Media Bias? Or different points of view?

This post isn't about a candidate. Instead, it's a lesson we ought to all think about...


As I started this blog I made myself one promise. That is, I would not take a media account of an event as fact. Instead, when I write about a comment made by a candidate, I will always try to cite and provide a link to the source audio, video, or text so readers can form their own opinions. This weekend I came across a news story that reinforced my thinking on this topic. I'll get to that in a second, but first, a quick aside.



There are two people standing at an intersection when an accident happens. One of the cars involved speeds away. The police interview the witnesses and get two completely different stories. One might say the car was white while the other swears it was blue. One might suggest there was a pedestrian involved while the other will never even mention any other participants. One may suggest driver A is at fault while the other will swear it was driver B.


In everyday life we have no problem chalking this up to differences in perspective (one person was standing in front of the accident, the other was off to the side), differences in memory (one person wrote down the color of the car while the other is doing the interview with police 2-hours later from memory), or differences in past experience or knowledge (one person is from this area and knows there is a stop sign for only one of the cars while the other person just assumed they both had stop signs). In the case of the accident, we would not likely accuse the other witness of being a left- or right-wing supporter because of the conclusions they drew about the accident. Yet, we do this all the time in the news and we ought not to (at least as our first reflec). Instead, we ought to seek out multiple perspectives and, when possible, the original text/audio/video to allow us to draw out own conclusions. Case in point:

This past week John McCain was speaking at many sites that have a meaningful connection to his life. One stop was his high school. A student asked McCain a question related to the purpose of his trip. The verbal content of the question, and McCain's subsequent answer, are not in question. Two news outlets seem to have nailed the quotes exactly. The meaning ascribed to those comments, however, are quite different.


First, consider this quote from an article on CNN.com (link here to full article):

A student in the crowd asked him, "We're told this isn't a political event, so what exactly is your purpose in being here?"
McCain shot back, "I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over."

Now consider the coverage of this comment by USA Today (link here to full article):

Katelyn Halldorson, 16, stood up and said the event at Episcopal High School had been billed as non-political yet some of the ground covered had a decidedly political tone. "What exactly is your purpose in being here, not that I don't appreciate the opportunity," she asked.
"I knew I should have cut this thing off," McCain joked. "This meeting is over!"

One used "joked" while the other used "shot back" to describe the comment. What's a reader to conclude? That part is easy - do your own homework. Read various accounts and draw your own conclusion. If you can find video of the event, even better. Watch it and make up your own mind. But - and this is the lesson for us all - don't just assume the first account is correct or incorrect based on how it aligns with your own views. Instead, seek out and look for information that both supports and challenges your own beliefs. That way you can escape any trap caused by potentially biased media.


Ah, yes, back to the original question - media bias. Is CNN biased? Is USA Today? While some would argue this case, I would argue it's a moot point. Remember the accident on the corner? Different people can honestly come up with different accounts. Reporters are just like you and me. They are working long hours, trying to get a story filed and, many times, trying to get home to their family after long trips covering the candidates. Oh, and they have their own beliefs, opinions, and life experiences that, despite effort to the contrary, will influence the choice of words when a story is written (remember the guy who knew the stopsign was only one way?). People have their own interpretations. As citizens, we need to each form our own view rather than allowing others to form opinions for us.


By the way...you think CNN is biased? Check out how this was covered on the air (see video below). They took a third view and called the questioner a "heckler". If they are biases, they better resend the memo. Instead, I'd suggest their reporters ought to take a lesson from Ms. Halldorson and learn how to ask tough questions, but that's a blog for another time.

Oh, and this also gives you video of the question and McCain's response. Draw your own conclusions.