Journalism Bias in a Biased World

 Amber Phipps 

amphipps.1102@gmail.com

ap836419@ohio.edu 

Journalism ethics is prevalent in more ways than just whether a violent video should be published or not. When covering news events, some instances can arise that pull our biases into relationships that are shared between the journalist and the person the story is about or the topic of the article. Typically, journalist ethics make a point of avoiding any biases in order to write a meaningful, factual story. Except with the availability of sharing opinions online and following just about anyone on social media, biases are inevitable and constantly surrounding our lives and the lives of those that give us our information. 

Source: Investigative Reporting Workshop 

Bias shouldn't be seen as a bad thing, and most often than not it's viewed in a negative context. Journalists should acknowledge that there are biases in the media because bias can allow journalists to shed some light and meaningful, truthful information on topics they know a lot about. While there's a fine line between informing an audience and providing opinions, journalists can provide further details on topics they're passionate about. 

Another reason that bias isn't necessarily a bad thing is that limiting journalists' topics due to bias will also limit the news that's available. Not allowing journalists to cover a situation because of their involvement or knowledge with the story might take away a lot of opportunities for a journalist and the organization they work for. The bias that occurs within relationships between the writer and the individuals involved in the story can also be beneficial when writing an insightful article. This bias doesn't have to be "one-sided" and allows for the story to include more information compared to someone who doesn't know the individual within the story.

Bias in the media is something that can be altered so it isn't manipulative and one-sided but rather informative and based off of knowledge maintained by the journalist. Being aware that there are biases is another step to take to ensure that the public is properly informed of the stories they're reading about and the preference held by the journalist. It's all about how the information is being presented and how the public needs to be aware of the connections and opinions held by the journalists involved in the story. 

In this day of age, it's essentially unavoidable to watch a completely unbiased, both-sided story, and it's unrealistic to hold these standards upon journalists. Changing the ways that the public views these biases is a step in the right direction towards gaining back the trust between the public and those that are informing it.