Stereotypes, Patterns, and Perceived Consensus

The bias of a media source regarding their audience/ viewers directly shapes the stylistic choices through which a –crafted and decidedly agreeable—message is portrayed. In his chapter on Understanding Style Joseph Williams uses a quote by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch commenting on this perceived stylistic empathy which states:

“Essentially style resembles good manners. It comes of endeavoring to understand 

others, of thinking for them rather yourself—or thinking, that is, with the heart as 

well as the head” (Williams 7).

While in most writing this empathetic appeal to one’s audience can create clarity and allow an author to develop credibility, in various news outlets this appeal to the believed moral/social stances of one’s audience seems to highlight the stereotypes/dark underbelly of both the media source and the target audience. If commonalities are found between anchors, writers, researchers, and/or watchers it is most likely a common bias towards a certain political, social, cultural, or economic group. Because of the media’s heavy reliance on viewer input many news sources consider agreeable topics to be successful stories—even if those topics are not the most consequential.

In analyzing Fox and MSNBC news, one can see clear examples of rhetorical and visual appeals being made by each of these outlets to their perceived target audience. In light of the recent Vice Presidential debate, the first recognizable pattern one could find is news sources catering to an audience’s political preference. Fox seems to cater to a more conservative audience while MSNBC seems to be catering toward a more progressive audience. Fox news’s analysis of the Vice Presidential debate consisted of a discussion between an anchor/moderator and two representatives—one from each campaign. The moderator asked the republican representative policy based/ general questions and subsequently went on to ask the democratic representative specific questions about Paine’s behavior, interruptions, and seemingly charged commentary during the debate. The pointed nature of this debate review could lead an audience to believe that Fox news supports republican candidates—if this was their target audience Fox’s appeals were successful. MSNBC in light of Governor Pence’s seemingly effective performance commented only on the effective strategies employed by each VP hopeful. This news source did not advocate for a specific debate winner and in MSNBC’s review of the debate four panelists commented on the potent strategies employed by each side. While this may seem like a fairly unbiased approach, MSNBC’s footage/ highlight reel from Tuesday’s debate showcased Paine’s condemnation of Donald Trump’s use of inflammatory/ offensive language and Pence’s lack of response, apology, or support for his candidate’s actions. These subtle editing choices could lead one to believe that MSNBC targets audiences supporting democratic candidates—and if this is the case MSNBC was also successful in their goal.

Other possible stereotypes associated with each network could include each’s appeal to people of differing genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and religious beliefs- or lack thereof. While these news outlets are often successful in reaching a specific group/ targeted audience, as viewers we must make sure that our personal bias does not excuse agreeability for accuracy or consensus with consequence. 

An Aside on False Consensus: