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Media Bias in News Report

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Introduction, origins of media bias, manifestations of media bias, implications of media bias, addressing media bias.

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35 Media Bias Examples for Students

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Media bias examples include ideological bias, gotcha journalism, negativity bias, and sensationalism. Real-life situations when they occur include when ski resorts spin snow reports to make them sound better, and when cable news shows like Fox and MSNBC overtly prefer one political party over another (republican and democrat, respectively).

No one is free of all bias. No one is perfectly objective. So, every book, research paper, and article (including this one) is bound to have some form of bias.

The media is capable of employing an array of techniques to modify news stories in favor of particular interests or groups.

While bias is usually seen as a bad thing, and good media outlets try to minimize it as much as possible, at times, it can also be seen as a good thing. For example, a reporter’s bias toward scholarly consensus or a local paper’s bias toward reporting on events relevant to local people makes sense.

Media Bias Definition

Media bias refers to the inherently subjective processes involved in the selection and curation of information presented within media. It can lead to incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, misrepresented, or otherwise skewed reporting.

Media bias cannot be fully eliminated. This is because media neutrality has practical limitations, such as the near impossibility of reporting every single available story and fact, the requirement that selected facts must form a coherent narrative, and so on (Newton, 1996).

Types of Media Bias

In a broad sense, there are two main types of media bias . 

• Ideological bias reflects a news outlet’s desire to move the opinions of readers in a particular direction.
• Spin bias reflects a news outlet’s attempt to create a memorable story (Mullainathan & Shleifer, 2002).

These two main types can be divided into many subcategories. The following list offers a more specific classification of different types of media bias:

• Advertising bias occurs when stories are selected or slanted to please advertisers (Eberl et al., 2018).
• Concision bias occurs when conciseness determines which stories are reported and which are ignored. News outlets often report views that can be summarized succinctly, thereby overshadowing views that are more unconventional, difficult to explain, and complex.
• Confirmation bias occurs when media consumers tend to believe those stories, views, and research that confirms their current views and ignore everything else (Groseclose & Milyo, 2005).
• Content bias occurs when two political parties are treated differently and news is biased towards one side (Entman, 2007).
• Coverage bias occurs when the media chooses to report only negative news about one party or ideology (Eberl et al., 2017 & D’Alessio & Allen, 2000)
• Decision-making bias occurs when the motivations, beliefs, and intentions of the journalists have an impact on what they write and how (Entman, 2007).
• Demographic bias occurs when demographic factors, such as race, gender, social status, income, and so on are allowed to influence reporting (Ribeiro et al., 2018).
• Gatekeeping bias occurs when stories are selected or dismissed on ideological grounds (D’Alessio & Allen, 2000). This is sometimes also referred to as agenda bias , selectivity bias (Hofstetter & Buss, 1978), or selection bias (Groeling, 2013). Such bias is often focused on political actors (Brandenburg, 2006).
• Layout bias occurs when an article is placed in a section that is less read so that it becomes less important, or when an article is placed first so that more people read it. This can sometimes be called burying the lead .
• Mainstream bias occurs when a news outlet only reports things that are safe to report and everyone else is reporting. By extension, the news outlet ignores stories and views that might offend the majority.
• Partisan bias occurs when a news outlet tends to report in a way that serves a specific political party (Haselmayer et al., 2017).
• Sensationalism bias occurs when the exceptional, the exciting, and the sensational are given more attention because it is rarer.
• Statement bias occurs when media coverage is slanted in favor of or against specific actors or issues (D’Alessio & Allen, 2000). It is also known as tonality bias (Eberl et al., 2017) or presentation bias (Groeling, 2013).
• Structural bias occurs when an actor or issue receives more or less favorable coverage as a result of newsworthiness instead of ideological decisions (Haselmayer et al., 2019 & van Dalen, 2012).
• Distance bias occurs when a news agency gives more coverage to events physically closer to the news agency than elsewhere. For example, national media organizations like NBC may be unconsciously biased toward New York City news because that is where they’re located.
• Negativity bias occurs because negative information tends to attract more attention and is remembered for a longer time, even if it’s disliked in the moment.
• False balance bias occurs when a news agency attempts to appear balanced by presenting a news story as if the data is 50/50 on the topic, while the data may in fact show one perspective should objectively hold more weight. Climate change is the classic example.

