Tweet

The Fair and Balanced Myth - Three Reasons Why Media Bias Doesn't Matter

Guest post by: Matt Harrison

Article Overview: In a world of 6 billion people and only a limited amount of time and space for the media to tell you what has happened to them in a single day, something's obviously going to miss the final cut. The decision of what's Newsworthy varies greatly according to the personal opinions of the audience. If you're liberal, you want to hear about starving Darfuri children and Hugo Chavez' latest economic proposal. If you're conservative, you want to hear about the latest terrorist raid in Pakistan and global market trends.

The Fair and Balanced Myth - Three Reasons Why Media Bias Doesn't Matter

1. People have different opinions

In a world of 6 billion people and only a limited amount of time and space for the media to tell you what has happened to them in a single day, something's obviously going to miss the final cut. The decision of what's Newsworthy varies greatly according to the personal opinions of the audience. If you're liberal, you want to hear about starving Darfuri children and Hugo Chavez' latest economic proposal. If you're conservative, you want to hear about the latest terrorist raid in Pakistan and global market trends.

What most mainstream Americans think of the political center is considered conservative by European standards, socialist by Lew Rockwell standards, and fascist by Ralph Nader standards. This is why serious writers have written books called Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media and What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News. This is also why some people think media reporting on Iraq is treasonous disrespect to our troops, and other people think it's an oil-driven corporate conspiracy to silence popular dissent. The uncomfortable fact is that true media objectivity - especially on contentious political issues - is simply an illusion.

It just so happens that those who work in the mass media, like journalists, actors and writers, tend to have opinions more liberal than the average American. It also just so happens people want to listen to them more than they do to economists, preachers or talk radio pundits, who tend to be more conservative than the average American. This doesn't mean that the media is a failure - it just means different people think differently. It's the job of the average American to evaluate these different perspectives.

Objectivity isn't one correct viewpoint. It's the expression of every viewpoint.

2. The marketplace of ideas has plenty of options Everyone knows that informed consumers shop around and consider all of their options. So why would consumers of news behave any different?

The solution to media bias is the same solution to low product quality in any other industry: Shop around. Ask your friends and coworkers for their opinions on an issue. Go online and research the issue. Go to a newsstand and read different views on the issue. Those who assume the bias of the media is something to worry about assume that people aren't capable of making decisions for themselves. Anyone ignorant enough to be politically duped by media bias is ignorant enough to be politically duped by a spouse, a pastor, or a boss. Who cares?

Perhaps media bias was a problem in 1954 when the average household had three TV channels, but in the modern internet age, it's nothing more than an imaginary crisis. Want a fair and balanced perspective? Go visit wsj.com, nyt.com, ft.com, bbc.com, nationalreview.com, huffingtonpost.com, and aljazeera.com. Then decide for yourself what you believe.

The principle of intellectual self-reliance was aptly summed up by Beatle George Harrison, in the song "Think For Yourself":

Do what you want to do

And go where you're going to

Think for yourself

'Cause I won't be there with you

3. When in doubt, use your brain

For conservatives to still whine about media bias is laughable. Yes, CNN probably is and was always slightly biased toward the Democrats. So the solution is and was always to let the market create a pro-Republican news channel, and let the two compete for viewers. Now, can we shut up about media bias, already?

Answering loudly in the negative, Bill O'Reilly spent a recent segment indicting The Media for their liberal bias. The most recent contretemps was over a decision to interview an Obama heckler who drew an angry tirade from former President Clinton during a campaign rally. By showing the former president losing his cool, Mr. O'Reilly reasoned, the media was attempting to undermine the Clintons. Furthermore, went the O'Reilly conspiracy theory, interviewing the heckler on television was "legitimizing" his pro-Obama views, creating, in effect, a "paid commercial for Obama."

The problem with all of that was that the pro-Obama heckler was a rambling moron who made zero sense.Mr. O'Reilly even sneered at the fellow's lack of intelligence, but apparently assumed the American viewing public was incapable of making the same common sense observation. The rambling Obama heckler makes Clinton's angry reaction more understandable, and made Obama supporters look like belligerent imbeciles. But Mr. O'Reilly, looking out for the Common Man, apparently was less confident in the mental capacities of his viewers.

Fortunately, the Prometheus Institute respects your intelligence. If we could only say the same for the sophists on cable

Related Articles
  Ten Truths About Employee Communication In A Unionized Environment
  Get better results from email newsletters and promotional emails
  Why Small Business Fail
  Seven Marketing Myths that Devastate Business
  MYTHS ABOUT MARKETING TO OLDER PEOPLE
  The 8 Greatest Public Relations Myths Of All Time
  Five MLM Myths You Must Dispel Before Your Prospects Will Join You.
  Inclusion at Work and Why This is an Important Behavior for a Manager
  5 Common Public Relations Myths Debunked
  7 Myths of Sales Success
  Beating the Blame Game
  The Top Ten Myths And Realities About Business Coaching According To Your Strategic Thinking Coach
  Creating Your Website Using Web Templates
  Count more than the money
  Confirmation Bias and Groupthink
  The Bias Trap
  More Discrimination Lawsuits Expected in 2010
  Expand Your Advertising Budget By Getting Free Publicity From Local Media
  An Unfair Edge ? Offer Customer Financing At No Cost To Your Company! A Financial Program Via Canadian Vendor Leasing Works
  Why You Hate Cold Calling But Shouldn’t: The Common Myths Exposed and Truths Uncovered

Article Tags: Fair and Balanced, FOX News, global market trends, matt harrison, media bias, Prometheus Institute
Referred by: http://www.westwindcos.com



Related Forum Posts
Is The E-Myth The Ultimate Franchise Guide? - Ever since the E-Myth made its way through to becoming one of the most popular books for entrepreneurs, the number of small business owners who have come to me discussing franchising has exploded. Is the E-Myth the reason why so many companies are now looking at franchising their business model? Are there any other resources you can suggest for new franchise owners or people considering it as an option?
Re: Did you buy into the iPhone 3G craze? - Kevin, Doesnt Telus have good promotions for their long standing customers?? I got my Pearl for virtually nothing because I had been with Rogers for like 10 years.... I also just added a new phone to my contract and bought the new Razor for $50?? Perhaps you can jump up and down and threaten to move your contract?? good luck J
Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations - Great post,but please edit the headline. I presume it is "10 Reasons Why Startups Fail & Book Recommendation
E-Myth? What's That? - I second FranchiseBrief... What's the E-Myth? I've never heard of it, although I feel stupid saying so. Any insight available?
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What is an Adaptive Organization

What Is The Foundation for Your Vision?

Attracting Passionate Employees

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.