Abstract This paper examines bias in the media. The paper investigates media ownership, the content of news and entertainment broadcasts, and the relationship between media influence and public opinion, in order to assess the extent of the ideological bias in the media. The paper then analyzes which factors have contributed to media bias in the United States and its effects.
From the Paper "Ideological Bias in the Media: An Analysis Accurately assessing the extent of ideological bias in the media requires investigating media ownership, the content of news and entertainment broadcasts, and the relationship between media influence and public opinion. In recent years, corporate media conglomeration, deregulation, and declining journalistic standards have significantly increased ideological media bias in the United States, which has had a devastating effect on participatory democracy. Media ownership is more concentrated than ever before and serious coverage and debate of public issues such as war, taxes, corporate crime, education, political corruption, and pollution is disappearing right before our eyes."
This paper examines the inherent bias in the death penalty and attempts to establish the root of this bias which has seen an unequal proportion of minorities and blacks executed compared to whites.
Abstract Laws are established according to the prevailing norms and customs existing in society. Thus, the law is merely a codified edict of social conformity. However, when building consensus, there is rarely, if ever, unanimous decision-making. Bias is always prevalent. Even though every citizen is equal before the law, not every citizen may be judged equally before the law. This paper illustrates this principle by using the death penalty as an example, and showing that it is racially biased and disproportionately handed down in cases involving racial minorities. It shows this through the use of statistics and by illustrating factors that lead to the discrepancy between the proportion of minorities in the population and the proportion of minorities sentenced to death in the judicial system.
From the Paper "Since its inception, the death penalty has encountered constant opposition, and has been embroiled in court cases challenging its constitutionality. Opponents of the death penalty challenge it under the eighth amendment of the constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. One of these most notable cases is that of Furman v. Georgia (1972). In this case, Justice Marshall, who wrote the majority opinion, explored the roots and different facets of the death penalty, and ultimately "arrived at the conclusion that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment..." (Furman v. Georgia, 1972). One key point of evidence was his contention that the death penalty is discriminative, and in presenting supporting evidence, he believed "that the following facts would serve even the most hesitant of citizens to condemn death as a sanction..." (Furman v. Georgia, 1972). He states that out of 3,859 people who have been executed since 1930, 1,751 were white, and 2,066 were black. 3,334 of the executions were for murder, of which 1,664 were white, and 1,630 were black."
Abstract This paper explores the myriad of ways in which media bias in the United States and the United Kingdom can affect the manner in which specific news events are conveyed. The author uses the Israeli fence as an example of this bias, with news stories from the US and UK cited throughout.
From the Paper "The oft-cited special relationship that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom infers an ideological common bond, a cultural cohesiveness and a political partnership that is supposed to transcend petty misunderstandings and trans-Atlantic ..."
Abstract In this article, the writer explores the issue of media bias in Newsweek magazine and the Washington Post newspaper. The writer focuses on two different articles on the same media event. The writer then discusses how both Newsweek and the Washington Post reflect bias based on the quotations chosen for the story.
From the Paper "The United States has long prided itself on having a free press. The journalism field conversely has long purported to be non partisan and fair in its reporting practices. However, close analysis of media outlets often reveals bias in the way certain topics are handled. Reporters are human and often their particular bias creeps into their story and is not eliminated by the editorial staff. This paper will analyze two articles by different media outlets on the same political event and demonstrate liberal and conservative biases in the reporting ... "
Abstract This paper examines the problems associated with researcher bias when the history of religion is studied at an academic level. The author further explores how religion is studied within a Western academic paradigm and its implications for understanding non-Western cultures. Islam is used as an example of a subject that may require a new approach. The author concludes that minimizing bias therefore remains a core challenge for the historian of religion. To achieve this, historians must exercise responsible scholarship by clearly defining terms at the outset of their research, adopting a lexicon and semantic framework relevant for the study, and by acknowledging and expressing the ideological standpoint from which the research is conducted.
From the Paper "Tapper (1995) points out that the anthropology of Islam presumes a Western perspective, rooted in an "application of the methods of cultural/social anthropology to the study of Islam as a world religion," (p. 185). Breaking down this statement makes apparent the challenges to the historian of religion. The history of religion or of any particular religion, like the anthropology of religion, attempts to be scientific in its approach in order to be accepted into the canon of Western academic literature. Thus, the "application of the methods of cultural/social anthropology" infers the application of accepted methodologies, which may include participant/observation in the field of anthropology as Tapper (1995) points out. Historians' methods differ, favoring instead the examination of artifacts or explication of validated primary source texts. Already the historian of religion has a problem, for what constitutes an "artifact" or a "primary source" depends on several intervening factors. Interpretation of historical texts can be especially problematic because not all texts can or should be taken literally; many of the allegories or metaphors within them have lost their original meaning over time; and linguistic or cultural barriers may prevent a complete understanding of the value, import, or impact of those texts on the people under scrutiny. Varisco's (1995) exploration of the tribal lineage of Muhammad emphasizes the importance of adopting the frame of reference most conducive to unbiased understanding. The term "tribe" connotes different things for Muslim and non-Muslim people, and the only way to effectively understand Muslim social structure is to grapple with the Muslim meaning of tribe."
Abstract This paper addresses the bias that has long existed in the American news media concerning the treatment of the countries of Palestine and Israel according to recent events in the Middle East.
Tags: COMMUNICATION STUDIES / MASS MEDIA RELATIONS, THEORY, POLITICS, media bias isreal
Abstract This paper studies the subtle cultural biases contained in standardized tests, including IQ tests. The paper asks whether this bias unfairly penalizes those who are not white and middle-class. The paper presents counter-arguments that while significant cultural differences might distort test findings in general, IQ tests are not biased in this way. The paper concludes that IQ tests in particular are constructed so that they can fairly assess intelligence of anyone who has grown up in the United States and can read English.
