Reporter with agenda
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85137)
Shingle Springs, California
October 13, 2008 12:04pm CST
In 6th grade we were asked to read a newspaper article and write something about it. One of the things the teacher wanted to know was our opinion on the reporter's bias. It was my first inkling that reporters didn't just document facts.
Some years later, when my husband was working for a company that ran airport food concessions, I heard of a pretty blatant example of this.
A reporter came into the airport and started talking to people about their employers and what kind of benefits they got for working there. The topic of the employee cafeteria came up. Airport employees at this particular airport were able to purchase meals at a discount in the cafeteria.
The article that eventually got written talked about airport food prices and implied that travelers were paying inflated prices to subsidize the employee cafeteria. The reporter never mentioned that the company running the employee cafeteria was contractually obligated to do that.
So we have a reporter who:
1. came in and got a story under false pretences and
2. had a very definite bias against my husband's company
This was presented as a news article, not an editorial, but it's probably a very mild example of media dishonesty and bias.
Do you think reporters should be held to a higher standard? And how?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@hermitcrabheaven (645)
• United States
13 Oct 08
I think they should be held to a much higher standard. As a rule I try to stay away from news. I just want facts and that's usually not what you get. If I want opinions I will seek them out.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
13 Oct 08
I do read the news but it's interesting how things look different when you have insider information on the topic!
@Pitgull (1522)
• United States
13 Oct 08
I think everyone should be held to a higher standard. We have political officials, who seem to be held to a different standard that citizens.
People should all be on the same level, open and honest. But bias is something hard to avoid, and ignorance much more so...
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
13 Oct 08
Yes they should be held to a higher standard, I guess the question is how?
Ignorance can be educated away, bias is another story. But bias isn't all bad. I'm strongly biased against child molesters, for example. But I object to a reporter printing only some of the facts so that the article supports their bias!
