Does the Media Report Fairly Essay

Abstract

By its nature, the media has a tremendous power in shaping political discourse and in forming and providing various cultural guidelines. Indeed, it is almost impossible to report some information without some kind of bias. In today’s society, every person can easily get the required information he or she needs for his or her private purposes, and the ways to do it almost unlimited. In addition, it is quite easy to obtain some piece of news one is interested in because information seems to be everywhere. However, the media resources provide people with the news around the world and perform this function in a very effective way. Meanwhile, a disputable question about media fairness arises because it can report unfairly, be biased and challenged to be accurate and fair. In fact, all the individuals are the active participators of mass media communication, being either the originators of news or the audience itself.  However, how much truth persons gain via media resources is a problem to debate about. Thus, this paper presents the information on the media and its biases, explores the line between reporting the news and creating the news, and observes whether the media is responsible or commercial.

Does the Media report fairly?

This is a well-known fact that the media surrounds us every day and everywhere we go, and therefore, we become dependent on what is happening all over the world. The major problem is that today’s printed or broadcasting sources of information contain improperly verified data because ‘what masquerades as news is simply a mixture of lies, half truths, spin, counterspin and propaganda’ (Coleman, 2005, para. 1). As a result, it causes the perversion of the readers’ perception about some situations they become aware of. Hence, the media is a complex institution that consists of many organs and elements intended to inform the public about events and situations occurring in the different corners of the world. However, it is possible to admit that it is almost impossible to report some information without some kind of bias since the media itself is challenged to be accurate and fair. Indeed, as DellaVigna and Kaplan (2006) state ‘Americans believe that there is a great deal or a fair amount of media bias in news coverage’ (p. 1187).  In fact, the effect of media bias largely depends on how people themselves process the information broadcasted by the media. It is impossible to speak about the persuasion of voters if the audience knows about the media bias and filters it from other data. In such a case, in a democratic and law-based state, every citizen shall have an enforceable right to know everything that is going on inside the country and in the world since ‘public opinion is subject to a variety of influences that develop and alter its views on nearly every phase of life today’ (Bernays, 1928, p. 958). In turn, publicity is not conceivable without a truly free and independent press. The media, in this case, is the same component of the democratic system as the parliament, the executive authorities, or some independent judiciary. As a result, its only ‘weapon’ is a word, sound, image that should carry some certain information, i.e. a message, judgment, evaluation, approval or condemnation of the phenomena, events, actions, behavior of individuals, groups, political parties, civil society organizations, governments, etc. In a democratic society, the media should be, figuratively speaking, a dialectically opposite pole of power, not just a propaganda tool since ‘the news media is viewed widely as biased’ (Chiang, 2007, p. 2). However, it is quite difficult to follow this fundamental principle. Not only the journalists, but also society itself should be able to get accustomed to it. In this case, it is a difficult and painful process. The specific properties of journalism as an activity and the media as an institution determine the need for the special status of journalism and the media in the political process and its individual areas.

The media in any society have an important informational role that is to become a kind of mediator between the journalist and the audience. In other words, communication carried out between a communicator and a recipient is a kind of impersonal communication between the parties. In return, it is carried out with the help of some forms of mass communication. Indeed, the media should meet the informational needs of society between the journalist (the communicator) and the audience through a technical communication channel. In fact, every person has the right to the truth, and guarantors, such as governments and other authorized authorities, must guarantee this right, along with science, art, scientific information, television, radio and various information services. The latter provide today’s society with some operational information and data. However, the lack of reliable information leads to rumors, myths, and in times of crisis, it can lead to fear, panic and even confusion. Consequently, it is prohibited to use the media for disclosure of information that constitutes different secrets protected by law or some private information that will surely offend anyone. In addition, it is prohibited to disclose some information aimed at calling for violence or changing the existing political and social systems, providing the propaganda of war, violence and cruelty, racial, national or religious discrimination or intolerance, pornography in order to commit other criminal offenses. Otherwise, reporting bias can be very harmful to the individuals.

