"BIAS IS HUMAN NATURE"

By: Jamie Bell and Meridith Boedicker

 

The 2004 Presidential Election wasn’t any ordinary event for America. Americans, nationwide pit their full hearts, faith and energy into promoting their presidential candidate. Voters placed their decisions “in one of the most extraordinary displays of political passion seen in a generation” (TIME p. 33). So what is responsible for this tremendous spell America is under-the media. Everywhere you look everyone you talk to, and everything you read promotes a political point of view. Chances are when one picks up a TIME or Newsweek, he/she expects to discover the latest evolvement and facts of the political happenings-but does one get it?

The contents of what you find varies according to the article and who wrote it. Through researching the context of TIME and Newsweek we’ve found this to be true. Although both magazines express basic facts, such as Kerry winning the first debate, a slight bias towards Kerry is evident. In a TIME article addressing the mishaps of both candidates, TIME places a stringer and deliberate emphasis on the fact that Bush’s faults are “far more deliberating” than Kerry’s so-called “Liberalism or flip-flopping” TIME p. 33). Such opinion articles display political preference, and favoritism according to the writer’s own values, beliefs, knowledge, and perception. Therefore proving an articles political bias.

Everyday, one encounters certain experiences, impacts, and information, which have an effect on his/her mindset. For instance a Bush supporter may have had a change of heart after witnessing the first debate which declares Kerry the winner. Since the preliminaries, voters had many opportunities themselves to “flip-flop” their individual opinions. The point is political bias is ever changing with time.

In reviewing our Information, Meridith and I discover a very interesting aspect of political bias. I generally found information bashing Bush and defending Kerry, which I found satisfying. On the contrary Meridith was irritated when finding similar information. This proves evident that political bias does exist, personally and even in the attempt to report news.  Facts were found, however, interpreted differently. And this is what occurs for everyone in America. Everyone is entitles to their own selective exposure, elective attention, and selective perception due to their bias.

Yes, one does indeed get the facts when tuning into their weekly TIME or Newsweek. In addition however, one also gets the political bias of an individual writer. Naturally, bias comes in the full package, as a component of human nature. Bias brings influence, enlightenment, and evokes deep thinking in arising good points. Bias is contained in news and many other is not all, aspects of life and is very difficult to rid. Bias is, after all, inevitable.