Television news broadcasts provide visual-based information on various news events, with the style, tone, and content of the presentation varying depending on the channel. Although the main purpose of news programs is to inform the audience about the recent issues, they are often criticized for being biased in their selection and depiction of events. In this essay, the TV news channels’ priorities are examined and analyzed on the example of the Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News Today of June 4, 2020.
For every news channel, the first priority is informing the audience about what has recently happened. Fox News provides information on recent domestic and international events illustrated with video footage, relevant comments, quotes from printed media, and reporters’ narrative. The main story of the Special Report with Bret Baier of June 4, 2020 is the public reaction to the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, which lead to global protests. The broadcast features the coverage of the memorial service and recent protests developments, including general information about the reason behind the protests, surveillance camera footage, videos from the memorial service, and footage of demonstrations.
The second priority is full coverage, which implies that the channel presents the news from different perspectives and provides different opinions on the situation so that the audience gets a full picture of the events. In Fox News Special Report, most news topics are covered from different angles with the reports featuring the reactions of different people involved in the situation. For example, in the story about the conflict between Donald Trump and former defense secretary Jim Mattis, who accused Trump of trying to divide Americans, several opposing opinions on the matter are quoted (Terra Patty, 2020). The focus of the coverage is not on what happened but on who said what and how different people reacted.
The third priority is shaping and influencing the audience’s opinion. TV channels have the power to shape public perceptions with a range of instruments and techniques, including news selection and presentation, accents, quotes, tone, style, and visual effects. Depending on how each issue is presented, what personalities and opinions are covered, what language is used in the report, and how extensive the coverage is, the viewers get a certain angle of the story.
The Fox News Special Report of June 4, 2020 features three main stories. The first is the public reaction to the killing of George Floyd. The second is the story of the Navy veteran who was released from Iranian custody after two years of imprisonment. The third is the conflict between President Trump and former defense secretary Jim Mattis. The selection of the stories demonstrates the channel’s priorities in handling the news agenda. While the protests are obviously the main news issue, the coverage of the Navy veteran’s release seems to be politically motivated to prove the success of President Trump’s foreign policy initiatives. It is followed by a report on the conflict between the President and the former defense secretary, which, although focused on Trump, is presented from different angles.
Based on the analysis of Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier of June 4, 2020, it can be concluded that Fox News channel’s priorities are a mix of journalism standards and subtle attempts to influence the viewers’ opinion. Most events are presented from different angles and feature opposing comments. However, the selection of news and the coverage of political events can be considered controversial.
Reference
Terra Patty. (2020). Special report with Bret Baier. 20 | Fox News Today 2020 [Video]. YouTube. Web.