Coleman (2005) points out that ‘today’s journalists have no sense of history, no ability to think for themselves; they have become part of show business. They are not in the slightest bit interested in truth. They will blow whichever way the wind takes them’ (para. 13). Based on this statement, it is possible to say that journalists should properly verify information given to the reader in order not to cause harm to some individuals. Consequently, by implementing the program activities of the media, journalists have the right to obtain information from any source, but at the same time, they are required to verify the authenticity of the information given to the audience, and to respect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and organizations.

Hence, it becomes clear that people obtain the news by reading a magazine, listening to the radio, watching some TV shows, or just googling via the internet, should expose them to their own demanding analysis. In this case, it is essential to understand that the media itself is not fair rather than to struggle against bias. According to Coleman (2005), ‘The aim of the media today is to misinform, to manipulate and to make you afraid’ (para. 1). Based on this point of view, it is possible to say that the majority of Americans still do not believe in the media ‘…to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly’ (Morales, 2011, para. 1). In fact, 55% of individuals ‘…have little or no trust remain among the most negative views’ (Morales, 2011, para. 1). Therefore, it is possible to conclude that people all over the world remain distrusting of the news media, pointing out that they have no trust in the media since it reports the news unfairly.

By talking about the line between reporting the news and creating the news, it is possible to say that it is essential to definitely draw a line between reporting the news and creating the news. Creating the news means to find some interesting and exciting news in order to capture the public eye. It can include, for instance, useful or helpful hints and ideas on how to stay fit or some information on how to prepare for an examination. This is a widely known fact that the media like any other industry is primarily based on a for profit market. As a result, various magazines or newspapers may add some extra untrue information to the reader in order to grab and keep people interested in this particular news as well as to keep them purchasing their magazines and newspapers and to provide the gossip of some celebrities in the public eye. Probably, this is a fair amount of commercial media there.

Conclusion

Thus, considering the above-mentioned information, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the media as a complex institution aimed at forming political views and in providing various cultural guidelines. At the same time, it is almost impossible to report the data without some kind of bias. Because the media surrounds us everywhere, every person can easily obtain the necessary information he or she needs, and as a result, the ways to get the data are almost boundless. In addition, it is not difficult to find some piece of information one is eager to obtain for personal purposes because it seems to be everywhere. However, despite this fact, the question about media fairness arises. In fact, it is possible to see that some data selected or slanted in truth in order to please the reader. The media itself does not think about the validity of these facts. In this case, it can be noted about the situations when the journalists do not verify the authenticity of the information given to the audience, and thus, do not respect the rights and interests of citizens and organizations. Based on our observations, it is possible to say that it is almost impossible to report the data without some kind of bias since it can contain improperly verified information, which can be very harmful for some individuals. As a result, it causes the perversion of the readers’ perception about some situations they become familiar with. In addition to this, it is possible to add that it is important to draw a line between reporting the news and creating the news because the media like any other industry is based on a for profit market and it can add some extra untrue information to the reader in order to grab his or her attention. That is why it is critical to cross the line between reporting the news and creating the news.

 

 

References

Bernays, E. L. (1928). Manipulating Public Opinion: The Way and The How. American Journal of Sociology, 33 (6), 958-971.

Chiang, C. (2007). Sources of Media Bias. Retrieved from http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~chunfang/Bias.pdf

Coleman, V. (2005). Why The Media Can’t Be Trusted To Provide The Truth. Retrieved from http://www.vernoncoleman.com/whythemediacant.htm

DellaVigna, S., & Kaplan, E. (2007). The Fox News Effect: Media Bias and Voting. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122 (3), 1187-1234.

Morales, L. (2011, September 22). Majority in U.S. Continues to Distrust the Media, Perceive Bias. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/149624/majority-continue-distrust-media-perceive-bias.aspx

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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