasts. When the 9/11 attacks occurred, there were many conflicting stories about bombs going off in the streets, more airplanes that were possibly hijacked, and whether or not U.S military fighter jets shot down civilian aircraft.

Do interest groups strengthen democracy?

An interest group is an “organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to achieve those aims.”(Government in America 325) They allow particular interests and causes to be heard and to use influence in public decision and decision-making. I think that without these groups, our democracy would be weaker and many voices would not be heard.

A theory that strengthens democracy would be the pluralist theory. It claims that interest groups do well to Democracy by “bringing representation to all” (Government in America 325) and it can increase participation and access to the political system; where it can make democracy stronger. These interest groups want to help the voice of the minorities to work with the political parties and influence them. It gives a voice to many that may feel excluded from the political process.

Interest groups represent various social issues from women’s rights, saving the environment, the NRA to Mom’s Against Drunk Drivers. They place emphasis on issues such as economics, the community, and the constitutional rights of all people. The government’s aim should always be to please the public, or to do the best for the state so that these groups can show the government what their group wants to change.

In some ways, interest groups can also weaken American democracy because if there are several different factions, no specific interest group will have more power than the other. One positive aspect I see in interest groups is that they encourage more political participation. Some people believe that interest groups can become too powerful causing the general public to suffer as a result. For example, the NRA promotes gun ownership and a right to bear arms while other interest groups are fighting for stricter gun laws to decrease the murder rate in the country. Interest groups are a necessary part of our free society; however the influence of some interest groups may not be the common good for everyone. The 1st Amendment of our Constitution encourages freedom of speech, and the assembly to petition the government, which is what interest groups are based on.

It is important to understand that these interest groups can be both helpful and damaging for democracy. Today, I believe that the problem of our government is that they pay more attention to special interests more than the public interests. People are becoming more disappointed in our political system. Instead of people in these groups having an equal say in this process, some organizations are giving an unfair advantage than others.

These organizations may have more power and influence to support their issues; however the other groups may not able to fully support their cause due to lack of funds, and also influence. Interest groups can help the democratic process, but only if our lawmakers in Washington listen and fight for these groups. If we want our democracy to be stronger, our citizens must have political power to be shared by all. We should all have a voice in determining our policies in the government, because that is the main goal of democracy. As said by Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, (“government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”) If the interests of the people become a major concern across the nation, our government will take action to give the country what they need to move forward towards a united nation.

Works Cited
Goldberg, Bernard. “Bias” Faultlines: Debating the Issues in American Politics. Ed. David T. Canon, John J. Coleman, and Kenneth R. Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004. 209-212. McChesney, Robert W. “Oligopoly: The Big Media Game Has Fewer and Fewer Players.” The Enduring Debate. Ed David T. Canon, John J. Coleman, and Kenneth R. Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003. 282-287 Fox News – Latest News Headlines. 16 November 2012. Television. CNN Newsroom. 16 November 2012. Television.

Edwards, George C., Martin P. Wattenburg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, Twelfth Edition.United States: Pearson, 2006. Print.