People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast How is bias in media related to polarization?, with Vanessa Otero
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Oct 29, 2023 In this insightful discussion, Vanessa Otero, creator of the Media Bias Chart and founder of Ad Fontes Media, shares her expertise on media bias and its link to political polarization. She explains her team’s rigorous methods to assess media reliability and the challenges of defining bias in today's climate. Vanessa also highlights how misinformation is perceived as liberal-leaning and addresses the need for empathetic dialogue amid rising political tensions. Ultimately, they explore how reducing bias could lead to a more understanding society.
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Unique Media Bias Rating Approach
- Ad Fontes Media uses a unique taxonomy with granular article-by-article ratings to assess media bias and reliability.
- They mitigate bias by having politically balanced analysts rate each article to find a more objective consensus.
Separating Bias from Accuracy
- Bias and accuracy are separate dimensions; outlets can be highly accurate yet politically biased by selective focus.
- Reliability drops when bias becomes extreme and critical facts are omitted, distorting the overall narrative.
Selective Fact Presentation as Bias
- Media bias occurs when outlets selectively present only facts favorable to one side, much like lawyers argue using helpful evidence.
- Leaving out critical facts that change a story's meaning marks the line where bias becomes misleading.
