Evaluating Sources

The Ad Fontes Interactive Media Bias Chart and AllSides Media Bias Chart are my starting points in terms of finding sources that regularly display a partisan-leaning in their reporting. That said, I'm well-aware that not every story that comes from a certain source will be inundated with bias, so I am not choosing the articles that I feature solely on where they were published. Instead, I will evaluate the article's headline and content for language and framing that skews toward one side or the other of the political spectrum. An equal number of headlines left, right, and center headlines will be featured in each post. If I believe that a particular organization's report exhibits signs of partisanship, I will explain my reasoning in my analysis. I welcome any debate about my judgment of partisanship in the comments of each post!

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On the Facebook Whistleblower Testifying to Congress

Last week, former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen testified to a Congressional subcommittee that the company knows how to make its platform safer and prevent the spread of misinformation, but has decided not to in order to boost its profit margins. Here are the takes of various media outlets on the situation: Tends to skew right: Fox News: Whistleblower says Facebook is a US 'national security issue' This article focuses on the reported threat to America’s security that Facebook poses, which caters to the priorities to right-wing readers by centering the United States’ and its citizens' interests. The statements made by the Facebook whistleblower to Congress are featured predominantly through the article, with her claims of Iran’s espionage and Facebook’s “understaffing of the counter-espionage information operations and counterterrorism teams” mentioned early on. It notes the “rare bipartisan fashion” of the hearings and the desire of both parties to r...

On the US Lifting Restrictions on International Travelers

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 Colin Powell's Death

On Monday, it was announced that four-star general and former secretary of state Colin Powell died at age 84 due to complications from COVID-19. He was fully vaccinated. Here is how a selection of media outlets covered his death. Tends to skew right: Fox News: Remembering Colin Powell upon his death: Former President Bush calls him 'a great public servant' This headline is interesting in that it informs the reader that Colin Powell has died, but uses a comment from former President Bush to characterize Powell rather than simply stating that he was a general or former secretary of state. As two significant figures of the Republican party, putting Bush’s name in the headline with Powell’s was likely done on purpose to attract more readers. The article itself opens with President Bush’s quote that Powell was a highly respected man, using the credibility of Bush to vouch for the credibility of Powell. The author describes Powell as a “trailblazer” and includes statements of memor...

A Balanced Take

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