Media Bias Examples

• Ski resorts reporting on snowfall: Ski resorts are biased in how they spin snowfall reporting. They consistently report higher snowfall than official forecasts because they have a supply-driven interest in doing so (Raymond & Taylor, 2021).
• Moral panic in the UK: Cohen (1964) famously explored UK media’s sensationalist reporting about youth subcultural groups as “delinquents”, causing panic among the general population that wasn’t representative of the subcultural groups’ true actions or impact on society.
• Murdoch media in Australia: Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd consistently reports on media bias in the Murdoch media, highlighting for example, that Murdoch’s papers have endorsed the conservative side of politics (ironically called the Liberals) in 24 out of 24 elections.
• Fox and MSNBC: In the United States, Fox and MSNBC have niched down to report from a right- and left-wing bias, respectively.
• Fog of war: During wartime, national news outlets tend to engage in overt bias against the enemy by reporting extensively on their war crimes while failing to report on their own war crimes.
• Missing white woman syndrome: Sensationalism bias is evident in cases such as missing woman Gabby Petito . The argument of this type of bias is that media tends only to report on missing women when they are white, and neglect to make as much of a fuss about missing Indigenous women.
• First-World Bias in Reporting on Natural Disasters: Scholars have found that news outlets tend to have bias toward reporting on first-world nations that have suffered natural disasters while under-reporting on natural disasters in developing nations, where they’re seen as not newsworthy (Aritenang, 2022; Berlemann & Thomas, 2018).
• Overseas Reporting on US Politics: Sensationalism bias has an effect when non-US nations report on US politics. Unlike other nations’ politics, US politics is heavily reported worldwide. One major reason is that US politics tends to be bitterly fought and lends itself to sensational headlines.
• Click baiting: Media outlets that have moved to a predominantly online focus, such as Forbes and Vice, are biased toward news reports that can be summed up by a sensational headline to ensure they get clicked – this is called “click baiting”.
• Google rankings and mainstream research bias: Google has explicitly put in its site quality rater guidelines a preference for sites that report in ways that reflect “expert consensus”. While this may be seen as a positive way to use bias, it can also push potentially valid alternative perspectives and whistleblowers off the front page of search results.
• False Balance on climate change: Researchers at Northwestern University have highlighted the prevalence of false balance reporting on climate change. They argue that 99% of scientists agree that it is man-made, yet often, news segments have one scientist arguing one side and another arguing another, giving the reporting a perception that it’s a 50-50 split in the scientific debate. In their estimation, an unbiased report would demonstrate the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence supporting one side over the other.
• Negative Unemployment Reports: Garz found that media tend to over-report negative unemployment statistics while under-reporting when unemployment statistics are positive (Garz, 2013).
• Gotcha Journalism: Gotcha journalism involves having journalists go out and actively seek out “gotcha questions” that will lead to sensational headlines. It is a form of bias because it often leads to less reporting on substantive messaging and an over-emphasis on gaffes and disingenuous characterizations of politicians.
• Citizenship bias: When a disaster happens overseas, reporting often presents the number deceased, followed by the number from the news outlet’s company. For example, they might say: “51 dead, including 4 Americans.” This bias, of course, is to try to make the news appear more relevant to their audience, but nonetheless shows a bias toward the audience’s in-group.
• Online indie media bias: Online indie media groups that have shot up on YouTube and social media often have overt biases. Left-wing versions include The Young Turks and The David Pakman Show , while right-wing versions include The Daily Wire and Charlie Kirk .
• Western alienation: In Canada, this phenomenon refers to ostensibly national media outlets like The Globe and Mail having a bias toward news occurring in Toronto and ignoring western provinces, leading to “western alienation”.

The Government’s Role in Media Bias

Governments also play an important role in media bias due to their ability to distribute power.

