[KARAH RUCKER]
WE’VE SHOWN YOU COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF HOW NEWS OUTLETS CAN SHOW BIAS IN THEIR WORDS, IN THEIR SOURCES, EVEN IN THEIR HEADLINES.
TODAY WE’LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE EDITORIAL DECISIONS BEHIND WHAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SEE – **AND DON’T SEE – WHEN THEY TUNE INTO THEIR NIGHTLY NEWSCAST.
FOR THIS EPISODE, WE’RE PULLING YOU OUT OF YOUR MEDIA BUBBLE —
BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS ONE —
AND SHOWING YOU HOW THE NEWS IS DELIVERED VERY DIFFERENTLY
ACROSS THE MEDIA SPECTRUM.
WHAT STORIES GET PRIORITIZED…
WHAT DETAILS GET COVERED…
AND HOW AN OUTLET’S POLITICAL LEAN IS QUIETLY STEERING THE COVERAGE YOU SEE.
AND HOW YOU SEE **EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO.
WELCOME BACK TO BIAS BREAKDOWN.
I’LL SET THE SCENE.
IT’S A QUIET TUESDAY EVENING.
YOU’RE AT HOME AFTER A DAY AT WORK OR RUNNING ERRANDS.
YOU TURN ON THE NEWS.
AND WHAT DO YOU SEE?
[REPORTER]
“we begin here tonight with the breaking news, congress passing the bill demanding the release of all of the jeffrey epstein files.”
[REPORTER]
“as we come on the air tonight the epstein files are on the verge of release after a dramatic day on capitol hill.”
[REPORTER]
“we are closer to seeing what is in the doj’s files on jeffrey epstein.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
IN ABC, CBS, AND NBC’S PRIMETIME COVERAGE –
THE SENATE AND HOUSE VOTE TO FORCE THE DOJ TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES WAS THE LEAD STORY.
BUT IN FOX NEWS’ TOP PRIMETIME NEWSCASTS –
A VIDEO FROM DEMOCRATS TELLING MILITARY MEMBERS NOT TO OBEY ILLEGAL ORDERS – WAS THE STORY THEY LED OFF THEIR SHOW WITH.
[REPORTER]
“What we begin with is shocking. An abuse of power. Top democratic lawmakers calling for an insurrection against our commander in chief.”
Democrats keep losing to Trump on the issues, so they fight dirty. Now they’re telling the troops to commit treason. Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
IN THESE INSTANCES – ABC, CBS, AND NBC, DIDN’T COVER THE DEMOCRATS SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO THAT WAS TAKING UP A LOT OF OXYGEN ON RIGHT-LEANING NEWS PROGRAMS.
AND WHILE HANNITY AND WATTERS DID MAKE MENTION OF THE EPSTEIN FILES VOTE – IT WAS IN THEIR B BLOCKS – AFTER THE FIRST COMMERCIAL BREAK – WITH LOWER RELEVANCE.
NEWS PRODUCERS ARE TYPICALLY THE ONES INSIDE NEWSROOMS STACKING A SHOW – MEANING CHOOSING STORY SELECTION – AND PRIORITIZING THE STORIES.
THE FIRST STORY – BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.
BUT WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS STORY OF A DAY?
THAT IS AN EDITORIAL DECISION – AND OPINION – NEWS OUTLETS HAVE TO MAKE.
WHILE SOMETIMES IT REVEALS PATTERNS OF MEDIA BIAS IN WHAT STORIES THEY SELECT AND WHERE THEY PLACE THEM –
OTHER TIMES – IT’S JUST A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THEY FEEL IS ORDER OF PRIORITY.
LET’S LOOK AT THE NEXT DAY —
ON WEDNESDAY – FOR FOX NEWS – THE **SAME STORY CONSUMED **THEIR NEWS CYCLE ONCE AGAIN.
[SEAN HANNITY]
“we begin tonight with what some are calling an attempted coup led by six democratic lawmakers we first showed you the tape last night.”
