Journalism Bias PDF

Journalism Bias Dr. Hany M. Ali ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts  Journalism bias refers to slants, skews, and distortions in news coverage resulting from selective reporting, framing, and story...

Journalism Bias Dr. Hany M. Ali ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts  Journalism bias refers to slants, skews, and distortions in news coverage resulting from selective reporting, framing, and story treatment that always favors particular people, groups, viewpoints, or interests over others. Bias can stem from a journalist's background, experiences, education, political leanings, or cultural perspectives that influence reporting. Commercial pressures like media ownership demands and advertiser preferences also introduce bias as they influence editorial decisions. Bias manifests in story selection, framing, tone, word choice, sources used, facts included/excluded, and other aspects of reporting. Common forms include coverage bias, gatekeeping bias, statement bias, affecting which voices, narratives and ideas get represented.  However, not all bias is wrong. Some exposes needed truths about injustice or power, though it should still be transparent. The most responsible journalism minimizes bias through verification processes, transparency about ownership, and actively consulting multiple perspectives when reporting on issues. Identifying and mitigating bias remains an ethical imperative in the news industry. Reporters are biased about: Conflict because it is more interesting than stories without conflict ; Event-driven coverage because it is easier ; Existing narratives because they are safe and easy. Types The most commonly discussed types of bias happen when journalism support or attack a particular political party, candidate, or ideology. D'Alessio and Allen list three forms of media bias as the most widely studied:  Coverage bias (also known as visibility bias), when actors or issues are more or less visible in the news. Some key patterns of coverage bias include:  Overrepresentation of government officials, celebrities, and social/economic elites as news sources. Their voices and concerns dominate.  Underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities, women, the poor, and other marginalized demographics. Their perspectives are often excluded.  Priority of issues like economics, politics, and foreign affairs over issues like education, healthcare, and the environment. Framing some groups and issues more positively or negatively than others. Descriptors and context portray them differently. This visibility bias compounds social inequalities by further marginalizing "invisible" groups in the public eye. It stems from news values, profit motives, deadline pressures, and lack of diversity - not outright ill intent. Gatekeeping bias (also known as selectivity or selection bias), when stories are selected or deselected, sometimes on ideological grounds. Some patterns of gatekeeping bias include: Selecting stories that appeal to advertisers and fit with owners' interests, while spiking controversial stories that may have public importance. Preferring stories about elites like celebrities and public officials over everyday citizens and unknowns. Selecting content that fits with conventional wisdoms and dominant paradigms, avoiding dissenting viewpoints. Spiking stories that may produce government censorship  Favoring content that fits tidy narratives over messy, complex realities with Unclear implications. Letting well-funded PR efforts by corporations and nonprofits set the agenda rather than conducting labor-intensive investigative journalism. Statement bias (also known as presentation bias), when media coverage is slanted towards or against particular actors or issues. Some patterns of statement bias include: Using more negative language and details to portray disfavored groups, using positive descriptors for favored groups.  Accepting statements from Trusted sources at face value without probing or fact-checking when statements align with media beliefs.  Presenting alternative perspectives in a way that gives greater credibility to establishment/official accounts and interpretations.  Including personal details about groups unrelated to the issue at hand, subtly justifying negative portrayals.  Other common forms of political and non-political media bias include: Advertising bias, when stories are selected or slanted to please advertisers. Corporate bias, when stories are selected or slanted to please corporate owners of media. Mainstream bias, a tendency to report what everyone else is reporting, and to avoid stories that will offend anyone. Supporter bias, a tendency to report to serve particular political party leaning. Sensation, bias in favor of the exceptional over the ordinary, giving the impression that rare events, such as airplane crashes, are more common than common events, such as car crashes. False balance, when an issue is presented as even sided, despite odd amounts of evidence. Undue Weight, when a story is given much greater significance or portent than a neutral journalist or editor would give. Speculative content, when stories focus not on what has happened, but primarily on what might happen, using words like "could," "might," or "what if" without labeling the article as analysis or opinion. Quote bias, when experts or witnesses are quoted in a way that intentionally voices the author's own opinion.  Other forms of bias include reporting that favors or attacks a particular race, religion, gender, age, ethnic group, or even person.