Detecting Media Bias December 9, 2012

Detecting Media Bias Being able to make critical evaluations comes to play with an importance towards news stories with stories about the news media being biased against President Obama. There is a news coverage story that involves about Senator John McCain making the claim that the press was being biased and only supporting Obama during the election time. McCain, upset over the extent to which his campaign has been eclipsed, launched a video on the internet entitled Obama Love, with quotes from television anchors and journalists that he regards as evidence of bias (MacAskill, 2008). The news story that was covered for this paper is to be accurate and has sufficient depth and breadth. For the reason there is documentation from both sides towards the issue that is being discussed. It discusses about what the issue at hand is about in detail with specific facts. This news story could have covered more about why Senator John McCain felt as though President Obama was getting more attention towards the election time than the Republican Party. It seemed to just focus on what Senator John McCain’s issues were. But since Obama won the Democratic nomination last month, his campaign team has complained repeatedly that the US media is behaving as if the election is a foregone conclusion (MacAskill, 2008). Something to consider from this article about the facts that were and were not considered involve what evidence this story had towards how news media coverage was being biased towards President Obama. Take for example a reading in this news article about how a video is proof of bias with the media involved. McCain, upset over the extent to which his campaign has been eclipsed, launched a video on the internet entitled Obama Love, with quotes from television anchors and journalists that he regards as evidence of bias (MacAskill, 2008). There seems to be some missing details towards how this video can be regarded towards being biased. An alternative perspective could have been discussed in this news story instead of how it was set up. It seemed to be more directed towards how there was a negative bias towards the Republican Party in the elections from the news. More facts should have been discussed about why President Obama was getting more news coverage than the Republican Party. Obama has the anchors from the main television networks travelling with him (MacAskill, 2008). If President Obama can have a group of news media anchors that follow him, how is it not possible for McCain to have the same, as well this is something that could have been considered instead of making a issue about it in the media. This news article discussed about an article from McCain, yet it did not discuss in detail towards what the article was about. So it would seem to be promoting bias towards McCain because of no supporting evidence of the article about the response to one by Obama. McCain is seeking a way to wrest the headlines back from Obama and there is some media speculation that he could announce his choice of vice-president this week (MacAskill, 2008). This is just one of the many quotes from the news story that only covered McCain’s side towards the issue at hand. In the row with the New York Times, McCain had sent in his article in response to one by Obama last week about Iraq. When the New York Times opted against publication, his campaign team leaked the decision to a website, the Drudge Report (MacAskill, 2008). Being able to tell the difference between facts and sensationalism needs to be disguised for a reader to make a critical evaluation. One also needs to look when there is bias in reports as well seeing a report that shows prejudice instead of looking at the real facts towards the story. Evaluating a story critically depends on a reader who can research on their own and digging for the facts before believing or not believing what the news media puts out there. With regards to the news media in society today there are many instances where bias occurs, which makes it difficult to know what is true or false. One should not depend on what they read first hand before making a conclusion without looking into what they are reading first.

References
MacAskill, E. (July, 2008). US Election: McCain Accuses Media of Bias Towards Obama.
Retrieved December 9, 2012, from,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/23/johnmccain.barackobama