Case study in media bias: Racism and online news comment boards
Loading...
Date
2012
Authors
Rogers, Doug
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
There is a gap in current critical media literacy studies, in that the vast majority of
studies focus exclusively on critique of national print media outlets. The internet has recently
provided a new medium in the form of online mainstream national news media comment boards,
where consumers of the news are allowed to post anonymously their opinions about topics in the
news. The purpose of this research is to analyze a selected content of comments left on online
mainstream national news media comment boards contained on Canadian national news media
websites to determine the nature of democratic discourse that occurs, specifically asking whether
these comments are potentially harmful and racially discriminatory to marginalized groups.
Central to the theme of this research is determining what constitutes acceptable speech versus
what could be considered hate speech. This research considers the media’s role in giving
consumers of the media an opportunity to post unsavory viewpoints using a pseudonym.
Grounded in critical race theory, this research uses critical discourse analysis to examine the
contents of online mainstream national news media comment boards for racist content. It uses
analytical methods that determine whether a statement is a reasonable argument or a persuasive
opinion that is harmful or discriminatory toward marginalized groups. A news story from recent
history has been used as the subject of this analysis. Central to education, themes of racial
discrimination are examined as an argument for teaching students to be critical while promoting
citizenship education.
Description
Keywords
Online news , Comment boards , Racial discrimination , Critical race theory