Do media predictions unfairly influence voters?

Yes

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by Angela S. Young

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Has anyone noticed that the news is no longer the news? "The News" is the thoughts, opinions and ideals of the reporter or station. Bias is inherent in some types of media, such as talk radio. Promoting their own views is what they do, and they are up front about where they are do. People can choose to listen or not based on their own preferences. In the case of mainstream media, however, there is no label to tell consumers what is behind the comments they hear. I don't believe it's possible for news to be totally unbiased, but it could be a whole lot less biased than it has been for this election cycle. Whatever happened to real journalism?

So what does that have to do with unfair influence? People have respected journalism for many years, expecting to hear truth when they tune in for the daily news. If you think the source is supposed to give the facts, you might believe what they say without giving it a second thought. Unfortunately, many people quote the news as if it were the gospel. Most people are wise enough to discriminate between fact-driven news and commentary, but some are not. Others do not realize they are getting a big dose of indoctrination instead of just the facts. This leaves them open to media influence even though they are often unaware.

My father, a Baptist minister, has been praying that Obama would show his hand before the election. I say Obama has already shown his hand through his liberal voting, his associations, the words he speaks and those he leaves unsaid. He has revealed so much about himself to people willing to look beyond the eloquent speeches that sound so good but say nothing, to the extreme liberalism of the candidate and all that implies.

But, every time someone tries to point out anything about him, they are called racist or blasted for dirty political moves. Obama is a master at using deflection to move the eyes of the world elsewhere when they look too close at his real views. Unfortunately, the media has bought into all of this and appears to give him a pass no matter what he does or says.

So, sorry Dad, but Obama has already shown his true colors and no one cares because the press has danced around the issues and spun the news to make him look like the next Messiah. That, my friends is undue, unfair influence on voters.

The wise voter will check out several sources of information and assimilate that information themselves. Look beyond the media and the hype to what your eyes and ears are really telling you, lest you to fall prey to media influence regarding this election or any other issue. Sadly, so many have never learned to think for themselves, leaving the pied piper free to draw them down whatever path he likes.

Then there's the constancy of the coverage. Every little sneeze is covered on the news. People are polled to death as the pundits try to predict each city, county, district and state before the election ever happens. Then election day is disected minutely throughout the day, possibly causing some not to vote at all.

If we know media predictions and other media options can influence us, this should teach us to listen and watch with a grain of salt: don't believe everything you hear. Informed voting allows us to use our intelligence to sift through the surface rhetoric to find the grains of truth beneath. The right to vote comes dear; it was paid for by the blood of men and women who willingly put their lives at risk to insure that right for those who come behind. We owe these heroes an honest vote, based on the truth: a truth we discern based on our own research, not the opinions of the media.

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