The Media Controversy

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses” (Malcolm X, 1925-1965). Mass media allows for the quick dissemination of news and ideas throughout a large audience. This media, however, is often influenced by political agendas and powerful figures. Whether through story placement, omission, under-reporting, or another form of deceit, media very easily becomes biased. Media bias has increased in recent years, causing public disbelief of the media, ill-informed voters, and distrust of the government. Some might argue that bias has always been, by nature, a crucial part of American mass media and …show more content…
Unlike traditional media such as television or print, there is no vetting process required to publish information to the Internet. This calls into question the credibility and ethics of such media. “I call for the construction of a sixth estate … to monitor and critique the ethical lapses of both mainstream and non-mainstream media” (Ward, 2015). If Internet media was constantly checked for ethical continuity in the same manner as traditional media, it would be a much more reliable source of information for the public. In addition to the growth of independent sources on the web, most major news organizations now have websites correlating to their television or print media. Furthermore, popular social media websites such as Twitter and Reddit provide a glut of user-shared information …show more content…
As a result, people receive only a half-truth that supports one side of the story. When the public hears contradicting information from different sources, they never fully grasp the extent of what is actually happening. This misinformation becomes eminently important when it comes to elections, in which people must make a decision based on their understanding and opinion of current events. “When the media sways public perception through misinformation, the freedom of an informed republic is threatened. The consumers may speak truth to bias” (StandardCandle, 2009). The phrase “freedom of an informed republic” refers to the ability of American citizens to shape their own government through voting. If a citizen votes in an election without knowing all of the information, they might make a dubious decision that has been influenced by the media they consume. This also calls into question the extent of the news media’s role in influencing public opinion and the outcome of an