I am involved in constant warfare. There are multiple battle fronts which require my attention. To mention a few: self-control, humility, kindness, patience, understanding, loving others, for a start. My conflict is internal. Of course, there are serious existential threats but if I lose the internal war they will not matter. In fact, prevailing in my internal conflicts will equip me to withstand external threats.
One particular internal battle is bias, the subject of this post. I can say with confidence , everyone is biased. I would hope we all are biased in favor of love, mercy, and goodness, for instance. But, alas that’s not the case.
Bias is disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair.
Wikipedia
The problem with my biases arise when it they are not centered in virtue but are a product of my self-conceived rightness. The battle against bias begins with self-examination. The idea that I might be wrong is reprehensible and makes self-examination difficult, if not impossible. I should never underestimate my desire to protect my rightness, to do so is stupid. (The Bible says so: Stupid people always think they are right. They never have to justify their actions. They never have to justify their choices because they think they’re right. If you are always right you’re not always right, you’re always stupid. Proverbs 12:15 (GNT))
“So what brought this on?” you might ask. Most immediately, in reading a post from AllSides, a site which attempts to identify media bias, I was struck by my own biases as I had listened to and read about the particular incident. That post is included below. Secondly, I continue to see and experience the impact of bias in the media, myself and personal interactions. In our culture, bias is more infectious than COVID-19 and may present a greater threat in the long run. I am optimistic about an eventual vaccine for COVID-19 but there will be no vaccine for for bias.
Despite the factI am infected with bias and not an authority on its treatment, I will share my personal treatment plan:
- Create a bias for truth.
Actions and resources for achieving that goal include: - Connect more with God’s word and deepen faith in HIM.
- Eliminate hype and spin in my conversations and writing.
- Build a bullshit filter. This article has been helpful. and reduce my propagation of unhealthy information.
- Engage in intentional and regular self-examination.
- Seek and heed counsel from trusted others.
Perhaps as you read the post below you will see or hear your own biases as I did. My hope is that you will think about your own biases and commit to developing a bias for truth.
You may not recall I wrote last year about my “Say What” app, the ultimate answer to social media bias. If not, you can read it HERE. Sadly, I failed to secure necessary funding for its development and launch. If any of you investors out there are interested, after reading this post, let me know.
Media Bias Alert: Coronavirus and Sensationalism
The COVID-19 coronavirus has left many Americans housebound with little to do except keep their eyes on the news, anxious for any sign that the pandemic may be slowing. The tidal wave of reporting on the virus and President Trump’s response is a reminder to remain diligent about spotting media bias. A particularly potent showing of media bias came Saturday, following a White House press conference in which an NBC reporter asked Trump to address Americans “who are scared.”“What do you say to Americans who are scared, though?” asked Peter Alexander, NBC White House Correspondent.“I say you are a terrible reporter,” Trump responded in part.If you read only headlines and tweets, you may think that was the end of the exchange. However, the full clip shows Trump continuing, scolding the media for fear-mongering through sensationalism, a type of media bias:“I say you are a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question. And I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers, and they’re looking for hope. And you’re doing sensationalism, and the same with NBC and Con-cast — I don’t call it Comcast — I call it Con-cast, for whom you work — let me just say something — that’s really bad reporting and you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism.” Ironically, the coverage of the exchange itself showed plenty of sensationalism bias:
Trump “rages,” “melts down,” “blows up,” “throws tantrum,” making for a “scary moment” — these word choices paint a clear picture, a picture that a simple “Trump said” would not accomplish. As I noted previously on this blog, media outlets on the left and right often selectively choose content in order to paint a particular picture. By focusing only on Trump’s first sentence, we get a picture of a president appearing dismissive of Americans’ concerns. I can think of a few headlines describing this exchange that would have painted a less volatile picture:“Trump criticizes media for stoking fear among Americans”“Asked to address scared Americans, Trump points finger at media sensationalism”“Trump calls reporter “terrible,” accuses press of sensationalism”“Trump says American people want answers, hope”“Trump tells reporter to “get back to reporting instead of sensationalism””“Trump says media sensationalism is stoking fear among Americans”The verbs “says,” “tells,” and “calls” conjure very different mental images than “blows up” or “rages.” This display of media bias falls under many categories: sensationalism, spin, slant. AllSides defines sensationalism as a type of media bias in which information is presented in a way that gives a shock or makes a deep impression. Language is often dramatic, yet vague. “Melts down” is both unclear and unspecific. Spin is a similar type of media bias. It clouds a reader’s view, preventing them from getting a precise take on what happened. Trump “throws tantrum” begs many questions — what exactly did he say? Was he shouting? Did he stomp on the floor? Throw something? Employing spin to cloud the reader’s view may lead them to imagine a number of unfavorable scenarios. In the midst of a national crisis, it goes without saying that we’d want our leaders to remain calm and poised under pressure — not “throwing a tantrum” or “melting down.” It depends on your perspective as to whether or not it is accurate to say Trump was blowing up, in a rage, melting down, throwing a tantrum. You may agree without a shadow of a doubt that he was. Or perhaps editors only used the exaggerated language to get clicks, regardless of the reporter’s true feelings. Coverage could have focused on the question of whether or not the media has been sensationalizing, rather than the exchange.Americans should remain diligent and remember there is no such thing as unbiased news; journalists are often inserting their own perspective into their reporting. In my view, this time they proved Trump’s point.Julie Mastrine is the Director of Marketing at AllSides. She has a Lean Right bias. This piece was reviewed by John Gable, AllSides President and co-founder (Lean Right bias), Henry A. Brechter, AllSides’ Managing Editor (Center bias), and Samantha Shireman, Information Architect (Lean Left bias).
A whole lot of us go through life assuming that we are basically right , basically all the time, about basically everything : about our political and intellectual convictions , our religious and moral beliefs , our assessment of other people , our memories , our grasp of facts . As absurd as it sounds when we stop to think about it , our steady state seems to be one of unconsciously assuming that we are very close to omniscient.
Schulz, Kathryn. Being Wrong