Bias In The American Media: Overcoming The Adverse Effects of Political Partiality

Kenneth R. Earley

Honors 3100 Professor Geri Friedline 12 December 2011

Prepared coursework for the Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

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ABSTRACT: This

research looks at the effects of agenda-based and political bias in the

American media. By identifying bias in the media, across various media including print, television, radio, and online, the effects on the audience can be measured. Few media outlets are politically unbiased and have can affect voters. The bias within media corporations spreads through the audience and in turn effects the nation as a whole. The underestimation of bias by the audience yields more power to newsmakers to dictate American policy and politics. Overall, bias aides bipartisanship and stunts the democratic process. The introduction of new, biased television stations has the ability to sway up to 6.8 percent of voters, up to 20.4 million American voters persuaded. As long as audiences yield their power to the media, stations can use this power to influence voting habits, beliefs, and thoughts. The bias of individual media groups creates bias within the nation. By misinforming the general public, the media can sway the nation as a whole. The democratic process in America is continually hindered by the bias in the media. The solution to media bias is truly informing the nation, without bias. Utilizing unbiased resources and opposing biased networks, the nation can see a clearer, unbiased picture of America. The importance of seeing the world through unbiased eyes is essential to the productiveness of America as a whole. Americans need to take the necessary steps to subvert bias in the media and make informed decisions about the future of the American politics and policies.

Earley Bias In The American Media: Overcoming The Adverse Effects of Political Partiality The role of the media has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Around the world, various forms of media have infiltrated daily life, especially in America. The American public relies on the media to fulfill various needs, from

information to entertainment. The importance of the media can be felt throughout nearly every field, the media communicates with the public. When the means of communication are flawed, the effectiveness becomes rather contaminated and complicated. The underestimation of bias in the American media, and the reliance on said media, amplifies its negative effects, allowing the bias to sway the fate of various issues in the nation. The first step in recognizing media bias is to understand what bias actually is on a fundamental level. Bias, or slant, in the media is defined, according to Merriam-Webster as to interpret or present in line with a special interest: to maliciously or dishonestly distort or falsify. The media is essentially any form of mass communication; television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, are all popular examples. Media outlets, especially news groups, are in business to make money, the goal of any business. People create companies and personal bias seeps into everything that companies do, media and news companies are no exception. Newspapers, television programs, and Internet sites are all great places to find political bias. Bias comes in many forms; simply favoring a certain political party is an archaic way of displaying bias. Certain media groups are openly slanted to one side, for instance Fox News has a right, or conservative leaning while the New York Times (Groseclose and Milyo 60). Bias is truly as old as humans are, people have personal views on everything from colors to religion, framing stories to fit ones own personal bias is commonplace. The fundamental differences

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between liberals and conservatives are often over religious ideals, specifically centered in Christianity. Media and religion have been intertwined in the US since the Colonies: When New Englands earliest colonists began cataloguing and circulating news of important events, they framed their stories with a religious perspective: divine providence played a decisive role in covering and interpreting everyday occurrences. (Winston 2) America was founded on religious freedom, but religious bias has a permanent home in the news media. Though the dominant political parties have changed over the course of American history, there have always been conservative and liberal sides. In todays bipartisan political world, the divide between liberals and conservatives, liberals are a broad group that is more lenient on a range of beliefs and religions one the other hand, believers, typically cast as political conservatives, have dominated evangelical political agendas and media representations in recent history. (McCammack 646.) The divide is clear between political parties; the bias is a bit more difficult to understand. News outlets are increasingly clever at masking their own political biases, but studies reveal their cunning tactics. Fundamentally, bias is a fairly straightforward concept, personal and companywide slant affects nearly every media company. Once the concept of media bias is understood, the public can then understand where and how to find bias. Overt bias is easy to spot; news stories often cater to the positives of a particular candidate or political idea and harshly depict the negatives of their opposition. This is in line with the political partiality of each given company. Often times, media avenues depict their biases much more guilefully. Across all platforms, most news foundations present, roughly, the same

Earley news stories. There is an understood notion that news groups are to report major news

stories. The facts of news stories are simply facts; the presentation of these facts is one of the most effective and covert ways of presenting biased news. Powerful examples of where bias creeps into the news are spatial-temporal organization, diction, and sources of information (Ryfe 728). All of these factors are essential to news groups in presenting the truth. Spatial-temporal organization is one of the most important areas that the media uses to present biased stories. The use of space is pivotal to any and every media company; the fast-paced world of today has forced media outlets to be more efficient with their space. Space represents a physical allotment of time, the larger something is, the more time the audience spends viewing it, or it the likelier the audience will view it first. Regardless of the type of media, Internet webpages, television screens, or physical newspaper pages, time and space are vital. One of the oldest forms of media is a master at best utilizing space; the front page of every newspaper is artfully crafted towards readers. To the naked eye, most newspapers appear to be rather similar; the structure hasnt evolved much over the past six hundred years. The underlying bias seeps through the ink when an in-depth view is taken. Papers assign the most physical space on the front page to the most important topics. The space normally reflects the news groups own bias. The New York Times, a notably liberal news group, gives much more physical space to liberal candidates and issues (Druckman and Parkin 1032). The larger space given to candidates is a very deceptive way to get the images and ideals of various candidates into readers minds. Large pictures on the front page show the images prominence and importance, especially compared to smaller depictions of rival

