{"id":36926,"date":"2024-03-20T22:52:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T05:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=36926"},"modified":"2024-03-20T22:52:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T05:52:52","slug":"media-biases-berat-sebelah-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/media-biases-berat-sebelah-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Biases (Berat-Sebelah Media)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bobby Duffy is the author of the book, Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding<\/em>. Duffy draws on numerous public-opinion studies conducted by himself and colleagues across various countries, focusing on social and political questions. In his book, Duffy offers several valuable lessons about human cognition, biases and understanding such as:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Awareness of cognitive biases<\/strong>: Duffy highlights various cognitive biases that affect human decision making and understanding by becoming aware of this biases such as confirmation bias, seeking information that confirms preconceptions or availability heuristic (overestimating the importance of readily available information), readers can start to recognize when their thinking may be influenced by these biases.[1]<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Critical thinking skills<\/strong>: Developing critical thinking skills is essential for navigating a complex world filled with misinformation and misunderstandings. Duffy emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions, seeking out diverse perspectives and evaluating evidence objectively before forming opinions or making decisions.[2]<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Open mindedness and flexibility:<\/strong> Being open minded and willing to revise beliefs in the face of current information is crucial. The book encourages readers to embrace uncertainty, acknowledge the limitations of their knowledge and remain flexible in the thinking to avoid falling into rigid or polarized viewpoints.[3]<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Media literacy<\/strong>: In today’s digital age understanding media biases misinformation and the spread of fake news is essential. Duffy discusses the role of media in shaping perceptions and provides insights into how individuals can become more media literate by fact checking, verifying sources and consuming information from diverse and reliable sources.[4]<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Understanding differences<\/strong>: Recognizing and empathizing with the perspectives and experiences of others can help bridge divides and reduce polarization. Duffy’s book encourages empathy as a tool for fostering constructive dialogue promoting mutual understanding and overcoming biases based on stereotypes or limited information.[5]<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Continuous learning and improvement:<\/strong> No one is immune to errors in judgment or misunderstandings, but ongoing learning and self-awareness can lead to improvement. By adopting a mindset of continuous learning, seeking feedback and being open to self-correction can mitigate the impact of cognitive biases and make more informed decisions over time.[6]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Media literacy[7]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    I was interested to read more about media literacy, then realized that Duffy does not specifically focus on media literacy. Instead, he explores broader themes related to human misperceptions, cognitive biases, and the importance of accurate information. While media literacy is not a central topic in this book, understanding our tendency to misunderstand can indirectly inform our approach to media consumption and critical thinking. For example:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Critical Evaluation:<\/strong> Media literacy involves critically evaluating information presented in the media, including assessing the credibility of sources, checking for bias, and verifying the accuracy of claims.<\/li>\n
    2. Understanding Biases:<\/strong> Media literacy also involves understanding the various biases that can affect media content, such as political bias, commercial bias, and cultural bias. By being aware of these biases, individuals can better interpret media messages.<\/li>\n
    3. Fact-Checking:<\/strong> Media literacy includes fact-checking information before accepting it as true. This may involve cross-referencing information with reliable sources and checking for any inconsistencies or inaccuracies.<\/li>\n
    4. Recognizing Misinformation:<\/strong> Media literacy involves being able to recognize misinformation and disinformation, such as fake news or misleading information spread with the intent to deceive.<\/li>\n
    5. Understanding Media Influence:<\/strong> Media literacy also involves understanding how media messages can influence attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. This includes recognizing persuasive techniques used in advertising and media content.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In exploring other authors, I came across Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide<\/em> by Henry Jenkins. In summary, Jenkins explores the changing landscape of media in the digital age. While Jenkins\u2019 focus on participatory culture and audience engagement, he also emphasizes the importance of media literacy in combating misinformation. Educating audiences about how to critically evaluate information and sources can help mitigate the spread of false information. Jenkins addresses those challenges of verifying information in a converged media environment – with information flowing through multiple channels and sources, it can be difficult for audiences to discern credible sources from unreliable ones.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

      Media Virus!: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture<\/em>, by Douglas Rushkoff, although he does not provide warnings about the negative influence of media literacy, Rushkoff agrees that media messages can function like viruses, spreading ideas and ideologies that may not always be in the best interest of the public.[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

      According to Media Literacy: Understanding Stereotypes in Media<\/em>, this site shares how media plays a significant role in shaping our perceptions of reality. It can function as both a mirror, reflecting our own experiences, and a window, allowing us to learn about the experiences of others. However, when it comes to representing diversity, there are several critical issues:<\/p>\n

      Under-representation<\/strong>: Historically, many groups have been under-represented in the media. Even today, we encounter less diversity in mass media than in real life. Behind the scenes, diverse communities are often even less well-represented than onscreen. Under-representation limits opportunities for authentic portrayals of diversity within a group.<\/p>\n

      De-centering<\/strong>: Sometimes, under-represented groups are relegated to the background, serving as a backdrop for more \u201cmainstream\u201d protagonists. For example, a White character excelling in skills associated with a non-White culture or stories where under-represented characters need a majority-culture character to \u201csave\u201d them.<\/p>\n

      Stereotyping<\/strong>: Portraying members of a particular group in limited roles perpetuate stereotypes. Negative stereotypes harm by reinforcing biases, while even so-called \u201cpositive stereotypes\u201d limit how we see individuals within that group.[10]<\/a><\/p>\n

      Take Away<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding<\/em> serves as a wake-up call, urging us to recognize our fallibility and strive for a more informed understanding of the world. According to Duffy, \u2018we can learn a lot by understanding why we\u2019re so often so wrong.\u2019[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

      [1]<\/a> Bobby Duffy,\u00a0Why We Are Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding,\u00a0<\/em>(New York, NY: Basic Books, 2019). 15-22.<\/p>\n

      [2]<\/a> Duffy. 176.<\/p>\n

      [3]<\/a> Duffy. 220.<\/p>\n

      [4]<\/a> Duffy. 98-107.<\/p>\n

      [5]<\/a> Duffy. 74.<\/p>\n

      [6]<\/a> Duffy. 29<\/p>\n

      [7]<\/a> Duffy. 216<\/p>\n

      [8]<\/a> Henry Jenkins. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, <\/em>(New York, NY: NYU Press, 2008).<\/p>\n

      [9]<\/a> Douglas Rushkoff. Media Virus!: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture<\/em>. (New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1994).<\/p>\n

      [10]<\/a> Representation of Diversity in Media \u2013 Overview | MediaSmarts<\/a>, accessed March 19, 2024, https:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/digital-media-literacy.<\/p>\n

      [11]<\/a> Duffy. 221.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Bobby Duffy is the author of the book, Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding. Duffy draws on numerous public-opinion studies conducted by himself and colleagues across various countries, focusing on social and political questions. In his book, Duffy offers several valuable lessons about human cognition, biases and understanding such as: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2640],"class_list":["post-36926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-duffy","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36927,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36926\/revisions\/36927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}