Media Bias

You know it is funny, liberals and conservatives alike accuse media outlets of showing bias toward the other side. Liberals claim that talk radio and Fox news is slanted toward the right and is therefore not trustworthy. Conservatives always use the term the "MASS media" is heavily liberal slanted. I would say that ALL media shows bias, favoritism, preference, whatever you want to call it. The thing is, I think our society has missed the picture on HOW the bias is shown.

Many will say that reporters show bias in the words they use to describe events and the inflection they use. This may be true but it is not the most dangerous form of bias. I say it is not the most dangerous because it is fairly easy to recognize and see through. Others will say that the length of time a news story is on shows bias. Again, this is true but still not the most dangerous bias.

In my opinion, the most dangerous bias is when a news organization chooses NOT to report certain stories. Obviously there is so much going on that there is no way a single outlet can cover EVERYTHING. That means they have to be selective about what gets aired and how much time it gets. When an outlet spends 5 minutes covering some story about a Hollywood celebrity and spends 15 seconds or no time at all covering the true picture behind unemployment numbers and people pulling themselves out of the workforce, there is something seriously wrong, slanted and even irresponsible about that outlet. What the media DOESN'T say is far more biased than anything they actually report.

I challenge you to be a conscientious consumer of media. Take in multiple streams of news, from multiple sources--including the ones that are known to be "slanted." Once you take them in, dig deeper in the stories that could have been slanted or the ones that interest you. If the TV news story draws outrage from you, chances are you need to dig deeper. It was probably written in such a way as to evoke that emotion. It is probably at least a little slanted. Take a few extra moments to try to be informed and not just spoon fed by the media.

The Lie--Music and Media Have No Lasting Effect on Me

I love music. I love all kinds of music. I love country, rock, hip hop, rap, oldies, classic rock, bluegrass, classical, and everything in between. I do NOT love all the songs within each genre. There are some that have some redeeming qualities and some that are just plain bad (talent wise) or vile (content wise). I would like to see us (all of us) be a little more conscientious about our consumption of media.

I always like to ask the youth that I work with about their media consumption. What kind of music they listen to, what shows they watch, who their favorite artists are, what books they are reading or have read recently. I believe that the media we take in shapes the words we put out--even if it is only barely noticeable. My favorite thing is when a young person, when presented with the question "why do you listen to that garbage", responds with "I don't listen to the words, I just like the beats." I usually then proceed to askt hem questions about the song and ask them to "hum a few bars." 100% of the time, if they are honest, they have a good portion of the lyrics embedded in their minds. It will almost always come out in their language also. If you never take bad words in, there is no way you can spit them back out.

Understand that I like all kinds of music. I listen to all kinds of music. I even listen to some music that is "not good for me". I really do like the beats. The difference is, I KNOW that those words and thoughts are being preached at me in a really catchy sermon of beats and words. I am a conscious consumer. I am not someone that says that an 18 year old should completely hide from the world he or she lives in. I would also say that it is a parent's job to know what their kids listen to and to shield them as much as possible. It is important to listen to the stuff your kids listen to so YOU can be a conscious consumer for your kids and help them develop the skills necessary to be that conscious consumer themselves.

This goes both ways, by the way. A lot of parents believe that if their kids listen only to certain types of music, there is no problem. For example, if a song mentions God, it is probably ok to consume. This is so very dangerous. Kids like to dig into the music and the artists. Here is an example of why this can be dangerous. The band Evanesence did a song called "Bring Me To Life." It is a really good song. If you listen on the surface, and even if you dig into the lyrics, it can easily be passed off as a Christian song. In fact, when it first came out, CCM radio stations played it and Christian bookstores sold it. After the song got popular and sold a ton of albums, band members said things like "Can we get over the whole Christian music thing. It is so lame." and "What the f*** are we doing there" in reference to being on the Christian music charts.

The take away from this blog is this, be aware of what goes into your brain. Don't assume that if it is on the radio it is ok. Also don't mindlessly consume media and expect it NOT to affect you. Music and television and movies change you. They add vocabulary to your arsenal, the beats get stuck in your head (I call that an earworm), the ideas cause you to pause and think. Over time, your whole personality is shaped by the media you consume. Just be aware of it and make sure you like the person you become.