The most obvious examples of pro-government media bias can be seen in totalitarian regimes, such as modern-day North Korea (Merloe, 2015). The government and the media can influence each other: the media can influence politicians and vice versa (Entman, 2007).

Nevertheless, even liberal democratic governments can affect media bias by, for example, leaking stories to their favored outlets and selectively calling upon their preferred outlets during news conferences.

In addition to the government, the market can also influence media coverage. Bias can be the function of who owns the media outlet in question, who are the media staff, what is the intended audience, what gets the most clicks or sells the most newspapers, and so on. 

Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news outlets in reporting events, views, stories, and everything else they might cover.

The term usually denotes a widespread bias rather than something specific to one journalist or article.

There are many types of media bias. It is useful to understand the different types of biases, but also recognize that while good reporting can and does exist, it’s almost impossible to fully eliminate biases in reporting.

Aritenang, A. (2022). Understanding international agenda using media analytics: The case of disaster news coverage in Indonesia.  Cogent Arts & Humanities ,  9 (1), 2108200.

Brandenburg, H. (2006). Party Strategy and Media Bias: A Quantitative Analysis of the 2005 UK Election Campaign. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties , 16 (2), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/13689880600716027

D’Alessio, D., & Allen, M. (2000). Media Bias in Presidential Elections: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Communication , 50 (4), 133–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02866.x

Eberl, J.-M., Boomgaarden, H. G., & Wagner, M. (2017). One Bias Fits All? Three Types of Media Bias and Their Effects on Party Preferences. Communication Research , 44 (8), 1125–1148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215614364

Eberl, J.-M., Wagner, M., & Boomgaarden, H. G. (2018). Party Advertising in Newspapers. Journalism Studies , 19 (6), 782–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2016.1234356

Entman, R. M. (2007). Framing Bias: Media in the Distribution of Power. Journal of Communication , 57 (1), 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00336.x

Garz, M. (2014). Good news and bad news: evidence of media bias in unemployment reports.  Public Choice ,  161 (3), 499-515.

Groeling, T. (2013). Media Bias by the Numbers: Challenges and Opportunities in the Empirical Study of Partisan News. Annual Review of Political Science , 16 (1), 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-040811-115123

Groseclose, T., & Milyo, J. (2005). A measure of media bias. The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 120 (4), 1191-1237.

Groseclose, T., & Milyo, J. (2005). A Measure of Media Bias. The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 120 (4), 1191–1237. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355305775097542

Haselmayer, M., Meyer, T. M., & Wagner, M. (2019). Fighting for attention: Media coverage of negative campaign messages. Party Politics , 25 (3), 412–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068817724174

Haselmayer, M., Wagner, M., & Meyer, T. M. (2017). Partisan Bias in Message Selection: Media Gatekeeping of Party Press Releases. Political Communication , 34 (3), 367–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2016.1265619

Hofstetter, C. R., & Buss, T. F. (1978). Bias in television news coverage of political events: A methodological analysis. Journal of Broadcasting , 22 (4), 517–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838157809363907

Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2019). Metaliterate Learning for the Post-Truth World . American Library Association.

Merloe, P. (2015). Authoritarianism Goes Global: Election Monitoring Vs. Disinformation. Journal of Democracy , 26 (3), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2015.0053

Mullainathan, S., & Shleifer, A. (2002). Media Bias (No. w9295; p. w9295). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w9295

Newton, K. (1996). The mass media and modern government . Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung.

Raymond, C., & Taylor, S. (2021). “Tell all the truth, but tell it slant”: Documenting media bias. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization , 184 , 670–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.09.021

Ribeiro, F. N., Henrique, L., Benevenuto, F., Chakraborty, A., Kulshrestha, J., Babaei, M., & Gummadi, K. P. (2018, June). Media bias monitor: Quantifying biases of social media news outlets at large-scale. In Twelfth international AAAI conference on web and social media .

