NPR blogger shows that all media has bias

NPR Code Switch blogger, Gene Demby, talks to professor Barry Gordemer's
students about media bias on Thursday, Oct. 9 2014 at American University
in Washington D.C. 
(Photo by Shavawn White) 

Why aren’t there more Asian-American’s in basketball? Is it because of their height, background or do people just assume that Asian-American’s can’t play basketball? These are the questions NPR Code Switch blogger, Gene Demby wanted answers to.

            On Oct. 9, 2014 Demby visited American University professor, Barry Gordemer’s, Writing for Communication classroom. He spoke about how there are only “15 Asian-American’s” that were in the Division I league in 2013 and he wanted to know why there was so few.

            Demby first looked at height, but saw that it couldn’t be a huge factor because there really is no average height in college basketball. Demby then looked at Asian-American culture, thinking that maybe Asian-American’s don’t like basketball. He found that in California there were many recreational leagues for Asian-Americans. And for many years the leagues in California had been very influential in the Asian-American community. In fact, famous Asian-American basketball player, Jeremy Lin’s, parents were “basketball obsessed.” Showing that Asian-Americans do like basketball and have no clear dislike for it.

            Demby then looked at race. That basketball scouts don’t go looking for Asian-Americans to play basketball. Demby said that he thinks scouts are only looking at “…inner-city schools where there are a lot of black people. Because you assume that this is what a basketball player looks like.” Demby believes that “stereotypes” play a role in why there aren’t that many Asian-Americans in the basketball league and why so few are covered in the media. Leading to a media bias.

            It’s not only Asian-American’s whose stereotypes play a major role in a story leading to bias. An example of media bias is found in a Huffington Post article called Mormon Missionary Has Dance-Off With Michael Jackson Impersonator, Flaunts Mad Skills. Both the headline and first sentence in the article makes the man being a Mormon his most important feature. It also gives the impression that Mormon missionaries wouldn’t usually take part in a dance-off or non-Mormon activity. The article should have started out as: Passers-by in Barcelona, Spain, were given an unexpected treat when Elder Gus Garcia and a Michael Jackson impersonator went head to head in an impromptu dance-off. Then the article could have made mention that Elder Garcia was a missionary on a trip to Barcelona in the final paragraph, as extra information.

Another article in the Washington Post by Nia-Malika Henderson titled, shows personal media bias. Henderson clearly holds Warren in high regard based on this sentence: “…which again lays out the disappointment…of disaffected liberals…to have someone of Warren’s stature validate their frustrations.” Perhaps the article should have said: Though Warren was pushed by liberal representatives to criticize the Obama and Clinton administration, Warren chose not to comment leaving representatives disappointed. This would have showed no personal bias and make the article more credible.  

Demby is right when he says, “Objectivity is a lie.” A journalist can bring stereotypes and their personal beliefs to an article; be it knowingly or not. As Demby said, “We all bring our own bias to these things.”