Bias: Cognitive Shortcuts Leading to Prejudgments and Discrimination - Essay Sample

Introduction

Bias denotes to the inclination, prejudice, or tendency against or towards someone or something. Some of the biases are helpful and positive such as staying away from a person who causes harm knowingly. However, biases are frequently dependent on stereotypes instead of actual knowledge of a person or the situation. Whether negative or positive, these kinds of cognitive shortcuts lead to prejudgments, which bore discriminatory practices or rash decisions. The most common examples of unfair biases focus on stereotypes about the race, gender, sexuality, religion, or race of an individual. This significance of bias is that it has actual adverse results and the improvement of one's vulnerability to stereotypes. An example of modern day bias is the media bias, where news producers and journalists choose to report stories they want while ignoring others. In some countries such as Myanmar, China, and North Korea, the government influence biases the media. The effect of bias is that a group of people, especially minorities, will feel detached from the mainstream media since their issues and plight, are filtered out. Media bias is a practice against the key principles of democracy.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Pack Journalism

Pack journalism refers to the new reporting characterization where the reporters from various news outlets come together to cover the same story, which leaves a homogenous news reporting. It is the practice where the reporters utilize the same information sources for their stories. It does not only refer to the print sources but the people providing information or quotes for their accounts. Where reporters need to cover a particular individual for an account, they move from one place to another and come together in masses at the scene which is worthy locations. While it is regarded as the proper reporting, whenever reporters from many news outlets cover the same story using the same steps ensures there is no varied news. Pack journalism happens when reporters rely on one another for news tips while using the same source of information. An essential short term effect of pack journalism is turning minor news stories to national headlines. The widespread impact of these stories to the public makes people lose sight of some other vital stories globally. The long term impact of pack journalism is reducing news reporting to competition for news organizations. There are also incidents of under-representation for the minority parties since the focus of the media is solely on other issues.

Horse-Race Coverage

Horse race coverage means a type of political journalism of elections, which is similar to coverage horse races since the emphasis is on public perceptions and polling data. There is no focus on the policies of a candidate or even the differences. Journalists consider the horse race metaphor as an essential analytical tool. A horse is often not judged through its skill or speed, but the comparison of its momentum to other horses, and particularly its losses and wins. The horse-race coverage has an effect of reducing the substantive knowledge of the citizens about politics. At the same time, the coverage helps in fostering political alienation and cynicism. Horse race coverage also falls short of displaying the weaknesses or strengths of every politician. Media outlets have utilized the horse race journalism to make elections more competitive, which improves the odds of having larger audiences during the coverage of the election campaigns. For example, the 1988 presidential election used the horse-race coverage that had an impact on the democratic candidates. The media affected the public support for candidates and contributors to the campaign.

The Executive Office of the Presidency (EOP)

EOP defines a group of organizations that are at the center of the federal government's executive branch. President Franklin Roosevelt, in his second stint in office, established the basis for modern white house personnel. Relying on the suggestions of a panel Roosevelt commissioned, he convinced the Congress into approving the 1939 Reorganization Act. The Act resulted in the creation of the EOP that made direct reports to the president. EOP is made up of both the Bureau of the Budget and the White House Office formed in 1921 and initially situated at the treasury department. EOP assumed many of the responsibilities of the National Emergency Council. The efforts of President Roosevelt underlined the need for more staff. The EOP backs up the president's work. EOP is made up of various agencies and offices including the National Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Office. With the increased global and technological advancements, the personnel in the white house have expanded to accommodate different policy experts towards addressing modern day fields. In the EOP, there are over 4,000 positions which do not need the U.S. Senate's approval. In the fiscal year 2017, the EOP budget was $714 million.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, released in 1939, is an American drama movie directed by Frank Capra. The story is related to Jefferson Smith, an industrial youth leader appointed to the U.S. Senate by the political powers from his state. Upon being appointed, the appointees believed that he would help them achieve their objectives in the government. Nonetheless, after proposing national youth camp on the site of a land deal, the senior senator of the state and the beneficiaries were against him. Affected by the mass corruption in Washington, Smith almost left town but was convinced by Jean Arthur, his secretary, to challenge the system. Hopper, an opportunist, knew very well that he could not appoint anyone recommended by Taylor but viewed Smith as a person who could be easily manipulated by Paine and Taylor. At the time, Foley, Taylor, and Paine were working toward a dam project behind the scenes, all for their benefits.

Paine believed that he could keep Smith away from trouble for him to launch a bill to the house over an issue so important to him. However, Paine is unaware that Smith has plans which would entirely jeopardize the dam project. Paine and Taylor must decide how to make Smith comply or ruin him utterly. At the same time, Smith is focused on playing it hard among the big boys in the Senate and prove himself. The portrayal of the government officials angered the real-life legislators, to the extent that they called for the banning of the movie. Given the ways it portrayed the political corruption in the United States of America, the film was termed communist and anti-American. In 1942, the vital belief of the movie in the power of democracy was shown at various cinemas in France selected it as the last English-language motion picture to be aired.