Bias in Media Essay

In the contemporary society, media has tremendous power in setting the guidelines that shape the health discourse. Therefore, it is essential that news media, along with other institutions, are challenged to broadcast accurate and impartial information (Knight & Chiang 2018, p. 16). In this paper, I will investigate the extent of media bias by depicting information published by two media outlets about the effects of vaccination on human health. Arguably, the two articles offer contradictory information and are overly biased to favor the political ideologies of various influential individuals or political groups.

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

Save 25%

According to an article entitled Autism, Mercury, and Politics that authored by Robert Kennedy Junior and published by Boston News, there is a substantial amount of scientific evidence that proves Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines is linked to the exponential growth of complications such as autism, speech delays, attention deficit disorders, and other neurological epidemics. The article reports that before 1989, a majority of American infants received only three vaccinations, that is, Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP), Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), and polio. However, by 1990, the public health officials had dramatically increased the quantity of thimerosal contained in the vaccinations without considering the cumulative effects of mercury load on human brains (Kennedy, 2015 para.2). Further, the detailed article reports that according to a memo drafted by Dr. Maurice Hilleman, one of leading scientist in the Merck vaccination program, "...administration of vaccines to 6-month-old children would cause them to suffer mercury exposures 87 times the government safety standards" (Kennedy, 2015 para.3). As a result, the doctor recommended discontinuation in use of thimerosal in vaccines. However, his claims were ignored, and for more than eight years the government institutions added seven more immunization vaccines that contained thimerosal. According to the author, scientific research indicates that mercury is a brain poison and there is a direct association between the number of autism and the administration of the new vaccine regimens. Moreover, the author highlights the fact that more than a decade ago the rate of autism was 1 in every 2500 children while in the modern society the rate stands at 1 in every 166 girls and 1 in every 80 boys (Kennedy, 2015 para.5).

Notably, the author reports that the center for disease control officials held a meeting with pharmaceutical companies in secret to review the scientific findings that linked thimerosal to neurological illnesses. According to the transcripts of the meeting, the participants were astonished by the undeniable facts that associated thimerosal with widespread mental damage in children. Nonetheless, the group was determined to keep their findings a top secret and regarded the results as embargoed information. In its report, CDC claimed that it had lost the data that supported the pivotal study and declined to open its federal vaccines database to independent scientists and public (Kennedy, 2015 para.5). Further, the author articulates that thimerosal is the main culprit in the recent increase of neurological disorders. Remarkably, the article states that autistic children tend to have high levels of mercury in their brains than non-autistic. Exceptionally, the author utilizes proved scientific information to make and support his claims. For instance, the author highlights that most of symptoms associated autism are similar to those caused by mercury poisoning. Moreover, the article indicates that scientists have been able to induce autism-like symptoms in mice by exposing them to thimerosal.

The news article Autism, mercury, and politics is biased since it offers only the adverse effects of the vaccines while overlooking the possible merits associated with immunization. Moreover, the article expressly articulates the views of the author without questioning the originality and source of the facts that were presented. Finally, the article is politically inclined to taint the reputation of the government to the public by indicating that the government held a meeting in secrets and failed to inform the people of the damaging effects that thimerosal caused on human health. Such claims are supported by the fact that Robert Kennedy is a staunch supporter of Democratic Party while Republican is the ruling party in America. Therefore, the author is likely to hold resentments against the republican arch-rivals who support vaccination programs.

On the other hand, the article entitled Not vaccinating children is the greater risk which is authored by Jane E. Brody and published by the New York Times newspapers relates the benefits of vaccination on human health. In the article, the author expresses her concerns that immunization is the most critical health advancement that has been significantly eroded by scaremongering and misinformation (Brody, 2015 para. 1). Across the article, the author presents various scenarios in which vaccination has been helpful to the infected individuals. The author narrates the causes of various diseases and the manner in which the vaccines work to protect the body from the infection.

Comparing the two articles, it is clear that there is informational bias on the role of vaccination in human health. While Jane Brody advocates that immunization plays an integral role in promoting and enhancing human health, Robert Kennedy claims that vaccination does more harm than good to the human body. Additionally, while Kennedy arguments are publically slanted to favor the ideologies held by the Democrats against the use of thimerosal in vaccines, Jane's article shows political neutrality and presents only the scientific information on how the vaccines help to mitigate the spread of diseases. Therefore, analysis of the two news media has successfully depicted the bias that exists between different media outlets and groups.

Reference List

Brody, J. E. 2015, Not Vaccinating Children Is the Greater Risk. Retrieved from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/10/not-vaccinating-children-is-the-greater-risk/

Kennedy, R.J. 2015, Autism, mercury, and politics. Retrieved from http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/07/01/autism_mercury_and_politics/

Knight, B., & Chiang, C. 2018, Media Bias and Influence: Evidence from Newspaper Endorsements. Doi: 10.3386/w14445