As a seasoned gamer who has navigated countless digital landscapes and encountered various forms of media bias, I find the latest development at The Los Angeles Times intriguing. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong’s proposal for a “bias meter” is an innovative idea that could potentially revolutionize journalism, making it more transparent and less prone to confirmation bias.
As a dedicated admirer, I’d rephrase it like this: After rescinding an editorial board’s endorsement of Kamala Harris that was almost set in stone, the proprietor of The Los Angeles Times has shared that his tech team is diligently developing a cutting-edge “bias meter” for future publication on the newspaper’s site, potentially as early as next year.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong’s proposal seems to be about developing a system that offers diverse perspectives on a specific news story, along with an area for comments integration. This new development indicates that the billionaire intends to restructure the Times, particularly as the second Trump administration prepares and after the resignations of several editorial board members due to the endorsement controversy.
Picture this: When you read news or express opinions, there’s a tool to measure biases – not just in news but also in opinions and voices. This way, readers can easily recognize that the source of the content might have some degree of bias,” Soon-Shiong explained during a radio discussion with Scott Jennings, who is joining the editorial board of the Times.
It wasn’t by chance that Jennings was informed about this news. In November, Soon-Shiong had publicly praised Jennings, a CNN pundit who often expresses conservative opinions and counters Trump criticisms on the network, using his X account. The owner stated that he was seeking individuals like Scott Jennings to staff his paper.
The LA Times’ influential figure stated, “It’s crucial to avoid confirmation bias in our reporting. So, we’re developing a system where readers can easily access two perspectives on the same story with a simple click. This feature will also include comment sections. I’m sharing some exclusive insights – we are currently working on this project and aim to launch it by January.
Jennings responded, “It seems we’re discussing a blend of journalistic content and your technology innovation that aims to provide readers with a comprehensive or holistic perspective on any story, at any moment in time.
Soon-Shiong agreed, emphasizing that comments can be just as significant as the story itself. They provide insight into people’s thoughts, fostering conversations, discussions, even constructive debates, all in a respectful manner.
The “bias meter” idea has been bouncing around online as a product idea that readers theoretically would be interested in for some time. NewsGuard, founded in 2018, provides a browser extension that gives a “Full Nutrition Label” of a news website and its political leanings and who owns it. Captain America star Chris Evans launched a website in 2020 called A Starting Point that offers explainers on news topics with a “here’s three opinions from Democrats on this” and “three opinions from Republicans on this”-type format. And the short-lived news startup The Messenger (which Soon-Shiong was pitched on buying before it shut down early this year) had inked a deal with an artificial intelligence company, Seekr, to somehow help root out bias in its own reporting.
Soon-Shiong explained his decision to decline the Harris endorsement by stating that he felt the editorial section of The Times was functioning as an “echo chamber” rather than being a reliable source.
Soon-Shiong expressed disappointment when he learned that his fellow editorial board members had already endorsed a candidate without meeting them first. He believed their endorsement should be backed by facts instead.
He commented, “I was well aware that I would face criticism, I understood it would be uncomfortable, I recognized that people generally dislike change and I acknowledged that I had to directly question the journalists, ‘Are you certain your reporting is factual or is it merely your personal viewpoint on the news?’
Regarding differing perspectives, a former member of the editorial board at the Los Angeles Times, Karin Klein, shared her viewpoint on the decision made by the paper’s owner to postpone an endorsement.
If Dr. Soon-Shiong had chosen back in the spring that he wouldn’t support presidential campaigns anymore, it would have been a reasonable, impartial, and valid decision,” Klein wrote in an article for The Hollywood Reporter published on October 27th. “It was an unusual move, not to voice his opinion during what I consider the most significant election in my lifetime, but that was his choice.
Klein remarked, “However, by choosing his stance at the last minute, when candidates are set and polls indicate close races that could be swayed by minor factors, Soon-Shiong’s apparent anti-editorial position essentially amounts to an editorial – a silent, invisible one that suggests severe flaws in Harris similar to those of Donald Trump, thus placing her on an unfavorable level. In reality, Soon-Shiong is unknowingly acting against the neutrality he claims to pursue.
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2024-12-05 19:24