Rhetorical Analysis of News

1. Rhetorical Analysis of News Where do you go to find news? How do you know what’s going on in the world of politics, health, entertainment, business, or sports?

2. Where do you find the news? New York Times Colbert Report Center Daily Times Salon.com Drudge Report E-online LA Times Slate.com National Review MTV.com Chicago Tribune ABC Weather Channel Google news Associated Press MSNBC Economist Wall Street Journal Newsweek AOL News CNN Washington Post BBC Today Show Fox News Collegian Reuters Yahoo News Good Morning America NPR Tabloids

3. “Almost all media that reach a large audience in the United States are owned by for-profit corporations--institutions that by law are obligated to put the profits of their investors ahead of all other considerations. The goal of maximizing profits is often in conflict with the practice of responsible journalism. Not only are most major media owned by corporations, these companies are becoming larger and fewer in number as the biggest ones absorb their rivals. This concentration of ownership tends to reduce the diversity of media voices and puts great power in the hands of a few companies. As news outlets fall into the hands of large conglomerates with holdings in many industries, conflicts of interest inevitably interfere with newsgathering. “http://www.frankwbaker.com/bias.htm Majority Stockholder General Electric (NBC) Microsoft (MSNBC) Time Warner (CNN) Disney (ABC) News Corp. Ltd.— Rupert Murdoch (Fox)

4. “Almost all media that reach a large audience in the United States are owned by for-profit corporations--institutions that by law are obligated to put the profits of their investors ahead of all other considerations. The goal of maximizing profits is often in conflict with the practice of responsible journalism. Not only are most major media owned by corporations, these companies are becoming larger and fewer in number as the biggest ones absorb their rivals. This concentration of ownership tends to reduce the diversity of media voices and puts great power in the hands of a few companies. As news outlets fall into the hands of large conglomerates with holdings in many industries, conflicts of interest inevitably interfere with newsgathering. “http://www.frankwbaker.com/bias.htm Majority Stockholder General Electric (NBC) Microsoft (MSNBC) Time Warner (CNN) Disney (ABC) News Corp. Ltd.— Rupert Murdoch (Fox)

5. “Almost all media that reach a large audience in the United States are owned by for-profit corporations--institutions that by law are obligated to put the profits of their investors ahead of all other considerations. The goal of maximizing profits is often in conflict with the practice of responsible journalism. Not only are most major media owned by corporations, these companies are becoming larger and fewer in number as the biggest ones absorb their rivals. This concentration of ownership tends to reduce the diversity of media voices and puts great power in the hands of a few companies. As news outlets fall into the hands of large conglomerates with holdings in many industries, conflicts of interest inevitably interfere with newsgathering. “http://www.frankwbaker.com/bias.htm Majority Stockholder General Electric (NBC) Microsoft (MSNBC) Time Warner (CNN) Disney (ABC) News Corp. Ltd.— Rupert Murdoch (Fox)

6. Media Bias

9. What other types of bias exists in the news? • Political

10. What other types of bias exists in the news? • Political • Racial Media Tenor conducted a study for FAIR , studying ABC, CBS and NBC nightly news programs. Results of the study made last year showed that 92 percent of all U.S. sources interviewed on matters of race and politics were white, 85 percent were male and, where party affiliation was identifiable, 75 percent were Republican. The study found specifically one third of the US public is portrayed negatively, and these are immigrants, blacks and other minorities.

11. What other types of bias exists in the news? • Political • Racial • Advertising / Product Placement In July 2008, the Las Vegas Sun reported that, for two weeks, "two cups of McDonald’s iced coffee (BUY!) sit on the Fox 5 TV news desk, a punch-you-in-the-face product placement (BUY!) to chase down your morning news" on local station KVVU. The "punch-you-in-the-face product placement" agreement lasted six months. KVVU's news director claimed that the "nontraditional revenue source" won't impact his station's reporting. McDonald's has similar product placement agreements with "WFLD in Chicago, which is owned and operated by Fox; on KCPQ in Seattle, a Fox affiliate owned by the Tribune Company; and on Univision 41 in New York City." Other stations owned by KVVU parent Meredith Corporation, "including WFSB, the CBS affiliate in Hartford, Conn., and WGCL, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta -- are also accepting product placements on their morning shows

12. What other types of bias exists in the news? • Political • Racial • Advertising / Product Placement • Class • Geography / Region • Religious

13. Questions to Ask to Detect News Bias: What is at stake and for whom in this article? What group of people / company does this story affect? 2. Does the purpose of the news article go beyond informing us? Is the purpose to capture our attention for advertisers, to promote a position, or to motivate us to act in some way? 3. Which groups affected by the issue or event reported are represented among the sources quoted, and which are missing? 4. What evidence is offered for fact-claims?Source, Chapter 7 How to Detect Bias in News and Opinion Articles in "Detecting Bull  How to Identify Bias and Junk Journalism in Print, Broadcast and on the Wild Web"  by John H. McManus)

14. Just the facts! Butwith bias… My parents claim that art school is a recipe for poverty. My parents weep over the fact that art school will lead to poverty. My parents scream that art school will impoverish me. My parents might threaten to chain themselves to the mailbox, denying themselves food and water, until I promise to go to law school or medical school. Anything but art school. Tell me the difference between these verbs. What sort of feeling do you get about the subject? Obama insisted Obama reported Obama celebrated Obama pleaded Obama demanded Look at the verbs! The persuasion is in the verb…

15. Consider: • Title • Use of Evidence / Quotations • Word Choice • Which news source seems more credible? How did you decide?