Hostile Media Effect

Plaissance brings up the very interesting concept of the "hostile media effect" in chapter two. He states that "groups of partisans...tend to be convinced that news coverage of the issue is biased, or hostile, to their own point of view" (Media Ethics pg. 39). The way he describes it strikes me as slightly off-putting in the sense that regardless of the integrity and credibility of the news source, individuals will still find oppositional bias in it. It's an unsettling idea to grasp, especially to those who have had some experience with journalism, since the goal of news journalism is to provide an unbiased account of the story. What we think comes off as objective can be perceived in a multitude of ways by various groups. However, the "hostile media effect" is not necessarily a detrimental concept. It can aid in raising awareness about different issues and events, and it shouldn't be dismissed as a completely negative reaction to bias.

News bias is usually characterized by either the exclusion of important facts or viewpoints, or over-inclusion of one-sided arguments. Therefore, partisan groups perceive bias in a story that does not provide, in their opinion, an adequate account of their viewpoint. I've noticed this a lot on Tumblr and Twitter, where people frequently discuss the lack of media coverage regarding various global as well as local events. Most recently, there has been controversy regarding the lack of mainstream coverage of a bombing outside of a NAACP building in Colorado. This article from the Daily Dot details Twitter users' outrage over the mainstream media's silence. The trending hashtag (#NAACPbombing) has been one of the more prominent methods of distribution of this news. Thus, the perception of bias in the media is bringing more awareness to the event. So does this fall under the "hostile media effect"? The partisans, those outraged by the lack of coverage, claim that media outlets are both neglecting the story and keeping key information out of their accounts. Regardless, their concerns are valid and gaining attention. While the "hostile media effect" appears to have a negative connotation attached to it, examples like these prove that it is generally beneficial in terms of raising awareness.