Brief One - Bias in Cable News

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Who to Watch and What to Believe

Each day Americans wake up, pour their coffee, and turn on the television to watch the news. Many return to their homes at the end of the day to repeat the process. As we sit in our chairs, taking in all of the information that can be spit at us in an hour, there lies the question, is any of this true? Is the information I am hearing swaying my beliefs? Cable news is brought to us by an abundance of news sources who all seem to have a different take on a particular topic, and we must decide who to believe.

In a situation such as watching the news, we must believe that what we are hearing is correct, or what we are hearing is absolute bologna. The ball is in our court to decipher the news, pick through information, and decide how the report is delivered. Bias lies within every cable news source I have researched, whether it is Fox News, who expresses a far right-sided, republican point of view or CNN who leans left, expressing liberal views. 

Cable news even reports with a bias on non-political issues. How is this even possible, you ask? CNN reported Billie Eilish’s win of five Grammy’s, which may seem to have no bias, but fox news had their focus far right. Instead of focusing their attention to the many winners of the evening, Fox reported on Joy Villa, who walked the red carpet in a flashy Trump 2020 gown. Small things such as this push Fox’s right-sided bias even when politics are not involved.



While politics are involved, CNN immediately bashes republicans right when you open up their website. At least on television, they ease you into their bias. The title on the website home page houses this quote in bold, “Republicans try to put a lid on calls for witnesses”. A hook such as this houses a fairly left bias as they are seemingly bashing the right side. Fox news follows a similar suit; however, they took the defensive as they protected their republican ideals when it comes to the topic of impeachment. While many Americans mindlessly watch the news without gaining any real information, based upon who they are watching, bias can creep in.



As we sit on our couches watching the cable television show of our choosing, our beliefs and knowledge sway based upon the information fed to us. Whether it is the far-right bias of Fox news or the left-leaning tendencies of CNN, Americans choose every day who to watch and who to believe. It is important to remember that each show delivers and provides informational coverage, and we must alter our choices based upon our political beliefs or opinions.

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