Media Bias - Types of Bias

Types of Bias

The most commonly discussed forms of bias occur when the media support or attack a particular political party, candidate, or ideology, but other common forms of bias include

• Advertising bias, when stories are selected or slanted to please advertisers.

• Corporate bias, when stories are selected or slanted to please corporate owners of media.

• Mainstream bias, a tendency to report what everyone else is reporting, and to avoid stories that will offend anyone.

• Sensationalism, bias in favor of the exceptional over the ordinary, giving the impression that rare events, such as airplane crashes, are more common than common events, such as automobile crashes.

• Concision bias, a tendency to report views that can be summarized succinctly, crowding out more unconventional views that take time to explain.

Other forms of bias including reporting that favors or attacks a particular race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnic group, or even person.

Stefano Mario Rivolta lists three forms of media bias:

1. gate keeping bias, i.e., deciding whether to release a story or keep it under wraps (see Spike (journalism))
2. coverage bias
3. statement bias