Law Enforcement Frenemies – a Look into the Media Bias of Violence in America

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The last type of bias is “bias by spin.” Science Based Medicine states that bias my spin is when a writer creates a “narrative based on the writers biases and spins the facts so that the narrative confirms his or her biases.” This “spin” can be done through the writers tone, facts, sources or as this paper will outline in the Fox news article, expert opinions. As discussed early, “expert” usually refers to an individual that has a biased opinion. In the short 300 word article by Fox news, there are a total of 5 experts whom are directly quoted. Each one of these quotes re-iterates that “no one is above the law,” and “without justice there is no peace.” The use of statements all re-iterating the same opinion causes the reader to either concur with the statements or second guess the original opinion they had of the event. Think about it, if an individual witness’s an accident and upon police interviews with the five other witnesses, they all say the car was green and only one witness thought that the car was blue, they may think, “maybe my memory is off,” or “perhaps it was the light at which I saw the car.” As humans, we tend to be very vulnerable to the majorities opinion.

In summary, it is important to read, listen and watch a story from multiple sources before establishing an opinion. Always go into a story knowing that there is likely a bias behind the story and a way that the writer wants you to think. In this paper we looked a one story presented in two very different ways. One from a right wing Fox news that typically presents stories with a republican bias. The other from a left wing Fox news that tends to put a democratic spin on all the articles they release. So, which one is right? Well, that up to you to decide. We all tend to be drawn towards a predefined bias already. This may have been passed down by your parents, adopted from friends, or even established on your own, but truth is we all have one. If you want to be well rounded in establishing that bias, learn the facts and read, listen and learn from multiple sources.

Work Citied

Baker, Brent H. "Media Bias." Student News Daily Media Bias Comments. Media Research Center, n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.

"Freddie Gray's Fatal Injuries Reportedly May Have Been Caused by Impact with Bolt in Police Van | AllSides." Freddie Gray's Fatal Injuries Reportedly May Have Been Caused by Impact with Bolt in Police Van | AllSides. Fox News, 1 May 2015. Web. 03 May 2015.

"This Chart Shows Why the Prosecution over Freddie Gray's Death Is so Remarkable." Vox. Ed. German Lopez. Vox News, 02 May 2015. Web. 03 May 2015.

Brown, Taylor K. "The Cases Where US Police Have Faced Killing Charges - BBC News." BBC News. BBC News, 8 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 May 2015.