I used to teach a couple of college level mass communication courses. On the first day of class I would explain that one of my goals was to help the students be better consumers of news.
The general population understands that the news media seems to be biased, but what people don't realize is how much information is skewed either conservatively or liberally.
Twenty years ago, we might say that a newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska, might be more conservative than a newspaper in Los Angeles. What was meant by that is the editorial pages usually show a particular political slant. But no matter what viewpoint was taken on the editorial pages, the rest of the newspaper should have articles written in the traditional journalism method-which is equally explaining both sides of a story and letting the reader determine his own opinion.
Today, we find even traditional hard news stories can have a slant and often both sides of the story are not explained. In some news publications and television news programs, they don't even try to be neutral but only give one side.
The traditional method of journalism that I was taught in the 1980s is where a reporter tries to remain as neutral as possible and tell the story from both sides. My editors would admonish me if it looked like the article was taking a particular view.
Today, there are few newspapers and even fewer, if any, television news programs that practice good journalism. Sensationalism and political favoritism is rampant, throwing consumers into two different types: those who are so disgusted they don't watch or read any news, or those who believe everything they read or watch.
What's a person to do? Here are some tips:
1. When watching a television news program, ask yourself these two questions: Is only one side explained and if it is, is it the conservative or liberal viewpoint? Fox News is an example of a very conservative newscast, while MSNBC is an example of a more liberal news show.
2. When reading your local newspaper, do you find even traditional news stories, which are those that discuss crime, government or the economy, giving one viewpoint. Typically, the editorial page of any newspaper will show one viewpoint-either conservative or liberal, but if the slant is creeping into the hard news articles, then cancel your subscription.
3. With the news media now owned by large business conglomerates, the focus is on making money, not delivering important fact-filled news. That's why stories about celebrities are featured news, and important news stories are relegated to the end of a broadcast, if at all.
4. Never believe everything you read in a newspaper or newsmagazine or watch on a television news program. Because so much of the news is slanted, one can never believe all of the so-called "facts." One needs to read different publications to get a good overall view of the topic. A good weekly newsmagazine is The Week, because it pulls out quotes from various newspapers and magazines-both conservative and liberal to show the points of view of an issue. The reader can decide which side he wants to take.
5. Television news programs never have time to fully develop a story unless they are doing a feature type article, such as a three-part series. Even then, the story can be one-sided. Determine whether the broadcast is conservative or liberal, then watch understanding the slant of the programming. One of the better newscasts is actually BBC America, as they deliver the news in a more traditional manner, stating both sides of an issue and allowing the viewer to decide. Yes, it's owned by the British government, yet it does a better job of reporting U.S. news than most of the U.S. television news outlets.
6. Understand who owns the media. Check out the following website (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main) to discover the top six corporations that own the majority of the media in the U.S. Why is this important? Because these six companies control what we watch and read. That's why it is so important to search out independent media channels.
7. When checking out news sources on the Internet, always look at the "About us" or "About the company" link that is listed at the bottom of the home page. If a news site does not have a link so that you know who's behind the site, then move on. Do not believe anything you read on a site that will not disclose information about the company that owns the site. I have found more "news" sites that give "unbiased" information that are funded by organizations or individuals trying to push a particular point of view. They typically have the word "unbiased" somewhere on their home pages, trying to lure in unsuspecting consumers. Instead of being "unbiased," they are just the opposite. Beware of these sites.
8. Some straightforward news sites on the net include the International Herald Tribune, the Associated Press and the ProPublica, a non-partisan, non-profit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism. The reporters for all three of these sites are some of the best in the business.
9. One can always learn what's going on from Comedy Central's The Daily Show. Although a comedy program, its stories are built around actual quotes that politicians make-one often discovers that the politician made the opposite remarks only a few months ago. They actually do more research for their comedy sketches than the regular news media. Fortunately, the mainstream media is taking a page from the show and doing more background research to see what a politician has done or said in the past and comparing that to today's news. Only in America could a comedian teach the mainstream media how to do its job.
10. Why is the media protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution? Because the press is suppose to be the watchdog over government first and foremost. Our founding fathers realized that there needed to be some entity that polices Congress and the White House. Ask tough questions; hold politicians accountable for how they spend taxpayer dollars and for the decisions they make that affects all U.S. citizens. So, when a politician complains bitterly about the big bad press, consumers should be thinking, "That's right! And I hope the press continues to be tough on you." When politicians complain about the press, that's usually a sign that the press is doing something right. The problem has been in the past decade the press hasn't asked the tough questions and has not stood up for the people's right to know. Consumers need to demand more hard-hitting news programs and news articles instead of complacently watching yet another story about a celebrity gone bad.
| Charity Cicardo has been in the communications field for the past 20 years beginning her career as a newspaper reporter, then book and magazine editor. Currently she owns a social networking site devoted to RV and manufactured home owners and blogs about news and events. http://www.mymobilehomespace.com/Blog_Home2.html?cat2=100000007&member=guest Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charity_Cicardo |
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