Abstract This paper considers the issue of bias in the media comparing Fox News with CNN, with a focus on the coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Judge Alito appointment to the Supreme Court.
From the Paper "Is there bias in the news media? A general impression is that the media itself touts a liberal bias in the broadcast television and print media and a conservative bias on talk radio. The question is ..."
Tags:bias, journalism, journalism, media, fox news, cnn, Hurricane Katrina
Abstract This paper relates the history of women's role in the workplace. The author points out the attributes of gender bias and discrimination. The paper delineates changes in the 20th Century.
From the Paper "This research examines the phenomenon of gender bias in Western society, which can be identified as having both a long history in real-world experience and a long history as a subject for philosophical and moral discourse. The research will set forth attributes ..."
Abstract The paper examines the issue of racial and ethnic bias in criminal sentencing and notes the disparity in death penalty sentencing. The paper discusses the influence of racial perception in sentencing decisions and the concept of stereotyping. The paper examines the harsh sentences for drug-related crimes and blacks.
From the Paper "Numerous reports have established there is racial disparity in criminal sentencing in the United States. The Sentencing Project states that rates of incarceration by the Commission finds racial disparity in jail sentences."
Abstract This paper explains that political media bias has a great influence on the formation of public belief because, according to the cultivation theory, in the case of the media, people only hear what it believes is at play. The paper explains that, as advertising revenues are the most dominant critical goal of corporate media giants, their goal is not thought-provoking media unbiased reporting or representational drama but rather glossy, often biased programing that will attract viewers and thus advertisers. The main types of media bias, which are reviewed in this paper, are advertiser influence, corporate censorship and sensationalism.
Table of Contents:
Political Media Bias Examples of Political Media Bias Glossy Perspective of Complicated World
Public Belief
Corporate Media Bias Ideological Media Bias Main Types of Media Bias Advertiser Influence
Corporate Censorship
Sensationalism
Conclusion
From the Paper "Without a doubt, the greatest risk to the creation of social damage is the sensationalism that is pervasive in the media. With an emphasis on the very worst and more extreme of social situations, the idea that individuals have of society becomes skewed. Just as in law enforcement the individual officers and enforcers have a skewed selection of people to view, the look for and see the flaws in people and then seek to explain this by assuming that most people are law breaking, while in reality the opposite is true."
Tags: manipulation coverage, iraq war, conglomeration endorsements
Abstract Both quantitatively (in terms of numbers affected) and qualitatively (in terms of the changes required), gender bias remains a profound Canadian crisis. Women are disadvantaged in marriage and in the workplace and underrepresented in the political arena. The roots of this bias are deeply ingrained in Canadian society. Further, overcoming this bias demands fundamental changes in the type of government intervention designed to address it.
Abstract This essay explores the contention by many that the media in the United States is inherently biased. Unlike many viewpoints, however, it argues that a liberal bias does not truly exist;instead, this bias exists as a result of economic considerations, as well as several other factors that are comprehensively discussed in the paper.
From the Paper "In the United States, ?few citizens have direct contact with the policymaking process,? and as a result, there is a substantial need for intermediaries between the government and the governed (Canon, Coleman, Mayer, 276). A large portion of this role is filled by the Media, and as a result, its methods of information delivery, and what information it chooses to deliver is of utmost importance. The media helps to congeal public opinion, and as Professor Lowi has noted in lecture, public opinion is the new institution of democracy. Due to the highly important role that the media plays in our society and the current political process, any bias within this institution can have far-reaching effects, and there is much evidence that points to a bias being present. There are indications that the media presents certain things the way they present them due to economic considerations. There is also evidence pointing to ever-increasing censorship in the news media, from the government, and from journalists themselves. Both types of bias are present, and have significant implications for our governmental process, and our society at large."
Tags:bias, conservative, government, liberal, politics, society
Abstract This paper explains that the bias in IQ testing is a cultural bias. The author points out that the items on intelligence tests, such as the Stanford-Binet test, were developed within the North American cultural context and are designed solely for that context. The paper relates that this cultural bias is manifested in both the general factor analysis and the five factor analysis.
From the Paper "IQ tests are designed very specifically to test logical thinking within a particular cultural context. The bias in these tests is cultural, and tends to heavily favor people with a white middle class background. The most widely used IQ tests reward social class, education, and experience. Meanwhile, educational and occupational success is not completely correlated with intelligence. IQ tests mainly measure only one form of intelligence, crystallized intelligence. Certain types of intelligence are barely included, while other abilities cannot be tested at all. The only means for addressing the deficiencies is to focus on the cultural bias. Cultural bias is manifested in both general factor analysis and five factor analysis".
Abstract The paper provides a discussion that will identify the degree of cultural bias that exists in the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, which is designed to identify the level of cognitive development that has occurred in children at various stages. The paper explains that although there is perceived bias in this test, there is little if any concrete evidence of such bias, making this a situation-specific occurrence.
From the Paper "The provision of testing processes for young children is a necessity in today's education community, whereby individuals are assessed based upon their knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas, and it is expected that these tests provide different perspectives regarding the effectiveness of education and the skill level of students in different communities. For example, the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children serves as a comprehensive examination of cognition in young children, and this evaluation utilizes statistics and psychology as its primary strategies (St. Mary's University of Minnesota 1). The following discussion will identify the specific criteria related to this assessment in greater detail, emphasizing cultural awareness and possible bias that is suggested in this test as a means of identifying learning capabilities in young children."
