Media bias, Why do they cover some stories and not others?

[Anonymous]

I'll let you talk...  I'll just throw out a few things to get it started.

Why does the media make such a big deal about flushing a Quran down the toilet while the "Muslims" blow people up with car bombs and it's no biggie?  The flushed Quran has been news for weeks now, a car bomb is forgotten the next day.

Why was such a big stink made over Abu Grab prisoners being naked while the insurgents lopped off heads?  Abu Grab has been news for months.  While a hostage, the victims are news, but once they're killed, end of story.

Why is there such outrage over the Iraq war which saved Iraqis that would have been killed due to Saddam while still crying that we DON'T do anything to save the Africans also being killed by brutal leaders?  Everyone says the Iraq war was wrong even though it stopped a brutal dictator from murdering his own people.  BUT, the media STILL rags on the U.S. for not doing anything in Africa!  How can we win with them?

I don't get it... I want to know...

What other inconsistencies have you seen?

[94suzuki500]

I believe it is the Warren commission that states that we are supposed to help other countries in need?  They all expect the US to help other countries because we are a superpower and are looked upon highly.  I think the reason that the quran being flushed and the nude pictures of the people is because the US did both.  We put ourselves to high standards and people wont let us fall short of what we put ourselves up to do.  Sorta like if you go doing things for people or helping out at volunteer organizations but then stop, you are looked down upon more so than someone who has never helped in a volunteer organization.  Because we did it once we are expected to do it always.  I think I went off the subject a little but thats how I look at it.

[Cal Price]

I'm not getting into the war debate. Media is biased, it has been for years, pretty much all media. Biased in different ways and directions but biased nonetheless.  If you think your chosen TV news or newspaper is not biased it probably means that you broadly agree with it. In the late 19th and early 20th century there were papers that stuck to verifiable facts but public appetite is for speculation nowadays. Opinion dressed up as facts. Left and right they all do it.

I used to work for a freelance news agency many years back and we would gather a story and pics and you just knew who you could sell it to by the nature of the story.

The trick is to know and understand the bias and see through it, don't go for a paper that pretends it is unbiased go for one with a built-in agenda like say the Financial Times or Wall St Journal this will simply give the lowdown on how such-and-such an event will affect MONEY, the Racing Post and Sporting Life will speculate odds and will this affect bookies/ gamblers. Then expand your horizons to the less obvious biases and you will soon spot them. Once you appreciate the bias you just might get to the facts. If you can get them compare, say FoxNews with BBC World Service, often you would think they were reporting different events.

[Anonymous]

Cal,

Once again you are the voice of reason.

It's not just the MEDIA that is biased, the REPORTERS are biased too.  Whatever their thoughts are on a story will be highlighted and others subdued.  If the guy likes whatever he's reporting on, it will have a positive spin, if he's against it, a negative tone.

It also helps to know as much about a subject as possible.  Get your news from a variety of sources.  Go in with a skeptical eye.  

I get a kick out of "placement" where they do a story about something general and deliberately show a ghey couple or a mixed marriage.  It has NO relevance to the story, just there to "desensitize" the viewers.

How true your comment on different channels.  Do you have satellite?  On Dish there are "news" channels up in the 9,000 range from all over the world.  If you want to know what the world is thinking look at those broadcasts some time.  One day during the pilgrimage to Mecca they were translating what was being broadcast over the speakers as the throngs walked around the big black stone, "the rock".  I couldn't believe it, SO anti U.S.!  It was like a war cry against the western world.  I don't think we'll EVER get a fair shake in the Arab world.  That is what is so scary.

It reminds me of the "men in Black" movie where he says something like "they go on with their pointless lives unaware of what is happening around them".  If you only knew all the scary stuff that goes on in the world...

[oppy00]

I "work" for a newspaper.  It's a campus paper, but I get a lot of contact with "real" newspapers/ reporters/ etc. ,as well as other college papers,  through my job.  Through my experience MOST american journalists are biased towards the left.  I think I'm the only Republican at my office (30+ employees), true it is in a University, (Universities are well known as liberal breeding grounds.) but the people I know from the local paper and other college papers fit the mold very well.  
On to Joe's question about why some news gets covered more than other news.  Well Joe, you should know that people react more to negativity (I think you once put it as "Truth").  Opinions and slants that excite peoples opinions and views will get more people talking, which will sell more papers.  I watch CNN when I want to be told what to think by hippies, and I watch Fox News when I want to hear from rich Old Farts.  Reporting the NEWS isn't profitable, because American's would rather be entertained than think for themselves.  People watch movies about mass murderers and the brutality of war for fun.  Why should people care about things that don't directly affect them?  I guess I'm going on a bit of a rant, so I'm sorry.  Like Cal said, you've gotta look through the smoke and mirrors act that media outlets use to make MONEY (Ahhh, money what it's REALLY all about)
Oppy00 Out.

