I read the news today, oh boy.
And depending on the news source, you got an entirely different view of the world. I realize that this is not a new subject, and a casual viewer with a remote control device in hand realizes there is a lot of difference between MSNBC and Fox. We get it.
But a quick look at some classic news sources this morning reveal that this is not simply a matter of emphasis, the placement of one story above another. Instead there are two very separate realities. There isn't even overlap.
Mainstream news.
First, the news as shown by what I have long considered normal, authoritative news sources: NBC, The NY Times, Washington Post, and a liberal news aggregator the Huffington Post. These are the "Mainstream Media", a term used derisively by Trump, by people on talk radio, and by Fox.
New York Times: Top story on the upper left is the story revealing that Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, received secret cash of some $12 million, which is linked to the one foreign policy change the Trump campaign made to the foreign policy plank of the Republican platform. There is a teaser lead to the op-ed page urging Trump to release his tax returns. Nothing about Hillary Clinton.
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| The New York Times, August 15, 2016 |
The Washington Post has a story on an Obama administration contract, then an article on Trump's inexperience causing him to blow the campaign, another critical of Fox News.
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| Washington Post, August 15, 2016 |
The standard middle of the road cable news network CNN has an article on the Trump campaign then one on the Ukraine cash given to Manefort of the Trump campaign and a comment by Democrat Vilsack on how Democrats can win rural voters.
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| CNN, 5:00 a.m. August 15, 2016 |
The Huffington Post makes the Ukraine cash the front and center headline and story:
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| Huffington Post, 5:00 a.m. August 15, 2016 |
Conservative News:
Meanwhile, Fox News has nothing whatever about the Ukraine cash to Trump campaign manager Manafort. I cannot find a story anywhere on its website, even deep within it.
It's lead story refers to an investigation of Clinton potential mis-deeds and her email server:
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| Fox News, 5:00 a.m. August 15, 2016 |
The Washington Times is the overtly Republican and conservative alternative to the Washington Post. Its lead story depicts a black man (Obama) apparently kissing a white woman (Hillary Clinton) amid talk of scandal, with a secondary story "Obama gets briefing on violence in Milwaukee, then goes golfing":
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| Washington Times, August 15, 2016 |
Rush Limaugh's website leads with the "Clinton Crime Family Foundation":
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| Rush Limbaugh website 5:00 a.m. August 15, 2016 |
Conservative news aggregator Breitbart.com is a conservative equivalent to the Huffington Post. There is nothing about the Trump problem but its front page is all negative-Clinton stories: Illegal aliens voting for Clinton, the Milwaukee riots, Trump remaining true to himself in his campaign:
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| Breitbart.com 5:00 a.m. August 15, 2016 |
My summary and observation: The news media is as polarized as the two political parties. They do not confront each other; instead they talk past each other. It helps explain the public disdain for the news. People who routinely read and watch one version of the news but who are exposed to the other version cannot help but think that there is bad, unfair, slanted news being pushed. Is there an actual fair and balanced news source. What about NPR?
NPR does not confront the partisan divide. It avoids it. There is noting on either Clinton problems or Trump's. Their lead stories are on the Olympics and the Milwaukee disturbances.
1 comment:
Many observers of how media shape belief systems have been pointing out how curated news outlets and on-line interest groups feed our "confirmation bias".
Confirmation bias, refers to the way we ignore evidence that refutes our beliefs while “eagerly accepting evidence that confirms what we believe.”
Nassim Taleb calls it the narrative fallacy. We like narratives that follow a clear pattern. Evidence that supports our view is noted and evidence that doesn't is discarded.
It reminds me of a famous Richard Feynman quote "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool."
We are all subject to self deception and unless we are willing to step outside of our ideological tribe, it seems we are willing victims to self deceit and its consequences.
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