1- Television News (Domestic and Global)

 
News Network Bias versus Public Opinion

With the increasing accessibility of modern news media, news sources from all over the world have become more viewable than ever. News stations such as the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) have become readily available to United States citizens alongside many US news stations. Among some of the most viewed news stations in the United States are Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. These news sources, widely considered to be the "Big Three", provide information for many United States citizens on various political and popular culture topics. Although these news sources are extremely accessible, it is common knowledge that each of them is biased toward certain political views, especially the current presidency. 

Fox News

Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News

 Fox News is known for leaning toward right-wing conservative ideals. Established in 1986 as a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, it has provided nightly news for nearly forty years. Fox News is known by many as a proud supporter of President Donald Trump, and many   Republicans trust Fox News more than any other news source. Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News, stated that President Trump is "a gifted communicator who knows how to connect with the viewers."

CNN

CNN CEO Mark Thompson

Cable News Network, also known as CNN, was established in 1980 and has been providing twenty four hour news coverage ever since. When it was established, it was the first all news network in the United States. Although CNN is much more central in its political views, many viewers have begun to believe that the network has taken on a slight left-leaning view. CEO Mark Thompson has worked toward being "open-minded" when covering the controversial political climate of today. 

MSNBC

Rashida Jones (President) and Rebecca Kutler (Interim President)

Microsoft National Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as MSNBC, was established in 1996 as a joint effort between Microsoft and NBC. Since then, it has provided consistent twenty-four-hour news, covering several political issues every day. Despite its widespread news coverage, many people are distrustful of the news station due to it's reputation of having extremely liberal bias. Many news stories regarding President Donald Trump are highly critical, with headlines stating things such as "Trump is daring anyone to stop his illegal funding freeze." 

Public Opinion and Media Bias

Despite the ever-increasing accessibility of various news stations in the United States, many citizens find themselves gravitating toward one specific news source. However, certain Americans have a wavering trust in the modern news networks of today. According to Pew Research Center, about 83% of Americans have a sense of trust in the media that they consume daily. Many Republicans find themselves trusting Fox News much more than other networks, while Democrats tend to gravitate toward MSNBC. While these are the most popular news networks, they are far from the only networks to show bias. Ad Fontes Media developed a Media Bias Chart in order to track which news stations lean toward right-wing or left-wing views. 

Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart

During the past several years, it has become much clearer to the public that most news networks show some form of political bias, even if the stations claim to be unbiased. Due to a fear of misinformation, many people have recently become distrustful toward news sources in the United States. 

Due to a rise in political bias, many citizens have developed new methods of learning about modern events. According to The Prairie News, observing news media from multiple sources is a great way to combat the bias that can be extremely prevalent in today's media. When people are able to look past the blatant news bias of today's media they can become more educated about modern events while remaining aware of the full picture.