[MARTHA]
you’re talking to members of the military and not telling them specifically what they should see as illegal so you’re putting ideas into their head that maybe they’re being asked to do something illegal.”
[WILL CAIN]
“it is insurrection plainly without question.
[REPORTER]
that’s tantamount to encouraging an insurrection.4:26- they’re either too stupid to know they’re encouraging rebellion or they’re actively encouraging rebellion.
[KARAH RUCKER]
THERE’S MORE CLIPS. THIS STORY OVERWHELMED THE AIRWAVES ON MANY OF FOX NEWS’ SHOWS THIS DAY.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMIND YOU THAT MANY OF FOX NEWS’ PRIMETIME PROGRAMS AND OTHERS ARE TECHNICALLY OPINION SHOWS. IT GIVES THE HOSTS LEEWAY TO TELL THE NEWS WITH SOME COMMENTARY FLARE. IT’S SAME WITH LIKE THE VIEW. OR MANY OF “MS NOW’S” PROGRAMS – WHICH IS MSNBC’S NEW BRAND.
EVEN SO – THESE SHOWS – ARE HOW **MILLIONS OF PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF THIS STORY –
IF YOU ARE CONSUMING NEWS FROM FOX –
YOU WERE TOLD A LOT ABOUT THIS VIDEO MADE BY DEMOCRATS –
**BEFORE MUCH OF THE MEDIA WAS TALKING ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE FOR MUCH OF THE MEDIA THAT WEDNESDAY –
FOCUS WAS ON OTHER NEWS STORIES.
WHETHER IT BE BACK ON EPSTEIN.
[REPORTER]
the bill demanding the release of the full jeffrey epstein files has now been sent. The white house and the president has now signed it.
[KARAH RUCKER]
OR TRUMP’S SPEECH AT AN INVESTMENT FORUM…
[REPORTER]
“this was a very lengthy address that ultimately gave trump a standing ovation because he reiterated the relationship as it relates to that one trillion dollar investment.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
OR A FORMER OLYMPIAN LANDING ON THE FBI’S 10 MOST WANTED LIST.
[REPORTER]
OLYMPIC ATHLETES represent their country on the world’s biggest stage, but tonight, a former olympian is getting global recognition for another reason, his spot on the fbi’s most wanted list.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
THE DEMOCRAT’S VIDEO REMAINED OFF OF LEFT LEANING MEDIA’S RADAR UNTIL THURSDAY.
AND THEN –
THE STORY WAS ON EVERY CHANNEL.
BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE IT NEWSWORTHY FOR EVERYONE – WHEN HE RESPONDED TO THE DEMOCRAT’S VIDEO.
[REPORTER]
tonight president trump criticized by members of both parties after calling lamwakers traitors and seditious behavior PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.
[REPORTER]
Now to the outrage by democrats…AND EVEN PUT TO DEATH.
[REPORTER]
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN AN EXTRAORDINARY POST…PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.
[REPORTER]
look at this trump said on truth social this morning, this is really bad and dangerous to our country…all the way to “lock them up”
[REPORTER]
They take an oath to defend the constitution…and perhaps has already done so.
[REPORTER]
The president is suggesting that members of congress should be hung.”
[REPORTER]
in a radio interview this morning the president said he was not threatening death to democrats but suggested the pentagon may be looking into the lawmakers video.
[REPORTER]
I think what this president doesn’t understand is military members take an oath to the constitution not the president
[REPORTER]
The president likened it to treason. The president actually said it could be seditious behavior punishable by death…the democrats pretend to be the victims in all of this.
[REPORTER]
“He followed up seditious behavior punishable by death, democrats told the military to disobey the president and now they’re mad when he says don’t commit treason. This is their new talking point.”
“The media is picking a side. Take a guess. Just to be clear does the president want to execute members of congress? No.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
THIS HERE IS MORE ABOUT REVEALING THE MEDIA’S DYNAMICS.
A SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO PUT OUT BY DEMOCRATS WAS OF HIGH RELEVANCE TO CONSERVATIVES BECAUSE IT WAS BEING SCRUTINIZED BY THE RIGHT.
