Bias in media. Why so many news outlets pander to their audiences?

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   medfordgposted 8 years ago

   The fallacy in getting 'fair and balanced reporting' is inherent within how the news organizations prosper and grow. They are in the business of making money, they sell an audience to their advertisers. it is ever so hard to attract the public's attention. Look where the traffic is! It is in social media at the moment. That is why, the news outlets, in my opinion follow the sensational, they are competing for the attention of an audience of people who would rather live in a bubble of instant gratification, liking posts and memes and videos...Some of the best news outlets are publicly financed, but the pressure is on them, since they do not generate enough revenue.
   That being said, there are many good news outlets all over the world, and as someone who speaks many languages i have the luxury of sifting through and comparing. There are good journalists out there, but there will always be some bias. As long as bias is not a means to reinforce a certain audiences' certitudes to gain their loyalty, as is the case with fox news and similar outlets, on the left and the right of the political spectrum.

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      rhamsonposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The news media in the US is owned by basically six major corporations one of which is a news only company. They sell the news to a public that wants reassurances and not truth. That is evident in their different takes on the news. They cater to those who they know will watch as long as they keep it within their boundaries.
      
      "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts."    Abraham Lincoln

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   Matthew Hughesposted 7 years ago

   I'm totally behind what you're saying but people will always be bias, it is very difficult to remain objective about issues, especially those which you're passionate about. This, coupled with the fact that media outlets are businesses which are designed to make money, means that without some kind of regulation of the media, we will always have left/right wing outlets. The other problem is that if we were to have the government regulate everything we'd be stuck with propaganda. The only real solution that I could think of would be having representatives from all different backgrounds and social status working together and finding a middle ground when reporting every issue, which is just impossible, can you imagine how long it would take for a bank director to work out how to report a financial issue in the press with a low income cleaner on the media revision committee or whatever they'd call it? It'd be a mess!

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      rhamsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Any news story is supposed to report the four "W's". What, where when and who. What we get more that not is focused on the "why". As Jack Webb always said in his deadpan delivery on Dragnet, "just the facts mam, just the facts. The truth lies in there and not some others imagination.

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      colorfuloneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      It is a mess.  The Obama Administration repealed the propaganda act Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which was inserted into the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.
      
      MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News were all an organization of disinformation to foreign countries...But now, they can spread propaganda right here in the United States to the citizens...and they do. 
      
      The sad thing is the masses swallow the shovels full of propaganda and believe it as the gospel truth.  But, there are great alternative news sites that still report the facts as they really are. 
      
      Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/07/new-law-allo … vZyTVfD.99
      
      H. R. 5736:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5736/text

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   SmartAndFunposted 7 years ago

   Why? The answer is MONEY $$$$$

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      colorfuloneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Only 6% of the public say they trust mainstream media.  The billionaires that own the politicians own MSM.

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