Media and Political Bias
By mehale
@mehale (2200)
United States
October 4, 2011 5:26pm CST
It has happened in just about every election that I can remember, and continues to happen. The media jumps in and decides who the front runners are in a campaign, irregardless of whether or not they are the best options for our nation. One candidate, or maybe two gets more coverage than the rest and they effectively shrink the available field....or at least in the eyes of the voters they do. While I don't think it is fair or just, it does seem to happen over and over again.
A quick google search will show that I am not the only one who thinks this way. For example:
http://redstatevirginia.com/2011/09/why-is-the-media-picking-our-candidates/
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/09/the-media-shouldn%E2%80%99t-decide-who-gets-to-be-president/
http://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q42011/cnn-changing-election-outcome583/
These are just a few of the articles you can find on the subject, if you take the time to look. My question is, while the press has the right to free speech, just like the rest of us do, does that give them the right to be unfair in their election coverage? And how do they think they are helping anything but themselves by doing so?
2 people like this
2 responses
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
5 Oct 11
The media bias started with the wide spread use of the printing press and cheap paper.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
17 Oct 11
I guess you're right that the media shrinks the available field, at least for those who don't take the time or the trouble to do their own research on the candidates. Actually, anyone who pays even a moderate amount of attention to the election coverage should know exactly who is running for President even if they do hear a lot more about some candidates than about others.
I'm not really sure if it's really ALL the media's fault or partly that of the potential voters, to be honest. It's probably a combination of the two. I mean, I have access to the same media as everyone else and yet I've always been well aware of who's been running for the Presidential nomination from both or either parties. The information is out there if you just take the time to look for it.
Annie
