Although the first code of ethics listed on the Society of Professional Journalists' website states that journalists should "Seek truth and report it," the cold, hard truth is that it is nearly impossible for viewers to get the entire truth. Often a reporter's bias will leak into their story to fit what they feel should be the truth instead of giving the straight facts and letting us decide. They're feeling the truth at us. 

 Political satirist Steven Colbert explained it best with the word "truthiness."

Fox News has been repeatedly rated as the most watched cable news program. According to PPP's 3rd annual TV news trust poll, it is the source that Americans trust the most and the least. With this blog we intend to compare Fox News programs to political satirists Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. Political satire programs can occasionally help to uncover the "truthiness" and help to direct viewers toward the facts. 

 It has become increasingly important for media connoisseurs to be able to distinguish between "truth" (what is accurate and factual) and "truthiness" (what feels right). So how, as a media consumer, will you ever be able to tell the difference between the two?  

                                                            Let us show you.
 
Tips to identify bias:

Identify the source: "To portray issues fairly and accurately, media must broaden their spectrum of sources. Otherwise, they serve merely as megaphones for those in power."
Look for diversity: Media you consume should reflect the diversity of the public they serve.
Identify the viewpoint: Those affected by the issue should have a voice in coverage. 
Look for double standards: "Do media hold some people to one standard while using a different standard for other groups?"
Are there stereotypes that will skew coverage: There are many misconceptions involved in stereotypes and stereotypes often characterize individuals unfairly. 
Are there unchallenged assumptions: "Often the most important message of a story is not explicitly stated."
Loaded language: Occasionally the language chosen gives people an inaccurate impression of the issue, program or community. 
Lack of context: Context must be included to fully understand the information.
Do the headlines and stories match: Headlines are usually skimmed and a misleading one could have a significant impact. 
Are stories on important issues featured prominently: If a story is important it should be featured where readers will see it first. 

 Strategies used in reporting:

 Selective Processes: "This perspective on how humans “see” the world is based on individual differences of upbringing, race, gender, socioeconomic status, life experiences."
Gatekeeping: "These are elements that make constant decisions about what information is or isn’t important enough to pass along—what information gets through the “gate” from the sender of a message to a receiver of that message. Not only does gatekeeping occur in deciding the end message, but also as a reporter decides what stories to cover, what sources to interview, what questions to ask, and what parts of her reporter’s notebook are important enough to make it into the story." 
Agenda-Setting: "This theory holds that although the mass media can’t tell us what to think, the media are stunningly successful at telling us what to think about."
Framing: "This theory concerns how news and information are “framed” or presented once through the news “gate” and on the public agenda."

 




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