Earley candidates. Most quality websites even take into account the F-pattern, which is a pattern that most viewers follow when reading online (OConnell). Nielsens research

into online viewing habits consistently yielded the F-pattern as what users focus on. The care that media companies take in order to present their messages in the most efficient and effective ways possible often goes unnoticed. Similarly to newspapers allotting more space as preferential treatment, websites give certain candidates and issues more space within the F-pattern. Along with newspapers and websites, television uses similar tactics to show favoritism for specific topics and candidates. Beyond the frequency of stories on favored candidates, news channels also use the ticker as a source of slant. Each story on the ticker, the scrolling font at the bottom of the screen, has a very limited time on the screen. To emphasis certain events or people, the font is emboldened or expanded, giving it more girth within the ticker. Many of these strategies go unnoticed to the audience, giving the media groups even more power over their viewers. Subliminally pushing people to think about topics is an often used and rarely noticed event. This strategy is referred to as agenda setting in the media field. Agenda setting is essentially how the media determines what people think and worry about. While the media is not always successful in determining what the audience actually thinks or believes, convincing people what to think about is much easier. Another strategy that habitually goes unrecognized is the devious use of diction. All forms of media use diction to creatively skew the facts. Diction, or word choice, is pivotal in the effort to present facts about a given issue or person with an intended slant. When the American public neglects to compare news sources, diction has a command on what the facts really say. Diction is a powerful tool for writers of any

Earley sort, the underlying power of word choice comes from the lack of opposition. Most

people underestimate bias in the media, assuming that the information seen on television, online, and in print is factual (Groseclose and Milyo 45). Words allow stories to be framed and presented in any manner that authors decide. The disparity between news sources is apparent when compared adjacent to one another. Pulling from a random date, March 11, 2003, the difference in headlines is apparent. The facts are that American surveillance planes left Iraqi airspace, the presentation of the facts paint a completely different picture. The New York Times states that Iraq Forces Suspension of U.S. Surveillance Flights while the headline in USA Today reads U.N. Withdraws U-2 Planes ("News Bias Explored."). The USA Today is noted as being one of the only reasonably moderate news source, especially in comparison to Fox News and the New York Times (Groseclose and Milyo 60). The same devious diction tricks are used online, and similar ones are used in television. What reporters say on television is equally as calculated as the headlines on the front page. The words in the news are carefully chosen in order to generate a specific or thought feeling in the audience. In addition to space and diction, there are many other important factors that must be considered in the realm of media bias including the sources that news groups use. Sources are important to every publication, both personal and professional, credible sources are the mark of a credible source. In addition to hiding bias in clever diction and visual deception, bias is easily found in the sources that news outlets cite. Seeing the liberal or conservative leanings of media companies is a simple task when the sources are compared side-by-side. The sources used to make these slanted stories are equally as biased as the stories themselves. Authors will never rely on sources that are in

Earley direct opposition to the point that they are trying to prove. Liberal newspapers and television stations rely on liberal sources. Citing well-known sources instantly adds a level of reliability to the untrained eye. There are many sources that newspapers, television groups, and online newsmakers use, the names that the American public can recognize yields an initial level of credibility. There are plenty of credible sources that

are often cited, developmental think tanks like the RAND Corp., the Mayo Clinic, and the Brookings Institute are groups dedicated to independent and reliable research (Groseclose and Milyo 49). These institutes are often cited for important issues for raw facts and figures. Unbiased research groups are marked with Other organizations that newsmakers use are notably biased. One of the most cited organizations is Cato, a research organization that focuses on public policy. Catos tagline provides clear evidence of the corporations firm conservative standing, Promoting public policy based on individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peaceful international relations. (Groseclose and Milyo 54). There are many biased think tanks that are still respectable institutions, though the information and research that they provide is slanted towards their bias. The Christian Coalition, NRA, and AARP are all personal interest groups that present information that falls in line with the goals of the group. Just as these organizations arent going to present information that negates their goals, news groups arent going to cite sources that disagree with their stories. Using a source that is equally as slanted as the news stories presented allows media companies to present biased information though maintain some level of credibility by citing a national organization. People in the media are growing increasingly clever, trying to present information with a stronger actual bias and minimal visible bias. The right combination of visual tricks,

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deceptive diction, and citing partial sources allows news groups to present heavily biased information. As the media grows more and more slanted, their innate power grows as well. The media are most influential in shaping public attitudes toward problems that are out of reach and out of sight--the aspects of the world with which the mass public does not have regular direct or meaningful contact. (Yin 70). The American public relies on local and national news outlets for the latest stories about everything from war to politics to weather, when bias enters the equation; this system starts to break down. News companies filter the stories to their audience to paint a picture of the world as filled with the geopolitical leanings of each company. While many Americans will agree that there is some level of bias in the news media, most underestimate the extent of said bias and its negative effects. To fix the broken system in the American media, the audience must make the decision to work through the bias and find the real news. In order to gain tangible and truthful information through the news, it is essential to understand bias and how to over come it. Overall, the news media in the US carries a liberal leaning. There are different levels of predilections within the liberal media but there are significantly more liberal news corporations than conservative ones (Groseclose and Milyo 60). The vast majority of news companies are liberal, MSNBC, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times are huge names in the news world, each of which have strong liberal tendencies. Fox News, The Washington Post, NewsMax, and The Drudge Report are all popular conservative news outlets (Groseclose and Milyo 60). The Fox News Channel is a relatively new station in the news field. When Fox News was introduced to national television markets, the impact of political bias is evident. The impact on voting, voter

