media bias in india essay

Media Bias and Democracy in India

By  janani mohan.

• June 28, 2021

This article was originally published in South Asian Voices.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages out of control in India, many are rightly focusing on the content of stories on the death toll and months of lockdown. The lack of journalistic integrity behind some of the stories deepens this grim situation. In April,  reports emerged  that, at the request of the Indian government, Twitter censored 52 tweets criticizing the government’s handling of the pandemic. Meanwhile, pro-government TV channels  blamed  the farmers’ protests for limited oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients, though supplies were  actually scarce  due to poor public health infrastructure. This reporting is not only misleading and traumatic to those affected by the pandemic, but also poses a major threat to India’s vibrant democracy.

Even before the pandemic, media bias in India existed across the largest newspapers throughout the country, and political forces shape this bias. For example, funds from the government are critical to many newspapers’ operations and budgets, and the current Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government has previously  refused to advertise  with newspapers that do not support its initiatives. This pressure leads media to endorse government policies, creating unbalanced reporting where media bias can affect political behavior in favor of the incumbent. Many media outlets enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the government, in turn receiving attention, funding, and prominence. These trends damage India’s democracy and also put journalists critical of the government in danger, threatening their right to physical safety.

Funds from the government are critical to many newspapers’ operations and budgets, and the current Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government has previously refused to advertise with newspapers that do not support its initiatives.

Media Bias in India

While the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated media bias in India, it is hardly a new phenomenon. A  study  of 30 Indian newspapers and 41 Indian TV channels with the largest viewership rates in the country confirms the existence of rampant media bias during a two-year period from 2017 to 2018. 1

The study relies on rating editorial articles that focus on religious, gender, and caste issues as either liberal, neutral, or conservative; and then compiling these scores by each newspaper to find the overall bias in each outlet. The results unsurprisingly and unfortunately show the consistent existence of media bias—for example, except for eight newspapers, the papers all express biases far from neutral. And this bias consistently correlates with viewers in India expressing similarly biased social, economic, and security attitudes.

What this suggests is either that biases in the media shape viewer attitudes or Indians are viewing outlets that align with their pre-existing views. Meanwhile, political parties capitalize on this bias to influence public attitudes and further their own power. The BJP  spends  almost USD $140 million on publicity per year, with 43 percent of this expenditure focusing specifically on print ads in newspapers. Government advertisements serve as a financial lever for influencing media content and public opinion. For example, during the year leading to the 2019 elections, newspapers that received more advertisement revenue from the BJP were likelier to espouse more conservative ideology and to have more conservative readers.

Bias versus Democracy

This ability of media bias to influence political support in India can contribute significantly to democratic backsliding by harming journalists, preventing freedom of expression and government accountability, and influencing voters. Media bias in itself causes democratic backsliding because the media neither holding the government accountable nor informing the public about policies that strengthen the incumbent’s power can increase authoritarian practices.

In addition, government efforts to constrain the media harms journalists, undemocratically violating citizens’ rights and physical safety. Freedom House  rates  India as only two on a four-point scale for whether there is a “free and independent media,” because of “attacks on press freedom…under the Modi government.” In fact, the government  imprisoned several journalists  in 2020 who reported critically on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s response to the pandemic. The crackdown on journalists engendered an unsafe environment for free reporting, a feature of many authoritarian states.

A biased media also prevents citizens from receiving information that might be essential to public wellbeing by filtering information through a lens that supports government interests first. When the BJP cracked down on coverage of COVID-19 last year, journalists were  unable to disseminate  critical information to Indians. This included where migrants suffering from the sudden lockdown could receive necessities—information that could save lives. Notably, these crackdowns also meant an absence of reporting criticizing the government’s response to the pandemic. In a democratic society, a critical press is essential for holding the government accountable for its actions and motivating it to change its practices.  

Media bias plays an influencing role at the voting booth as propaganda can skew voter decisions and perceptions of what is true.

Finally, media bias plays an influencing role at the voting booth as propaganda can skew voter decisions and perceptions of what is true. During India’s 2014 general elections, the BJP advertised more than the Congress Party and voters exposed to more media were  likelier  to vote for the BJP. To influence voters, media bias often utilizes inflammatory messaging to convince more people to vote, selective information to bias what voters believe about the efficacy of the candidates, and appeasement to convince voters that they will personally benefit from voting a certain way. For example, a TimesNow interview of PM Modi before the 2019 elections  made it seem  that Modi’s economic policies—widely criticized as ineffectual—were successful.

From Media Bias to Media Neutrality

Although government measures are exacerbating media bias, the media retains some agency and could work to limit the influence of politics on reporting. Currently, 36 percent of daily newspapers  earn over half  of their total income from the government of India and most major TV stations have owners who served as politicians themselves or who had family members in politics. Although it would be difficult to convince larger outlets to participate since they benefit from their government backing, smaller independent outlets can start this movement towards neutrality. Many small outlets already eschew government funding and report with less biased views. These publications in India therefore deserve more attention and more support to reduce media bias.

While India has some of the  highest circulation  of newspapers in the world, it also unfortunately has high media bias rates and one of the  lowest press freedom rankings  for democracies. This media bias can contribute to democratic backsliding and must be addressed by media outlets. Only then can media in India properly do its job—serving to inform, not influence the public.

The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Pradeep Chhibber, Pranav Gupta, and UC Berkeley for supporting her research measuring media bias in India. All perspectives in this article are her own.

This article was originally published in  South Asian Voices.

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Biased Media is a Real Threat to Indian Democracy | UPSC Mains Essay Preparation PDF Download

Before discussing the issue at hand, it is very important to understand the terms ‘democracy’ and ‘free press/media’ in a practical sense. Democracy is a form of government that provides the right to the citizens of the country to elect their representatives. In such a system, the final decision-making authority remains with the elected government. It is for the welfare of the citizens of a country that any and every law is made. Thus it is a fundamental right of the people to be well informed of all that is happening within the government and around the nation. This is where the role of independent media comes to the fore, wherein the people get access to the latest information and updates related to important matters through different media channels. Media plays a vital role in every single country and is perhaps the most effective way of communicating a message to the masses. Without media, no one would really know what is going on in the country or worldwide. However, the mere presence of media isn’t enough. It needs to be independent of any outside influence, including that of the government. That is what makes it a free press/media. For the citizens to make informed decisions, there must be complete transparency on the part of the government as well as the media. A biased media, on the other hand, could pose a real threat to democracy. Media is said to be biased when the media houses have some vested interests, and the news being reported by them are not offered from an independent perspective. The problem of biased media is affecting some of the biggest democracies in the world, and it is an issue in India as well.

Indian Media

India is regarded as the largest democracy globally, and it is a matter of great pride for the people of the country. But that label in itself does not suffice. It is so very necessary to maintain that status, and the media plays a huge role in determining just how democratic a nation in reality is. In recent years, Indian media is losing its independent status with increased government and corporate involvement in what the media broadcasts and how it has become increasingly difficult to believe any news as being authentic. Media has become a means for the government and other groups with vested interests to portray a certain image, regardless of whether that is genuine. It has become a means to exaggerate many incidents, either to their own benefit or to the disadvantage of the opposition or any dissenting parties. Media has become the perfect way to mislead the general population and influence their opinions in the direction of the party or government in power. Issues like these make the citizens doubt the accountability of the press, and that is a major obstacle in the way of India becoming a great democracy.

Problems Associated with Biased Media

Here are some ways in which biased media can adversely affect the democratic nature of a country like India:

• Can influence public opinion: While not every single person is likely to believe everything they see or read, it is, however, true that a majority of people do. The media plays a key role in shaping opinions on a wide variety of issues. For example, if it blames a certain section of the society for a serious incident, it could lead to animosity towards and perhaps even alienation of that group. The media is more often than not used to marginalize, target or victimize certain groups since the masses are quite gullible.
• Mislead the public: Misuse of media is a dangerous way to mislead the citizens of a nation. Through the circulation of fake news, it could have the masses believing something far from the truth. For instance, by providing fake updates on a public project, the government could easily garner praise when, in fact, the project is nowhere near where it’s described.
• Can affect the country’s political future: By projecting a positive image of itself, by constantly presenting each development as a massive one, by appealing to a certain group, etc., all through the means of mass media, the government can gather a large number of supporters who are likely to vote for them in the future, thus ensuring that their political reign continues. Using the media to their advantage, the government can very easily ensure that things keep going smoothly in their desired direction.       
• Can cause confusion and panic: By exaggerating the severity of a situation or not giving adequate attention to a problem, the media can cause serious problems. It can lead to protests, riots, violence, or the spread of more fake news, which will again cause a lot of confusion and panic among citizens.

How to Tackle the Issue of a Biased Media

Just because a major political party or the government is pulling the strings of the country’s media, all is not over. Citizens are responsible for ensuring that the country remains a democracy where everyone has an equal right to speak and express opinions without fear of prosecution. Here are some ways to minimize the effects of biased media, especially in a country like India:

• Questioning everything: With the way the media no longer portrays an incident without depicting a certain point of view, it is necessary to not take anything at face value. The best way to avoid being caught up in the web of fake or biased news is to look at the incident from all angles before concluding. It would be stupid to believe everything being shown without questioning it with a pair of impartial eyes.
• Collecting all the facts: It is crucial to have all the details to know what it is all about. It is best not to form an opinion on the said issue with minimum information since it could lead to misconceptions and confusion. Using various forms of mass media, one can easily gather more facts.
• Being open to diverse opinions: What makes India democracy is its importance to accommodating many diverging opinions. It is important to be open to differing views to gain perspective and better knowledge about an issue. Being open to criticism and debate will create a conducive environment for more information to spread.
• Be aware of vested interests: Though one can only see what the government or media wishes to show, it is necessary to read between the lines and follow up with new developments to be aware of where they stand. This will serve as the base for future comparisons and opinion formation.

The important and powerful role that independent media can play in the nation's progress cannot be overstated. By highlighting the major issues facing the country, fixing the accountability, offering an open platform for dissenting views, and suggesting available solutions, media can ensure the strengthening of the democratic fabric of the country. It is, therefore, important for all the citizens of the country to work towards ensuring an independent media which is free from all types of biases.

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BIASED MEDIA: A THREAT TO INDIAN DEMOCRACY

• Subject-wise Law Notes
• March 30, 2020

In the mass media era, the role of the media was universally regarded as fundamental to the proper functioning of the democratic state: the media’s capacity to provide information freely to all citizens ensured they had equal access to the democratic process. Media is being considered as the fourth pillar of democracy . It is easy to demonstrate how the flow of information could be manipulated and the power of the media abused. The modern era seems to be the of a media . In this world of technology we often come through fake news, hate speech, revenge porn and so on. In this article, I want to discuss some aspects of what we have got from the digital mediums so far, with a particular focus on the changing relationship between the media and democracy – and within that, the role of news, information and the practice of journalism. Media is being considered as “Silent revolution” in 21st century.

I INTRODUCTION

“Just because something is not a lie does not mean that it is not deceptive . A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”

– Criss Jami

Media has played a significant role in establishing democracy throughout the world including India. Since 18th century the media has been instrumental in generating awareness and in spreading knowledge across the masses especially in the American Independence movement and the French Revolution . Media did the same work for India also . Media has played a very critical role even in colonial India. Media is like an eye of an eagle which keeps an eye on the activities of a state.

