Article analysis- Cnn vs. Fox News
In the days leading to the midterm election, the most prominent topic in the political sphere was the Caravan, which was rapidly advancing on the US border.
This caravan had extended beyond its literal definition of a group of men, women, and children walking towards the border.
With the escalating political tension in the US, this situation was quickly twisted by the left and the right to perpetuate certain extreme ideologies about immigration, and win over voters.
Though both CNN and Fox News would like to portray themselves as completely impartial and unbiased, the true political opinions of each media group was illuminated in this extremely controversial situation.
Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/world/caravan-migrants-breach-us-border-amid-anger-from-slow-asylum-seeking-process
The first sentence of this piece begins with "At least two dozen Central American migrants -- who claim they're disillusioned and frustrated with the asylum-seeking process -- breached the U.S.-Mexico border". A hostile tone towards the migrants is explicitly stated just within those few words. The word "claim" is used to question the legitimacy of the pain and suffering that these migrants are undergoing. Fox is attempting to associate this group with false claims, and is presenting the mass injustices within the asylum system as something that only causes mere "frustration".
The next major paragraph title states "TIJUANA MAYOR SAYS ARREST CARAVAN ORGANIZER, VOWS TO STOP FUNDING MIGRANTS". This statement really touches close to the hearts of the American people. The criminalization of Asylum seekers before they even reach the United States will make it that much easier to incarcerate and/ or turn them away at the border. Fox media is presenting these migrants as literal criminals, when in fact seeking asylum is an international right.
Fox news is especially proficient in invoking this false sense of fear within the American public, and disregarding the sufferings of a persecuted group. Fox news used their platform as an influential media site to reaffirm their preconceived ideas about immigration when it really matters most in the political sphere.
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/americas/migrant-caravan-profiles/index.html
Similarly, CNN also attempts at invoking the empathetic emotions of the reader. This media piece is in essence, a compilation of these extremely touching stories that the authors have heard while traveling with the Caravan. Stories of domestic violence, hate crimes, drug cartels and family separation. CNN has found the most extreme situations possible to justify hopping of the border.
This piece provides a very clear and logical basis of knowledge for the reader to understand this exodus and the motivations behind it. However the piece still expressed their political bias in what they failed to mention. Though the motivations behind the caravan are genuine, legitimate and based on real persecution, the way that this group is attaining that entry doesn't necessarily align with the presentation that we have been given of the group thus far. CNN picked and chose what to present to the audience. Sifting through the stories they had heard to find the ones that really would hit a nerve, though those stories might not even encompass the scale of a situation.
In that lies the true parallels between CNN and Fox. The ability to derive a piece that aligns with your opinions is so powerful, because a situation like the caravan can be warped and contorted to reaffirm these beliefs. The question is whether the American public will ever be free of the implicit biases which are so prominent in these large media sources like CNN, Fox and many others.
This caravan had extended beyond its literal definition of a group of men, women, and children walking towards the border.
With the escalating political tension in the US, this situation was quickly twisted by the left and the right to perpetuate certain extreme ideologies about immigration, and win over voters.
Though both CNN and Fox News would like to portray themselves as completely impartial and unbiased, the true political opinions of each media group was illuminated in this extremely controversial situation.
Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/world/caravan-migrants-breach-us-border-amid-anger-from-slow-asylum-seeking-process
The first sentence of this piece begins with "At least two dozen Central American migrants -- who claim they're disillusioned and frustrated with the asylum-seeking process -- breached the U.S.-Mexico border". A hostile tone towards the migrants is explicitly stated just within those few words. The word "claim" is used to question the legitimacy of the pain and suffering that these migrants are undergoing. Fox is attempting to associate this group with false claims, and is presenting the mass injustices within the asylum system as something that only causes mere "frustration".
The next major paragraph title states "TIJUANA MAYOR SAYS ARREST CARAVAN ORGANIZER, VOWS TO STOP FUNDING MIGRANTS". This statement really touches close to the hearts of the American people. The criminalization of Asylum seekers before they even reach the United States will make it that much easier to incarcerate and/ or turn them away at the border. Fox media is presenting these migrants as literal criminals, when in fact seeking asylum is an international right.
Fox news is especially proficient in invoking this false sense of fear within the American public, and disregarding the sufferings of a persecuted group. Fox news used their platform as an influential media site to reaffirm their preconceived ideas about immigration when it really matters most in the political sphere.
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/americas/migrant-caravan-profiles/index.html
Similarly, CNN also attempts at invoking the empathetic emotions of the reader. This media piece is in essence, a compilation of these extremely touching stories that the authors have heard while traveling with the Caravan. Stories of domestic violence, hate crimes, drug cartels and family separation. CNN has found the most extreme situations possible to justify hopping of the border.
This piece provides a very clear and logical basis of knowledge for the reader to understand this exodus and the motivations behind it. However the piece still expressed their political bias in what they failed to mention. Though the motivations behind the caravan are genuine, legitimate and based on real persecution, the way that this group is attaining that entry doesn't necessarily align with the presentation that we have been given of the group thus far. CNN picked and chose what to present to the audience. Sifting through the stories they had heard to find the ones that really would hit a nerve, though those stories might not even encompass the scale of a situation.
In that lies the true parallels between CNN and Fox. The ability to derive a piece that aligns with your opinions is so powerful, because a situation like the caravan can be warped and contorted to reaffirm these beliefs. The question is whether the American public will ever be free of the implicit biases which are so prominent in these large media sources like CNN, Fox and many others.
I think it is unfortunate that information about a topic like this is being twisted to back up political views and leanings, instead of doing something that is helpful, such as offering a compromise that works for all In the situation or simply reporting unbiased news.
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