Intersting Bias in American News Media.

@TheHorse (203755)
Walnut Creek, California
March 24, 2021 11:46am CST
I just read a New York Times article abut an interesting bias in American media. Apparently American new emphasizes the negative more than the positive when it comes to Covid-19, relative to our counterparts in Europe. To quote from the article: "Bruce Sacerdote, an economics professor at Dartmouth College, noticed something last year about the Covid-19 television coverage that he was watching on CNN and PBS. It almost always seemed negative, regardless of what was he seeing in the data or hearing from scientists he knew. "When Covid cases were rising in the U.S., the news coverage emphasized the increase. When cases were falling, the coverage instead focused on those places where cases were rising. And when vaccine research began showing positive results, the coverage downplayed it, as far as Sacerdote could tell." He tested his hypothesis in a quantitive study, and found that his hypothesis was correct. This bias existed on most "lefty" media sources, like MSNBC, and "righty" media sources, like FOX news. Do you have thoughts on why American media would be more negative and less "objective" about Covid trends? I'm just starting to think about it.
18 people like this
15 responses
@just4him (303377)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Mar 21
It doesn't matter what the subject is, the media always looks at the negative side and makes things worse than they are. One reason I don't watch the news. I prefer positive good news to what they spew.
5 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (45331)
• India
24 Mar 21
@just4him May be many "negative" things sell. So I many a times see abundance of murder and crime news on the 3rd page of the printed newspapers.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
But why would American be more into "negative spin" than other countries?
3 people like this
@just4him (303377)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Mar 21
@TheHorse Good question.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (84944)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 21
It's not only American media. Unfortunately these days all media houses are biased across globe and not objective. Headline management and manipulation is more than objective reporting and each one does it depending on their inclination to the political party or ideology.
4 people like this
@vandana7 (98527)
• India
24 Mar 21
They also focus on trivia. The story continuation comes in a format that you lose track. Who is he, what happened. Kinda.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
Of course righties and lefties spin the news to suit their political agendas. And yes, headline manipulation "sells." But why is negativity especially prevalent in the US?
3 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
@vandana7 The US media contains lots of gossip. It's all over the internet too. I assume bored Indians want to know who the latest Bollywood hotty is sleeping with. Or breaking up with. Same here.
3 people like this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
25 Mar 21
Don't know who or what to believe anymore.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
It's kind of a bother, isn't it?
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
26 Mar 21
@TheHorse Yes. Drives me insane and it sure does affect the way you feel about things or the future outlook of things.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
@stephcjh I believe in the "principle of continuity." Things won't change that much.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98527)
• India
24 Mar 21
Do the thinking and let me know please. I will then decide whether to watch any of your channels.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
Still thinking...
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98527)
• India
24 Mar 21
@TheHorse Remember, it is only a penny for your thoughts! Evil grin.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
@vandana7 You talking about MyLot?
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
24 Mar 21
Good news doesn’t sell. As Don Henley said, “Give us dirty laundry.”
3 people like this
@vandana7 (98527)
• India
24 Mar 21
I agree. But it depends upon how dirty it is..
4 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
I wonder if the US really worse in that area. Didn't "we" invent "reality" shows?
3 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
@vandana7 These days people are looking hard for dirt on others. Some Righties I know got all twitterpated when President Biden slipped while boarding his airplane.
3 people like this
@spiderdust (14744)
• San Jose, California
24 Mar 21
Considering the last administration's lax attitude about the spread of COVID, I think a lot of US media focused on the rising number of cases in order to help people take the pandemic seriously (as many didn't, and still don't) and reduce the spread.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
That's a good point. Even Fox's news division (if not their "spin" division) understood the seriousness of the matter. But will things change, now that we have more responsible administration and the vaccines out?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
@spiderdust Hopefully things will improve quickly. I've already had one Covid shot and will have my second on April 3.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14744)
• San Jose, California
24 Mar 21
@TheHorse I have noticed some positive spins lately, such as announcements of vaccine availability opening up and counties going to the orange tier (when we haven't seen anything better than purple and red for so long!), and art exhibits that can be visited. I even saw something about a live COVID-safe music performance in Santa Cruz a few days ago!
