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If you want closer to unbiased, always go overseas for part of your news. Then you don't get party bias creeping in and get a view that isn't looking to sugar coat things to protect ratings, or nationalist feelings. This works for all countries.
This is a question we ask all the time. My husband started his career out of college as a reporter. He was proud of the press, regardless of whether it was print or another type. Now, retired he said he would be embarrassed to admit he is a journalist if he were still working.
and for anyone who says, for unbiased news pay attention to overseas news? Sure like BBC? Nope, all news today has a biased slant, it might just be a slant you agree with. Or it might be a country where speaking you mind and giving your opinion isn't allowed. Yes, our coverage is slanted, but at least we still have freedom of speech here, even if it is overdone in my opinion.
The US isn't an enclave of freedom of speech. Many nations have that as a right, many had it before the US existed. Anyway, with an overseas perspective you get a view that may or may not challenge your own. That's a good thing. Seeing your country through the eyes of others who may be on the wrong side of a horrid policy, that might seem reasonable at home, is a positive.
News outlets are only worried about 2 things, ratings and advertising. The reason responsible reported has become even more of a myth than it was before is due to more ratings=more money. Most of the big corporations do not care if they are reporting accurate information, only what draws the viewers in.
If I take a tragedy and inflate the fact a just enough to get you to keep watching, that is a win for me and a loss for you. A win because that number goes up and the payout for advertising increases, in turn makes my pocket a lot fatter. It's a loss for you because the facts are all there, you are misinformed, believe you are well informed, and in a lot of cases have an increased fear of what will happen next.
Studies have shown that we have a negative bias, that our brains react different to negative information received and instinctively we need to have more information on the bad situation so that we can prepare ourselves for impending doom.
News outlets understand the psychology behind this and they use it in a way to manipulate the viewers. If they happen to stretch the truth or blow it out of proportion, they do NOT care. They shoddy reporting gave them an increase of ratings so they are guaranteed more money.
Advertising companies have been using this same tactic since advertising came about. "Don't use product A it will cause you to due, use ours instead". Adding this element of danger heightens your sense of self preservation. News Media does the same thing, and the product you buy is bad info. Things need to change but because freedom of the press is protected by our constitution the only way to change it is by redefining the word press. Even then it will be hard to do.
If we start holding journalist accountable for "news" they report, then and only then will it change, and fake news might become a thing of the past.
If you are looking for unbiased news, including ones that fact check annnd use the journalism code of ethics, do a search via Google. You will still need to research the sites you are interested in because many so-called unbiased sites and owned or operated by one of the larger news corporations. Xoxo
I remember a journalism class where the teach kept drilling in us - Facts, facts, facts. That's all. Double and triple check accuracy. Nobody cares about your opinion. Nobody wants your slant. They just want to know the facts - that's your job. Give em the facts and let them make sense of it.
Now its ALL biased, slanted, half truths and full out lies. Its not news anymore. Its media. They aren't reporters anymore. They're writers. Journalist is a word of the past.
Seems the media is taking their clue from the brainiacs in hollywood - who, for some reason, we pay WAAAYY too much to for doing way too little. For every star - there's 100 more talented kids yet undiscovered - so why do we value these meatballs to the tune of millions of dollars for a few months work and allow them to purchase the media - formerly - the news?
I remember a journalism class where the teach kept drilling in us - Facts, facts, facts. That's all. Double and triple check accuracy. Nobody cares about your opinion. Nobody wants your slant. They just want to know the facts - that's your job. Give em the facts and let them make sense of it.
Now its ALL biased, slanted, half truths and full out lies. Its not news anymore. Its media. They aren't reporters anymore. They're writers. Journalist is a word of the past.
Seems the media is taking their clue from the brainiacs in hollywood - who, for some reason, we pay WAAAYY too much to for doing way too little. For every star - there's 100 more talented kids yet undiscovered - so why do we value these meatballs to the tune of millions of dollars for a few months work and allow them to purchase the media - formerly - the news?
Comment?
No.
Whether it's newspapers, magazines, or television news, media companies have to make money. And unfortunately, it's people who now want news to reflect their viewpoint.
So forget the "brainiacs in hollywood", and focus on the brainiac consumers of news.
Personal opinions and snark have NO PLACE on the news. Unfortunately, with 24/7 Lying News channels, it's impossible to fill the time with truth, so they make up crap and give ugly commentary. I've completely stopped watching ABC and NBC. The tiny bit of the inauguration that I watched on ABC, which was less than 10 minutes, was beyond the pale and outright disgusting. I switched to CBS and it was decent.
Even now, days later, all they can talk about is crowd size and fashion. Pathetic beyond words.
In other words, you wanted the news to reflect your own conservative viewpoint.
If by journalism you mean TV 'journalism' then it was always about eyes for money, especially in the 24/7 world. Grab a newspaper, and/or the top newspapers websites - you will find solid unbiased journalism. The idiot box will get you exactly that when it come to journalism.
That's not correct.
Take the Washington Post versus the Washington Times.
Take the Denver Post versus the Colorado Springs Gazette.
News has ALWAYS been slanted depending on the owner of the news organization.
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