[Anonymous]

You're right about reporting things that "excite" people.  Like murder, crime, kidnapping.  Hardly any "warm and fuzzy" stories.  Nice doesn't sell newspapers.

But, why-o-why don't they cover anything meaningful?  As I said, they'll make a BIG deal over urine on a Quran, SO WHAT!  And another car bombing by Muslims killing Muslims is practically ignored.

This brings up a crucial point.  It's superficial news reporting.  If it REALLY matters and has ANYTHING to do (negative publicity) with a minority you'll NEVER see it.  The media is the ultimate politically correct machine.  Hiding anything bad about any minority.  This pisses me off.  Take Saudi Arabia, they're human rights are despicable, women are treated worse than dogs.  Are there any in-depth stories repeated over and over about that?  No.  It's brushed clean and glossed over.  They put lipstick on a pig.

I used to watch Fox news because it was for me, older men with some money, conservative people with something to lose.  I hardly watch it any more.  A year or two ago they seemed to start carrying the same stories over and over at the expense of other more newsworthy stories.  I think it started with that Smart girl in Utah, that's all you saw on Fox, all day long.  Whatever they decide to latch onto as "their story" is all you see ALL day.  I used to like Greta, but she became the same, night after night all it was the same story, and it was an hour of worthless conjecture.  Once that story finished she began another, night after night, the same crap.

I guess I need an AP direct newsfeed.  But wait, the reporters are biased too.

Speaking of which, do you have any PERSONAL experience with a story that was covered in the news?  I do.  And believe me, the story that reached the TV/newspapers/magazines was NOWHERE even close to the reality.  You really CAN'T believe much of anything you hear on the news.  That is what I mean when I say the "truth" isn't what you think it is.  Most of us have no idea what is and isn't real.  What is simply "made up" by the "marketers" and what is a true fact.  That is why I dig for the raw numbers and decide for myself what to believe.  Or, I find the story reported by other reporters and see what THEY have to say.

Gotta love how they dramatize everything too.  Remember recently the Viagra story?  Viagra will make you go blind!  BUT, if you look at the numbers BEFORE they tell their story you'll see that there have been about 23 million (23,000,000) men who have taken Viagra.  Out of that about 30-40 have reported blindness.  Do you know what percent that is?  It's .0001%  Now, do you think that's significant?  So, why bother with the story?  Maybe mention it briefly that a VERY few were afflicted.  But to have it in ALL the media?

Oh well, I'll let someone else talk a bit.

[Old Mr. Wilson]

You know.............

[roguegeek]

I got 3 wonderful letters for you... BBC.

[Cal Price]

Yes Joe, I have Satellite, I used even to get the notorious Al-Jazeera but now they want a subscription, so that's out. It still leaves plenty enough to see all the the different slants and angles. The latest one to appear on my package is an English language Chinese channel. I get the "mainstream" U.S. stuff, Fox, CNN, Bloomburg, CNBC etc plus a good selection of Brit and European plus Indian sub-continent as we have a high proportion of ethnic Indian, Pakistani, Sri-Lankan and Bangla-Deshies in our population.

I have heard people say how differently CNN and Fox cover events, that's nothing compared to the international perspective, especially when the shooting starts.

opy00's comment about most US papers being left bias was interesting, in the UK and Europe the opposite is probably the case but at least they tend to be open and up-front about it. It's the unseen or undetected bias that presents a problem, once it is "sussed" it ceases to be a problem.

Long live a free press but being free doesn't always make it true!!

[Anonymous]

Cal,

So tell me, are these "new" immigrants from the Indian area successfully becoming Brits?  Or are they doing like they and other "new" immigrants are doing here in the states...  Simply LIVING here and still acting, speaking, dressing like they're still living at home?

Man, it makes me mad how these people ONLY come here for the benefits of living in America.  They have absolutely NO intention of actually becoming an American.  That is the big problem with the Mexicans.  There are 11 million of them here illegally and 50 million + here legally.  BUT neither group want to actually "blend" into the proverbial mixing pot as immigrants did in the past.  They refuse the learn to read/speak english.

It kills me how the media labels us "ugly Americans" because we go to a foreign country TO VISIT and expect everything in english.  BUT, they'd NEVER say "ugly Mexican" to describe those who come here TO LIVE and expect everything in Spanish!  It just kills me!

What a double standard!

