The Media and Their "Secret Messages"

A major theme throughout AIS this week has been the concept of "secret messages". These messages aren't directly stated in writing, instead it is word choice. The fact that a story leaves some words out, or decides to put words in can say a lot about the views of the author.

As I was browsing the internet for an interesting news story, I stumbled upon a story on Fox News about President Obama calling for tighter pipeline security after the recent California gas explosion. The written news story is just what it sounds like, a news story. However, when the actual words are examined, the opinion of the author really comes out.

For example, there is one paragraph that is composed on one sentence.

"Pipeline safety advocates welcomed the Obama plan, but said it fell far short of addressing the problems facing the nation's millions of miles of pipeline."

Instead of Fox News deciding to say "the plan is welcomed by safety advocates," or "while the plan does not cover everything, it is certainly a start," Fox News (a typically right-wing news source) decides to put a quote directly against the Obama administration. Could this be trying to sway voters in the upcoming elections? It is a possibility.

Another example is in paragraph two, which says:

"But Congress is unlikely to act this year with midterm elections looming. And tough new laws could take years if some lawmakers have their way."

Again, word choice is key. The author implies that the Democrat-run Congress is too focused on themselves and winning elections to protect our nation's aging infrastructure. Also, the fact that the author says the laws could take years if "some lawmakers have their way" is key. This implies that some current lawmakers in Congress (most likely Democratic) don't want these dangerous gas lines to be fixed.

This relates to my last post, about whether we are truly getting the full story from media. Each news outlet has its own biases, and by choosing what words are included - and not included - in the story, secret messages, along with secret biases, are being expressed.