Sloan, W. D., & Mackay, J. B. (2007). Media Bias: Finding It, Fixing It . McFarland.

van Dalen, A. (2012). Structural Bias in Cross-National Perspective: How Political Systems and Journalism Cultures Influence Government Dominance in the News. The International Journal of Press/Politics , 17 (1), 32–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161211411087

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Mass Media: An Undergraduate Research Guide : Media Bias

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Organizations

• Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch Madison, WI-based nonprofit organization that focuses on "investigating and exposing the undue influence of corporations and front groups on public policy, including PR campaigns, lobbying, and electioneering"
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• Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) "FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986"
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About Media Bias

This guide focuses on bias in mass media coverage of news and current events. It includes concerns of sensationalism, allegations of media bias, and criticism of media's increasingly profit-motivated ethics. It also includes examples of various types of sources coming from particular partisan viewpoints.

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Overview Resources - Background Information

• International Encyclopedia of Media Studies This encyclopedia covers the broad field of "media studies” which includes encompassing print journalism, radio, film, TV, photography, computing, mobile phones, and digital media.
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Media Bias Handout

Media Bias Workshop

Learning Objectives :

• Define and identify “Media Bias”
• Evaluate and identify objective credible sources for your English writing assignment
• Explore search techniques

Refine Searches

• Cite References

What is Media Bias?

Media Bias is the tendency of an article, news story, or social media post to support or promote preconceived ideas (ie., spin, slant, ideology).

What are objective, credible sources?

        Peer-reviewed or refereed, scholarly/academic articles; college and university library LibGuides; .edu or .gov URLs; neutral news sources; others?

Evaluate & identify objective, credible sources

CSU Chico’s CRAAP Test   ( adaptation by Austin CC below )

We can apply these criteria to our own search results!

credit : Adaptation of CSU Chico’s CRAAP Test  by Austin Community College

Search Techniques

• Simple Google search

Note: Google’s algorithm skews search results towards previous search queries. To minimize the filter bubble, try conducting the same search using Verbatim.

Search term example : media bias

mediabiasfactcheck.com

news reports

opinion pieces

1.        Want to find more peer reviewed or vetted, academic resources?

• Google Search with search operator : .edu:media bias
• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com
• Skyline College Library databases using search terms: skylinecollege.edu/library
• Refine Search
• Too many results: media bias AND [topic]
• Too few results: expand date rage; choose a more general topic; try media bias OR
• Evaluate source using CRAAP for currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, & purpose

Suggested search terms and keywords [OR] :

media bias, filter bubble, bias and media coverage, media manipulation, editorial slant, . . .

Specific topic areas of [media bias AND ____] :

news, politics, ethics, freedom of speech, voting, liberal, conservative . . .

Library Resources & LibGuides:

Skyline College: http://guides.skylinecollege.edu/c.php?g=878498&p=6309595

Columbus State: http://library.cscc.edu/mediabias/findarticles

Cornell University: http://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluate_news/bias

Monona Grove HS: http://libguides.mononagrove.org/mediabias

University of Maryland: http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/credibility.cfm

University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~newsbias/manifestations.html

Austin Community College Library Services. (2018, October 18). Is it CRAAP?  Retrieved from http://researchguides.austincc.edu/c.php?g=434716&p=2964937

Media Bias Workshop Handout by Ame Maloney for Skyline College Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0

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Does the Media Show Bias Essay

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Introduction

Media biases types, media biases examples, works cited.

While today many information sources are present on the Internet, it is easy to find biases and, therefore, make conclusions implied in the news article from the beginning. Before, when media was mostly on paper, there was less available information, but biases were not so widespread too. There were several trusted media which did their best to maintain the reputation. Conversely, today there is a large number of left-, center-, and right-wing media websites, each of which presents information from its own point of view. Modern media represents a powerful tool to manipulate public opinion, and it is crucial to elucidate biases to prevent these manipulations. This essay will show that in most cases, these biases do not show in media explicitly, and thus, a reader needs to recognize them.

