Research Paper on "News Media Bias"

Research Paper 4 pages (1306 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Consumer perceptions of media bias could not be more accurate when these blatant collusions between corporations and news media become apparent. Therefore, the one type of media bias that remains the most consistent and provable through almost any type of research methodology is corporate bias. Liberal bias, conservative bias, and other types of perceived bias may and often do exist at times, with certain brands or certain news stories. D'Alessio and Allen found "no significant biases" in either newspapers or news magazines, with only "small" biases evident in television media (133). However, corporate bias explains why news media makes many of its content decisions. News media conglomeration and the use of infomercials to mislead the public are two of the ways corporate bias is propagated. In this sense, online media is as subject to media bias as traditional forms of media. Gonzalez-Bailon et al. found that the only reason why cable news seemed more biased than online news media was because the former had time restraints on content delivery.

The Internet does provide the means by which the motivated and independent consumer can acquire information from multiple sources and make rational judgments. However, few citizens are media literate, few have the time to research stories and vet their authors thoroughly, and few are free of their own biases as readers. Bias is an inevitable part of the communication process. It is impossible to eliminate bias in the media. Therefore, the question becomes how to manage bias by controlling corporate conglomeration, how to maximize media heterogeneity, and how to maximize the public's media literacy.

Media literacy may be the first place to begin, as an empowered consumer can place demands on news media to cover different topics, and cover those topics differently. Social media interactions with news media brands help those companies change and respond to shifting values and norms. To the degree that most citizens, including the owners of media corporations, remain dedicated to the sacrosanct nature of the First Amendment, the result should be a more perfect news media. Controlling conglomeration will be an unpopular idea for many Americans, and yet it should appeal to universal principles of freedom and justice, not to mention the legal principles underlying anti-trust legislation. Legislating a freer, more open press would be a step in the right direction. Enabling leaks, promoting transparency, and providing for unlimited public access to information should be the upcoming ideals of the Fifth Estate. The Internet and digital media provide ample opportunities for change. More than half of all users of social media actively repost news stories they find interesting. The proliferation of cat videos and quirky memes show that consumers do not just want stories of murder and war, but rather, want their media to serve the totality of the human experience. Interacting with the news by commenting on articles, submitting user photographs or opinion pieces, and sharing content on a blog or social media website can eliminate media bias in profound ways.

Works Cited

Anderson, Simon and McLaren, John. "Media Mergers and Media Bias with Rational Consumers." Journal of the European Economic Association. Volume 10, Issue 4.

Chiang, Chun-Fang. "Media Bias and Influence: Evidence from Newspaper Endorsements" Oxford Review of Economic Studies, 2011.

D'Alessio, D. And Allen, M. "Media Bias in Presidential Elections." Journal of Communication. Volume 50, No. 4.

Doumit, Sarjoun and Minai, Ali. "Online News Media Bias Analysis." Retrieved online: http://necsi.edu/events/iccs2011/papers/313.pdf

Glynn, Carroll and Huge, Michael E. " How Pervasive are Perceptions of Bias?" International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2014.

Gonzalez-Bailon, Sandra, et al. "Cable News Coverage and Online News Stories."

Gross, Justin H., Shalizi, Cosma, and Gellman, Andrew. "A Discussion of Groseclose's Left Turn. Retrieved online: http://www.latinodecisions.com/files/3813/3840/3373/Gross-Shalizi-Gelman_Groseclose_s_Left_Turn.pdf

Mitchell, Amy. "State of the News Media 2014." Pew Research Journalism Project. Retrieved online: http://www.journalism.org/2014/03/26/state-of-the-news-media-2014-overview/

Zimmerman, Jessica. "Media Bias Through Facial Expressions on Local Las Vegas Television News." Graduate Research Symposium, 2013. READ MORE

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