Bias....

[Korgoth]

Ok, it seems to me that both sides of the current political spectrum are to quick to scream "bias" or foul anytime a news report contrary to their beliefs comes out...

My question is, how do we wade through the nonsense, how do we put our own obvious bias aside, and accept certain things as factual. There are good things this administration has done that I am reluctant to believe, or refuse to be open to. I can admit this, and on the same note, there are things they've done wrong, and lies they've told that the opposing side refuse to believe or open up to.

How can we determine once and for all whether something is bias, or we just don't want to accept it?

 

[Voodoo_Chile]

I think no matter what everything people say,write,do is biased.Even a so called "Unbiased" reporter,when speaking on a subject will subconciously through phrases and body language convey a sense of bias.
In print choice of words and sentence composition will also add to any bias in the article.

I think we are simply going to have to accept that no matter what,the information you recieve is bias by either omission,compositon or Just the way you recieve the information.

 

[dart321]

Exactly. There is no such thing as truly being unbiased.

 

[CptStern]

opinion + ignorance (not having all the facts) = bias

 

[Voodoo_Chile]

opinion + ignorance (not having all the facts) = bias

I think you can have Bias with Opinion+Manipulation of all the Facts.Any news media can present all the facts yet create bias by presenting certain facts in a better or worse light then others.

Ill use an example from a recent newspaper(Ill be biased a refere to it as toliet paper :thumbs: ) which went something like "1,543 Artists applied and recieved the special tax exemption,However 87% of these do not fall within the €10,000 per annum Tax Bracket"
However in a short sub heading this quote was simply
"1,543 Artists applied and recieved the special tax exemption..."

This was in bold and enlarged.While this is a technique used to catch a persons attention as they scan the paper it could create a biased attitude in the reader before getting the full facts.

 

[CptStern]

I think that's more a case of misleading the reader not bias

"1,543 Artists applied and recieved the special tax exemption"

is not the same thing as:

However 87% of these do not fall within the €10,000 per annum Tax Bracket" ..that means the number isnt 1,543 but rather 13% of 1543


but I agree, purposeful manipulation fits into the equation

 

[dart321]

opinion + ignorance (not having all the facts) = bias

The things is, how do you know that you have all the facts? Missing the slightest detail could sway your opinion drastically.

 

[Voodoo_Chile]

Ah yes,the more obvious one is there isnt it,hmm I must be tired.....

Well Stern has made my point better then I ever could :E ,I think its bed for me Ill have to try again in the morning.

 

[Korgoth]

Yes but how as consumers of information, do we honestly and objectively filter the nonsense and bias, and come out with clean information? Thats my question, i'm fully aware that bias exists in every day news outlets, its not just contained in op-eds.

We are consumers, and we rely on various groups to feed us our information and give us our info on how the world as we know it stands.
We have no way around this, we can't be everywhere all the time, the average person doesn't have access to a live video feed of the world 24/7. So how do we filter what they feed us, to form our opinions clearly and without muddy bias affecting our outlook?

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I tend to believe I'm open and filter through the bias. There's stuff about the administration that I feel they are doing wrong. But I agree with a good majority of the things and the ones I disagree with, the opposing viewpoints are doing even worse at if not anything at all, so I give them good approval overall. We had a good thread that relates to this, the one where those who support the administration post their gripes, and those who dissaprove post the the things they do like. But two people argued or something and the entire thread got closed despite goodness of it.

Obviously this blurb is biased in favor of a leftist taken from a picture caption on yahoo-
American actress and activist Jane Fonda is surrounded by soldiers and reporters as she sings an anti-war song near Hanoi during the Vietnam War in July 1972. Fonda, seated on an anti-aircraft gun, is here to encourage North Vietnamese soldiers fighting against American Imperialist air raiders.


Pro administration bias, taken from whitehouse.gov
President George W. Bush's first term has been among the most consequential and successful in modern times.


Clearly unbiased, straightforward and factual
A U.S. citizen was taken hostage in Iraq this week along with three Romanian journalists, the State Department said Wednesday.

 

[GhostFox]

Pro administration bias, taken from whitehouse.gov
President George W. Bush's first term has been among the most consequential and successful in modern times.

I don't know if that shows bias simply because a statement like that is based solely on personal opinion. Bias is a manipulation of facts, not a statement of personal beliefs.

Ex.

Fact: Man murdered last night downtown at 3am. There area has a known drug trade, but no drugs were found on the victim.

Opinion: People on the street with drug dealers at 3am deserve whatever they get for being so foolish.

Bias: A man, most likely a homeless transient high on drugs, was killed last night in what is assumed to be a drug transaction gone wrong.

 

[KoreBolteR]

opinion + ignorance (not having all the facts) = bias

yup and theres too much of it in the media.