Thursday, June 19, 2014

Did You Spot These Clues to How a Reporter Skews a Campaign Story?

PJ Media    "One of the things I learned early in my journalism training at Penn State is that a reporter can manipulate the meaning of events through word choices and source choices while appearing to remain an objective chronicler of the world as it is.

"Case in point: Washington Bureau Chief Dan Roberts reports for The Guardian on the importance of Obamacare in this year’s U.S. Senate race in North Carolina between Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis.
 
"I’ve done a seminar for high school students on how to read the news, so let’s have a little journalism clinic right now, to discover how a reporter’s word and source choices subtly sculpt your perception of the campaign, the healthcare issue and the respective politicians and their parties."...
...
"For example, you’ll find no pejorative associations for Sen. Hagan — no mention of George Soros, MSNBC, NARAL, or the Occupy Wall Street movement to parallel Mr. Tillis’ ties to the Koch Bros., NRA, Right to Life, Chamber, Romney and Tea Party. I don’t know if Hagan has any such links, I just noticed that the reporter doesn’t tell us anything about her ideological confederates."

Full article..

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