There are several types of media biases, and while good news reporters should know and avoid them, they may use them instead to present information from a certain point of view. The six most common types of biases are omission, source and story selection, placement, labeling, and spin (Student News Daily). Bias by omission occurs when an article leaves some relevant information, pretending that it does not exist. Source and story selection are examples of biases when reporters select only certain kinds of sources, such as right- or left-wing sources, ignoring other points of view. Placement and labeling biases occur when reporters allocate an article to the place where it is most visible or label certain people as “expert” to make some point of view more sound. Last, spin biases are based on interpretations: an article interprets some event or policy in one way, ignoring other possible interpretations.

An excellent example of media biases can be shown in three articles describing one single event: an accident on the Norfolk Southern railroad near East Palestine, Ohio. Figure 1 shows three headings from various resources, all dedicated to the same theme, but one can see how different they present it, even by titles (AllSlides). All three articles will be described below to demonstrate how various media can be biased.

In the article from ABC News, the fact is presented in a way that Norfolk Southern’s CEO faces grilling from a Senate, being harshly accused in this calamity. Despite mentioning that CEO apologized and made efforts to improve the situation, the article focuses on that Norfolk Southern experienced a large number of accidents and should be thoroughly examined to prevent them in the future (Pecorin and Pezenik). As ABC News is considered a left-wing media, its article is overly critical of Norfolk Southern and clearly shows the condemnation of its actions.

The article of Trains.com, while having a similar title, consists primarily of facts and directly presents Norfolk Southern’s CEO dialogue with the Senate members. The article focuses on flaws that are present in the company, such as a lack of protection from toxic compounds, which made the accident possible (Stephens). It also describes Senate’s requirements for the company to improve safety, such as installing 200 additional hotbox detectors and ensuring paid sick days to all workers.

Finally, Fox Business, which presents business news and information and has a clear right-wing leaning, says nothing about the grilling but emphasizes that the CEO apologized to Senate for the calamity. The article begins by describing the CEO’s speech, apologizes, and promises to help everyone who suffered from the railroad incident (Wallace). It is mentioned that more than $20 million is already spent to help families located in East Palestine. At the end of the article, Senate investigations are mentioned, but neither CEO’s dialog with them nor their requirements are described.

Word choice, fact present, and the general new source reputation all contribute to the biases that can easily be found in modern media. One can see biases by omission in all three mentioned articles (Student News Daily). Fox Business, a right-wing media favoring large businesses, mentioned mainly the CEO’s speech and that he helped suffering families with more than $20 million, only shortly noting that Senate initiated investigations (Wallace). Conversely, being left-wing media, ABC News is most critical toward Norfolk Southern and its CEO, emphasizing the company’s flaws and not mentioning the $20 million spent to support the damaged community (Pecorin and Pezenik). Trains.com is the most objective article, showing the existing data and the dialog between CEO and Senate members, letting readers make their own opinion (Stephens). Thus, while a media can reduce bias through the conscientious work of its employees, the risk of biases will still be present, depending on the point of view from which the information is presented.

Media employees can work to reduce biases, describe various points of view explicitly, and present readers with objective facts from which they can make conclusions by themselves. However, it is hard to notice all possible biases, and it is easy to concentrate on one point of view and choose sources and stories selectively, ignoring others. In addition, there are many interpretations of a single event, and each media can select its own interpretation, which is essential to remember. The example of three articles describing the Norfolk Southern railroad incident shows how different attitudes and fact collections can be. They range from condemning the company for the incident to showing that it does its best to help victims and prevent future calamities. It is important to know which biases can be present and how different information can be shown to elucidate biases and perceive all related data and as many points of view as possible.

AllSlides. “Norfolk Southern CEO Apologizes for Ohio Train Crash in Senate Hearing.” AllSides , Web.

Pecorin, Allison, and Sasha Pezenik. “ Norfolk Southern CEO Faces Senate Grilling over Toxic Train Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio .” ABC News , 2023, Web.

Stephens, Bill. “ Senate Committee Grills Norfolk Southern CEO about East Palestine Derailment .” Trains , 2023, Web.

Student News Daily. “ Media Bias .” Student News Daily , 2021, Web.

