Introduction
Media bias is an integral tool in modern society, used to appeal to a specific audience’s emotions and shift communities’ perspectives. One can observe such a phenomenon by comparing the coverage of the same event by different media outlets. After reviewing the coverage of the U.S. Vice President’s visit to the Bahamas by both The Nassau Guardian and Our News, it is clear that while some outlets have a commercial agenda, others pursue an ideological one.
Definition and World Perspective
Before delving deeper into how bias can manifest itself in discussing one topic, paying attention to the definition first is crucial; the unfair favoritism in covering a particular topic or viewpoint is known as media bias (Ott & Mack, 2020). The content that news, online communities, and entertainment mediums, including television and movies, decide to cover or focus on demonstrates media bias (Ott & Mack, 2020).
Prejudice or preconceived notions against an individual, community, or issue are generally called bias (Ott & Mack, 2020). As a result, bias manifests itself in the partiality of the authors when addressing a specific type of audience. Around the world, the issue of media bias is significant and evident. For example, in the U.S., it can be seen through political preferences. While specific news sources tend to have preconceived notions about Democrats, others favor Republicans (Ott & Mack, 2020). Overall, stereotyping results from bias and is evident in how some stories are covered in the media.
Difference in Coverage in Various Outlets
Moving forward, Bahamian media bias can be seen in the local media outlets, such as the local newspapers Our News and The Nassau Guardian. Recently, both sources addressed Kamala Harris, visiting the Bahamas concerning the environment. At the same time, the two articles focus on different perspectives, which can first be seen in the titles. For example, the article by Travis Cartwright-Carroll (2023) is titled US Vice President Kamala Harris to Visit the Bahamas, which emphasizes who visits.
In contrast, Kendeno Knowles (2023), who titled the work U.S. VP to meet Caribbean leaders in the Bahamas, emphasizes whom the VP visits. Going further, the tone of both pieces is essential to consider. In the work of Cartwright-Carroll (2023), the readers can observe subjective language and emotions, giving preference to the Biden-Harris administration, saying that it is “in pursuit of shared prosperity and security” (para.5). Meanwhile, KendenoKnowles (2023) remains objective and neutral in tone, sharing the details of the visit. Overall, the readers can see how the article by Cartwright-Carroll promotes a specific ideological agenda, while the piece by Kendeno Knowles tends to have a more commercial agenda.
Conclusion
In summary, examining how The Nassau Guardian and Our News covered the U.S. Vice President’s visit to the Bahamas, it is evident that certain media outlets have a commercial goal, while others have an ideological one. Media bias is the undue preference for one issue or point of view over another. The problem of media bias is serious and widely recognized. The chosen outlets recently discussed Kamala Harris’s visit to the Bahamas to discuss environmental issues. However, the titles and tones of the two articles indicate that they are focused on distinct points of view. Therefore, in pursuing different goals and views, media bias manifests in various forms.
References
Cartwright-Carroll, T. (2023). US Vice President Kamala Harris to visit Bahamas. The Nassau Guardian. Web.
Ott, B. L., & Mack, R. L. (2020). Critical media studies: An introduction (3rd ed.).. Wiley.
Knowles, K. (2023). U.S VP to meet Caribbean leaders in the Bahamas. Our News. Web.