Media Bias.

[SilverWind]

Ok, EOFF, crunch time.

I need to find 4 examples of media bias in news stories, and such. 2 pro-conservative, 2 pro-liberal.
I've searched and searched, and all I've found was some opinion columns, and those are forbidden. I really can't find any, and I'm at wit's end. Places suggested to look were New York Times' website, and other newspaper websites like that.

I know this is short notice, and I'm going to keep looking, but this is really stressing me out...

[Tavrobel]

MSNBC and CNN (much more prevalent in the former) are slanted left. Fox News is slanted to the right. Start from there.

However, if you really need to be able to prove the bias, find articles about the same subject, and see what is said about the situation; the differences should become apparent through the analysis of tone and what the author offers to you, the reader as "proof." The easiest way to identify slant is through a polarizing topic, such as abortion (an understatement at best), or the Iraqi War (or the Second Gulf War, for all of those nitpickers).

EDIT: The cheat sheet is as follows:
Left Wing, Liberal, Democrat: Abortion rights are a good thing, "no" on war, and excessive government spending in an effort to create an economic surplus, higher taxes, Big Government, trickle up economy, an unwavering and consistent blame of the Green Party for ruining the 2000 Election for Gore
Right Wing, Conservative, Republican: Abortion is an issue of States' Rights, and therefore, it is bad; "yes" on war, religious fanaticism/fundamentalism, lower taxes, trickle down economy, GOP, Libertarians masquerade as Republicans

[SilverWind]

Ok, I've looked around, and I really can't find anything... Am I just woefully ignorant? Is the particular bias supposed to be blaringly obvious? My main problem is that I don't know when it's bias.

[Tavrobel]

No, just inexperienced. It is bias whenever certain pertinent "facts" are offered in such a way as to make a certain group of people seem worse or better. Some sources call this phenomenon "spin," though they are not the same; they are, however, related.

For example, if I were given certain "facts" about the current economy:
Democrats voted for bill X while Republicans voted against
Bill X was a plan to help boost the economy
Bill X had a major flaw

A conservatively biased media might attempt to say that bill X was flawed, and is what caused the current failure, and would, in some cases, offer a different plan, bill Y. Even a detailed flow of what happened in a step-by-step process may be shown.

A liberally biased media would say that bill X is not what caused the problem, using whatever "facts," such as numbers to show that the problem lay elsewhere.

A visit to EoEO's politics threads will do wonders for your view on these things.

[Vivisteiner]

I agree with what is said. Although Fox news shouldn't even qualify as a 'news' station.

Often when there is bias, they will only present one side of the argument and use facts for that one side.

Other times they create straw men e.g. purposefully rebuild an opponents argument incorrectly so that appears weaker than it actually is. Then they knock it down.

[SilverWind]

Ok. Well, thanks guys. I turned it in today. Hopefully it'll be good enough.