AND CONSERVATIVE MEDIA MET THEIR AUDIENCE WHERE THEIR PRIORITIES LIE.
BEFORE TRUMP’S COMMENTS BOOSTED THE RELEVANCE OF THE STORY FOR EVERYONE –
THAT STORY WAS PRIMARILY SEEN ON RIGHT-LEANING NEWS PROGRAMS.
IT WAS NEWSWORTHY MORE SO FOR THE RIGHT THAN THE LEFT.
BUT AFTER THE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS WERE MADE – THEN – A WAVE OF INTEREST FROM THE LEFT JOINED THE EXISTING INTEREST ON THE RIGHT –
BUT THE TWO POLITICAL SIDES HAD THEIR OWN INTERESTS AS TO WHY ITS RELEVANT TO THEM.
[REPORTER]
“Brian, let’s also talk about the politics of this story. It is D.C., both sides are trying to keep the focus on this video. Yeah, Tom, for republicans, it’s a chance to call out democrats…for democrats, though, it’s their opportunity to show their voters they’re willing to stand up to President Trump.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
SOME LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS EVEN CALLED OUT THEIR OWN SIDE, ARGUING THAT OTHER MEDIA DIDN’T GIVE THIS STORY **ENOUGH COVERAGE.
THEY CRITICIZED OTHER NEWS OUTLETS’ NEWS JUDGMENT AND STORY SELECTION PROCESS — SUGGESTING THEY DOWNPLAYED THE STORY AND FAILED TO GIVE IT THE WEIGHT IT DESERVED TO ROUND OUT LAST WEEK’S NEWS CYCLE.
[REPORTER]
“Had any other president said anything like it, The New York Times would have had a six-inch headline about it and a front page devoted entirely to that madness and the reaction to that madness. And tonight its not even close to the lead story in the new york times. It is impossible to make too much of this story. The only way to try to reduce the historic and legal importance of what donalt trump said is to internalize the notion that trump’s words do not matter and the american news media has done that.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
IT’S THE SIMILAR DYNAMIC I’VE SHOWED YOU BEFORE WHERE RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA CRITICIZED OTHER RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA IN THEIR LACK OF EPSTEIN COVERAGE – AGAIN – CRITICAL OF THE OTHER’S EDITORIAL PROCESS – SUGGESTING THEY WERE WEIGHING POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS IF THEY BROKE RANKS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE – AFTER THE PRESIDENT DISMISSED THE EPSTEIN FILES IMPORTANCE IN JULY.
[REPORTER]
“notice the story was no where on fox news.
A lot of tv hosts are scared to say and how to say it because they don’t want to lose their audience and piss off the white house at the same time so it becomes a catch 22.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
NEWSROOMS ANSWER A SERIES OF QUESTIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY:
WHAT IS NEWSWORTHY?
DOES THIS STORY HAVE HIGH PUBLIC INTEREST?
WHAT VERIFIED FACTS ARE AVAILABLE, AND ARE THERE ENOUGH ELEMENTS TO TELL THE STORY RESPONSIBLY?
AND WHILE WE OFTEN IDENTIFY BIAS BY OMISSION ON THIS PODCAST – IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER — A STORY BEING ABSENT FROM ONE SIDE OF THE MEDIA SPECTRUM DOESN’T **AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THERE WAS POLITICAL MOTIVE BEHIND THAT DECISION.
SOMETIMES THE REASON IS FAR MORE LOGISTICAL THAN IDEOLOGICAL.
NEWSROOMS HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF REAL ESTATE.
THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY MINUTES IN A NEWS PROGRAM AND ONLY SO MANY SLOTS IN A RUNDOWN.
WHEN I USED TO STACK LOCAL NEWS SHOWS, I MIGHT HAVE ROOM FOR THREE TO FIVE STORIES IN THE A-BLOCK — THE MOST IMPORTANT STORIES OF THE DAY.
THEN MAYBE A HEALTH OR CONSUMER STORY IN THE B-BLOCK, SPORTS IN THE C-BLOCK, AND A LIGHT KICKER AT THE END.
