The Myth of a Free Press: Media Bias Explained

A video about mainstream media bias.

Timestamps:

00:00 "Fake News"
01:20 Introduction
04:34 The "Migrant Crisis" and the "Migrant Caravan"
07:28 Anatomy of a News Report
11:53 Media and Representation
19:37 Manufacturing Consent
31:51 Inside the Consent Factory
48:26 Worthy and Unworthy Victims
52:59 Conclusions

In this month's episode of What the Theory?, I (Tom Nicholas) look at media bias and "fake news" primarily through the lens of Manufacturing Consent by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky and the work of Stuart Hall on representation and the media.

We're going to put the corporate media under the spotlight in order to consider how media ownership leads to bias in the media which favours the richest and most powerful in our society.

As a case study, we're going to take a look at a news report which aired as part of the BBC's flagship news and current affairs programme BBC Newsnight. The report focuses on the "migrant crisis" and the current English Channel crossings. We're going to consider how BBC News has framed these Channel crossings, what response the report wants us to have to them and what aspects of the way in which our media works might have informed this.

It's a long one, but my goal was to create the ultimate media bias crash course. Hopefully, I've not done too badly on that front.

If you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.

Thanks for watching!

#mediabias #chomsky #manufacturingconsent

[Tom_Nicholas]

Rewards include Early Access to videos, copies of scripts, commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes content and more.

Thanks for watching!

[ThePsychoRenegade]

Tom out here looking like he wants someone to bring him pictures of Spiderman.

[Dsonsee]

I find it remarkable that the media corporations label RT and Al-Jazeera "state-sponsored media" while the BBC and DW are labelled as "public broadcasting".

[KillsAllHumanity]

So im only about 13ish minutes into this video so far, but i wanna just compliment you on taking the time to summarize the structure of your argument. Its a little step that makes the video that much easier to follow

[jeremyellismusic]

The pronunciation is so clear it's driving me insane. Tom has the hardest T sounds in the game.

[tomlloyd]

As a current media MA student, I just want to say this is an excellent video that has been well-researched and articulated so perfectly. Genuinely incredible.

[samuelwilkin]

When I first saw the clips of people on the boats. It felt like I was watching a human nature documentary with the reporter watching these people trying to survive, whilst not intervening to save and help them.
It is really disturbing about how they turned them from people fleeing their homes into either threats or just statistics.

[lauran.p.]

Oh gosh to show the vulnerable people at that little boat as a threat just enrages me, it is total cowardice. I would never be able to talk about this issue as calmly as you did, and I respect that.

[jacknitro]

As a teacher, I rewrote my whole unit on media bias. Thank you for this great informative and funny video!

[spaceowl]

I hadn’t considered that the report was reducing these people to statistics, but it absolutely did. The report seemed completely innocuous to me at first but that was a great aha moment. They could’ve framed the event in so many different other ways.

Your channel is fascinating! Truly a gem. Not to mention your style is very unique.

Thanks for this insight and for being a great YouTuber.

[grosslyoverrated]

i (and my brother) have both been having this argument for years with our father; a longtime journalist, now speechwriter for a state legislator. the level of cognitive dissonance about what he dedicated so much of his life to has been so frustrating. especially because, i am pretty sure, he has read manufacturing consent.

[Maunakea]

There’s not enough people making intelligent content like this. Very thoughtful analysis.

[archvaldor]

It is worth adding that you will literally almost never see any one on the News who isn't in the supertax league, and that's true for most of the important backroom staff.. Even if the journalist attempts to be objective they just aren't aware of many things the working and middle-classes experience.

[itWouldBeWise]

Also recommended, the segment by George Carlin: "It's called the American dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."

[gemmapeter]

The BBC removed Gary Lineker from Match of the Day after he tweeted against Suella Braverman's rhetoric demonising asylum seekers crossing the Channel. This video is very appropriate to the topic.

[DanniBiersack]

weirdly I'm reminded of english lessons in primary and secondary school, where we were taught different "genres" of writing - newspapers, diaries, stories, etc. obviously to help us distinguish what literary devices and tones etc. are appropriate for each style. But I do distinctly remember being taught to write a newspaper in a /persuasive/ way - in a way to get the audience to take a certain side. It's like it's an open thing that the news has ulterior motives but it's also not questioned either

[kindletwitt]

Man it’s funny to get a Epoch Times ad on this video

[Guns]

Time to add this to my pile of "Good videos that explain my point but no one but me and certain friends will watch because its too many Sargons long." Very good video and this comment is an offering to the almighty YouTube Algorithm.

[Mankorra_Gomorrah]

I’m literally about to get into a zoom call for a college class about politics and the media and this single video has been more informative than the entire class for the 5 weeks I’ve been in it

[rebekahrobertson]

Why did I pay bloody $30k for a whole damn degree when I could’ve just watched video essays. You’re awesome man