What Is So Bad About Bias?
As we engaged with the idea of bias throughout class this week, I was reminded of a fond memory of watching CNN Student News nearly every day during my senior year in my American Government class. The anchor of the daily news program, “CNN 10,” was Carl Azuz, and wow, he was an eccentric and funny guy. His personality and overall demeanor while delivering the news were unique and enticing. There were many times in class when we were hysterically laughing.
What brought me back to my senior year of high school was our talk in class this week surrounding bias and media/news. I sit back and wonder about the implications surrounding showing CNN in a public educational setting. Now, I realize, yes, ALL stories being reported encompass some bias-it is unattainable to be unbias. But, I wonder what some students on the right and their families thought about them watching a platform that is leaning to the left. I grew up watching CNN, MSNBC, and reporting platforms that were on the left, so that is why I probably did not think anything of it at the time and I still did not think much of it up until class this week when we looked at the “Media Bias Chart”. Though I will say, on this chart, there is a green dotted rectangle that encloses all the news outlets that are not too extremely far left/right-and CNN is within this green rectangle. So really, it is an extremely valid source to be working with and showing students in a public educational setting.
Moreover, as I am reflecting as a consumer on how I am interacting with media, I am definitely going to be more cognizant of doing so. Because, as I said, everyone and everything you read has some sort of bias. More than ever in today’s digital age as a consumer it is important to effectively manage bias, by actively understanding the way that the information is being framed. Once you are able to acknowledge this bias, you may be able to pick out your own subjective perceptions you have about the topic. Lastly, I am guilty to say that sometimes, when news contradicts my own frame, I tend to immediately not agree with it. But with this, you are blindly making issues surrounding bias even worse. One has to be aware that when the news might contradict your frame, it isn’t always news bias; it could be your own bias getting in the way of understanding (and it is okay to admit and acknowledge this).
:)
