This week we've been discussing secret messages found through an author's diction. It's difficult for an author not to show some bias in his writing simply because every word he chooses has a connotation that points to one side of an argument or another.
Looking at Fox News, I came across an article about Republicans proposing to make being gay illegal in Montana (click here to view the full article). Typically Fox News is highly conservative, but I got the feeling from this article that the writer was more toward the liberal side. For example, the article begins by saying, "at a time when gays have been gaining victories across the country." The word "victory" implies that these acts are very positive, that the gay community has been overcoming something negative. The author could have used a word like "conquer", which does not necessarily sound like a positive action, more like a word used when one person strikes down another.
Later in the article the author refers to the policy of illegal homosexuality as a "toothless statement". This shows his idea that a lack of rights for gays is an old idea, one not in step with today's world, an idea that needs to be modernized. Is it possible for the author to write an article about homosexuality without being biased?
No, I do not think that it is possible to write an article without being biased. In every case, as you said, diction comes into play. Through diction, if not explicitly said, the author's personal experience and opinions come through. In a case of a controversial topic like homosexuality, these opinions are even quicker to come to the fore. People have been raised learning different things, and all these strong opinions floating around change the minds of those who hear. And, if you think about it, most writings on controversial topics are only there to sway people's opinion. Sure, the reporting is part, but you can report some things in just a few sentences. Clearly people want their opinions to be heard.
ReplyDeleteI agree, David. Whether it is deliberate or not, bias is always present. Furthermore, the bias may be part of what makes an article interesting. If only the straight facts were given, as opposed to the facts and the author's views or interpretations, all writing would be identical and all writers would be writing the same things. Specific word choice enables a person and his or her writing to become unique. In the article in your post, the fact that the author may not be totally conservative is part of what makes the article captivating.
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