Effects of Media Bias

Shanto Iyengar and Kyu S. Hahn examine the news media as it relates to increasing polarization among partisans. It is a topic that has become extremely important over the last decade or so because we can no longer rely on certain sources for objective reporting. Media outlets, for many reasons, are dependent upon parent companies and therefore must serve the best interests of the controlling elites. Rupert Murdoch, for example, owns New Corporation which in turns owns a multitude of smaller media sources. These smaller sources must cater to Murdoch's best interests because they are dependent upon him financially. Murdoch obviously has personal opinions that are then reflected in the news sources he owns. Therefore, audiences are exposed to a biased version of the truth so that Murdoch ultimately benefits in the end. The result is a population that is so polarized that individuals only expose themselves to sources that reinforce their existing beliefs whether or not they are legitimate. Fox News is the best example of this phenomenon, as it is widely known to cater to conservative ideals. In Iyengar and Hahn's article, research indicates that Republicans overwhelmingly choose Fox as their preferred vehicle for information. Democrats on the other hand, tend to prefer sources like The New York Times that are known to demonstrate a liberal bias. So long as the press is dependent upon wealthy elites for survival, the general public will continue to hold inaccurate beliefs with respect to the political environment.

The problem of misinformation in America has dominated the content of our readings thus far in class. However, very few authors offer solutions to the problem. While it may be difficult, we must hold our news sources accountable for the information they publish. News is vital to democracy, as it is the only vehicle we have that keeps the government in check. Without it, holding government officials responsible for their actions would be extremely difficult. We rely on objective news reporting in order to form our own opinions about incumbents. However, once information is subjected to political bias, it becomes distorted to the point where we can longer distinguish fact from opinion. On the other hand, it allows individuals to see an issue from both sides of the spectrum. This may be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on the individual. For independents, politics can be extremely difficult to follow due to a lack of party affiliation. Fox News and The New York Times, for example, frame issues in completely opposite ways. Individuals who are aware of the distinction are then able to form a more appropriate political outlook depending on which side they identify with. Yet, for partisans, biased news only serves to reinforce existing beliefs thereby increasing the partisan divide. In fact, their party affiliation may not reflect their true beliefs at all. Finding a happy medium between biased news and objective reporting may be extremely difficult due to the nature of the media world, but it is necessary in order to ensure the success of American democracy.