In our Independence media did the same work. The fallacies of British ruled government being good for the growth and development of colonial India were shattered by means of the media. Media has proved to be the sole source of information for our citizens (i.e. our Indian brothers) of colonial India to become aware of the arbitrariness and brutality of the British Colonial rule. Media played very significant role in communicating the non- humanitarian acts to the people of India. Media is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy along with Executive , legislation and Judiciary and rightly so.[1]Media was not only used after independence but before independence also. From pre- independence India where Mahatma Gandhi used journals “ Young India” and “Harijan” to communicate is message to the people of his country and also to organize National Movement in the country at the wider level. But today we use different/ newer method/media like social media.

II WHAT DOES DEMOCRACY MEAN ?

The world democracy has been conveniently interpreted as the right to vote. In a study , Ober has analysed the word “Democracy”. The origin of the word democracy is Greek word ,a combination of Demos (the people) and kratos (power), thus meaning “the power of the people” which, in turn , means “majority rule” by the people or their elected representatives. It is generally construed as the power to vote and elect a government.

However, Ober ( 2008) discuss how the word democracy actually means “capacity to do things” and not just “majority rule” . It is the power to be able to participate in the democratic process of a country , and not just power to vote a popular government to power. In democracy, every citizen has a right to freedom of expression. This also means that one can express in without the fear of any repercussion and without the fear of authority, and that the citizen and the authority are on an equal platform during the changes.[2] In short, in a democracy all citizens have equal right to voice their concerns, and to speak their mind.

In the recent elections 2019 Lok Sabha election it is apt to say that although role of media has undergone massive changes it still remains a critical pillar in the Indian democratic system . Media has played its very important role very well. However, it is necessary for the progression of media it is necessary that media of that should be free from any constraint and ill-pressure. However, the Independence of this crucial fourth pillar has often been threatened which has led to the doubts about its reliability and authenticity. Press censorship during the 1975 National Emergency to the more recent shutdown of a news channel during reporting of the 2016 Pathankot attack and Pulwama attack show restricted press freedom , with NGO reporters without borders ranking .

India has been ranked 140 and its abuses score is 65.25 as compared to the 2018 which has decreased to -2 in World press freedom index . Index indicating the same the World Press Freedom Index takes into account factors like pluralism , self-censorship, media independence, transparency, violence against journalists and media persons. India is being criticized in world for its sensationalism and manipulation of the fact by selective portrayal of the audiences like mostly news is presented to the masses by concealing facts.

Social media has added to the Fire of Sensationalism. With the urgent need to know the information and dispense it amongst the masses first has often led to mis-reporting of fake news resulting in controversies and defamation in some cases. For example GPS chip in 500 and 2000 Rs. notes after demonetisation.

In common parlance social media is seen synonymous with Facebook , Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn etc. However, social media goes beyond this and has a broader scope. It is an umbrella term that refers to various websites in application that enables users to create share content, interact and to participate in social networking and to put out their views on the social networking. Social media has been often described as a “Silent Revolution” of the “21st century”. Movements initiated from these platforms like – #MetooMovement , #BlackLivematters and various schemes of the Government of India also have been launched from these platforms and are communicated to the masses.

United Nations has made internet access a human right. Recently Supreme Court has declared right to Internet access as a Fundamental right of every Indian . It is said that social media is a light arm of anarchy, because it can be used as a measure to disturb the tranquility of any Nation and to a very extent this is true it affects the peace of a nation . Social media is being used by terror organisations like ISIS to fulfil their agenda and disturb the political and economic stability of the country as this affects very badly. Social media is being used by Isis to promote religious fundamentalism and favouritism in the country.[3]

Recently last year a scene of Bhojpuri was circulated in West Bengal which led to communal rights in society and polarisation of society . Social media is also used for spreading fake news deliberately so that a particular segment of people can benefit from that joke, rumours . For example few years back a news spread that there was lynching of north eastern people in Bangalore which resulted in mass Exodus from the Bangalore of north eastern people . Another rumour spread that there were some people who slaughtered cow and the public in fit of Rage of anger they lynched the people. Another incident that took place in up that there were some people abducting children. This rumour spreaded so fast that people without any reason targeted some people and burst their anger on another people .

Every political party use media selflessly to promote their policies agenda and illiciting support for their campaign. Social media also become a platform to glorify political leaders prior to elections. With no proper regulatory Framework in place for social media, this avenue is often violated to spread fake news , a tool for propaganda as well as foreign interference in domestic election. Social media sometime prove to be adda of some religious people as they are staunch followers of some particular group because of these views violence in society is there .[4]

Last year a guy in Mumbai try to resorted to suicide because he was threatened by people of religious Organisation own his views on a religious topic. If media can create a war between two parties it can create peace also . Indian government’s external affairs ministry did a tremendous job in providing relief to foreign citizens of the India. Another example is Delhi Metro which uses its Twitter handle to inform the open and closure of gates. Social media became the voice of voiceless people of the society .

Movements like #Metoomovement started which allowed the women to come and file a case against a sexual harassment at workplace. Jon Ranson has said that it has given voice to the voiceless people. Personalities like Nana Patekar ,director Harvey Weinstein and various personalities were there which were caught in this . Social media has played an important role in economic front social media is being used on all interfaces for the promotion in their products . Social media is a medium to raise a voice against government policies and social evils prevailing in a society . Now there has emerged a fifth pillar of a democracy i.e. Social Media.

Social media has become means of free speech and expression guaranteed under the article 19 of Indian constitution this can be manifested from the Supreme Court decision on right to internet as a fundamental right. Social media is proliferating a very good ideas and effecting both positively and negatively there is a need to regulate it . Government should come up with a legislation to regulate social media. Just like a car without the handle is of no use same is with these platforms if they are contolled they can prove to be very dangerous in future. There is need to focus on privacy front as well so that the data cannot be used as a threat to personal and national security. Awareness and awakening about use of social media in need to be increased specially among the youth so that they can maximize on positive front of social media and minimise its ill effect . Indeed social media is a double edged sword if not handled with care might cause harm to you badly . It has transformed the way thinking . it has led to violation of privacy, fake news .

In US where democracy is said to be started has also been in news due to its scandal in election.[5] The Cambridge Analytica scandal where in Facebook data was stolen and has been used to influence the people behaviour towards their respective candidates . Social media’s gruesome face has been seen in the US 2016 elections.[6] Media bias varies in its form sensationalism to story selection and placement as well as omission and selection of content while portraying a story. Often holistic view is deleted and biased extreme lables are promoted to define groups and politicians.[7]

Moreover a recent research project called Media Ownership Monitor carried out in India by reporters without borders and data leads has found excessive political control over media. And the news over which political parties have their influence loses its credibility . News reported within person’s pressure not only loses its credibility but also its authenticity.[8] Like it may not be suitable take a name of a news channel but there are various channels which are owned by the members of the party in power then how can we expect that the news provided by the channels will be given in an impartial manner and will be giving authentic matter. The gradual crippling of democracy is also evident from the concentration of media content in a few hands like 76% of Indians use social media and radio is also owned by the state so it is monopolised. Amartya Sen sees the media as a watchdog not just against corruption but also against disaster. He said “There has never been a famine in a functioning multiparty democracy .A free press and the practice of democracy contribute greatly to bringing out information that can have an enormous impact on policies for famine prevention a free press and an active political opposition constitute the best early-warning system a country threatened by famine could have .[9]

The key issue is the lack of proper regulation of media in India and toothless nature of the Press Council of India. The lack of regulation has increased cross holding and corporate and political lobbying and ownership. The increasing rate for TRP to get advertising revenues had further led to more sensationalized news with minimal forces on development like social welfare government schemes and awareness of the general masses with the rise of social media .

Urgent reforms are need of the hour to revamp the outdated regulation for media in India. When Press Council of India was formed in 1978, media only comprised of newspaper, journals, magazines and TV channels . With increase of internet social media platforms are at its peak so they must also be regulated within the same ambit . The Tamil Nadu government has initiated steps in this regard for social media accountability by proposing to link Aadhaar with social media accounts. Anti-nationalist use media for the radicalisation of the youth and it targets the miserable sections of the society for the polarization of the politics also being promoted by the media while also encouraging hero worship tendencies. The era where media was considered as a guardian of a country and constitution .

Keeping a check on the government and encouraging substantial debate among the masses on critical national issues to participate in democracy is starting fade away. The aforementioned quote by the states that selective truths can lead to weapon of destruction. In the same manner you must look at creating genuinely Independent and transparent system for the media and ensure ownership restricting in cross holding .The Leveson Committee Department of 2012 of UK can be a great static point to adapt into the Indian context ensuring right to free speech in press while curtailing exploitation and misuse of the same . As Victor Hugo said, “No power can on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.” Today this power is social media.

[1] https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/chapter/media-and-democracy/

[2] Dr. K. John Babu, Media and Human rights

[3] Andrew Dewdney and Peter Ride, The new media handbook , London And New York, Taylors and Francis Group

[4] Silvio Waisbord , Media Sociology, Jaipur, Rawat Publications.

[5] https://democracy-reporting.org/country/social-media-and-democracy

[6] https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/11319/media-democracy-and-governance

[7] https://legaldesire.com/role-of-media-in-democracy/

[8] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/22/18177076/social-media-facebook-far-right-authoritarian-populism

[9] https://legaldesire.com/role-of-media-in-democracy/

Author Details: Rakesh Kumar is a student at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University , Lucknow.

The views of the Author are personal only.

(Source: Juscholars Journal, Volume 1, Issue 3)

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80 Media Bias Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best media bias topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ interesting topics to write about media bias, ✅ simple & easy media bias essay titles, ❓ questions about media bias.