THAT’S IT.
NOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM.
A LOT OF STORIES THAT I PERSONALLY FELT WERE RELEVANT NEVER MADE IT ON AIR.
OR WE’D PUSH THEM TO THE DIGITAL TEAM FOR JUST A WEB ARTICLE.
NEWS IS VAST. THERE’S A LOT OUT THERE TO COVER.
THERE ARE FAR MORE STORIES THAN THERE ARE MINUTES TO COVER THEM IN TRADITIONAL BROADCAST.
YES — SOMETIMES THERE ARE CLEAR PARTISAN PATTERNS IN COVERAGE.
BUT EVEN THEN, YOU HAVE TO ASK:
WAS THE OMISSION INTENTIONAL?
DID AN OUTLET DELIBERATELY LEAVE THE STORY OUT TO SHAPE A NARRATIVE —
OR WAS IT SIMPLY A CASE OF COVERAGE PRIORITIES?
THAT PART CAN BE DEBATED.
BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN:
NEWS OUTLETS CATER TO THEIR AUDIENCES.
THEY KNOW THEIR VIEWERS.
THEY KNOW YOU.
THEY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LIKELY TO CLICK ON, WATCH OR HAVE A BIG REACTION TO.
AND THEY KNOW HOW TO GET AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE FROM YOU.
DIFFERENT AUDIENCES GET DIFFERENT NEWS CYCLE PRIORITIES.
AND THAT WAS EVIDENT HERE.
DIFFERENT NEWS BUBBLES PRODUCE DIFFERENT REALITIES.
WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD — AND THE STORIES YOU THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CURRENT NEWS CYCLE –
IT COULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET THINKS, JUST BASED ON THE NEWS YOUR CONSUMING.
THERE ARE STORIES YOU WILL BE TOLD THAT THEY WON’T.
AND STORIES YOU WILL MISS AND THEY WILL SEE.
BECAUSE THAT’S THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF OUR MEDIA.
AND THAT’S YOUR BIAS BREAKDOWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING THIS WEEK’S EPISODE ALL THE WAY TO THE END HERE!
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR OTHER EPISODES – BUT IT WAS A LOT OF SIFTING THROUGH A LOT OF NEWS BROADCASTS TO MAKE SURE I COULD GET A GOOD GRASP ON THE DIFFERENT PARTISAN MEDIA LANDSCAPES AND TO MAKE SURE I WASN’T MISSING COVERAGE FROM AN OUTLET.
IF YOU’RE NEW HERE AND JUST NOW DISCOVERING US –
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR LATEST EPISODES.
WE TRY TO STAY ON TOP OF SOME OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT STORIES –
AND WE IDENTIFY DIFFERENT SORTS OF SPECIFIC BIASES IN COVERAGE.
LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE MEDIA CHERRY-PICKED DIFFERENT DETAILS IN RELEASED JEFFREY EPSTEIN EMAILS –
AND WE ALSO COVERED THE MEDIA DIVIDE IN HOW DIFFERENT OUTLETS DISPLAYED DATA ON CHRISTIAN DEATHS IN NIGERIA.
PLEASE GO CHECK US OUT –
WE’RE EASY TO FIND. JUST SEARCH FOR “BIAS BREAKDOWN” ON SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS.
THIS WAS A HEAVY EDITING LIFT FOR IAN KENNEDY THIS WEEK.
SO SERIOUSLY – THANK YOU SO MUCH TO IAN FOR HELPING US OUT WITH PUTTING THIS VIDEO TOGETHER.
I HOPE YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES GET TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER THIS WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING.
IT’S MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY – I LOVE ANY EXCUSE TO EAT A BUNCH OF FOOD, PLAY SOME YARD GAMES WITH FAMILY, AND EAT A BUNCH OF FOOD AGAIN!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!
I’M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS PLATFORM AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THE NEWS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY HERE.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND I’LL SEE YA NEXT TIME!
