Most people don’t realize that the 24-hour news stations alternate between true news reporting and opinion. It’s a clever way to trick people into being brainwashed.
True critical thinking involves exploring both sides of the story, looking at facts, and making a decision. But when a news report is immediately followed by an opinion show, can the viewer actually take steps to do his or her own critical thinking? It’s doubtful.
Even worse might be opinion shows that play immediately prior to true news reporting. If a viewer is riled up by opinion, then shown news clips, the immediate processing of that news via snap judgments could easily influence how the viewer processes the news.
It makes me wonder that even if your actual news segments are truly “fair and balanced,” does it matter when that report is book-ended by distinctly biased opinion shows? It would seem that whether you’re watching CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC — the salt and peppering of news between opinion shows could easily be influencing how you view the day’s events.
It’s difficult to find unbiased news reporting these days since often the news is reported within the context of bias itself via a question. For example, “Is Obama ruining the future of our children?” is much more biased than reporting the actual actions Obama has taken and letting the viewer wonder if Obama is ruining our childrens’ futures.
Even though it is difficult, it’s important to try and sift through the bias, particularly if your only source of news is the television or a specific blog. Even newspapers can make it difficult to decipher between fact and opinion when the Opinion page is so close to the actual news.
Look for facts. Look for actions. If someone is quoted, make sure what they’re saying is fact and not opinion. Look up facts on your own if you aren’t sure. Then decide for yourself. Don’t let someone else decide for you, especially if they’re at best a communications major reading off a script.