Left-Wing Bias in the News

Persuasive Essay # 147062

Communication > Journalism
Sociology > Media and Society

An examination of the extent of a left wing bias in news media, explaining its existence, and why it is never in danger of becoming fullfledged socialism.

1,512 words () | 8 sources | APA | 2010 | Bangladesh

Published on: Feb 13, 2011

Paper Summary:

This paper considers the charge that news in Western capitalistic societies has a left-wing bias. The paper introduces Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model to show that there is necessarily a mainstream view, and that this view only allows for small left- or right-wing tendencies. The paper also shows that the mainstream view is entirely the result of free market forces, and therefore rules out the possibility of corporate or elitist hegemony. The paper then produces statistics to show that there is indeed a left-wing bias in the news, thought it is a small one. Next, the paper explains this bias in terms of the nature of journalism in the West. Finally, the paper shows how the safeguards in the system, as outlined in the propaganda model, help to keep the bias within certain limits, so that there is never a danger of it becoming full-blown socialism.

From the Paper:

" There is a widespread perception that the news in free market societies has a distinct left-wing bias. This essay first establishes that such a bias does indeed exist, though it is not a marked one. It goes on to argue that such socialist leanings merely reflect the nature of free journalism as it functions in a capitalistic society. It goes on to argue that such a bias is usually the result of left-leaning journalists reacting against what they perceive to be corporate hegemony. It also argues that the bias is necessarily small, and therefore should not be conflated with socialism proper.
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Sample of Sources Used:

Bozell, L.B., and Baker, B.H. (eds.) (1990) That's the Way It Isn't: A Reference Guide to Media Bias. Alexandria, Va.: Media Research Center.
Herman, E. S., and Chomsky, N. (2002) Manufacturing consent: the political economy of the mass media. New York: Pantheon Books.
Hess, S. (1981) The Washington Reporters. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.
Keely, J. (1971) The Left-Leaning Antenna: Political Bias in Television. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington House.
Klein, D.B. (1994) "If Government Is So Villainous, How Come Government Officials Don't Seem Like Villains?" Economics and Philosophy. 10: 91-106.