• The Role of Bias in Media Sources The main focus of this medium is to provide information about the protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement that took place in the country.
• Media Bias Monitor: Quantifying Biases of Social Media On the other hand, the media uses selective exposure and airing of stories about leaders, leading to more bias in their stories.
• Media Bias Fact Check: Website Analysis For instance, Fact Check relies on the evidence provided by the person or organization making a claim to substantiate the accuracy of the source.
• Bias of the Lebanese Media Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to identify the elements of bias in the media coverage through an analysis of the media coverage of Al Manar and Future TV in 2008.
• Media Bias in the Middle East Crisis in America A good example of this in the United States Media coverage of the Middle East crisis comes in terms of criminalizing the Israeli forces.
• Media Bias in America and the Middle East Of course, Benjamin Franklin neglected to mention that the printing company he owned was in the running to get the job of printing the money if the plan was approved.
• Why Study the Media, Bias, Limitations, Issues of Media The media have recently have taken an identity almost undistinguishable from entertainment or pop culture and marketing where news serve as “spices” that add up flavor to the whole serving, such as the Guardian Unlimited […]
• Media Bias: The Organization of a Newsroom The media is, however, desperate for attention, and it’s not political ideology that dictates what we are offered in the guise of news on any particular day, but what will sell advertising.
• Mass Media Bias Definition The mass media is the principal source of political information that has an impact on the citizens. The concept of media bias refers to the disagreement about its impact on the citizens and objectivity of […]
• Modern Biased Media: Transparency, Independence, and Objectivity Lack The mass media is considered to be the Fourth Estate by the majority of people. The main goal of this paper is to prove that the modern media is biased because it lacks transparency, independence, […]
• How Is the Media Biased and in What Direction? The bias in this article is aimed at discrediting mainstream media’s coverage of Clinton’s campaign while praising the conservative actions of the GOP presidential candidate.
• Al Jazeera TV: A Propaganda Platform Al Jazeera is the largest media outlet in the Middle East reporting events mostly to the Arab world. The media outlet has equated revolutions in Egypt and Libya with the ejection of totalitarianism in the […]
• Media Bias in the U.S. Politics The main reason for the censure of this information by the media is because it had a connection with the working masses, and Unionists. In this case, the perceived media bias comes from the state […]
• The Impact of Media Bias Media bias is a contravention of professional standards by members of the fourth estate presenting in the form of favoritism of one section of society when it comes to the selection and reporting of events […]
• Media Bias: Media Research Center Versus Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
• Advertising Spending and Media Bias: Evidence From News Coverage of Car Safety Recalls
• Towards a More Direct Measure of Political Media Bias
• Media Bias Towards Science
• French Media Bias and the Vote on the European Constitution
• Political Accountability, Electoral Control, and Media Bias
• Media Mergers and Media Bias With Rational Consumers
• Same-Sex Marriage and Media Bias
• Media Bias and Stereotypes: A Long Way of Justify the Truth
• Political Polarization and the Electoral Effects of Media Bias
• Media Bias and Its Influence on Public Opinion on Current Events
• The Arguments Surrounding Media Bias
• Political Science: Media Bias and Presidential Candidates
• Competition and Commercial Media Bias
• Media Bias and Its Influence on News: Reporting the News Article Analysis
• Power of Media Framing – Framing Impact on Media Bias
• Media Bias and Conflicting Ideas
• Detecting Media Bias and Propaganda
• Media Bias and the Effect of Patriotism on Baseball Viewership
• Good News and Bad News: Evidence of Media Bias in Unemployment Reports
• Media Industries and Media Bias: How They Work Together
• More Ads, More Revs: A Note on Media Bias in Review Likelihood
• News Consumption and Media Bias
• Media Bias and the Persistence of the Expectation Gap: An Analysis of Press Articles on Corporate Fraud
• Public Opinion, Polling, Media Bias, and the Electoral College
• Media Bias and Electoral Competition
• Information Gatekeeping, Indirect Lobbying, and Media Bias
• Conservative and Liberal Media Bias
• Media Bias: Politics, Reputation, and Public Influence
• Law and Legal Definition of Media Bias
• Primetime Spin: Media Bias and Belief Confirming Information
• Media Bias and the Current Situation of Reporting News and Facts in America
• Framing the Right Suspects: Measuring Media Bias
• Media Bias and Its Economic Impact
• When Advertisers Have Bargaining Power – Media Bias
• Media Bias and the Lack of Reporting on Minority Missing Persons
• Critical Thinking vs. Media Bias
• Social Connectivity, Media Bias, and Correlation Neglect
• The Difference Between Media Bias and Media Corruption
• Media Bias and How It Affects Society
• Does Foreign Media Entry Discipline or Provoke Local Media Bias?
• What Are the Main Issues of Media Bias?
• How Does Media Bias Affect Campaigns?
• Does Foreign Media Entry Tempers Government Media Bias?
• What Is Media Bias in News Reporting?
• How Does Media Bias Affect the World?
• What Is the Difference Between Media Bias and Media Propaganda?
• Is Media Bias Bad for Democracy?
• How Do Issue Coverage and Media Bias Affect Voter Perceptions of Elections?
• What Are Some of the Most Prominent Examples of Media Bias in Politics?
• Does Media Bias Affect Public Opinion?
• What Are the Reasons for Which Bias in Media Is Necessary?
• Is There a Difference Between Media Bias and Fake News?
• What Are the Different Types of Media Bias?
• How Does Media Bias Affect Our Society?
• Why Is Media Bias Unavoidable in Modern Society?
• How Does Liberal Media Bias Distort the American Mind?
• What Is the Effect of the Economic Development and Market Competition on Media Bias in China?
• Is There a Relationship Between Media Bias and Reporting Inaccuracies?
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Insights Weekly Essay Challenges 2021 – Week 55 : Biased Media Is A Real Threat To Indian Democracy

Insights weekly essay challenges 2021 – week 55.

02 January 2021

Write an essay on the following topic in not more than 1000-1200 words:

Biased Media Is A Real Threat To Indian Democracy

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India’s media is failing in its democratic duty

India ranks so badly for press freedom because much of the media has simply stopped doing its job.

The protests in India against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which grants a fast track to citizenship for certain religious-minority immigrants, have underlined the importance of not just the democratic process, which includes the right to peaceful protest, but also the role of the media in covering the government’s response to the protesters.

I work as a journalist in India and am happy and proud to be part of what I regard as a free press in the country. The website I helped found four years ago, The Wire, shines a critical light – a pretty harsh one – on the government, on politics and on big business. And there are others like us.

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Sure, the politicians and ministers and captains of industry do not like what we do and have made their displeasure known in various ways; but show me a democracy where the government loves the media and chances are the media is not doing its job.

So why is it then that India – a country with a free press and an independent judiciary – does so badly on global indices measuring media freedom? In 2019, the country slipped two places down to 140 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. How do we reconcile the fact that there is a constitution, laws guaranteeing press freedom, and media platforms fiercely doing their job, with India’s falling rank?

What has happened over the past few years is that a major section of the media has crossed over to the dark side.

Without being formally censored or compelled by other means to comply with official diktats, these media houses have simply stopped doing their job. They have stopped asking difficult questions about the government and its policies. They are in awe of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior ministers and are reluctant to be critical of them.

Many, sadly, have become mouthpieces of official propaganda. Some do not think twice about promoting religious polarisation and even hatred in pursuit of the political agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

There is also a major section of the media which is reluctant to be seen rocking the boat mainly because their proprietors have business interests that could be jeopardised. It is commonplace for governments at the central and state level to use official advertising as a lever of influence on the media. But there is also a darker side: With most investigative agencies functioning at the beck and call of ruling politicians, proprietors fear becoming the target of a vendetta if their reporters are seen as taking on the establishment.

For those of us still willing to do our job, there are indirect financial pressures, of course, but also legal tactics aimed at silencing critical coverage. Defamation laws are misused to embroil editors and reporters in frivolous cases that can take us years to shake off. At one time, The Wire was facing 14 defamation suits filed by governing party politicians and their family members, businessmen and even a godman – a high-profile guru – known to be close to the establishment. Total damages currently being sought in these bogus cases against us run to over one billion dollars.

In the past few months, the government has sought new ways to get a grip on the country’s scrappy digital media. It has announced new restrictions on foreign investment in digital media, including approval on a case-by-case basis, and is also proposing to introduce a compulsory registration process for news and current affairs websites.

A new tactic, which affects not just media freedom but the freedom of speech and communication of ordinary citizens, is the imposition of bans on the usage of the internet and social media. In Jammu and Kashmir, a “temporary” ban on social media has lasted more than 200 days now.

Broadband internet remains banned and limited data internet access was permitted after a two-month hiatus but only for low-speed access to “whitelisted” sites.

The latest assault on freedom of speech is the government’s decision to charge Kashmiris who access the internet via VPNs under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Given the growing interface between social media and news media, this clampdown can only have a further chilling effect on press freedom.

While the media in India has always had to contend with unfriendly politicians in the past, they could, with the exception of the 1975-1977 Emergency, at least count on the support of the country’s judges if the going got tough. What makes the current phase so dangerous is both the Modi government’s level of intolerance and the reluctance of the courts to defend free speech and press freedom.

The press freedom we have in India should no longer be taken for granted. And it is only if we use our freedom – fiercely and fearlessly – that we can stave off future assaults on it.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance

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Elizabeth Morrissette, Grace McKeon, Alison Louie, Amy Luther, and Alexis Fagen

Media bias could be defined as the unjust favoritism and reporting of a certain ideas or standpoint. In the news, social media, and entertainment, such as movies or television, we see media bias through the information these forms of media choose to pay attention to or report (“How to Detect Bias in News Media”, 2012). We could use the example of the difference between FOX news and CNN because these two news broadcasters have very different audiences, they tend to be biased to what the report and how they report it due to democratic or republican viewpoints.

Bias, in general, is the prejudice or preconceived notion against a person, group or thing. Bias leads to stereotyping which we can see on the way certain things are reported in the news. As an example, during Hurricane Katrina, there were two sets of photos taken of two people wading through water with bags of food. The people, one white and one black, were reported about but the way they were reported about was different. For the black man, he was reported “looting” a grocery store, while the white person was reported “finding food for survival”.  The report showed media bias because they made the black man seem like he was doing something wrong, while the white person was just “finding things in order to survive” (Guarino, 2015).

Commercial media is affected by bias because a corporation can influence what kind of entertainment is being produced. When there is an investment involved or money at stake, companies tend to want to protect their investment by not touching on topics that could start a controversy (Pavlik, 2018). In order to be able to understand what biased news is, we must be media literate. To be media literate, we need to adopt the idea that news isn’t completely transparent in the stories they choose to report. Having the knowledge that we can’t believe everything we read or see on the news will allow us as a society to become a more educated audience (Campbell, 2005).

Bias in the News

The news, whether we like it or not, is bias. Some news is bias towards Republicans while other news outlets are biased towards Democrats. It’s important to understand this when watching or reading the news to be media literate. This can be tricky because journalists may believe that their reporting is written with “fairness and balance” but most times there is an underlying bias based around what news provider the story is being written for (Pavlik and McIntosh, 61). With events happening so rapidly, journalist write quickly and sometimes point fingers without trying to. This is called Agenda-Setting which is defined by Shirley Biagi as, how reporters neglect to tell people what to think, but do tell them what and who to talk about (Biagi, 268).

The pressure to put out articles quickly, often times, can affect the story as well. How an event is portrayed, without all the facts and viewpoints, can allow the scene to be laid out in a way that frames it differently than it may have happened (Biagi, 269). However, by simply watching or reading only one portrayal of an event people will often blindly believe it is true, without see or reading other stories that may shine a different light on the subject (Vivian, 4). Media Impact   defines this as Magic Bullet Theory or the assertion that media messages directly and measurably affect people’s behavior (Biagi, 269). The stress of tight time deadlines also affects the number of variations of a story. Journalist push to get stories out creates a lack of deeper consideration to news stories. This is called Consensus Journalism or the tendency among journalists covering the same topic to report similar articles instead of differing interpretations of the event (Biagi, 268).

To see past media bias in the news it’s important to be media literate. Looking past any possible framing, or bias viewpoints and getting all the facts to create your own interpretation of a news story. It doesn’t hurt to read both sides of the story before blindly following what someone is saying, taking into consideration who they might be biased towards.

Stereotypes in the Media

Bias is not only in the news, but other entertainment media outlets such as TV and movies. Beginning during childhood, our perception of the world starts to form. Our own opinions and views are created as we learn to think for ourselves. The process of this “thinking for ourselves” is called socialization. One key agent of socialization is the mass media. Mass media portrays ideas and images that at such a young age, are very influential. However, the influence that the media has on us is not always positive. Specifically, the entertainment media, plays a big role in spreading stereotypes so much that they become normal to us (Pavlik and McIntosh, 55).

The stereotypes in entertainment media may be either gender stereotypes or cultural stereotypes. Gender stereotypes reinforce the way people see each gender supposed to be like. For example, a female stereotype could be a teenage girl who likes to go shopping, or a stay at home mom who cleans the house and goes grocery shopping. Men and women are shown in different ways in commercials, TV and movies. Women are shown as domestic housewives, and men are shown as having high status jobs, and participating in more outdoor activities (Davis, 411). A very common gender stereotype for women is that they like to shop, and are not smart enough to have a high-status profession such as a lawyer or doctor. An example of this stereotype can be shown in the musical/movie, Legally Blonde. The main character is woman who is doubted by her male counterparts. She must prove herself to be intelligent enough to become a lawyer. Another example of a gender stereotype is that men like to use tools and drive cars. For example, in most tool and car commercials /advertisements, a man is shown using the product.  On the other hand, women are most always seen in commercials for cleaning supplies or products like soaps. This stems the common stereotype that women are stay at home moms and take on duties such as cleaning the house, doing the dishes, doing the laundry, etc.

