In times today there are many different ways to get important information; one of those ways is through the media. The media has continuously proven to be partially, if not fully, biased at times to meet their specific agenda. The media outlet has done activism research, are fully vested in the outcome and results and skewed that information to portray the message they want to get across to their viewers.
This is specifically happening right now and causing harm in China revolving information with the Coronavirus. The media is conducting researched based on information they want to see the outcome of and is only sharing the results that benefit certain people and their organizations. Although the media is responsible and used for providing the public with timely news coverage the bias that the media is sharing is also harmful to the public.
An example the article used below is media outlets discussing information about Covid-19 before any official information had been released. This including harmful, inaccurate and discriminating information in the titles of articles that although, were not untrue, were misleading to the public in a harmful way. The media has a great deal of responsibility and is the primary source of information for many people and if used incorrectly to push an agenda a certain media outlet has can lead to negative consequences.
Activism research is particularly valuable to those looking to find information to support a specific agenda or outcome. With the information not being incorrect, but only showing results supporting a certain conclusion, the media is able to get away with showing information that may be biased and harmful to the other conclusions that it is not representing.
(2020) Effects of misleading media coverage on public health crisis: a case of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in China, Anatolia, DOI: 10.1080/13032917.2020.1730621