updated media bias

As multiple media voices seem to amplify their chosen angle, it’s helpful to know who is who and what their bias is in order to avoid manipulation, fake news and misinformation. To be clear, sources on both the left and right engage in intentional manipulation, fake news and misinformation. Just as we watched last week’s developments in the Ukraine, the hearings surrounding Supreme Court judicial nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the current state of both our national economy and local school boards, bias is rampant. On all sides.

Hence, allow me to share the updated analysis from the more articulate AllSides, a respectful, noninflammatory organization, which acknowledges it’s actually okay to be biased; in fact, there most likely is no such thing as totally unbiased news. But hidden bias is the problem. In the words of AllSides, “hidden media bias misleads, manipulates and divides us.”

Think widely sharing a perspective from either CNN or FOX News is helpful in discerning truth? … Are we convincing or dividing?

Are we helping form objective opinion? … Or are we unknowingly participating in attempts to manipulate opinion?

My sense is the CNN’s and FOX News’s of the world only fuel the likeminded; it seems more the fruitless act of preaching to a partisan choir — or subtly shaming those who’ve yet to sing our desired tune. Hence, the Intramuralist believes it to be prudent to be intentional in what we read, listen to, and share, promoting reason and objectivity.

Based then on multi-partisan, scientific analysis — online content only — here is AllSides recently released, updated Media Bias Chart. In these findings — analyzing the results of their blind bias study for February — NPR moved from “center” to “lean left” (remember: this is for online content only — no radio is relevant here). Insider moved from “center” to “lean left.” Newsmax moved from “lean right” to “right.” And NewsNation was added, with an initial rating of “center.” (Cheers to those in the center, if I may…)

The current analysis looks as follows:

From www.allsides.com “Media Bias Chart”

Remember that AllSides differs from other bias assessments because data is gathered from people across the political spectrum. It’s not based on just one biased individual nor on singular methodologies, algorithms or homogenous groups. They have been assessing media bias since 2012. Also, if one searches their site, one can easily glean how they arrived at a particular rating bias. They are not attempting to manipulate us; they are attempting to help us not be manipulated.

Respectfully…

AR