4.2 Extreme reporting Vs the balanced view

Question 1

What is media bias?

Answer 1

The different perspectives from which news may be reported

Question 2

Are reports often subjective or objective?

Answer 2

Subjective

Question 3

What is a subjective report?

Answer 3

A report composed from the point of view of the journalist and aims to persuade people of the validity of this view

Question 4

Do subjective reports offer the other side of the argument?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

What is an objective report?

Answer 5

One which tries to see both sides of an issue and finishes with a balanced conclusion

Question 6

Examples of ways in which media bias can occur:

Answer 6

• Journalists can give impression that everyone holds a particular view by using words ‘we’ and ‘us’
• Message is intended for target audience, so source is unlikely to be critical of the reader’s typical political party
• Race and gender bias
• Journalists interview independent experts to manipulate people’s views
• Reports of research findings may be funded by industry that it is investigating

Question 7

Example of journalists simplifying events too much:

Answer 7

• Criticism of banks in early days of financial crisis was that they borrow money from depositors and let it to borrowers - this is a normal banking practice.
• The problems was that this had been abused but this was not made clear by reporters.

Question 8

Why did the media have a role in the financial crisis?

Answer 8

Commercial channels were full of advertisements trying to persuade people that they could afford a high-spending lifestyle

Question 9

Advantage and disadvantage of it being difficult for a financial services provider to keep bad news out of the public domain:

Answer 9

• Positive as it makes customers better informed

- Negative as media sometimes off partial or incorrect information