The Unreliability and Bias in Mainstream Media

A few weeks ago in another communication studies class of mine, we watch a documentary on Fox News. Growing up and even up until viewing this film I can honestly say I was naive and oblivious to how swayed and unjust some, actually most if not all, mainstream media outlets are. I was actually shocked when viewing this documentary. I know you hear lots from mainstream outlets bad talking other media outlets but I felt it had to do more with competition and making your competitor look bad in order to increase your stations viewers. However, after watching this film, Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, I understand that it has to do more with pushing a political agenda and specific ideas and thoughts of the hierarchy of the organization. It has to do with swaying the public sphere and making decisions and choices on the public's behalf to match their own or the networks own beliefs and ideas.

There are a few things that I wanted to talk about that really caught my attention when watching the documentary:

FAIR and BALANCED... Are you joking me? This news outlet is probably the most unfair and unbalances of all news outlets. Those who cover the events and actually go out to dot he field work are told what to focus on and how to portray the channel by a memo that is received every morning from the top. In my opinion this is not balanced work, especially when you are told what specifically to cover, from which perspective to write it, and of course write with a hidden bias.

There is then this "some people say..." statement. How pathetic is that? The broadcasters share their own opinion as "some people say..." to make it seem credible. I find this to be really undermining and unfair. A news outlet is meant to be factual, truthful and accurate. And by tricking your viewers by passing your opinion as "some people say..." is so the opposite. FOX definitely should NOT be considered a credible, fair and balanced news outlet.

It also bothers me how FOX uses images and marketing and graphics (American flag) to trick the viewers. They market themselves and portray themselves as a patriotic news station; who are looking out for the public, providing them with FAIR and BALANCED news. To those uneducated about what FOX is really about they may be convinced that FOX is on their side just trying to inform the public. However, as communications student and being educated about the political agenda of FOX you realize how toxic, bias and disgusting they really are.

This leads me into my final point. I feel FOX is still around and getting viewers because of the lack of education to the general public. Of course more and more individuals are being exposed to FOX's true intentions every day, but many still remain unaware. To me it seems that FOX is taking advantage of the uneducated and uninformed general public. They've built this reputable reputation, generated trust from their viewers and now basically flipped the script and taken that trust and credible reputation and taken advantage of it. It's sad, they are using them, instead of doing what they are supposed to be doing which is provide fair, balanced and informed news.