Racial stereotyping is also quite common in the entertainment media. The mass media helps to reproduce racial stereotypes, and spread those ideologies (Abraham, 184). For example, in movies and TV, the minority characters are shown as their respective stereotypes. In one specific example, the media “manifests bias and prejudice in representations of African Americans” (Abraham, 184). African Americans in the media are portrayed in negative ways. In the news, African Americans are often portrayed to be linked to negative issues such as crime, drug use, and poverty (Abraham 184). Another example of racial stereotyping is Kevin Gnapoor in the popular movie, Mean Girls . His character is Indian, and happens to be a math enthusiast and member of the Mathletes. This example strongly proves how entertainment media uses stereotypes.

Types of Media Bias

Throughout media, we see many different types of bias being used. These is bias by omission, bias by selection of source, bias by story selection, bias by placement, and bias by labeling. All of these different types are used in different ways to prevent the consumer from getting all of the information.

• Bias by omission:  Bias by omission is when the reporter leaves out one side of the argument, restricting the information that the consumer receives. This is most prevalent when dealing with political stories (Dugger) and happens by either leaving out claims from either the liberal or conservative sides. This can be seen in either one story or a continuation of stories over time (Media Bias). There are ways to avoid this type of bias, these would include reading or viewing different sources to ensure that you are getting all of the information.
• Bias by selection of sources:  Bias by selection of sources occurs when the author includes multiple sources that only have to do with one side (Baker).  Also, this can occur when the author intentionally leaves out sources that are pertinent to the other side of the story (Dugger). This type of bias also utilizes language such as “experts believe” and “observers say” to make people believe that what they are reading is credible. Also, the use of expert opinions is seen but only from one side, creating a barrier between one side of the story and the consumers (Baker).
• Bias by story selection: The second type of bias by selection is bias by story selection. This is seen more throughout an entire corporation, rather than through few stories. This occurs when news broadcasters only choose to include stories that support the overall belief of the corporation in their broadcasts. This means ignoring all stories that would sway people to the other side (Baker).  Normally the stories that are selected will fully support either the left-wing or right-wing way of thinking.
• Bias by placement: Bias by placement is a big problem in today’s society. We are seeing this type of bias more and more because it is easy with all of the different ways media is presented now, either through social media or just online. This type of bias shows how important a particular story is to the reporter. Editors will choose to poorly place stories that they don’t think are as important, or that they don’t want to be as easily accessible. This placement is used to downplay their importance and make consumers think they aren’t as important (Baker).
• Bias by labeling: Bias by labeling is a more complicated type of bias mostly used to falsely describe politicians. Many reporters will tag politicians with extreme labels on one side of an argument while saying nothing about the other side (Media Bias). These labels that are given can either be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the side they are biased towards. Some reporters will falsely label people as “experts”, giving them authority that they have not earned and in turn do not deserve (Media Bias). This type of bias can also come when a reporter fails to properly label a politician, such as not labeling a conservative as a conservative (Dugger). This can be difficult to pick out because not all labeling is biased, but when stronger labels are used it is important to check different sources to see if the information is correct.

Bias in Entertainment

Bias is an opinion in favor or against a person, group, and or thing compared to another, and are presented, in such ways to favor false results that are in line with their prejudgments and political or practical commitments (Hammersley & Gomm, 1).  Media bias in the entertainment is the bias from journalists and the news within the mass media about stories and events reported and the coverage of them.

There are biases in most entertainment today, such as, the news, movies, and television. The three most common biases formed in entertainment are political, racial, and gender biases. Political bias is when part of the entertainment throws in a political comment into a movie or TV show in hopes to change or detriment the viewers political views (Murillo, 462). Racial bias is, for example, is when African Americans are portrayed in a negative way and are shown in situations that have to do with things such as crime, drug use, and poverty (Mitchell, 621). Gender biases typically have to do with females. Gender biases have to do with roles that some people play and how others view them (Martin, 665). For example, young girls are supposed to be into the color pink and like princess and dolls. Women are usually the ones seen on cleaning commercials. Women are seen as “dainty” and “fragile.” And for men, they are usually seen on the more “masculine types of media, such as things that have to do with cars, and tools.

Bias is always present, and it can be found in all outlets of media. There are so many different types of bias that are present, whether it is found in is found in the news, entertainment industry, or in the portrayal of stereotypes bias, is all around us. To be media literate it’s important to always be aware of this, and to read more than one article, allowing yourself to come up with conclusion; thinking for yourself.

Works Cited 

Abraham, Linus, and Osei Appiah. “Framing News Stories: The Role of Visual Imagery in Priming Racial Stereotypes.”  Howard Journal of Communications , vol. 17, no. 3, 2006, pp. 183–203.

Baker, Brent H. “Media Bias.”  Student News Daily , 2017.

Biagi, Shirley. “Changing Messages.”  Media/Impact; An Introduction to Mass Media , 10th ed., Cengage Learning, 2013, pp. 268-270.

Campbell, Richard, et al.  Media & Culture: an Introduction to Mass Communication . Bedford/St Martins, 2005.

Davis, Shannon N. “Sex Stereotypes In Commercials Targeted Toward Children: A Content Analysis.”  Sociological Spectrum , vol. 23, no. 4, 2003, pp. 407–424.

Dugger, Ashley. “Media Bias and Criticism .” http://study.com/academy/lesson/media-bias-criticism-definition-types-examples.html .

Guarino, Mark. “Misleading reports of lawlessness after Katrina worsened crisis, officials say.”   The Guardian , 16 Aug. 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/16/hurricane-katrina-new-orleans-looting-violence-misleading-reports .

Hammersley, Martyn, and Roger Gomm. Bias in Social Research . Vol. 2, ser. 1, Sociological Research Online, 1997.

“How to Detect Bias in News Media.”  FAIR , 19 Nov. 2012, http://fair.org/take-action-now/media-activism-kit/how-to-detect-bias-in-news-media/ .

Levasseur, David G. “Media Bias.”  Encyclopedia of Political Communication , Lynda Lee Kaid, editor, Sage Publications, 1st edition, 2008. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sagepolcom/media_bias/0 .

Martin, Patricia Yancey, John R. Reynolds, and Shelley Keith, “Gender Bias and Feminist Consciousness among Judges and Attorneys: A Standpoint Theory Analysis,” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 27, no. 3 (Spring 2002): 665-701,

Mitchell, T. L., Haw, R. M., Pfeifer, J. E., & Meissner, C. A. (2005). “Racial Bias in Mock Juror Decision-Making: A Meta-Analytic Review of Defendant Treatment.” Law and Human Behavior , 29(6), 621-637.

Murillo, M. (2002). “Political Bias in Policy Convergence: Privatization Choices in Latin America.” World Politics , 54(4), 462-493.

Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. “Media Literacy in the Digital Age .”  Converging Media: a New Introduction to Mass Communication , Oxford University Press, 2017.

Vivian, John. “Media Literacy .”  The Media of Mass Communication , 8th ed., Pearson, 2017, pp. 4–5.

Introduction to Media Studies Copyright © by Elizabeth Morrissette, Grace McKeon, Alison Louie, Amy Luther, and Alexis Fagen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Essay on biased media is a real threat to indian democracy,  essay on biased media is a real threat to indian democracy.

We all know that India is a democracy and the media plays a vital role in the functioning of our country. The role of media is not only to report but also to play an important role in interpreting what takes place in society, reflecting social diversity and changes, keeping governments accountable etc. But what happens today when we turn on our television or read some newspapers? How biased are they? Do they always speak for one party or another? If yes then why don't we have some kind of ethical code for journalists to follow?

The media is a pillar of democracy in India. The role of the media is to report and interpret what takes place in society, to reflect social diversity and changes, and to keep governments accountable. But today's role of media has been distorted. Media bias in India is not new, but it has become even more raw and direct than before. The concept of 'free press' has been derived from the freedom of speech enshrined in our Constitution under Article 19 (1)(a). 

The role of print media was always more nuanced than that prescribed by law; however, today we see an increasing number of cases where reports are pre-determined before they even reach print or broadcast—with no room for correction or analysis after publication

It is an undeniable fact that freedom of the press exists only if it is free from the fetters imposed by the state. When the media is influenced by any force or group, it becomes a tool for maligning political leaders, influencing public opinion and promoting vested interests. This situation has become worse with time as more and more people get their news through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter which are most times unverified sources. 

The readership of these websites has increased manifold over years due to their easy accessibility but at times they may also be misinformed about certain events that happen in our country like communal tensions between two communities etcetera because these websites have no editorial policies whatsoever which makes them prone to fake news being spread around.

Media Democracy and Indian Politics

How freedom of expression can be threatened, the necessity of balanced media for a vibrant democracy, ethics in journalism is a must for a healthy democracy.

• Journalists should be objective and unbiased. They should not take sides, or be partial to any particular group, political party or individual. 
• Journalists should be honest in their reporting and writing. They have a professional duty to report facts without fear or favour. They are accountable to their readers/viewers through disclosure of sources and contact information whenever possible; they respect the privacy rights of individuals as well as those who may be affected by disclosures made by journalists (e.g., victims); they do not plagiarize someone else’s work without attribution which could lead to legal action against them – including imprisonment if convicted under Section 500(2) of Indian Penal Code [IPC] - Copyright Act 1909 [COPYRIGHT ACT].

A vibrant media is essential for a healthy democracy

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The effect of the economic development and market competition on media bias in china, mainstream-media content: does the media have a liberal bias, misrepresentation of muslims in the british media, the role of media representation of knife crime in london in creating a moral panic among uk citizens, laws to combat online falsehoods in singapore’s media, biases around the issue of gun control in the media, the manipulation of the general public through american media during the 2016 presidential elections, the freedom of speech and of the press violation in north korean media, mail online story about baroness patricia scotland, an analysis of prophecies and confirmation bias, perception vs reality in media portrayal of crime, liberal media bias.

Media bias is the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of many events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening of the standards of journalism, rather than the perspective of an individual journalist or article.

Coverage bias when media choose to report only negative news about one party or ideology. Gatekeeping bias when stories are selected or deselected, sometimes on ideological grounds. Statement bias when media coverage is slanted towards or against particular actors or issues.

Advertising bias, concision bias, content bias, corporate bias, decision-making bias, distortion bias, mainstream bias, partisan bias, sensationalism, structural bias, false balance, undue weight, speculative content, false timeliness, ventriloquism.