If you're going to move to another country to spend the rest of your live, you MUST become that country.  You learn the language, you learn and adopt the customs, you BECOME that country.  You drop whatever you WERE because you left there.  If you still want to BE whatever you were, why did you leave?  Stay there if you love it so much.  You MUST blend into your new contries population like you were born here.  Is that so wrong to expect?

[Blingmasta]

nope, I agree.

[weaselnoze]

i agree with the statement about how immigrants should learn the ways/culture/language of their new country, but i strongly DISAGREE with the statement saying that one should drop their heritage.  thats a load of crap.  im proud to be american, at the same time im proud to have an italian background!  and im not even an immigrant.  im the third generation in my family to be born in the US.  one's heritage should be respected.

[Anonymous]

Who says anything about FORGETTING you heritage.  Just leave it at the door when you go out.  DON'T fly an Italian flag at your house, don't even put one on your car.  Don't run around speaking Italian either.  At home with friends is fine.  Don't expect US to cater to or accept your Italianess.  If you REALLY want to be an Italian, I suggest you move to Italy.  Get it?  You moved to America, you're an American now with an Italian heritage.

[weaselnoze]

so because im proud of my heritage i should have italian flags?  what a crock!  might as well leave the food there too!  no more pizza, or sausage, spagetti etc..  all i can eat are burgers and french fries?

[SuZuki10]

They're American Fries now   or Freedom Fries  

[indestructibleman]

[Cal Price]

Well, I see I have been asked a question in two languages. Better do my best to answer it then.

I don't honestly believe that you can say how Mexicans/Indians/Romanys behave, they are just as individual cross section of society like any other group but I take the point. Immigrant groups usually start out grouping together and becoming very conspicous this can engender, fear, hatred, suspicision, admiration in other groups, usually the local population.

To try and answer the question specific to Asians (as we refer to people from the indian sub continent in general) will depend on where you live, your own preferences and bias etc but GENERALLY Asians are seen as hard working folk, many have small busineess and do intergrate into local society whilst retaining their own traditions and beliefs which cover a very wide range. Many of the "older" families are settled and fully intergrated, yes there are problems with language etc, but these are bacoming less. The biggest cultural difference and point of friction are issues surrounding the young women of the families who are getting very "western" in many ways but are sometimes still expected to partake in arranged marriages etc,. This is as divisive in the Asian communities as it is for the locals.

The big cultural advantage they have is that when they arrive they understand Cricket!

Britain is a fairly tolerant society but a long way from utopia, we do have our racial issues and problems, some people get very heated over the issue of immigration both legal and illegal and this sometimes comes out as hostility to all groups even those that have contributed to our society and culture for many years. sometimes this is aggravated by some people within those groups who also have an agenda, some moslem clerics say and do things which do not come across as very tolerant or even godly. We akso have problems centering around Eastern Europeans, Albanians, Kosovans, Serbs, Czecks and Slovacs, often Romanies so this is not simply a Black-White-Brown thing. The latter groups are often seen as illegal immigrant criminals and some are, these are the ones that get all the publicity and shape perceptions of the entire group.

[indestructibleman]

in this country, politicians are allowed to set the agenda for the media.

to quote Bill Moyers (the poster-child/scapegoat for media bias), "...the conventional rules of Beltway journalism. Those rules divide the world into democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives and allow journalists to pretend they have done their job if, instead of reporting the truth behind the news, they merely give each side an opportunity to spin the news."

journalism in the U.S. is largely a case of "he said, she said."

to paraphrase Eric Alterman, if the Republican party came out tomorrow saying that black was white, the mainstream media, so afraid of being called liberal, would never contradict them.  at most, they would quote a Democratic source saying that they believe that black is actually a somewhat dark grey.


cheers,
will

[CasiUSA]

If you're going to move to another country to spend the rest of your live, you MUST become that country.  You learn the language, you learn and adopt the customs, you BECOME that country.  You drop whatever you WERE because you left there.  If you still want to BE whatever you were, why did you leave?  Stay there if you love it so much.  You MUST blend into your new contries population like you were born here.  Is that so wrong to expect?

You're right. From now on, stop speaking English, you invader. Speak native American.

[yamahonkawazuki]

If you're going to move to another country to spend the rest of your live, you MUST become that country.  You learn the language, you learn and adopt the customs, you BECOME that country.  You drop whatever you WERE because you left there.  If you still want to BE whatever you were, why did you leave?  Stay there if you love it so much.  You MUST blend into your new contries population like you were born here.  Is that so wrong to expect?

You're right. From now on, stop speaking English, you invader. Speak native American.

. fraid casi has a point, my ancestry here started around the turn of the century, but also for the longest time, the "native americans did not have a set language", so do we say nothing?, the world has been built on conquest.  :dunno: