Identify a time when you were influenced by media bias in relation to a world event, or perhaps an event on a more local level. Explain why you think that the news media was biased in this context and whether certain media outlets were overly sensitive to advertisers, government, or powerful interests, or competitors.
Of recent, media has become popular among most people winning their hearts and souls depending on the news that they present to them. Communication media refers to means and ways of delivering and getting the message across to the citizens and the public in general as intended by the media personalities. As a football fan, following the world football transfer news is my passion. The desire to know my favorite player plays for which club or intends to go a new club is of interest to me. However, most of the time media houses present biased news about football transfer. There was a time there was an article in the newspaper that Lionel Messi has made the famous transfer and switched camps from Barcelona to Real Madrid, and I was excited about the news only to realize that it was not true(Gal-Or, 2012). The news was biased in this situation basically because there was no such a transfer and it was merely rumored that he would make the transfer to the extent that I as the reader believed that the transfer had already taken place. Most of the media houses may be victims of media bias with a sole aim and purpose of winning more and more customers base and to persuade customers to subscribe to their channels or websites.
Describe a story that has recently been sensationalized, and explain a key component of sensationalism that was part of the way the story was presented.
Ebola has been discovered as one of the most deadly diseases in the world today. Its coverage in the media has as well created fear and panic among most people especially those from central Africa where the infection is so popular. Patients suffering from Ebola hemorrhagic (HF) suffer severe symptoms that include both internal and external bleeding. However, despite the fact that the virus id deadly, media houses have sensationalized and overhyped stories about the infections creating havoc and panic among most people. The stories and news about Ebola as presented by the media depicts an Ebola victim like a monster. One of the sensationalism in the media is that American citizens and other parts of the U.S and Europe are at the risk of contracting this deadly disease. The truth is that chances of people living in Europe contracting this infection are zero.
Describe the prospects for establishing a “Critical Society” as described by Graham Sumner.
William Graham Sumner is one of the most celebrated classical liberal American scientists who changed the concept of the concept of critical thinking. According to Graham, critical thinking is one of the broad and rich concepts that comprises of the intellectually disciplined process of active and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing and evaluating information to guide an action. A critical society .needs to have a large percentage of educated individuals who can produce a well – developed critical faculty. Moreover, society has to show aspects of the willingness to examine and test propositions of any kind which are offered for acceptance before settling into the best proposition (Bean, 2011). On the same note, training should take place regularly to help create and develop mental habit and power to determine what is good and what is bad. A critical society should not believe in delusion, deception, superstition and misapprehension our society and circumstances.
References
Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. . John Wiley & Sons.
Gal-Or, E. G. (2012). The impact of advertising on media bias. . Journal of Marketing Research, 49(1), , 92-99.
