PREJUDICE OPINIONS, NONADHERENCE TO
VIEWS & BELIEFS ETHICAL PRACTICES
Distorted version of Using judgmental words
and phrases
story or information
Selective use of data Speak falsely
without justice
Discarded media
Media framing
objectivity
Editorializing news
One-sided reporting and publication
MEDIA
Market-oriented
Unsubstantiated
claims
BIAS
Inaccurate and incomplete
Political Polarization
reports
Served the interest of Produces unreliable and
powerful social groups dishonest publication or
reporting
SELECTION OF INADEQUATE
AUDIENCE REFERENCES
Espiritu, Ma. Allyza B.
In the study from Mullainathan and Shleifer (2002), the average global consumer spends for about 7.5 hours per day with different media. We rely on it
for news and entertainment purposes, and we often take it for granted that what we are getting from it is all accurate and reliable. This assumption,
however, is incorrect, as media bias is prevalent across all media outlets. Biases made from mass media creates an effect on Philippine Journalism as
follows:
NONADHERENCE TO ETHICAL PRACTICES
One of the reasons biases persist in the broadcasting sector or mass media is a failure to adhere to ethical standards and practices of journalism
(Society of Professional Journalists, 2014).This ethical journalism strives to ensure that the free exchange of information is accurate, fair, and
thorough. But, if a journalist does not exercise these practices, they are more likely to use judgmental or offensive words and phrases. As stated by
Prof. Luis Teodoro, one of the basic journalism principles is humaneness and compassion. A journalist should know who will get affected by their
actions and must treat their sources or subjects as human beings who deserve respect and fair treatment, and not as a means of obtaining something
for journalistic purposes. The second effect of nonadherence is speaking falsely without justice. If a journalist sticks to a compelling reliable rationale,
the mass media will be grounded in global standard principles such as truth, human dignity, and non-violence (Christians, 2019). The next effect is
adhering to media framing. If we accept the premise that the media has sway over public policy, we must also comprehend the various devices used by
the media to report—or more precisely, frame—the news. The parameters of the discussion—the words, symbols, overall content, and tone used to
frame the topic are explored in media framing analysis, which goes beyond identifying which issues are important to think about. But looking into it, it
will also lead to editorializing the news and publications, which also manipulates audiences and focuses more on their opinions rather than stating the
whole factual truth.
SELECTION OF AUDIENCE
Media selection is crucial in mass media, especially in business ventures. Therefore, a target audience should be identified since it can
influence the impact and cost of advertising. However, when various media outlets favor a party, they attract an audience that shares their beliefs and
views them as a credible source. Therefore, audience who does not know to fact-check will rely on what they believe is reliable. Moreover, media bias
also extends to political polarization. For instance, if a publication or channel is in favor of a specific party or candidate because they rely on their funds
and exposure to it, to gain popularity among the rest, then they are more likely to leave out relevant information or perspectives on purpose about the
other party and spread one-sided information, which is also known as bias by omission.
PREJUDICE OPINIONS, VIEWS, AND BELIEFS
Prejudices views of the journalist on their works are often seen to based on their own preconceived opinions about the issue without factual
reasoning. The effect of this can be a distorted version of the story or information, selective use of data, discarded media objectivity, and one-sided
reporting. In that way, journalists are presenting a bias in which they choose what to cover and what to ignore, and what parts of a story to keep in or
edit out. For instance, a racial and religious bias journalist might go undercover or use a surreptitious method of gathering information. This
malpractice might affect the balance between the public's right to know and the principle of objectivity. Hence, it is critical for journalists to
understand the power of objectivity because how they present news and highlight details can mean the difference between an honest and informative
article and one that serves to mislead the public about the true ramifications of events that occurred (Perilla, 2018).
INADEQUATE REFERENCES
The media becomes biased when they lack resources or references. If they do not have enough information to gain, they tend to mix their own opinions
and interpretations, making the news or publication inaccurate or incomplete, which deprives the audience of truth. The effect of this is that it
produces unreliable and dishonest publication or reporting, which also leads to unsubstantiated claims (Understanding Media Bias: How Credible Are
Your Sources?, 2021).
Christians, C. G. (2019). Media ethics and global justice: A new theory of communication (2nd ed., Vol. 45).
Cambridge University Press. [Link]
Kubin, E., & von Sikorski, C. (2021). The role of (social) media in political polarization: A systematic review.
Annals of the International Communication Association, 45(3), 188–206.
[Link]
Mullainathan, S., & Shleifer, A. (2002). Media bias. American Economic Association, 95(4), 1031–1053.
[Link]
Perilla, E. (2018, November 5). Objectivity in the media - journalism and society. Medium.
[Link]
Society of Professional Journalists. (2014, December 6). SPJ code of ethics - society of professional
journalists. SPJ. [Link]
Understanding media bias: How credible are your sources? (2021, July 15). FutureLearn.
[Link]
