When you watch the news which channel do you watch? When you read the news paper which publication do you choose? When on social media what views does your feed consist of?
In the modern age of media and technology it is quite easy to surround yourself with only one point of view. It is much easier to just hear from sources that agree with your perspective, or that make you feel better about what’s going on in the world. The mainstream media outlets benefit from this and use it to their advantage. Programs such as MSNBC or FOX News even lately CNN, choose to report only one side of a story that often aligns with their political affiliation. This is because these companies benefit from constant viewership and try to maintain their base by providing information that confirms their viewers beliefs. Not only by doing this are these companies making money, but it also allows them to push their chosen parties agenda. I believe that the modern media is a huge factor for the new extremism we are seeing in the two parties. This is most likely due to the fact that people are only being exposed to what they want to hear limiting individuals ability of critical thinking.
This image is a visual representation of the bias present in different sources.
Furthermore, social media may be even more guilty in the aspect of promoting bias. If you are part of any form of social media you have most likely seen the constant reposting or retweeting of small snippets of information or data on a given issue. Often people are guilty (especially on apps that only give you a brief amount of information or just a visual) of taking information at face value. Someone will see a post that agrees with ones opinion or that seems shocking and will repost it on their own page. More often than not (specifically among younger audiences) this information does not come from anywhere credible and is quickly spread. Another symptom of social media is that people often tend to only follow people with similar views and backgrounds. This is another example of how people only tend to get their information from one side or perspective.
This new age of media is the newest factor in our forever changing political parties. There are plenty of benefits of this new age and ability to receive information in seconds, but if one is not careful they can limit themselves from getting accurate information as well as limit their ability to see others perspectives. I’ll attach two links below that can help with recognizing misinformation in the news and social media.
- https://library.elmhurst.edu/c.php?g=627849&p=4405950
- https://guides.library.jhu.edu/evaluate/social-media
I really enjoyed reading once again your blog. Everyday I am learning a little more about politics. My favorite part was analyzing the news chart.
I did a similar research into the types of news channels and social media sites and where they fit on the political spectrum for summer class. It’s such an interesting topic!