Currently Trending: Unbalanced News

Miki McIntyre

mm037213@ohio.edu

Photo from joshuabrett.wordpress.com

It seems as if almost everyday, the world is becoming more subjected to the idea of fake news. Stories are published everyday consisting of material that makes a reader ponder if whether or not the information obtained is accurate. 

There is now the idea, however, that maybe the news is not accurate, but rather just biased and sided completely towards one direction. Where is this information more prevalent? Probably the most discussed topic throughout the country: politics.

In an article released by The Christian Science Monitor, Stephen J. A. Ward, a media ethicist, discusses the change of journalism towards a more object approach, stating “We are without a doubt now and into the future moving into a more interpretive, perspectival journalism, and the attempt to define ‘objectivity,’ or ‘good journalism,’ as a kind of stenography that gives facts and facts only is really outdated,” says Ward. “It’s not going to fly anymore, and I don’t even think it’s a good idea.”

The overall role that the media is now portraying throughout society is becoming a disappointment. Since President Trump has taken office, it has become argued that not only does the news seem to portray inaccurate stories about Trump’s political affairs, but also does not give a balanced quality. Nowadays, it is almost as if audience members are aware of which newspaper or television companies will depict our president in a positive light and which ones will not.

Possibly the only way to back up the cruelty of this type of news is the First Amendment. As the Constitution states, the First Amendment grants U.S. citizens with free speech and provides equality in a society composed of self-government. Regardless, as Americans, this still is not the best way to justify the actions being made here by the media.

So what is it exactly that makes individuals really lean towards a particular news source over another? An article from the Pew Research Center covered this topic stating, “Within a news story, the statements from the sources cited – and what reporters choose to quote from them – as well as the reporter’s own language formulate the overall assessment of the Trump administration.” 

Although the opinion of an individual towards a candidate most likely plays the biggest role in deciding who to vote for, it is an interesting take to see that how a reporter presents the information about a candidate can really affect someone’s decision.

Everyone has the right to voice their opinion and let the world know what they think. Ultimately, the fact that citizens have freedom of speech is one of the many reasons that make the United States so great. The cover of a news publication or headline on a television news channel is not the ideal place for this. 

We live in a world where Americans should be able to form their own opinions without any sort of pressure or persuasion from others to change that. It's difficult to witness the media becoming a strong influencer in that regard, especially when it comes to politics, an already sensitive topic.