Trust in the media & Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias
We tend to trust statements that confirm our beliefs.
What mainstream media can you trust?
- CBC Radio-Canada - The Globe& Mail(centre), the National Post (conservative)
- Tele-Quebec, TVA Nouvelles
- APTN
- La Presse, Le Devoir
The misconception about "objectivity" & journalism
- Objectivity is impossible to achieve, it's not in journalistic codes of ethic
- Instead fairness, balance, accuracy
- Journalistic values: truth, transparency, fairness, balance, accuracy, accountability, proof-based
What is fact-checking?
- Making sure you get the facts right when working on a news story
- Facts must be verified and verifiable by/in at least 2 reputable sources
- It's usually the editor's job to make sure that journalists did their job properly
- Most trustworthy media’s editorial standards say how they handle factchecking and what they do if they find a mistake
Journalism organizations' revenues
- Subscriptions
- Advertisement
- Donations
- Government subsidies for qualified journalism organizations
Why is there a decline in the trust in the media?
- Idea that media is 'biased' - Media illiteracy
- Misunderstanding how journalists do their work - prevalence of 'opinion journalism
- media concentration/ ownership - highly partisan news outlet
Qualified Journalism Organization
The Canadian government gives subsidies to qualified Canadian Journalism Organization (QCJO'S)
- Canadian Journalism labour tax credit
-Digital News subscription tax credit
Mistakes happen
Post media
- Post media is openly conservative
- Post Media owns most local newspapers, as well as influential broadsheets
- Uniformity in reporting
Is media biased
- Newsroom tend to have some sort of political alignment
- Objectivity is impossible
- Political bias is visible in: the story they chose to run, the angle, the columnists
- Political alignment often stems from ownership
When in doubt
- Media bias/ fact check - 'Editorial standards' section of the site
- 'About' section of the site - Google the website
- google the journalists - if it feels sketchy, then it probably is
Major mistakes are made
It really undermines a media organization's reputation
Media Concentration in Canada
The top 5 Canadian media companies control 72.5% of the news media industry
- Ownership influences content
- Columnists writing opinion pieces influence the audience's views on given topic
- Know who owns the media you consume, there might be a political bias