Wednesday's Biased Item - May 9, 2007
U.S. and International Newsweek Editions Present Different Views of Warming
Excerpt
Read the excerpt below from BusinessAndMedia.org posted by Dan Gainor on April 10, 2007. Then scroll down and read "Types of Media Bias."QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think the editors of Newsweek magazine chose not to print an article by a reputable critical of global warming in their issue on global warming?
2. Do you think this is an example of bias by STORY SELECTION and OMISSION? Explain your answer.
...M.I.T. Prof. Richard Lindzen’s [April 16 Newsweek] column poking holes in global warming dogma never appeared in the 3-million-plus-circulation American edition.
The Lindzen column [in Newsweek's international version] actually contradicted much of what was in the American edition. He said: “Recently many people have said that the earth is facing a crisis requiring urgent action. This statement has nothing to do with science. There is no compelling evidence that the warming trend we've seen will amount to anything close to catastrophe. ... What most commentators – and many scientists – seem to miss is that the only thing we can say with certainty about climate is that it changes.â€
Instead, the U.S. edition led with a cover headline saying “Save the Planet – Or Else.†The front page photo showed California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger balancing a small globe on one finger. The issue highlighted “Arnold’s crusade†and featured more than 33 pages of global warming apocalypse – along with several pages of related ads.
Newsweek International was a bit different. That issue led with a story called “The Way Forward†that emphasized learning to adapt to climate change. The international edition still hyped the dangers of rising global temperatures, but pointed out that, “in the short term,†there will be “winners and losers from climate change.â€
Go to NewsBusters.org for the original posting.
To accurately identify different types of bias, you should be aware of the issues of the day, and the liberal and conservative perspectives on each issue. (See our chart “Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs”)
Types of Media Bias:
Omission – leaving one side out of an article or a series of articles over a period of time... (read more)
Selection of Sources – including more sources that support one view over another... (read more)
Story Selection – a pattern of highlighting news stories that support one side of an issue over another... (read more)
Placement – the location in the paper or article where a story or event is printed; a pattern of placing news stories so as to downplay information supportive of one side... (read more)
Labeling – comes in two forms: 1. Tagging of person from one party or group with extreme labels while leaving the other side unlabeled or with more mild labels. 2. A reporter not only fails to identify a liberal or conservative as such, but also describes the person or group with positive labels, such as “an expert” or “independent consumer group”... (read more)
Spin – occurs when the story has only one interpretation of an event or policy, to the exclusion of the other. Spin involves tone- a reporter’s subjective comments about objective facts... (read more)
Previous Biased Items
- When Watchdogs Snore: How ABC, CBS & NBC Ignored Fannie & Freddie
October 1, 2008 - AP: US ‘A Nation That Enshrined Slavery in its Constitution’
September 24, 2008 - Media’s Treatment of Hillary, Barack and Sarah
September 17, 2008 - Media Credibility Plummets
September 10, 2008 - The NY Times: A Year-Long Analysis: Part 2
September 3, 2008