Wallace, Danielle. “ Norfolk Southern CEO Apologizes for East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment in Senate Testimony .” FOXBusiness , Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, February 28). Does the Media Show Bias. https://ivypanda.com/essays/does-the-media-show-bias/

"Does the Media Show Bias." IvyPanda , 28 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/does-the-media-show-bias/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Does the Media Show Bias'. 28 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Does the Media Show Bias." February 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/does-the-media-show-bias/.

1. IvyPanda . "Does the Media Show Bias." February 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/does-the-media-show-bias/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Does the Media Show Bias." February 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/does-the-media-show-bias/.

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Biased Media is a Real Threat to Indian Democracy

• 29 Mar 2024
• 10 min read

Whoever controls the media, controls the mind

― Jim Morrison

Media plays a crucial role in any democratic society by providing information, shaping public opinion, and holding those in power accountable. However, the rise of biased media poses a significant threat to the democratic fabric of India. In recent years, Indian media has come under scrutiny for its biased reporting, sensationalism, and lack of objectivity. 

Media serves as the fourth pillar of democracy, alongside the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. Its primary function is to inform citizens, facilitate debate, and act as a watchdog over the government and other powerful institutions. In India, a diverse and vibrant media landscape has emerged since independence, comprising print, broadcast, and digital platforms. However, the proliferation of biased media outlets has blurred the lines between news and propaganda, posing a grave danger to democracy.

Biased media outlets in India often prioritize sensationalism over substance, resorting to inflammatory rhetoric and divisive narratives to attract viewership or readership. This sensationalism contributes to the spread of misinformation and the polarization of society along religious, ethnic, and political lines. Moreover, biased reporting can sway public opinion, influence electoral outcomes, and undermine the credibility of democratic institutions.

The phenomenon of biased media in India is exacerbated by various challenges to press freedom , including political pressure, corporate influence, and legal threats.  The concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few conglomerates limits the diversity of viewpoints and fosters self-censorship among journalists. These challenges impede the media's ability to fulfill its democratic mandate and hold power to account.

Political pressure on media outlets is a common phenomenon in India, where governments often seek to control the narrative and suppress dissenting voices. Media outlets are made manipulated by giving them ads by the political parties for suppressing the truth and spreading rumours and fake news.

Corporate interests often wield significant influence over media organizations through ownership or advertising revenue. A prime example is the Reliance Group , one of India's largest conglomerates with interests in various sectors, including media. Reliance's ownership of a certain media platform, which controls several news channels and digital media platforms, has raised concerns about editorial independence and bias. Critics argue that Reliance's business interests may influence media coverage to favor its corporate agenda, thereby compromising journalistic integrity.

The consequences of biased media on Indian democracy are far-reaching and multifaceted. It erodes public trust in the media as an impartial source of information, leading to widespread cynicism and apathy towards democratic institutions. It undermines the pluralistic fabric of Indian society by fostering intolerance and bigotry towards marginalized communities. It compromises the integrity of electoral processes by manipulating public opinion and influencing voter behavior. Overall, biased media contributes to the erosion of democratic norms and values, posing a serious threat to the future of Indian democracy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, misleading stories about the death toll and government responses deepened the crisis. Twitter censorship of critical tweets and pro-government channels blaming farmers’ protests for oxygen shortages distorted the truth and undermined trust in the media. This jeopardizes their ability to report objectively and hold those in power accountable. Attacks on journalists who expose corruption or criticize political leaders endanger press freedom and democratic functioning.

Sonam Wangchuk, the renowned climate activist and educationalist , recently concluded his 21-day climate fast in Leh, Ladakh. During this period, he sustained himself solely on water and salt, drawing attention to critical issues affecting the region.

Wangchuk’s fast was a powerful statement, emphasizing the need to protect Ladakh’s fragile ecology and indigenous culture . He emphasized the importance of character and foresight in addressing Ladakh’s concerns. Wangchuk’s fast garnered support from various socio-political bodies in Ladakh, including the Kargil Democratic Alliance . Members of the KDA also joined him in hunger strikes, amplifying their collective voice but big news channels and media houses ignored incident and did not provided proper coverage.