Earley 10 share, and overall political trends is called the Fox News Effect (Della Vigna and Kaplan 3). When the Fox News Channel was introduced into new markets across the nation, voting took an additional upward swing towards conservative republicans. The most conservative figures show that there is an increase of .4 percentage points towards conservatism, these percentages ranges as high as 6.8 full percentage points. The discrepancy comes from the fact that some of the cities where Fox News was introduced over a given time may have already started trending toward the right. These numbers may not seem that large, until the markets, or citys, population is factored in. For instance, Missouris total population is 5,987,580 and voter turnout statewide is 46.8 percent, therefore there are roughly 2,802,187 active voters in Missouri, as of November 2, 2010 (Nov 2, 2010 General Election). If .4 percent of Missouri voters were swayed towards one political side, that side would gain 11,200 voters; a 6.8 percent influence would aide one party with more than 190,000 voters. Often times, elections are determined by only a few thousand votes, if television stations can change the outcome of local and national elections, it is pressing that stations are unbiased. The Fox News Effect is growing across America, as the leading conservative news station, some Americans have started turning to Fox for an opposing view (Della Vigna and Kaplan 16). National news sources are the worst offenders, but in some cities and states bias is taking a foothold as well. As the economy ebbs and flows, media companies, just like any other business, are subject to corporate convergence. Companies buy one another even in the media field, in some markets the Fox, CBS, and NBC affiliates are all the same channel. When opposing news sources are eliminated, news companies are given even more power over the audience. Cities like St. Louis are lucky to have opposing

Earley 11 news sources to choose from, it keeps media bias in check, as long as the audience does its part. If St. Louis neglects to stay involved in the media, corporate convergence is bound to have the adverse effects that have been displayed throughout the nation. KTVI 2 and KPLR 11 have already become sister stations due to corporate convergence, but KPLRs standing as a tertiary station means that their news coverage was not adversely effected. If St. Louis major news stations and papers unite citizens will be subjected to the direction that the news companies desire, unless St. Louis recognizes the problem and combats it. Around the nation and around the world the news medias power is only limited by their audiences desire for quality impartial news. Bias, slant, and partisanship is engrained in American news media. Television stations and newspapers are the leading source for news and politics, this is where the US gets information (Druckman and Parkin 1032). The companies providing this information are in business to make money and spread their own versions of the truth. A country based on democracy can easily be controlled if voters are misinformed. As elections loom in time of economic uncertainty, allowing companies in the news media field to dictate the fate of America on a political scale is truly unacceptable. The key to fighting bias and finding unfiltered and valuable news is a very simple concept. After Americans recognize the bias within each news media outlet, it is fairly easy to subvert. There are two foolproof ways to avoid the negative impacts of slanted media reporting, rely on unbiased news and compare opposing biased news. There are very few unbiased news sources in America, partially because in US politics the middle never wins. USA Today is a quality newspaper that is relatively moderate, though the paper is normally confined to major news stories and soft news (celebrities, sports, weather, etc.).

Earley 12 Comparing differing biased views in the news provides a clearer picture of what is actually happening in the world today. It is illogical to think that partisanship can ever be eliminated in American news reporting, as it has been around nearly as long as the nation itself. By seeing both sides of every story and keeping the facts consistent on both sides, Americans can grab hold of the facts without bias.

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Works Cited Della Vigna, Stefano, and Ethan Kaplan. "The Fox News Effect: Media Bias and Voting*." Quarterly Journal of Economics 122.3 (2007): 1187-234. Print. Groseclose, Tim, and Jeffrey Milyo. "A Measure of Media Bias*." Quarterly Journal of Economics 120.4 (2005): 191-237. Print. McCammack, Brian . 2007. Hot Damned America: Evangelicalism and the Climate Change Policy Debate. American Quarterly, Volume 59, Number 3. 645-688. "Nov 2, 2010 General Election. " Missouri Secretary of State. Missouri Secretary of State Home Page. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.sos.mo.gov/enrmaps/20101102/>. OConnell, Christi. "Eyetracking and Web Site Design | Usability.gov." Home | Usability.gov. Web. 12 Dec. 2011 Ryfe, David. "The Future of Media Politics." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 10.4 (2008): 72338. Print. Winston, Diane H. "Back to the Future: Religion, Politics, and the Media." American Quarterly 59.3 (2007): 969-89. Print. Yin, Jun. "Elite Opinion and Media Diffusion: Exploring Environmental Attitudes." The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 4.3 (1999): 62-86. Print.