Citizen Free Press – Is it Right-Biased?
While it is important to read a balanced news source, Citizen Free Press is not the news source for you. It links to right-leaning sources and largely publishes stories that reflect their political views. Their articles often feature minimal dialogue and use video or tweet sourcing to support their positions. They also usually include emotionally-charged headlines that are unlikely to make you think. And since they only publish their own stories, you are not likely to find the same information in mainstream outlets.
Less Reliable sources
While a lot of Americans are happy with the new online media space, we also have a few concerns. The website lacks transparency and dialogue and stories are often biased and contain loaded emotional headlines. It links to right-leaning media sites and rarely tries to engage readers in dialogue. These concerns are understandable, but not enough to make us stop reading the Citizen Free Press. In the meantime, we need more reliable sources of news.
The credibility of citizen journalism is low. According to Dr. Nip, only 15% of Americans regularly read blogs, and a 2005 study by Dr. Kim and colleagues found that blogs are not credible to the general public, but if they are focused on actual blog visitors, their credibility increased from 12% to 23%. Nonetheless, citizen journalism does not have the credibility of traditional news media, which may discourage readers. Professional journalists rely on these news outlets to tell their stories.
Bias in story selection
Citizen Free Press has a right-biased bias toward conservative causes, and the source content of the site is often right-leaning. Story selection and sourcing often lack dialogue or explanation and can be loaded with emotional headlines. Unlike mainstream news sources, CFP only occasionally publishes original stories. While it does have a few good stories, it is largely Right-biased.
The media is influenced by a number of factors, from the ownership of a news outlet to the specific political or ideological stance of its audience. Bias in story selection and coverage of events can be influenced by these factors, so identifying and measuring the bias in your local news is critical. However, there are several ways to recognize bias in the media. The first step is to identify media outlets that present a diverse range of viewpoints.
Bias in factual reporting
Bias in factual reporting is a persistent problem in the citizen free press. As a journalist, you must recognize your biases when you encounter them in your reporting. In a press conference, for example, every question and answer represents the germ of a story. Researchers could match those questions and answers with subsequent news reports. However, this is not a straightforward task. Clayman et al. (2010) systematically analyze the behavior of reporters in such settings.
Media owners and journalists can use sophisticated techniques to slant their news stories in favor of one side or the other. This intentional bias is similar to censorship and lying, but is much more subtle. Although many journalists argue that there is no such thing as a truly objective journalist, they seek to minimize their own biases and present as balanced a view as possible. The media should strive to avoid creating bias and promote a free and independent citizen free press.
Links to other right-leaning news sources
There are several news sites on the Internet that are labeled as being biased toward the right. The Drudge Report, founded by Matt Drudge in 1996, is the most popular and most-read right-leaning site, although many liberals aren’t as familiar with it. Other left-leaning sources include The Guardian, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and the New York Times.
Reliability of stories
A new news website, Citizen Free Press, has caught the attention of many people. It is the brainchild of a mysterious Internet whiz, and it was even featured in the recent Middle America movie Breaking Away. Although often shunned in Washington, the website is gaining in popularity among conservatives. Calling itself an alternative to the Drudge Report, the site has soared past its competitors and is poised to take over the right-leaning media space. However, there are concerns about its credibility and the quality of stories.
The First Amendment guarantees a free press, and this freedom is one of the hallmarks of a democratic society. As long as journalists are allowed to report the news and not express their own opinions, people will be able to trust the information they receive. However, free press comes with responsibilities, and the judiciary treats citizen-based reporters differently than professional journalists. The information they provide can be highly damaging to a person’s reputation. It’s therefore important to make sure that the information they publish is accurate and fair.
