It is widely believed that the modern press is being biased today. While this case can be attributed to economic motives and political leanings of organizations, there are individual measures to tackle this near-universal issue.
One major driver of media coverage biases is the unethical practices of companies to ensure profitability through voter support. Since they place greater emphasis on consumer attention, which can be a source of income, news outlets, such as Fox News, tend to display news compatible with audience political leanings, ensuring they make a profit without losing public engagement. Media companies, mainly based in the U.S., Fox News and NBC News, serve as vivid instances of this phenomenon, in which consumer loyalty is one of the first ‘luxuries’, while objectivity is often underestimated.
Beyond corporate interests, political agendas also play a crucial role in media bias. In an era where audience loyalty and support is a powerful tool during official elections and budget allocation, only when political parties have a decent number of supporters will they have an additional advantage compared to their rivals. Therefore, such groups are largely at play in biasing media coverage. This situation is further exacerbated by social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, where echo chambers are ubiquitous, displaying content to change and reinforce the leanings of the audience as a whole.
Although this issue is a problem of gigantic proportions, modern press biases can still be resolved, by and large, with individual and general actions. Considering the individual spectrum, content consumers should opt for a range of news outlets to analyze different perspectives on the same topic. Not only does this help in avoiding potential media biases, but this approach also ensures equality in the content market, leading to equitable and mutually beneficial outcomes. Take Israel as an example, a country producing falsehood using its power and connections around the globe. Individuals can expose themselves by analysing different perspectives provided in various input channels, such as TV and social platforms.
In conclusion, media bias is a prevalent, yet often ignored, issue that should be tackled to some extent. Although financial motives and political leanings of various organizations are shaping what media displays, individuals can filter their news input sources and look at a myriad of topics from different perspectives.