1. Groseclose, T., & Milyo, J. (2005). A measure of media bias. The quarterly journal of economics, 120(4), 1191-1237. (https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/120/4/1191/1926642) 2. Mullainathan, S., & Shleifer, A. (2002). Media bias. (https://www.nber.org/papers/w9295) 3. Gentzkow, M., & Shapiro, J. M. (2006). Media bias and reputation. Journal of political Economy, 114(2), 280-316. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/499414) 4. Baron, D. P. (2006). Persistent media bias. Journal of Public Economics, 90(1-2), 1-36. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272705000216) 5. D'Alessio, D., & Allen, M. (2000). Media bias in presidential elections: A meta‐analysis. Journal of communication, 50(4), 133-156. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02866.x) 6. Groeling, T. (2013). Media bias by the numbers: Challenges and opportunities in the empirical study of partisan news. Annual Review of Political Science, 16, 129-151. (https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-polisci-040811-115123) 7. Hamborg, F., Donnay, K., & Gipp, B. (2019). Automated identification of media bias in news articles: an interdisciplinary literature review. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 20(4), 391-415. (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00799-018-0261-y) 8. Qin, B., Strömberg, D., & Wu, Y. (2018). Media bias in China. American Economic Review, 108(9), 2442-76. (https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20170947) 9. Lee, T. T. (2005). The liberal media myth revisited: An examination of factors influencing perceptions of media bias. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 49(1), 43-64. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15506878jobem4901_4) 10. Park, S., Kang, S., Chung, S., & Song, J. (2009, April). NewsCube: delivering multiple aspects of news to mitigate media bias. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 443-452). (https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1518701.1518772)

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• Chowdhury M Sharma N (2022) Community Asset Ontology for Modeling Community Data using Information Extraction Proceedings of the 2022 6th International Conference on Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval 10.1145/3582768.3582778 (195-199) Online publication date: 16-Dec-2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3582768.3582778
• Haq E Lu Y Hui P (2022) It's All Relative! A Method to Counter Human Bias in Crowdsourced Stance Detection of News Articles Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 10.1145/3555636 6 :CSCW2 (1-25) Online publication date: 11-Nov-2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3555636
• Robbemond V Inel O Gadiraju U Bellogin A Boratto L Santos O Ardissono L Knijnenburg B (2022) Understanding the Role of Explanation Modality in AI-assisted Decision-making Proceedings of the 30th ACM Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization 10.1145/3503252.3531311 (223-233) Online publication date: 4-Jul-2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3503252.3531311

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• Find a Bias Rating
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• Types of Bias

How to Spot 16 Types of Media Bias

Journalism is tied to a set of ethical standards and values, including truth and accuracy, fairness and impartiality, and accountability. However, journalism today often strays from objective fact, resulting in biased news and endless examples of media bias.

Media bias isn't necessarily a bad thing. But hidden bias misleads, manipulates and divides us. This is why AllSides provides hundreds of media bias ratings , a balanced newsfeed , the AllSides Media Bias Chart™ , and the AllSides Fact Check Bias Chart™ .

72 percent of Americans believe traditional news sources report fake news , falsehoods, or content that is purposely misleading. With trust in media declining, media consumers must learn how to spot different types of media bias.

This page outlines 16 types of media bias, along with examples of the different types of bias being used in popular media outlets. Download this page as a PDF .

Related: 14 Types of Ideological Bias

16 Types of Media Bias and how to spot them

• Unsubstantiated Claims
• Opinion Statements Presented as Facts
• Sensationalism/Emotionalism
• Mudslinging/Ad Hominem
• Mind Reading
• Flawed Logic
• Bias by Omission
• Omission of Source Attribution
• Bias by Story Choice and Placement
• Subjective Qualifying Adjectives
• Word Choice
• Negativity Bias
• Elite v. Populist Bias

Some Final Notes on Bias

Spin is a type of media bias that means vague, dramatic or sensational language. When journalists put a “spin” on a story, they stray from objective, measurable facts. Spin is a form of media bias that clouds a reader’s view, preventing them from getting a precise take on what happened.

In the early 20th century, Public Relations and Advertising executives were referred to as “spin doctors.” They would use vague language and make unsupportable claims in order to promote a product, service or idea, downplaying any alternative views in order to make a sale. Increasingly, these tactics are appearing in journalism.

Examples of Spin Words and Phrases:

• High-stakes
• Latest in a string of...
• Turn up the heat
• Stern talks
• Facing calls to...
• Even though
• Significant

Sometimes the media uses spin words and phrases to imply bad behavior . These words are often used without providing hard facts, direct quotes, or witnessed behavior:

• Acknowledged
• Refusing to say
• Came to light

To stir emotions, reports often include colored, dramatic, or sensational words as a substitute for the word “said.” For example:

• Frustration

Examples of Spin Media Bias:

“Gloat” means “contemplate or dwell on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.” Is there evidence in Trump’s tweet to show he is being smug or taking pleasure in the layoffs, or is this a subjective interpretation?

Source article

Business Insider Bias Rating

In this example of spin media bias, the Washington Post uses a variety of dramatic, sensationalist words to spin the story to make Trump appear emotional and unhinged. They also refer to the president's "vanity" without providing supporting evidence.

Washington Post Bias Rating

Top of Page

2. Unsubstantiated Claims

Journalists sometimes make claims in their reporting without including evidence to back them up. This can occur in the headline of an article, or in the body.

Statements that appear to be fact, but do not include specific evidence, are a key indication of this type of media bias.

Sometimes, websites or media outlets publish stories that are totally made up. This is often referred to as a type of fake news .

Examples of Unsubstantiated Claims Media Bias

In this media bias instance, The Daily Wire references a "longstanding pattern," but does not back this up with evidence.

The Daily Wire Bias Rating

In late January 2019, actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was attacked by two men who hurled racial and homophobic slurs. The Hill refers to “the violent attack” without using the word “alleged” or “allegations." The incident was revealed to be a hoax created by Smollett himself.

The Hill Bias Rating

This Washington Post columnist makes a claim about wealth distribution without noting where it came from. Who determined this number and how?

3. Opinion Statements Presented as Fact

Sometimes journalists use subjective language or statements under the guise of reporting objectively. Even when a media outlet presents an article as a factual and objective news piece, it may employ subjective statements or language.

A subjective statement is one that is based on personal opinions, assumptions, beliefs, tastes, preferences, or interpretations. It reflects how the writer views reality, what they presuppose to be the truth. It is a statement colored by their specific perspective or lens and cannot be verified using concrete facts and figures within the article.

There are objective modifiers — “blue” “old” “single-handedly” “statistically” “domestic” — for which the meaning can be verified. On the other hand, there are subjective modifiers — “suspicious,” “dangerous,” “extreme,” “dismissively,” “apparently” — which are a matter of interpretation.

Interpretation can present the same events as two very different incidents. For instance, a political protest in which people sat down in the middle of a street blocking traffic to draw attention to their cause can be described as “peaceful” and “productive,” or, others may describe it as “aggressive” and “disruptive.”

Examples of Words Signaling Subjective statements :

• Good/Better/Best
• Is considered to be
• May mean that
• Bad/Worse/Worst
• It's likely that

Source: Butte College Critical Thinking Tipsheet

An objective statement, on the other hand, is an observation of observable facts . It is not based on emotions or personal opinion and is based on empirical evidence — what is quantifiable and measurable.

It’s important to note that an objective statement may not actually be true. The following statements are objective statements, but can be verified as true or false:

Taipei 101 is the world's tallest building. Five plus four equals ten. There are nine planets in our solar system. Now, the first statement of fact is true (as of this writing); the other two are false. It is possible to verify the height of buildings and determine that Taipei 101 tops them all. It is possible to devise an experiment to demonstrate that five plus four does not equal ten or to use established criteria to determine whether Pluto is a planet.

Editorial reviews by AllSides found that some media outlets blur the line between subjective statements and objective statements, leading to potential confusion for readers, in two key ways that fall under this type of media bias :

• Including subjective statements in their writing and not attributing them to a source. (see Omission of Source Attribution )
• Placing opinion or editorial content on the homepage next to hard news, or otherwise not clearly marking opinion content as “opinion.”

Explore logical fallacies that are often used by opinion writers.

Examples of Opinion Statements Presented as Fact

The sub-headline Vox uses is an opinion statement — some people likely believe the lifting of the gas limit will strengthen the coal industry — but Vox included this statement in a piece not labeled “Opinion.”

Vox Bias Rating

In this article about Twitter CEO Elon Musk banning reporters, we can detect that the journalist is providing their personal opinion that Musk is making "arbitary" decisions by making note of the word "seemingly." Whether or not Musk's decisions are arbitrary is a matter of personal opinion and should be reserved for the opinion pages.

SFGate Rating

In this article about Hillary Clinton’s appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," the author makes an assumption about Clinton’s motives and jumps to a subjective conclusion.

Fox News Bias Rating

4. Sensationalism/Emotionalism

Sensationalism is a type of media bias in which information is presented in a way that gives a shock or makes a deep impression. Often it gives readers a false sense of culmination, that all previous reporting has led to this ultimate story.

Sensationalist language is often dramatic, yet vague. It often involves hyperbole — at the expense of accuracy — or warping reality to mislead or provoke a strong reaction in the reader.

In recent years, some media outlets have been criticized for overusing the term “breaking” or “breaking news,” which historically was reserved for stories of deep impact or wide-scale importance.

With this type of media bias, reporters often increase the readability of their pieces using vivid verbs. But there are many verbs that are heavy with implications that can’t be objectively corroborated: “blast” “slam” “bury” “abuse” “destroy” “worry.”

Examples of Words and Phrases Used by the Media that Signal Sensationalism and Emotionalism:

• Embroiled in...
• Torrent of tweets

Examples of Sensationalism/Emotionalism Media Bias

“Gawk” means to stare or gape stupidly. Does AP’s language treat this event as serious and diplomatic, or as entertainment?

AP Bias Rating

Here, BBC uses sensationalism in the form of hyperbole, as the election is unlikely to involve bloodshed in the literal sense.

BBC Bias Rating

In this piece from the New York Post, the author uses multiple sensationalist phrases and emotional language to dramatize the “Twitter battle."

New York Post Bias Rating

5. Mudslinging/Ad Hominem

Mudslinging is a type of media bias when unfair or insulting things are said about someone in order to damage their reputation. Similarly, ad hominem (Latin for “to the person”) attacks are attacks on a person’s motive or character traits instead of the content of their argument or idea. Ad hominem attacks can be used overtly, or as a way to subtly discredit someone without having to engage with their argument.

Examples of Mudslinging

A Reason editor calls a New York Times columnist a "snowflake" after the columnist emailed a professor and his provost to complain about a tweet calling him a bedbug.

Reason Bias Rating

In March 2019, The Economist ran a piece describing political commentator and author Ben Shapiro as “alt-right.” Readers pointed out that Shapiro is Jewish (the alt-right is largely anti-Semitic) and has condemned the alt-right. The Economist issued a retraction and instead referred to Shapiro as a “radical conservative.”

Source: The Economist Twitter

6. Mind Reading

Mind reading is a type of media bias that occurs in journalism when a writer assumes they know what another person thinks, or thinks that the way they see the world reflects the way the world really is.

Examples of Mind Reading

We can’t objectively measure that Trump hates looking foolish, because we can’t read his mind or know what he is feeling. There is also no evidence provided to demonstrate that Democrats believe they have a winning hand.

CNN Bias Rating

How do we know that Obama doesn’t have passion or sense of purpose? Here, the National Review writer assumes they know what is going on in Obama’s head.

National Review Bias Rating

Vox is upfront about the fact that they are interpreting what Neeson said. Yet this interpretation ran in a piece labeled objective news — not a piece in the Opinion section. Despite being overt about interpreting, by drifting away from what Neeson actually said, Vox is mind reading.

Slant is a type of media bias that describes when journalists tell only part of a story, or when they highlight, focus on, or play up one particular angle or piece of information. It can include cherry-picking information or data to support one side, or ignoring another perspective. Slant prevents readers from getting the full story, and narrows the scope of our understanding.

Examples of Slant

In the above example, Fox News notes that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s policy proposals have received “intense criticism.” While this is true, it is only one side of the picture, as the Green New Deal was received well by other groups.

