Brief 1: 24 Hour Cable News Bias on Syrian Refugees
In the United States, Fox and MSNBC are some of the top dominating 24 hour news channels. While Fox and MSNBC are reporting the same news stories, you get a completely different experience and coverage on the hot topics they are covering. Fox is notoriously biased against Obama and his decisions, while MSNBC is known for supporting him. This can be seen clearly through the coverage of Syrian refugees on the contrasting news channels.
When Fox was covering the Syrian refugees being allowed to seek shelter in the United States, they used negative terminology towards the refugees as well as the government officials in charge of screening. They used terms such as bloody, asylum-seekers, terror-ties, lack of on-the-ground intelligence, and ruthlessness. These terms show an obvious negative bias towards the Syrian refugees being allowed to enter the United States, as well as the people in charge of allowing them in. The negative bias doesn't stop there. Fox news channel displays their opposition towards Obama by exemplifying their "mounting concerns over whether the Obama administration can properly vet [Syrian refugees]". They also talk about how it is "impossible to trust screening" and the "lack of ground intelligence necessary to identify terror links". Fox news also discusses the white house and how vague they were when questioned about the screening procedures used to determine which refugees were safe to come into the United States. It is obvious how negatively Fox news feels toward the incoming refugees and Obama allowing them in.
MSNBC also covered the Syrian refugees being allowed into the United States. However, it was a completely different experience than Fox's coverage. MSNBC used much more positive terminology, such as welcome, accepted, encourage, help, and in need. It is easily recognizable by just the terms being used that they are in favor of Obama's decision to allow the refugees into the United States. MSNBC also exhibits their positivity towards the incoming refugees by discussing how the "U.S. will welcome refugees" and "[their] plans to encourage other countries to "ramp up" their humanitarian efforts in the region, as well as their willingness to take in Syrian refugees". MSNBC then discusses how the decision to allow refugees into the states came "amid increasing pressure from human rights groups for President Obama to do more to help the millions of displaced Syrians". This could be a ploy to increase positive views on Obama's decision by showing that there was a demand from human rights groups. MSNBC also doesn't "anticipate that the U.S. would have a significant problem in trying to meet the ambitious goal the President has laid out". Again, MSNBC is using positive language to talk about Obama and his decision to allow refugees in the U.S.
It is quite clear that Fox and MSNBC are biased on the acceptance of the Syrian refugees into the country. Fox is very negative and pushes the idea that there should be high concern over the decision Obama made, as well as the refugees and officials screening them. MSNBC completely ignores the fact that problems may arise from the incoming Syrians. They keep a positive outlook and are pleased with Obama's decision to welcome the refugees into the country. This extreme difference in the type of coverage effects the viewer's perception of the Syrian refugees and inflicts highly emotional responses from both Fox and MSNBC viewers. The way it was covered skewed the reality of what is actually occurring and leads the population to think the way that the opposing news channels would want.
Articles Cited:
(http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/us-accept-1000-syrian-refugees)
(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/28/surge-syrian-refugees-into-us-stirs-security-concerns.html)
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