A Balanced Take

  This week, House members voted to censure Arizona Representative Paul Gosar for a violent video he posted to Twitter. Here is how a few mass media outlets covered the story: Leans toward the right: Breitbart: Cheney, Kinzinger Vote to Remove Paul Gosar from Committee Assignments A major thing that stands out about this headline is that it is not very clear. It never explains who Paul Gosar is or why he is being censured. Instead, it focuses on how two House Republicans voted in favor of removing Gosar from his committee assignments, and based on the content of the article this is because the author considers their actions a betrayal of their fellow Republican. The article even characterizes Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger as “so-called Republicans.” If you ask me, this is a fairly rude way to refer to members of Congress, especially when the article’s argument is that they disrespected another member of Congress. Additionally, in describing the situation, the article only me...

  This week, restrictions on travelers entering the US that have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic were lifted. Reactions have ranged from joy to disapproval. Here is how some major media outlets covered the news: Tends to skew right: Breitbart: Tears, relief, long lines as US reopens borders after 20 months This article’s headline emphasizes the duration of the border shutdown and the emotional impact on those who were stuck or had family stuck overseas. It is not politically biased though, mentioning that Trump imposed the bans in 2020 and that they have been upheld by Biden until this point. One aspect that makes this article worthwhile is the original reporting it includes. It features quotes from people who reunited with their family at airports around the US, specifically JFK and Dulles airports. This made for an effective exploration of the issue this article covers. Overall, the tone of this article was much more positive than past articles I’ve read from t...

  On Tuesday, Virginians elected a new governor. Republican Glenn Youngkin beat out Democrat Terry McAuliffe in a close race and somewhat surprising race, considering that Biden won the state by ten points last year. Here is how a few major media outlets covered the news: Tends to skew right: Fox News: Virginia election caps Terry McAuliffe's stumbling, bumbling, error-filled campaign As the headline shows, this article is a criticism of Democrat Terry McAuliffe and his gubernatorial campaign. In the opening sentence, the article touts Republican Glenn Youngkin’s “stunning victory” and notes that Virginia “went solidly for Biden just a year ago.” It goes on to describe some perceived blunders that caused McAuliffe to lose the race. It characterizes the campaign as exhibiting “an almost paranoid defensiveness.” The tone of the article is overwhelmingly negative and focused on McAuliffe rather than noting missteps of both campaigns. While it is often nitpicky, there are some valid po...