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In theory, do you believe that the "Media" shouldn't be biased in certain cases? Can you give an example of those cases?

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Question added by Sarah Ali , Senior Evaluation Specialist , United Nations
Date Posted: 2017/01/04
Mushtaq Hussain Mushtaq
by Mushtaq Hussain Mushtaq , Senior Lab Supervisor , Al Mumayaz Laboratory

Media must be unbiased in all cases, BBC Urdu has become biased while campaigning against CPEC project in Pakistan. We can say it has become a party and is a bitter example of biasness.

Karim Ismail
by Karim Ismail , Marketing Consultant , Ad Agencies & Media

Media, in its natural state, has always been biased.  Even if you are talking about media as in news outlets reporting to the world, or just mediums to advertise on.  Any medium almost always starts at the minority of one, and that "one" will propagate their message or agenda.  They will talk about what they think is true and what is false.  Rationale is a different story all together.

 

However, if you are talking about media for advertising, you will also see that each medium has its own profile in terms of target audience, circulation, geographical presence and many more.  So in a very indirect way, any of these medium are biased to their target audience, but in a less negative way.

 

Hope my short answer helps.

 

Partha Roy Chowdhury
by Partha Roy Chowdhury , GM & Head of Recruitment Operations , Smart Deal Healthcare Recruitment, Dubai

I think the questioner should specify further as to how she defines the two important words in the question: a) Media, b) Bias. Also, the third important word is "content". I will try and answer this questions both ways - Why I feel the media could be biased, and where and when not - through the following examples:

 

1. The word "Media' can be classified into a mass or targeted media or a mix of both, it can also be classifed into types: print, electronic, outdoor hoardings, shop display, website - etc. Further, it is classified based on the target audience. So one has to be very sure what media is being referred to. eg

a) A Daily General Newspaper - like the Gulf News, or New York Times, or Times of India are fine examples of mass media which are designed to cater to / appeal to most target audiences within its circulated area and should cover a wide range of topics of interest. Like you will not accept a daily newspaper without a sports page, or a daily cartoon strip. 

b) Whereas a Daily Financial Newspaper like the WSJ, or Financial Times - is a targeted media on economy/ finance verticals - but with substantially large circulation - so they can be classified as a Mix (Mass +targeted). One would notice - they speak not just on money & economy matters, but also many other topics - but not as large as that of a general newspaper.   

c) An Airline's Magazine, that is presented to all its fliers and at the waiting lounge etc., is an example of purely targeted media.

 

2) Now coming to the second word "Bias" :

a) The Times of India - will always be "Biased" when it comes to choice/prioritisation of the news it carries on page 1 / or in the Inside pages. So if TOI carried what PM Modi said yesterday as page 1 banner news but relegated to the inside pages - United Nations Declaration on Global Warming, (something that impacts the whole world), it is a Bias that is understandable and is okay - because the editor chose - what his target audience would like to read first. Going further - within the same news - if TOI did not give space to what the Opposition leader had to say on the same topic - Then it would be seen as a "Bias" - readers might turn to other newspapers get the "unbiased" report.

b) But if the Economic Times of India - which is also a mass circulated daily newspaper - carried the same news on page 1 instead of a top financial news - like new policy declared by the Reserve Bank of India' - Then, it would be seen as "Biased towards Politics" - Readers won't accept it.  The editor can - however chose to give a "financial" or economic twist " to the same news and then carry it with an appropriate header - it would then be seen as "unbiased" 

 

c) Now if an Indian Airline's in-flight magazine speaks only about politics - (I saw government propaganda and other unrelated topics in a national carrier's in-flight magazine) ignoring topics about travel, tourism, airport facilities, fine dining etc. One would feel the Bias and pick up a general magazine to read during the flight, or simply sleep. 

 

As I see - there are various factors that go into deciding if / how / where / when a media can be "Biased" or "Unbiased" at the same time. 

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