Moreover, the Sushant Singh Rajput case became a media frenzy, with sensationalism overshadowing more critical matters. The media’s obsession with Sushant Singh Rajput’s death transformed a tragic suicide into a relentless investigation, streamed live day after day.

Instead of focusing on the actual tragedy, the spotlight shifted to an actress portrayed as the evil intriguer and the perfect cinematic vamp.

The arrest of actress, after relentless pursuit, was celebrated by those addicted to this media spectacle. The media’s gossipy edge often carries deep shades of misogyny. The private-public separation blurred. While the media chased actresses and sensationalized the Rajput case, other crucial issues in the country were sidelined. The Bombay High Court recognized the harm caused by trial by media, obstructing fair criminal case investigations. The media’s role should be to inform, not to manipulate public sentiment.

The practice of accepting money from political parties to publish favorable stories or suppress negative ones, often referred to as "paid news," undermines the integrity of journalism and erodes public trust in the media. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent during election campaigns when political parties seek to manipulate public opinion and gain an unfair advantage. One notable example of paid news occurred during the run-up to the 2014 general elections in India. 

Media showed one sided news about CAA-NRC and misled minorities that led to widespread protest in country. The media played a significant role in shaping public perception of the CAA. Some channels sensationalized the issue, focusing on specific narratives while ignoring broader implications. The trial by media approach led to polarization and misinformation . Social media also played a role, with fact-checkers attempting to correct misinformation. 

Addressing the issue of biased media requires concerted efforts from multiple stakeholders, including policymakers, media professionals, civil society organizations, and the general public. There is a need for stringent regulations and mechanisms to hold media outlets accountable for ethical breaches and misinformation. Media literacy programs should be implemented to educate citizens about the importance of critical thinking and discerning reliable sources of information. Independent media watchdogs and ombudsmen should be empowered to monitor media content and address complaints from the public. Additionally, promoting diversity and plurality in the media industry through initiatives such as community media and public broadcasting can help counteract the influence of biased media conglomerates.

Biased media poses a grave threat to Indian democracy by undermining the principles of transparency , accountability, and pluralism. Its sensationalism, misinformation, and propaganda have the potential to subvert democratic processes and foster social division. Therefore, it is imperative to address the root causes of biased media and implement reforms to safeguard press freedom and media integrity. Only by upholding the highest standards of journalistic ethics and promoting media pluralism can India realize its democratic aspirations and uphold the rights of its citizens.

Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth. 

—Mahatma Gandhi

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Introducing the AllSides Media Bias Chart

By Julie Mastrine

Editor's Note: Some information may be outdated. View the latest version of the AllSides Media Bias Chart here .

Introducing the 2019 AllSides Media Bias Chart, an easy way for you to identify political bias in the news so you can be better equipped to navigate our increasingly polarized media landscape. (And don't miss our full and growing list of almost 600 media bias ratings ).

Click here to share the media bias chart on Facebook

Americans are more polarized than ever — if you’re like us, you see it in the news and on your social media feeds every day.

Bias is natural, but hidden bias and fake news misleads and divides us. That’s why AllSides has rated the media bias of nearly 600 media outlets and writers . The AllSides Media Bias Chart shows the political bias of some of the most popular news outlets in America.

The AllSides Media Bias Chart is more comprehensive in its methodology than any other media bias chart on the Web. While other media bias charts show you only the subjective opinion of the one person who made it, our Media Bias Rating Methodology is based on data gathered from people from all over the political bias spectrum — not just one individual. Our ratings reflect the average judgement of the American people.

Help to depolarize your newsfeed by sharing the media bias chart on Facebook , and check out commonly asked questions about the chart below.

AllSides Media Bias Chart FAQ

Why does the bias of a media outlet matter.

Media bias has contributed to making Americans more politically polarized than ever. When we can’t identify, understand and appreciate diverse perspectives, we can’t problem-solve or compromise. Democracy suffers.

