• Senal
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    10 months ago

    Leaving out details is also bias. Especially when those details are pertinent to the subject being reported on.

    That he was talking about state policies could arguably be said to warrant including politics based details of the situation. Him being a failed presidential candidate and attending said event with a representatives of an anti-government extremist group would probably qualify for that.

    The difference between:

    Man speaks at length against restrictions to future meat-production quota’s

    vs

    Man known for previously running on a platform of meat-quota deregulation. speaks at length against restrictions to future meat-production quota’s, surrounded by meat industry lobbyists.

    Yes, the second one sounds more negative, but that’s not necessarily bias.

    • m0darn@lemmy.ca
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      10 months ago

      Do you think my comment did a reasonable job of responding to the previous comment’s question?

      I agree that leaving out details is bias, and everyone has bias. Bias can’t be avoided.

      The article is about DeSantis’s bigoted hypocrisy. He is a bigot and hypocrite.

      It’s not relevant that he’s also a failed presidential nominee. It’s not relevant that he is backed by anti government extremists (his candidacy was aligned with that organization’s gross priorities).

      The additions only serve to further alienate the reader from DeSantis and DeSantis supporters. It’s clearly biased against him.

      This is an appropriate place for anti-DeSantis bias, but the person saying they were put off by the bias is entitled to feel that way too. If a person can’t see how that article is biased it says a lot about them.

      • Senal
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        10 months ago

        I think it did a reasonable job of responding by pointing out a bias that I also think is evident. There was a choice to use certain phrases in the way they were used.

        I just think the level of bias in that direction isn’t as large as it seemed because he is a politician, speaking about a situation with politics in mind. As such , details that potentially add context to the politics of the situation are relevant, that’s not necessarily bias as much as relevant context.

        I don’t personally think him being a failed presidential candidate has much bearing past the possible bitterness he might be bringing to proceedings but actively choosing to appear with what could be considered an extremist group, for me, absolutely speaks to political and personal character, for good or ill ( a negative to me personally ).

        The additions only serve to further alienate the reader from DeSantis and DeSantis supporters. It’s clearly biased against him.

        Potentially, but that doesn’t make them inherently bias, for some that probably looks like a show of power.

        That you personally think it’s a negative speaks more to your own bias than the inclusion of the details. That goes for me as well.

        Choosing not to include those details could just as easily be considered bias.

        If a person can’t see how that article is biased it says a lot about them.

        If you mean me specifically then I’d answer that I do in fact think there’s a bias, i wasn’t arguing for the absence of bias,i was arguing that the specific bias you mentioned wasn’t the only possible kind that should be considered and that in light of the additional kinds it might move the needle of where the bias might be falling.

        I’m assuming (possibly incorrectly) that you think that the included details can only be taken negatively, what does that say about your own bias?

        • m0darn@lemmy.ca
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          10 months ago

          That you personally think it’s a negative speaks more to your own bias than the inclusion of the details.

          I don’t think it’s negative for people to be alienated from DeSantis. He’s a piece of shit.

          If you mean me specifically…

          I don’t think I do. You understand what bias is and recognize it.

          I agree my proposed alternative paragraph had a centrist bias, which isn’t something I had considered while drafting it. I think that’s because centrist bias is less overt. Since I was trying to contrast against the bias in the original article I still think it was appropriate.

          I’m assuming (possibly incorrectly) that you think that the included details can only be taken negatively, what does that say about your own bias?

          I’m not sure I understand your question. But this is the internet so I’ll answer anyway. I think bias against DeSantis is appropriate, especially in this community. But I didn’t think the article did it very well. I feel that way because it was so overt that I fear it would never be digested by anyone on the fence. Maybe it’s because I grew up and live in a slightly less dysfunctional democracy but I prefer news articles that help people understand others.

          • Senal
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            10 months ago

            I don’t think it’s negative for people to be alienated from DeSantis. He’s a piece of shit.

            Agreed and I’m also aware that that bias can creep in to how i present information but i think blatant attempts to try and alienate people (in general) isn’t a good approach, presenting facts and well reasoned points of view will allow others to draw their own conclusions.

            I don’t know if this applies to everyone, but if i get the impression that someone is trying to sway me in any direction (outside of a context where that sort of behaviour is expected and accepted by both parties) then I’d be very unlikely to take their opinion at face value.

            I’m not sure I understand your question. But this is the internet so I’ll answer anyway. I think bias against DeSantis is appropriate, especially in this community. But I didn’t think the article did it very well.

            Agreed, it wasn’t a well written article, at least by my standards.

            Since I was trying to contrast against the bias in the original article I still think it was appropriate.

            Also agreed, i was mainly pointing out that by leaving out mention of the potential other type of bias it could lead someone to think it was done intentionally, which ties in nicely with what you wrote next.

            I feel that way because it was so overt that I fear it would never be digested by anyone on the fence.

            Agreed and i find this to be a common problem, someone with an what would otherwise be a reasonable take pollutes my opinion of it by presenting it in such a way that it makes them seem unreasonable, be that inflammatory language, explicit bias, blatant omissions etc.

            I prefer news articles that help people understand others.

            This is harder and harder to find, not to say that any news has ever been bias free but to me it’s become much harder to find anything approaching a well presented article without some sort of literary shenanigans being applied.