Knowra Media bias Media bias Media bias is systematic distortion or imbalance in how media select, frame, or present information. It can arise through story choice, wording, sourcing, emphasis, or omission.
Agenda-setting theory : A theory that media influence which issues audiences consider important by varying their visibility and prominence. Story selection and placement can make some issues seem more important than others.
Objectivity in journalism : A journalistic ideal of reporting verifiable facts with fairness, accuracy, and restraint from personal opinion. The ideal provides a standard against which systematic imbalances in reporting are assessed.
Partisan media : Media outlets that openly align their coverage and commentary with a political party or ideology. Partisan outlets are a visible form of political alignment, not the only source of media bias.
Selective exposure : The tendency to choose information that accords with existing attitudes while avoiding conflicting material. Audiences’ choices can reinforce the effects of slanted coverage and narrow their information diet.
Framing (social sciences) : The selection and emphasis of aspects of an issue that shape how it is interpreted. A frame can make the same facts suggest different causes, stakes, or solutions.
Journalistic ethics : Principles and standards guiding journalists’ responsibilities, including accuracy, fairness, independence, and harm reduction. Ethical duties offer practical standards for identifying and limiting biased coverage.
Public broadcasting : Broadcast media funded or supported for public service, often under mandates for independence and broad access. Its public-service structure offers a contrast to commercial and partisan incentives, though not immunity from bias.
Confirmation bias : The tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information in ways that support existing beliefs. It can make audiences more receptive to coverage that already matches their views.
Gatekeeping (communication) : The process by which people and institutions select, filter, and shape information before publication. Editors and journalists decide which events and sources pass into public coverage.
Media framing : The way news presentation highlights some interpretations of an issue while making others less salient. It isolates presentation choices as one specific route through which media bias operates.
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