Here, Snopes does not indicate or investigate why police made sweeps (did they have evidence criminal activity was occurring in the complex?), nor did Snopes ask police for their justification, giving a one-sided view. In addition, the studies pointed to only show Black Americans are more likely to be arrested for drug possession, not all crimes.

Snopes Bias Rating

8. Flawed Logic

Flawed logic or faulty reasoning is a way to misrepresent people’s opinions or to arrive at conclusions that are not justified by the given evidence. Flawed logic can involve jumping to conclusions or arriving at a conclusion that doesn’t follow from the premise.

Examples of Flawed Logic

Here, the Daily Wire interprets a video to draw conclusions that aren’t clearly supported by the available evidence. The video shows Melania did not extend her hand to shake, but it could be because Clinton was too far away to reach, or perhaps there was no particular reason at all. By jumping to conclusions that this amounted to a “snub” or was the result of “bitterness” instead of limitations of physical reality or some other reason, The Daily Wire is engaging in flawed logic.

9. Bias by Omission

Bias by omission is a type of media bias in which media outlets choose not to cover certain stories, omit information that would support an alternative viewpoint, or omit voices and perspectives on the other side.

Media outlets sometimes omit stories in order to serve a political agenda. Sometimes, a story will only be covered by media outlets on a certain side of the political spectrum. Bias by omission also occurs when a reporter does not interview both sides of a story — for instance, interviewing only supporters of a bill, and not including perspectives against it.

Examples of Media Bias by Omission

In a piece titled, "Hate crimes are rising, regardless of Jussie Smollett's case. Here's why," CNN claims that hate crime incidents rose for three years, but omits information that may lead the reader to different conclusions. According to the FBI’s website , reports of hate crime incidents rose from previous years, but so did the number of agencies reporting, “with approximately 1,000 additional agencies contributing information.” This makes it unclear whether hate crimes are actually on the rise, as the headline claims, or simply appear to be because more agencies are reporting.

10. Omission of Source Attribution

Omission of source attribution is when a journalist does not back up their claims by linking to the source of that information. An informative, balanced article should provide the background or context of a story, including naming sources (publishing “on-the-record” information).

For example, journalists will often mention "baseless claims," "debunked theories," or note someone "incorrectly stated" something without including background information or linking to another article that would reveal how they concluded the statement is false or debunked. Or, reporters will write that “immigration opponents say," "critics say," or “supporters of the bill noted” without identifying who these sources are.

It is sometimes useful or necessary to use anonymous sources, because insider information is only available if the reporter agrees to keep their identity secret. But responsible journalists should be aware and make it clear that they are offering second-hand information on sensitive matters. This fact doesn’t necessarily make the statements false, but it does make them less than reliable.

Examples of Media Bias by Omission of Source Attribution

In this paragraph, The New York Times says Trump "falsely claimed" millions had voted illegally; they link to Trump's tweet, but not to a source of information that would allow the reader to determine Trump's claim is false.

The New York Times Bias Rating

In this paragraph, the Epoch Times repeatedly states "critics say" without attributing the views to anyone specific.

The Epoch Times Bias Rating

In a piece about the Mueller investigation, The New York Times never names the investigators, officials or associates mentioned.

11. Bias by Story Choice and Placement

Story choice, as well as story and viewpoint placement, can reveal media bias by showing which stories or viewpoints the editor finds most important.

Bias by story choice is when a media outlet's bias is revealed by which stories the outlet chooses to cover or to omit. For example, an outlet that chooses to cover the topic of climate change frequently can reveal a different political leaning than an outlet that chooses to cover stories about gun laws. The implication is that the outlet's editors and writers find certain topics more notable, meaningful, or important than others, which can tune us into the outlet's political bias or partisan agenda. Bias by story choice is closely linked to media bias by omission and slant .

Bias by story placement is one type of bias by placement. The stories that a media outlet features "above the fold" or prominently on its homepage and in print show which stories they really want you to read, even if you read nothing else on the site or in the publication. Many people will quickly scan a homepage or read only a headline, so the stories that are featured first can reveal what the editor hopes you take away or keep top of mind from that day.

Bias by viewpoint placement is a related type of bias by placement. This can often be seen in political stories. A balanced piece of journalism will include perspectives from both the left and the right in equal measure. If a story only features viewpoints from left-leaning sources and commentators, or includes them near the top of the story/in the first few paragraphs, and does not include right-leaning viewpoints, or buries them at the end of a story, this is an example of bias by viewpoint.

Examples of Media Bias by Placement

In this screenshot of ThinkProgress' homepage taken at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 6, 2019, the media outlet chooses to prominently display coverage of LGBT issues and cuts to welfare and schools programs. In the next screenshot of The Epoch Times homepage taken at the same time on the same day, the outlet privileges very different stories.

Taken at the same time on the same day as the screenshot above, The Epoch Times chooses to prominently feature stories about a hurricane, the arrest of illegal immigrants , Hong Kong activists, and the building of the border wall. Notice that ThinkProgress' headline on the border wall focuses on diverting funds from schools and day cares, while the Epoch Times headline focuses on the wall's completion.

12. Subjective Qualifying Adjectives

Journalists can reveal bias when they include subjective, qualifying adjectives in front of specific words or phrases. Qualifying adjectives are words that characterize or attribute specific properties to a noun. When a journalist uses qualifying adjectives, they are suggesting a way for you to think about or interpret the issue, instead of just giving you the facts and letting you make judgements for yourself. This can manipulate your view. Subjective qualifiers are closely related to spin words and phrases , because they obscure the objective truth and insert subjectivity.

For example, a journalist who writes that a politician made a "serious allegation" is interpreting the weight of that allegation for you. An unbiased piece of writing would simply tell you what the allegation is, and allow you to make your own judgement call as to whether it is serious or not.

In opinion pieces, subjective adjectives are okay; they become a problem when they are inserted outside of the opinion pages and into hard news pieces.

Sometimes, the use of an adjective may be warranted, but journalists have to be careful in exercising their judgement. For instance, it may be warranted to call a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a major law a "landmark case." But often, adjectives are included in ways that not everyone may agree with; for instance, people who are in favor of limiting abortion would likely not agree with a journalist who characterizes new laws restricting the act as a "disturbing trend." Therefore, it's important to be aware of subjective qualifiers and adjectives so that you can be on alert and then decide for yourself whether it should be accepted or not. It is important to notice, question and challenge adjectives that journalists use.

Examples of Subjective Qualifying Adjectives

• disturbing rise
• serious accusations
• troubling trend
• sinister warning
• awkward flaw
• extreme law
• baseless claim
• debunked theory ( this phrase could coincide with bias by omission , if the journalist doesn't include information for you to determine why the theory is false. )
• critical bill
• offensive statement
• harsh rebuke
• extremist group
• far-right/far-left organization

HuffPost's headline includes the phrases "sinister warning" and "extremist Republican." It goes on to note the politician's "wild rant" in a "frothy interview" and calls a competing network "far-right." These qualifying adjectives encourage the reader to think a certain way. A more neutral piece would have told the reader what Cawthorn said without telling the reader how to interpret it.

HuffPost bias rating

13. Word Choice

Words and phrases are loaded with political implications. The words or phrases a media outlet uses can reveal their perspective or ideology.

Liberals and conservatives often strongly disagree about the best way to describe hot-button issues. For example, a liberal journalist who favors abortion access may call it " reproductive healthcare ," or refer to supporters as " pro-choice ." Meanwhile, a conservative journalist would likely not use these terms — to them, this language softens an immoral or unjustifiable act. Instead, they may call people who favor abortion access " pro-abortion " rather than " pro-choice ."

Word choice can also reveal how journalists see the very same event very differently. For instance, one journalist may call an incident of civil unrest a " racial justice protest " to focus the readers' attention on the protesters' policy angles and advocacy; meanwhile, another journalist calls it a " riot " to focus readers' attention on looting and property destruction that occurred.

Words and their meanings are often shifting in the political landscape. The very same words and phrases can mean different things to different people. AllSides offers a Red Blue Translator to help readers understand how people on the left and right think and feel differently about the same words and phrases.

Examples of Polarizing Word Choices

• pro-choice | anti-choice
• pro-abortion | anti-abortion
• gun rights | gun control
• riot | protest
• illegal immigrants | migrants
• illegal alien | asylum-seeking migrants
• woman | birthing person
• voting rights | voting security
• sex reassignment surgery | gender-affirming care
• critical race theory | anti-racist education

Examples of Word Choice Bias

An outlet on the left calls Florida's controversial Parental Rights in Education law the "Don't Say Gay" bill, using language favored by opponents, while an outlet on the right calls the same bill the "FL education bill," signaling a supportive view.

USA Today source article

USA TODAY media bias rating

Fox News source article

Fox News media bias rating

14. Photo Bias

Photos can be used to shape the perception, emotions or takeaway a reader will have regarding a person or event. Sometimes a photo can give a hostile or favorable impression of the subject.

For example, a media outlet may use a photo of an event or rally that was taken at the very beginning of the event to give the impression that attendance was low. Or, they may only publish photos of conflict or a police presence at an event to make it seem violent and chaotic. Reporters may choose an image of a favored politician looking strong, determined or stately during a speech; if they disfavor him, they may choose a photo of him appearing to yell or look troubled during the same speech.

Examples of Photo Bias

Obama appears stern or angry — with his hand raised, brows furrowed, and mouth wide, it looks like maybe he’s yelling. The implication is that the news about the Obamacare ruling is something that would enrage Obama.

The Blaze bias rating

With a tense mouth, shifty eyes and head cocked to one side, Nunes looks guilty. The sensationalism in the headline aids in giving this impression (“neck-deep” in “scandal.”)

Mother Jones bias rating

With his lips pursed and eyes darting to the side, Schiff looks guilty in this photo. The headline stating that he “got caught celebrating” also implies that he was doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Whether or not he was actually celebrating impeachment at this dinner is up for debate, but if you judged Townhall’s article by the photo, you may conclude he was.

Townhall bias rating

With his arms outreached and supporters cheering, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears triumphant in this photo. The article explains that a pediatric hospital in Texas announced it will stop performing “ gender-confirming therapies ” for children, following a directive from Abbott for the state to investigate whether such procedures on kids constituted child abuse. The implication of the headline and photo is that this is a victory.

The Daily Wire bias rating

15. Negativity Bias

Negativity bias refers to a type of bias in which reporters emphasize bad or negative news, or frame events in a negative light.

"If it bleeds, it leads" is a common media adage referring to negativity bias. Stories about death, violence, turmoil, struggle, and hardship tend to get spotlighted in the press, because these types of stories tend to get more attention and elicit more shock, outrage, fear, and cause us to become glued to the news, wanting to hear more.

Examples of Negativity Bias

This story frames labor force participation as a negative thing. However, if labor force participation remained low for a long time, that would also be written up as bad news.

New York Times bias rating

16. Elite v. Populist Bias

Elite bias is when journalists defer to the beliefs, viewpoints, and perspectives of people who are part of society's most prestigious, credentialed institutions — such as academic institutions, government agencies, business executives, or nonprofit organizations. Populist bias, on the other hand, is a bias in which the journalist defers to the perspectives, beliefs, or viewpoints of those who are outside of or dissent from prestigious institutions — such as "man on the street" stories, small business owners, less prestigious institutions, and people who live outside of major urban centers.

Elite/populist bias has a geographic component in the U.S. Because major institutions of power are concentrated in American coastal cities (which tend to vote blue), there can exist conflicting values, perspectives, and ideologies among “coastal elites” and “rural/middle America" (which tends to vote red). The extent to which journalists emphasize the perspectives of urbanites versus people living in small town/rural areas can show elite or populist bias, and thus, political bias.

