Detecting Media Bias

Detecting Media Bias

Shiela Chadwick

HUM 111

Laura Bettine

To detect bias in news rather it is through the media or written one must possess critical thinking utilizing the ability to decipher what to keep and what needs disregarding. Every culture across the globe has a unique view as to what they see or hear, and the local news media’s reflect upon that. When searching for truth in news media it becomes complicated and requires solid critical thinking for it is human nature to have a bias opinion, and it is very difficult to eliminate that in writing or speaking out on any given subject, most of all when concerning campaigns. Critical thinking is a skill that can take the new media’s campaign coverage and reverse what one would naturally and instinctively believe.

The natural and instinctive reaction would be to believe what is heard or read because one assumes that it is true if I believe it, or it is true because it serves my interest to believe it; whereas a critical thinker would question the viewing or reading by reversing that frame of mind in seeking the truth by understanding that they may believe it is true but there is a chance that it is not true. The critical thinker also thinks that it may serve my interest to believe but that does not make it true. The United States of America proclaims that it stands on a democracy governed by the public, but if that public is not provided with truth or the ability to critically think deciphering information and bring out the truth, or cannot detect slants and bias in the news media then the public cannot possibly determine what is true and what piece of information need disregarding.

CNN is a news media that covers what is happening currently in politics, sports, and entertainment. Millions of Americans believe CNN to be a reliable source of information, although at times in the past it would appear that there were some bias in the reporting of political news. CNN on September 6th, 2012...