“Biases in the media are unavoidable,” writes Russell Bogue in a well-written and
insightful column, “Picking and choosing” (April 17). His article appropriates a now national
debate critiquing coverage of the Kermit Gosnell trial.
Bogue, as do most, blames the lack of coverage on the left-wing agenda. This indubitably has credence. But it’s more complex than that. Among the plethora of excuses proffered by journalists for the dearth of coverage, many reference an active “conspiracy theory” that omits
articles counter to the paper’s political ideology. New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan speculates, “The behavior of news organizations often owes more to chaos theory than conspiracy theory … I do think that [the trial] wasn’t on their radar screen — and that it should
have been.” In the comment section on this article, one person, “INTJ,” denies any deliberate conspiracy and instead propounds, “The narrow range of political thought among … journalists … created a vast echo chamber of silence, which required a national outcry to penetrate.”
Journalism can be a self-prophesying industry. Every journalist understands the political leaning and expected coverage of their workplace, and it takes bravery for journalists to write against a predominating zeitgeist with their job on the line. That’s not an excuse for media bias, but it is a problem.
As with every story, there’s another side: the readership feeds that “echo chamber of silence.” The “narrow range of political thought among … journalists” is a case of synecdoche for the nation itself. Democrats turn to left-wing newspapers; Republican readers approach right-wing sources.
Put another way: how often do you go into an argument expecting to have your mind changed
by the opposition? I’m betting your priority is on defending your own claims. That’s a natural instinct, but not necessarily the right one.
What I’m really getting at: yes, media bias is rampant, and journalists need to cover both sides of an issue. But that’s also letting all of us, as readers, off the hook too easily. None of us deserves to dine from the feast of knowledge available in this technological world if we refuse to try the exotic foods that seem at first taste unpleasant.
My mother has a rule: you can’t say you don’t like a food until you’ve tried it at least 12 times in your life. We need to apply this to contentious issues. Don’t go in close-minded. Be willing to digest and accede to the other side’s points. It doesn’t lessen the value of your own argument; it does make you a more credible source yourself. If you are a Democrat, go check out Fox News or The Wall Street Journal. In this case, Fox stands almost alone in covering the Gosnell trial regularly from its beginning. If you’re a Republican, dive into the icy waters of The New York Times and MSNBC. Read as many viewpoints as possible. Then make up your own mind.
Fortunately, college journalists are just beginning. As Rafiki from “The Lion King” would say, “The past can hurt. But … you can either run from it, or learn from it.” We can’t change a past that has turned every news source to an obvious political party. But it is exactly a college newspaper that stands to gain from issues like the Gosnell coverage, both in its writing and its reception. Those on The Cavalier Daily represent the next generation of journalists. And, in such a locus of intellectualism as our University, student journalists have the freedom and flexibility to explore the paths toward good journalism. This means not only covering stories objectively, bilaterally, and honestly, but also pushing boundaries. We are a university full of still-idealistic, ambitious, intelligent students biting at the bit to make our opinions heard. The University doesn’t have a Fox News and an MSNBC. Republican, Democrat, libertarian, independent: in a net of diversity, we filter into one main news source that must, and should, cover all perspectives.
Bogue contends rightly, “The conversations we should be having about the most divisive and important issue in modern America are stifled by the very outlets that should be promoting diverse expression.” I commend Bogue for his salient points. The Cavalier Daily has the chance to listen.
So, to the student journalists out there, listen up. Procure the neglected news diamonds, the Gosnell trials, from the coal mine — and show them to the crowd. This may be scary. It puts those jewels at risk of harm. But, as every girl knows, what’s the use of owning diamonds if you
never wear them for an audience?
Media bias is unavoidable. But it doesn’t have to be unalterable. It does, however, take a mutual agreement between journalists and readers alike: challenge yourselves to seek out the very refutations from which you hide. And talk about them.
Ashley Stevenson is The Cavalier Daily’s public editor. Contact her at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com with concerns and suggestions about how The Cavalier Daily could improve its coverage.
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