Examples of Elite v. Populist Bias

Elite Bias: This article emphasizes the guidance and perspectives of major government agencies and professors at elite universities.

NBC News bias rating

Populist Bias: In this opinion piece, journalist Naomi Wolf pushes back against elite government agencies, saying they can't be trusted.

The Epoch Times bias rating

Everyone is biased. It is part of human nature to have perspectives, preferences, and prejudices. But sometimes, bias — especially media bias — can become invisible to us. This is why AllSides provides hundreds of media bias ratings and a media bias chart.

We are all biased toward things that show us in the right. We are biased toward information that confirms our existing beliefs. We are biased toward the people or information that supports us, makes us look good, and affirms our judgements and virtues. And we are biased toward the more moral choice of action — at least, that which seems moral to us.

Journalism as a profession is biased toward vibrant communication, timeliness, and providing audiences with a sense of the current moment — whether or not that sense is politically slanted. Editors are biased toward strong narrative, stunning photographs, pithy quotes, and powerful prose. Every aspiring journalist has encountered media bias — sometimes the hard way. If they stay in the profession, often it will be because they have incorporated the biases of their editor.

But sometimes, bias can manipulate and blind us. It can put important information and perspectives in the shadows and prevent us from getting the whole view. For this reason, there is not a single type of media bias that can’t, and shouldn’t occasionally, be isolated and examined. This is just as true for journalists as it is for their audiences.

Good reporting can shed valuable light on our biases — good and bad. By learning how to spot media bias, how it works, and how it might blind us, we can avoid being fooled by media bias and fake news . We can learn to identify and appreciate different perspectives — and ultimately, come to a more wholesome view.

Julie Mastrine | Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings, AllSides

Early Contributors and Editors (2018)

Jeff Nilsson | Saturday Evening Post

Sara Alhariri | Stossel TV

Kristine Sowers | Abridge News

Biased Media is a real threat to Indian Democracy..

JOURNALISM.., the tool by which a common man knows about the global society. In other words, it is an extent of knowledge. The Transparent medium has now become one way mirror. The lack of originality and spam of unwanted content in media created mistrustfulness over that. The sharing of fake news without analysing by us in social platforms and the content which stimulates violence, are even shared in social platform where the journalism’s role is much lesser is also a threat to democracy. Let us discuss about what created this and what it leads to? ...

How spam threat to democracy?

The need to telecast 24/7 news has put pressure over the media. The fresh content is not readily available whole day. Thus they moved to cover even the unwanted regional and sensational news. The lack of time failed to analyse the originality of content and its effects in society. Caste related issues and mob lynching are some examples. This is perfectly used by some politicians and powerful people; they use it as a screen and do some large activities on the background without the knowledge of media. Thus the spam and sensational content turned the way of coverage and finally blocks the knowledge over that content.

TRP – An enemy behind

Competitiveness in real world kills the democracy. A fair example is from 2012 Delhi Gang Rape case. The competition among the channels had made them to release the identity of the victim and kills her more and more. And also in case of Wing.Cdr.Abhinanthan case. Since it is a rating and totally depends on views, much sensational and unwanted information are leaking and released in social platform. Hence form an imbalance in the society.

Freedom of press – unwanted at certain

The blockage of two news channels by the GOI over the coverage of ammunition stockpiled in pathankot airbase during the attack is a perfect example for the misuse of freedom of press. According to experts, it is better to keep secret of defence related information, because it may challenge the security of country. Hence freedom of press should be limited at certain cases.

Sensation collapses democracy

Covering of news or specifying symbolically or through other representation of caste, religion and other separatist movement is unfair. Because during telecast it may have lot of chances to support or justify over one-side and left the rest. And also a situation like mob lynching needs not to be spread, because it can increase the tension. It should only be taken to the eyes of the government. Ex: Anti-sikh riot 1984, killing of innocent people by misunderstanding them as kidnapers in India last year, violence on Tamil nadu -Karnataka people during kaveri river water dispute, etc... are some examples.

Related Essay Biased media a threat to Indian Democracy. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v3.0&appId=1414762635264187&autoLogAppEvents=1'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Notice Board Last Day 10% off on study materials --> UPSC Final Results 2019 New --> UPSC Mains Results 2022 [ New ] Free CSAT Practice Test --> Practice Prelims Test Series UPSC Videos UPSC Results Prelims Question Papers Prelims Marks Distribution General Studies Notes [ Free ] UPSC Syllabus UPSC Prelims Syllabus UPSC Mains Syllabus UPSC Jobs List UPSC Subjects UPSC Age Limit IAS Full form UPSC Exam Free UPSC Material IAS Exam Book How to prepare for prelims 2023 --> How to prepare for CSAT UPSC Study Material --> UPSC Interview Questions --> UPSC IAS Exam Questions Economic Survey 2020-21 Download --> Union Budget 2020-21 Download --> National Education Policy 2020 Download --> Daily UPSC Current Affairs Quiz --> Union Budget 2024-25 [ New ]   --> Civil Service Essay Contest May - June 2024

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Western mainstream media bias towards India is obvious

The United States has refused to comment on the results of the recently concluded general elections in India and stated that electoral matters are for the people of India to decide. Ultimately, the West has been silenced by the people of India who elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP party.

The US non-statement on the electoral process in India came during a press briefing by White House spokesperson Matthew Miller, who emphasised that the US celebrates the Indian elections, describing it as the largest electoral exercise in the world.

Despite this acknowledgement, Western media continues to push the narrative that Modi lost the elections and is merely a leader of a coalition government.

The remarks by the White House spokesperson came in response to a query by a Pakistani reporter, who claimed that “Prime Minister Modi is attempting to transform India into a Hindu state, causing other religions to feel insecure.”

The question is contradicted by the statement made by Shibli Faraz, the Leader of the Opposition in the Pakistani Senate, who recently praised the efficient electoral process of India and criticised his own country for not being able to conduct a similar election to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

He said during a recent Parliamentary session in Islamabad that “Elections have just been conducted there [in India]. More than 800 million have voted. There were thousands of polling stations.

Even for a person living in a remote area, a polling station was set up. The election lasted for a month and was conducted using electronic-voting machines. Not a single voice has been raised that the election was rigged. We want to progress in the same way.”

This election was not about an individual or a party, as was portrayed in the Western media, but about India. Western media highlighted a significant bias in their coverage of the election and its result, reflecting their tendency to focus on narratives that sought to undermine Modi’s achievements while ignoring the democratic endorsement he received.

The Washington Post viewed the general election results as an “unexpected repudiation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” further calling it a “stunning setback.” To call a clear mandate a “stunning setback” simply because the BJP did not get a majority on its own is flawed.

Further, it calls the election episode as the one “piercing the aura of invincibility around the most dominant Indian politician in decades.” The Washington Post even remarked, “For the first time in years, Modi seemed vulnerable.”

Again, this takes away from his achievement in the last decade, such as rapidly making India the world’s 5th largest economy, which makes the West feel further vulnerable to Asia’s rise.

The New York Times claimed that Modi’s “carefully cultivated brand has now peaked, and that he can no longer outrun the anti-incumbency sentiment that eventually catches up with almost any politician.”

Every Indian Prime Minister, including Indira Gandhi, has seen anti-incumbency while in office and in the current elections, the results in some states like Orissa demonstrated the power of anti-incumbency. The front-page statement in the print edition of the NYT called it “a sobering result for a prime minister on the cusp of a third term,” a reality the Western media is unable to accept.

These narratives did not suddenly sprout out of nowhere and were a carefully built-up advance. Numerous Western media, including the Washington Post took up the issue of alleged targeted killings by India in the West, questioning India’s right to undertake covert action. The West ignores that it has carried out assassinations and targeted killings aplenty.

Another narrative being spun is that of the Southern states “rejecting” the BJP in the recent polls. Bloomberg, in its special report, argued that southern India had rejected Modi, saying, “The more progressive and successful part of the country is drifting away from the poverty-ridden north and its majoritarian leader.” The situation is not as simple as was made out and relates to voting patterns, with even abnormal weather affecting voter turnouts.

The Western narrative of this election has been too individually focused and is also why the Western narrative has failed. This perspective does not appreciate the nuances of Indian politics and the substantial voter base that continues to support Modi.

For this reason, Western media’s brazen undermining of India’s democratic exercise highlights the highly problematic approach towards New Delhi.

When Francis Fukuyama wrote his essay “End of History” and claimed that the Western political, economic, and social systems constituted the culmination of humanity’s socio-cultural evolution, the West expected all countries to follow them.

But it was not a matter of free will and choice, and the West devised a series of arbitrary indexes on liberty, human rights, freedom of religion and even human happiness, styled on their values to measure how others functioned. That is how they sought to keep their control in a multipolar, post-colonial world.

When countries like India charted its own independent path, the West started vilifying them. A rising India, like a rising China, refuses to buy the Western narrative of development.

India is today becoming more assertive in its approach to diplomacy and national security. This has become unpalatable to the West, which wants India’s democracy to be under its continuous vigilance and control.

(greekcitytimes.com)

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Mapping Media Bias: How AI Powers the Computational Social Science Lab’s Media Bias Detector

By Ian Scheffler

Every day, American news outlets collectively publish thousands of articles. In 2016, according to The Atlantic , The Washington Post published 500 pieces of content per day; The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal more than 200. “We’re all consumers of the media,” says Duncan Watts , Stevens University Professor in Computer and Information Science . “We’re all influenced by what we consume there, and by what we do not consume there.”

Today, the Computational Social Science Lab (CSSLab) , which Watts founded and leads, launched the Media Bias Detector , providing media consumers an unprecedented level of detail in understanding how news outlets from across the ideological spectrum stack up against one another on topics as varied as the presidential race, social media and climate change. 

By selecting topics and publication names from simple drop-downs, visitors to the Media Bias Detector can see exactly how different publishers covered particular topics during specific time periods — easily learning, say, how many stories The New York Times has published in the last six weeks about Joe Biden’s age , as opposed to Donald Trump’s, or how often Fox News covered climate change during last week’s heat wave compared to CNN. “Our goal is not to adjudicate what is true or even who is more biased,” says Watts, who also holds appointments in the Wharton School and the Annenberg School for Communication. “Our goal is to quantify how different topics and events are covered by different publishers and what that reveals about their priorities.”

In Watts’ view, media bias isn’t just the manner in which a publication covers a topic — the language used, the figures quoted — but also the topics that publications choose to cover in the first place, and how frequently. “The media makes a lot of choices about what goes public,” says Watts, “and that dictates the political environment.” Unfortunately, that data has been extremely hard to keep track of, due to the volume of daily news stories, and the time and expense associated with reading and classifying those articles. 

Until now, unearthing media bias in this level of detail has been impossible to achieve at scale, but the CSSLab realized that artificial intelligence (AI) could augment the efforts of human researchers. “We’re able to classify text at very granular levels,” says Watts. “We can measure all kinds of interesting things at scale that would have been impossible just a year or two ago; it is very much a story about how AI has transformed research in this area.” 

Everyone can read only so many articles from these publishers every day. So they have local views, based on where they stand. These AI tools elevate us so we can see the entire landscape Amir Tohidi, postdoctoral researcher, CSSLab

On a daily basis, says Amir Tohidi , a postdoctoral researcher in the CSSLab, the Media Bias Detector accesses the top, publicly available articles from some of the country’s most popular online news publications, and then feeds them into GPT-4, the large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI that underlies ChatGPT, the company’s signature chatbot.

Using a series of carefully designed prompts, which the researchers rigorously tested, GPT-4 then classifies the articles by topic, before analyzing each article’s tone, down to the level of individual sentences. “For every sentence,” says Tohidi, “we are asking, ‘What’s the tone of this sentence? Is it positive, negative, neutral?’” In addition to those sentence-level measurements, the researchers also use AI to classify the article’s overall political leaning on a Democrat/Republican spectrum.

In other words, the Media Bias Detector essentially maps America’s fast-changing media landscape in close to real time. “We are giving people a bird’s-eye view,” says Tohidi. “Everyone can read only so many articles from these publishers every day. So they have local views, based on where they stand. These AI tools elevate us so we can see the entire landscape.”

In order to ensure the Media Bias Detector’s accuracy, researchers have incorporated human feedback into the system. “The beauty of it is that we incorporate a human in the loop,” says Jenny S. Wang , a predoctoral researcher at Microsoft and member of the CSSLab. “Because LLMs are so new, we have a verification process where research assistants are able to review an LLM’s summary of an article and make adjustments.” 

Everyone has their own sense of what leaning these different publishers have. But no one has just looked at all the data. Powering these analytics at scale has never been done before. Jenny Wang, predoctoral researcher, CSSLab

To validate the use of AI, the researchers also compared the system’s outputs to those of expert human evaluators — doctoral students with backgrounds in media and politics. “The correlation was really high,” says Yuxuan Zhang , a data scientist at the CSSLab. On some tasks, Zhang adds, GPT-4 even outperformed its human counterparts, giving the CSSLab confidence that AI could be incorporated into the process to achieve scale without significantly losing accuracy. 

Zhang, a recent Penn Engineering master’s graduate in Biotechnology and Data Science, draws regularly on what he learned in the natural-language processing course taught by Chris Callison-Burch , Associate Professor in CIS, who is a consultant for the Bias Detector. “I worked as a head teaching assistant in that course,” says Zhang, “which is really an important tool for our lab, because everything in computational social science is related to natural-language processing.” 

Building on Penn Engineering’s expertise in AI — the School recently announced the Ivy League’s first undergraduate and online master’s degrees in engineering in AI — the Media Bias Detector will provide an unprecedented opportunity for anyone to understand the subtle ways that bias manifests itself in the media. 

“Everyone has their own sense of what leaning these different publishers have,” says Wang. “But no one has just looked at all the data. Powering these analytics at scale has never been done before.” 

Try the Media Bias Detector yourself. 

This research project was conducted by the Computational Social Science Lab , which bridges the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Wharton School, and the Annenberg School for Communication, and was generously supported by Richard Mack (W’89).

Media Bias and Democracy | 25 Mar 2023

This editorial is based on “‘Press must remain free if a country is to remain a democracy....” which was published in the Indian Express on 24/03/2023. It discusses the issue of freedom of press in India and ways to address the same.

For Prelims: Article 19, Freedom of Press, Fake News, Madrid Principles

For Mains: Role of Media in Promoting Democracy and related challenges

The media is the fourth pillar in the conception of the State, and thus an integral component of democracy. A functional and healthy democracy must encourage the development of journalism as an institution that can ask difficult questions to the establishment — or as it is commonly known, “speak truth to power”.

Article 19 of the Constitution of India guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression and is typically invoked against the state. However, despite the constitutional protection, journalists and media outlets in India have faced a range of challenges , including threats, attacks, and intimidation from government officials, politicians, and non-state actors.

Media is the engine that drives democracy forward, based on the quest for truth, justice, and equality . In today's digital age, the need for journalists to uphold standards of accuracy, impartiality, and responsibility in their reporting is paramount to successfully overcome the challenges posed by the rapidly changing media landscape.

What Role does Media Play in Promoting Democracy?

• The media informs citizens about political issues, policies, and events, allowing them to make informed decisions about their leaders and government.
• The media acts as a watchdog, scrutinizing the actions of government officials and holding them accountable for their actions.
• The media provides a platform for public debate and discussion about political issues, which is essential for a healthy democracy.
• The media should represent a range of perspectives and viewpoints, giving citizens access to a variety of opinions and ideas.
• The media should educate citizens about the democratic process, helping them understand how government works and how to participate in it effectively.

What are the Challenges with the Role of Media in Democracy?

• Media bias can distort the information that is presented to the public , leading to a lack of objectivity and an imbalance in the information that is available. This can result in a polarized public opinion and a lack of trust in the media.
• The mainstream media in India is often indulged in either being pro-government or totally against them they are choosing extreme point of views and are not trying balancing out, rather ignoring issues related to common folks.
• The rise of social media has made it easier for fake news to spread rapidly, often leading to confusion and misinformation among the public.
• Recently, two men in Haryana were killed on suspicion of illegal transportation, smuggling or slaughtering of cows by cow vigilantes highlight the issue of Mob Lynching.
• Media outlets are often owned by large corporations, which can influence the editorial policies and reporting of the media. This can lead to a lack of diversity of perspectives and a focus on profit over public interest.
• Governments may use censorship to control the flow of information and suppress dissent. This can lead to a lack of transparency and accountability in the government and limit the ability of the media to act as a watchdog.
• A diverse and representative newsroom is essential for media institutions to provide well-researched and complex stories that explore a multiplicity of perspectives and voices.
• This can arise due to various factors such as political biases, commercial interests, sensationalism, and lack of journalistic standards.
• The lack of gender diversity in the media is another important issue to consider. Women are underrepresented in both the ownership and workforce of media organizations, which limits the diversity of perspectives and voices in the media. It also perpetuates gender stereotypes and reinforces patriarchal norms.
• There have been instances when the media has carried narratives that make a person guilty in the eyes of the public, even before the court finds them guilty.
• One example of a media trial in India was the 2008 Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj double murder case. The case received extensive media coverage and the media played a significant role in shaping public opinion and influencing the investigation and subsequent court proceedings.
• According to the Madrid Principles on the Relationship Between the Media and Judicial Independence, it is the job of the media to “convey information to the public and to comment on the administration of justice, including cases before, during and after trial, without violating the presumption of innocence.”

What Should be the Way Forward?

• It is the collective responsibility of journalists as well as other stakeholders to weed out any element of bias or prejudice from the process of reporting events.
• A comprehensive fact-checking mechanism should be in place to verify all news items before reporting. Media houses are expected to act cautiously while publishing news.
• The media should strive to represent diverse voices and perspectives to ensure that all viewpoints are heard and considered. This can help to promote a more informed and engaged citizenry.
• One of the key roles of the media is to hold those in power accountable by reporting on their actions and decisions. This includes investigating corruption and abuse of power.
• The media can play a key role in fostering public discourse by providing a platform for debate and discussion. This can help to promote understanding and dialogue between different groups, leading to more informed and inclusive decision-making.
• The media should strive to avoid bias in its reporting to ensure that it is perceived as fair and objective by all parties. This can help to build trust in the media and promote its role in democracy.
• Journalists are facing online harassment due to the rise of social media. This affects their safety and freedom of expression. India needs to take measures to address this issue and ensure the safety of journalists.
• While the media has an important role in promoting democracy, citizens also have a responsibility to consume news critically and discerningly . Media literacy programs can help citizens to better understand how the media works , how to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources, and how to engage in informed public discourse.
• In addition to large mainstream media outlets, there is a need to support and promote independent journalism in India. This can include funding for investigative reporting, support for community-based media, and protection for freelance journalists and stringers who often face greater risks than staff journalists.
• While Article 19 of the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, there are no specific provisions for the protection of journalists.
• It is important that the media stick to the core principles like truth and accuracy, transparency, independence, fairness and impartiality, responsibility and fair play.

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How India Defeated South Africa In T20 World Cup 2024 Final - Five Turning Points

Star all-rounder hardik pandya provided india with crucial breakthroughs throughout the match to help them defend 176 against south africa in the t20 world cup 2024 final..

The Indian cricket team ended their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy after they defeated South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup 2024 final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29, 2024. India and South Africa named an unchanged playing XI after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first. India got off to a flying start as openers Rohit and Virat Kohli added 23 runs before Keshav Maharaj removed the Indian captain (9) in the second over.

The Men in Blue then suffered massive blows as Rishabh Pant (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (3) departed in quick succession.

Kohli (76) later stitched crucial partnerships with Axar Patel (47) and Shivam Dube (27) to propel India to 176/7 in their 20 overs.

Defending 176, Jasprit Bumrah provided India an early breakthrough as he cleaned up Reeza Hendricks (4) with a sensational delivery.

Arshdeep Singh later bagged the huge wicket of captain Aiden Markram (4) to reduce South Africa to 12/2.

Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31) then stitched a crucial 58-run stand to bring the Proteas back into the game.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel ended the partnership as he castled Stubbs (31) before Arshdeep removed de Kock (39).

Batting at No.5, Heinrich Klaasen later slammed a blitzkrieg fifty to put South Africa in a great position.

However, Hardik Pandya dismissed Klaasen (52) in the 17th over to change the fortune in India's favour.

At the other end, Bumrah continued his brilliant spell as he removed Marco Jansen (2).

As South Africa needed 16 off the final over, Pandya bagged the huge wicket of David Miller (21) courtesy of an incredible catch by Suryakumar Yadav.

Pandya later kept his calm to guide India to their second T20 World Cup title.

With a nail-biting win, we take a look at five points that helped India clinch the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

Jasprit Bumrah's match-defining spell

Jasprit Bumrah produced a spell for the ages to help India clinch their second T20 World Cup title after 17 years. With 30 required off 30 balls, Rohit Sharma once again showed his faith in Bumrah. The India's bowling spearhead responded as he conceded just four runs in the 16th over and later gave away only two runs in the 18th over including picking up Jansen's wicket to pull things for the Men in Blue. Bumrah ended with figures of 4-0-18-2 to guide India to the coveted title.

Suryakumar Yadav's stunning catch

Suryakumar Yadav took a breathtaking catch in the final over of the T20 World Cup 2024 final as he played a pivotal role in helping India clinch the title. As South Africa needed 16 off the final six deliveries, Pandya removed the dangerous David Miller after he miscued a huge hit over long off. Suryakumar later produced an incredible fielding effort to help dismiss Miller and claim a crucial wicket.

Axar Patel's all-round effort

Axar Patel was one of the standout performers for India in their thrilling win over South Africa. Reeling at 34/3, Axar stitched an important partnership with Kohli to bring India back into the game. Axar and Kohli forged a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket before he departed in an unfortunate run-out. The southpaw scored 47 off 31 balls, laced with one four and four sixes. Later, Axar also contributed with the bowl and claimed the huge wicket of Tristan Stubbs.

Virat Kohli's match-winning fifty

Virat Kohli played another match-winning knock as he helped India post a fighting total at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. While Kohli was short on runs heading into the final, the Indian talisman once again rose to the occasion when the team needed the most. After India were reduced to 34/3, Kohli established important partnerships with Axar and Dube to guide India to over 170. Kohli scored 59-ball 76 which included six fours and two sixes.

Hardik Pandya's crucial spell

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya provided India with crucial breakthroughs throughout the match to help them defend 176 against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. After the Indian spin duo of Axar Patel (1/49) and Kuldeep Yadav (0/45) were expensive on the day, the Rohit Sharma-led side needed someone to step up with the ball. Hardik was given the responsibility and he grabbed it with both hands. The right-arm pacer first bagged the massive wicket of Heinrich Klaasen and later removed David Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the final over of the game to finish with figures of 3-0-20-3. Hardik's impressive spell was one of the standout performances that guided India to their second T20 World Cup title after 17 years.

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