The mission of AllSides is to free people from filter bubbles so they can better understand the world — and each other. Making media bias transparent helps us to achieve this, and improves our democracy long-term.

There is nothing inherently wrong with bias — bias is natural. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a bias. But hidden bias misleads and divides us.

News media, social media, and search engines have become so biased and personalized that we are stuck in filter bubbles , where we’re only exposed to information and ideas we already agree with. We often end up hating the “The Other Side,” believing they’re wrong or evil.

At AllSides, we believe reducing the one-sided information flow by providing balanced news and nearly 600 media bias ratings can help us to better understand diverse perspectives and reduce hateful polarization in America. By making media bias transparent and consuming a balanced news diet, we can arm ourselves with a broader view — and decide the truth for ourselves. 

How Does AllSides Calculate Media Bias?

Our media bias ratings are based on data gathered from years of multi-partisan analysis, including blind surveys, editorial reviews, community feedback, third party data, and over 100,000 user bias ratings. Visit our AllSides Media Bias Rating Methodology page to learn more and view a video on how this works.

Our ratings are scientifically driven and based on multipartisan analysis, not the subjective interpretation of one individual. That means our bias ratings are more robust than other media bias charts on the Web, and reflects the average judgement of Americans.

We update our media bias ratings on a continual basis as more information is gathered and news outlets shift their bias over time. 

How Did AllSides Decide Which Media Outlets to Include on the Chart?

We took into account whether the source was a top outlet in terms of traffic according to Pew Research Center , as well as whether or not it was featured on other media bias charts floating around the Web.

What Does It Mean for a Media Outlet to Be Left, Center, Right, or Anything Else?

These are subjective judgements made by people across the country. Learn our rough approximation for what the media bias ratings mean: Left - Lean Left - Center - Lean Right - Right

Does a Center Rating Mean Neutral and Unbiased?

It's important to note that a Center media bias rating does not always mean neutral, unbiased or reasonable, just as "far Left" and "far Right" do not always mean "extreme" or "unreasonable." A Center bias rating simply means the source or writer rated does not predictably show opinions favoring either end of the political spectrum — conservative or liberal. Sometimes, a media outlet with a Center rating misses important perspectives, leaving out valid arguments from the left or right.

While it may be easy to think that we should only consume media from Center outlets, AllSides believes Center is not necessarily the answer. By reading only Center outlets, we may still encounter bias and omission of important issues and perspectives. For this reason, it is important to consume a balanced news diet. Learn more about what an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Center rating means here.

You can think of our bias ratings as points of view, each providing pieces of the puzzle, so that we may have a more holistic view.

Why Are Some Media Outlets On The Chart Twice?

A key way the AllSides Media Bias Chart differs from other media bias charts on the Web is that we often make a distinction between the source’s news content and its Opinion/Editorial content. This is true for prominent and widely-read media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. The distinction helps readers to contextualize the differences in bias between news content and opinion page content.

For example, on this chart you will see The New York Times Opinion is rated as a Left media bias, while the New York Times (News Only) is rated Lean Left . Fox News Opinion content has a Right media bias, while Fox News (News Only) is Lean Right . And so on.

When rating an Opinion page, AllSides takes into account both the paper’s editorial board andthe paper’s individual opinion page writers. The editorial board’s bias is weighted, and affects the final bias rating by about 60%.

For example, the New York Times has a range of individual Opinion page writers, who have a range of biases. Yet The New York Times Editorial Board has a clear Left media bias. We take into account both the overall biases of the individual writers and the Editorial Board, and give the New York Times Opinion Page a final media bias rating of Left .

We also provide individual media bias ratings for each Opinion page writer. See how we did it for the New York Times Opinion page writers here .

Where Can I Learn More? 

Visit the AllSides Media Bias Ratings page and search for any outlet for a full summation of our research and how we arrived at the rating.

Visit our company  FAQ for more information about AllSides.

I Disagree With Your Media Bias Ratings. Where Can I Give You Feedback?

 You can vote on whether or not you agree with our media bias ratings directly on our Media Bias Ratings page , or contact us .

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