Index Media bias in politics Example of media bias Conclusion The media plays an important role in conveying information to citizens. Almost the entire population, in one way or another, relies on television or reads a newspaper for information. Based on what the target audience reads, it shapes their opinion on various issues, for example, racism, politics, abortion and homosexuality. The power of mass media cannot be underestimated especially in shaping opinion in society. Depending on the type of opinion the media wants to express, they may decide to emphasize and publicize one side of the story more than the other. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The most common way bias occurs in the media is when the news is reported in an unbalanced way or journalists engage in sensationalist reporting. The main purpose of media bias is to instill individual ideas in the public, even though they may not be true facts. Media bias can range from how an individual is portrayed in society, racial portrayals of information, or corporate propaganda. Media bias could be a negative, positive, or inaccurate portrayal of information in order to shape viewers' opinion. Depending on which party is reporting the information, the mass media can sway public opinion towards conservatives or liberals. Distorted information can be classified into various categories. This may be an omission where one side of the story is left out. In this case the liberal or conservative side of the story is omitted. The second form of partial selection of sources. This is where the source of information used only supports one side of the story. The third form of media bias is story selection. This is where the only stories that support particular ideas are highlighted, ignoring those with opposing views. Finally, there is a labeling bias. It is more important when it comes to political news. Liberal or conservative politicians are labeled with extremist labels or groups that leave opponents unlabeled. This form of biased reporting can also occur when a journalist identifies a news politician as an expert in a particular field rather than as a liberal or conservative, but as an expert who brings out a positive image. In this case, the politician is given an authoritative atmosphere that is not deserved. The bias of the media in politicsCan it be said that the media is biased? Depending on which side of political opinion is represented, the media is evidently biased on both sides, be it conservative or liberal. Liberals believe that there are conservative media reporting misinformation and the same opinion is seen by conservatives. Media bias is currently a big problem and trying to suppress it is even more difficult due to the fact that it is owned by corporate giants who have a specific agenda. It is a serious problem as it is used to instill certain beliefs that can have a negative influence on society. Citizens rely on television news and other media for information to make an informed decision about public policy and how to cast their votes. Media houses have the power to elevate or kill an individual's political career; they can make a political candidate likeable or not. They tend to focus on what they want the public to see and ignore othersfacts that can influence the outcome. Ultimately, the media takes advantage of the public's inability to make an informed decision regarding the issues at hand, such as public policy, and ultimately misinforms the public. In the recent past, the media seems to be the one setting the trends on what to discuss, they are arriving at a reality that they want the viewer to see. Example of Media Bias The 2016 US presidential election was marked by widespread lack of credibility in media reporting. During the election, media reports were divided between the two presidential candidates. It is still a debate whether or not the coverage had an influence on the election outcome. During the campaign period, Donald Trump faced negative coverage aimed at portraying him as a racist and xenophobe. The GOP and President Donald Trump have pointed out that Hillary Clinton received more favorable news coverage than him during the campaign period. While Democrats said the media often broadcast Trump's speeches uninterrupted. The reporting of the 2016 general election was characterized by overwhelming negativity. Looking back on the campaign period, the majority of newspapers supported Hillary Clinton. This has led Donald Trump to argue that the mainstream media is deeply corrupt and deceiving the American public. Both candidates received fair coverage, although Trump's coverage was more negative than Clinton's. The election could be one of the most lopsided in news coverage of the candidates. Elections highlight the kind of information that is always fed to voters making it difficult for them to express independent opinions on different policies. There's a blurry line between good and bad candidates, between conservatives and liberals, and the media isn't making it any easier. A considerable number of citizens are unaware that they have been manipulated into believing certain information. Another example of misleading information obtained from the media occurred when the New England Patriots visited the White House. The New York Times apparently tweeted a misleading caption of photos from the Patriot's visit to the White House. The Patriots responded to the tweet. In the photos, the New York Times was trying to portray that players and staff had boycotted the visit to the White House to protest President Donald Trump. The team released photos from their visits in 2004, 2015 and 2017. Comparing the two photos, the 2015 one has both staff and players, but the 2017 one only had players. While it is a common occurrence for players to boycott visits to the White House for various political reasons. But the New York Times was trying to prove that there had been a massive boycott by the team, which wasn't true at all. This was intended to influence public opinion on the president's popularity and question his image with the public. In a recent poll conducted in 2017, 62% of Americans believe the media is biased towards one political side over the other. 64% believe the media is more favorable to the Democratic Party compared to 22% who believe it favors Republicans. Furthermore, 55% of voters believe that the mainstream media reports inaccurate information. This statistic could also be attributed to the media's bipartisan audience. Political news coverage reflects the type of audience the media attracts. It is difficult to answer the question of whether the mainstream media is just part of the enormous political divide. The media are in one.