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If you are a conservative would you want to watch a media outlet that is liberal? If you are more liberal, would you want to watch a more conservative media outlet?
People tend to watch media outlets that agree with their point of view. This idea of selective exposure is how people purposefully select messages that match their beliefs. In the time of the election, new's outlets are more likely to have a political bias depending on which party they stand with. Although it's a journalist's duty to try and remain as neutral as possible, it's just not always the case.
In an article by Natalie Stroud, she states, "In the contemporary media environments, some outlets are recognized as left- and right-leaning. Partisans are more likely to select like-minded media outlets,".
For example, Fox News is known to have a more conservative viewpoint when presenting news. While CNN has a more liberal viewpoint when presenting news. If someone considers themselves to be conservative then they will more likely want to get their daily news from a conservative station like Fox News.
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| Photo source: https://digitaljournalism.blogs.wm.edu/2016/12/08/partisan-selective-exposure-americas-newest-epidemic/ |
Every viewer has a right to decide which station they wish to get their daily information. But this can lead to having a political bias and not having an open opinion to other viewpoints. If you just watch a conservative or liberal station then you are less likely to receive a neutral stance on topics.
This is especially true during the times of election when every station is more likely to lean either towards the Republican or Democrat party. If a news station is in support of the Democratic party nominee, Joe Biden, then the station is more likely to say positive things about him and negative things about his opponent, Donald Trump. This is the same vice-versa.
The first debate of the election year between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was, to say the least interesting. The debate was full of interruptions and name-calling. But the question is, Who won? After the debate, each station gave their own opinion on who won the debate but it was not very obvious to observe since the debate was such a catastrophe. In the end, the people are to decide who they think won but the media can affect their opinion.
In The Influence of the Media in Politics it's stated, "If reports say a certain candidate is ahead in an election, the public will come to accept that evaluation, which can greatly influence how voters cast their ballots." If you were to watch a news station after the debate who was a political bias and thinks that their party won, then your opinion can be tainted.
Although it can be difficult to try and find a media that isn't biased, develop your own opinion. This is especially crucial with the election coming up so hold yourself accountable to find the facts. Try and think open-minded by going through both candidate's views and then you can develop your opinion.
Leah, I think that as humans it is impossible to be completely unbiased just because as humans we are biased due to our lives and past experiences, but I think that selective exposure is sneaky and manipulative. A reader might think they are getting unbiased credible news when really they are reading something and having their opinion swayed without even realizing due to the pictures used or the persons interviewed. I think that selective exposure is still basically bias, except sometimes its hard to know when you are reading something where selective exposure is present, while reading a biased article usually is a bit more obvious. It is a smart tactic, to come off as seeming credible and like the reporter is pretty middle of the boat when it comes to their stance on politics or the political topic or idea they are reporting on, but it can also be dangerous, because it is furthering a journalist's own beliefs through a piece that is disguised as unbiased and credible. I feel thankful to be studying journalism and learning about all of these things, because media is such a huge part of our lives, journalists or not, and it would be so difficult and confusing to try and find unbiased information without the knowledge and tools we are learning!
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