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
25 Mar 21
News isn't even news unless it's sensational and optimism isn't sensational, why would we want people to feel good when we can scare the bejeezus out of them every day!!!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
25 Mar 21
@TheHorse Yes indeed, why bring people together when we can divide them?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
It's the same with politics. I could write more, but I'll wait.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
@BelleStarr Wouldn't a politician who can bring people together toward a common do well? Heck, he or she could even do some serious courting, if that was a part of their personal agenda.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454987)
• Switzerland
24 Mar 21
I never thought that American media are more negative, facts are facts, I am sure they do not even know the real numbers from the authorities.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454987)
• Switzerland
24 Mar 21
@TheHorse I do not watch American TV, but I check the news online from several different sources.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
@LadyDuck Do you find any to be more reliable than others.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
I haven't read the original research paper and probably never will. But I found the NYT article interesting.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (93514)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Mar 21
That is what draws the ratings anymore for any story. The news is to concerned with getting ratings.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
Yeppers. I read Hoax by Brian Stelter. Everyone wants face time and ratings.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (72520)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Mar 21
That is the way it has always been the media take the negative side and makes things worse than they actually are and then it is difficult to see the positive
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (72520)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Mar 21
@TheHorse and that is why when somethings go really wrong no one wants to alert the media in case things might not be too bad after all
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
It does bother me when the media makes things worse than they would have been, just to make themselves relevant.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
@RasmaSandra Can you elaborate? I've had experiences where I alerted the media to some corruption I was witnessing, but they didn't pursue it because it didn't fit the narrative they were trying to convey.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118223)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 Mar 21
I have been well aware of the media's tendency to focus on the negative of any situation over the positive for many years. That's part of the reason I totally cut the cord and don't watch any TV whatsoever now. I'm just tired of all the negative news. I have found that I have been so much happier and at peace with life since I stopped following the news.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118223)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Mar 21
@TheHorse Or, you could look at the way us republicans do...we were 10 million votes short of making this country great again! LMFAO
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118223)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Mar 21
@TheHorse Well, since you put it in that perspective, I guess we aren't really doing that badly! lol
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
I feel like I have to follow it, though I don't watch the evening news. We were essentially 10 million votes away from losing Democracy as we know it. I "gots to know" how it could happen.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153146)
• United States
25 Mar 21
They just do. I watch CNN.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
I'll have to listen to more Canadian and European radio and see if I hear differences.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153146)
• United States
27 Mar 21
@TheHorse I think they all focus on the negative aspects of the news; but I would be interested in hearing what you find out.
• Philippines
25 Mar 21
It doesn't only happen in America. The media tends to be very negative at times. I guess it's their way of enticing the audience to watch them even more. As for me, I hate any form of negativity. It adversely impacts my mental health
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Mar 21
I try to become "neutral" when people are negative. They are negative because they are hurting somehow.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
@freelancermariagrace Exactly. The psychologists call it "displacement." "Mad at your wife, kick the dog."
1 person likes this
• Philippines
26 Mar 21
@TheHorse Absolutely! Maybe they had a traumatic experience before that's why they're acting like that
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
25 Mar 21
The reality is, negative is one side of a fence. Positive is the other. None of us stand on the fence so our perception of bias is always biased.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Mar 21
Why would American media be more negaive than, say, European media?
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
26 Mar 21
@TheHorse I guess the easy answer is the last four years. The spike was driven into the middle of America kind of created a huge issue. However EU, and Asian News has always been more critical of the US, the negativity there is directed towards us. in the end it is really just sad.
@ptrikha_2 (45331)
• India
24 Mar 21
The "Leftist" and the "rightist" means that independent press is more of a dream. Not only in US but in India and many others as well. I think at times, negative news "sells" more and positive one seems "boring" !!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203755)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 21
Yes. If it bleeds, let it lead. My journalism teacher taught me that back in the 1970s.
1 person likes this