by Henry McCubbin
Much has been written on bias in the media. But, at a time when the reactionary and conservative leaders of Britain and the US are pushing for war under the Orwellian slogan “the push for peace”, it is time to expose that the leap has been made from bias to lying. Bias is straightforwardly the use of arguments and facts selectively to back a position. It is omissions that students of the media usually focus on to counter bias. This can be a stimulating exercise under normal times. It is a form of intellectual jousting in which only egos can be injured. But today we have the possibility of thousands of innocents being maimed or slaughtered for the extraordinary justification that many of them have already suffered that fate and that more suffering would bring relief. “Things can only get better.” Indeed.
The WW II editor of the Daily Express, Arthur Christiansen, wrote in 1961 “I remember feeling sick when Neville Chamberlain over the radio described Czechoslovakia as a ‘faraway Country’ and I remember expressing my revulsion to Lord Beverbrook over the telephone. But when he said in a harsh voice ‘Well isn’t Czechoslovakia a faraway country?’ I agreed that it was and got on with my job of producing an exciting paper.” Self censorship is the most invidious variety but in the UK today it is rife and requires groups like Media Watch to keep hammering on about the lack of balance with regards to possible conflict in Iraq. As for the rest of us, not buying the offensive titles is one way to exercise our opinion. However with BBC and ITV a constant stream of complaints might encourage them in challenging Peter Mandelson’s threatening behaviour and that of the New Labour media mafia.
For your help in how to search and challenge the media here is a list of links, mainly US, that may help. Thanks to Media Watch for their help in compiling this list.
How to Detect Bias in the News
www.media-awareness.ca/eng/med/class/teamedia/ peace/bias7.htm
Detecting Bias in the News
faculty.washington.edu/~jalbano/bias.html
Recognising bias and distortion in television news programs
hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/bias.htm
The Media Bias Detector
www.adamranson.freeserve.co.uk/fair media bias detector%20.PDF
FAIR’s Media Activism Kit
www.fair.org/activism/activismkit.html
Citizens and the Media: Fact, Opinion, Bias
www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/education/ teachers/strategies/1998/Plan33e.htm
September 11, 2001: Deconstructing Images From the Media
www.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/education/ audiofoot.html
The Gulf War A Lesson in Media Literacy
www.newsworld.cbc.ca/flashback/1991/gulfclass.html