Mass Media Bias Analysis

When examining mass media liberal bias it is important to examine an event where the liberal/conservative dichotomy is on full display. The televised Presidential debates are a perfect example of an event where the media directly interacts with a specific side of the American political spectrum. By analyzing the difference in tone between the Republican primary election debates and the Democratic primary debates, we may determine the existence of a bias and whether or not that bias would have a significant impact on public opinion. The recent CNBC Republican primary debate was surrounded in controversy due to the line of questioning and tone of the CNBC moderators. Many have argued that this debate was a clear example of a liberal bias in

If an individual only receives their news from one source it is likely that they are examining a biased interpretation of events. By choosing to focus on one story over another, media outlets are operating on a bias. It may in fact be impossible to eliminate bias from the media due to the very nature of reporting, however there are some forms of media bias which are far more direct in nature. An example of this would be the CNBC Republican primary debate. It seemed as though a clear goal existed to defame the Republican candidates and make them look incompetent. This targeted strike by the media can have a profound impact on viewers. If the American public witnesses a negative portrayal of a candidate by the media they may be more inclined to question the abilities of the candidate. If however a candidate is presented in a positive light the public may be more apt to supporting that candidate. This is true in all forms of advertising. Corporations sell their products by presenting them in a positive life. Conversely, they try to eliminate competition by downplaying alternative products. This principle of advertisement applies to American politics where candidates are essentially competing products which must be advertised. The nature of that advertisement is often determined by the personal preference of the advertisers. In the case of American politics, the advertisers are the political reporters and pundits. It just so happens that most of the mainstream media outlets in the United States have a decidedly left-wing stance. This leads to conservative candidates being presented in a very negative light on news outlets such as CNN and CNBC. The same can also be said for liberal candidates on Fox News. The impact is that once the public sees one side of the argument for long enough they may begin to develop bad feelings towards the opposing