The press is commonly referred to as the fourth estate. The term can be traced back to the traditional division of state power into three separate branches. This designation refers to the significant role that the media plays in the functioning of modern states. At first glance, it may seem peculiar to equate it with the executive, legislative, and judicial powers, but it is worth considering that except for the least developed countries, most citizens everywhere obtain their information about politics and state affairs from the press in one way or another. Considering this, it is easy to see the crucial role that the media plays in the functioning of the state, as it determines when, how, and what information people can receive. Consequently, accurate and fact-based reporting is in everyone’s interest.

Due to their influential positions, certain media outlets can favour certain actors, whether they are parties, politicians, economic organizations, movements, or lobby groups, with their reporting. When a media outlet favours one or more actors in this way, we speak of media bias. There are numerous definitions in the literature regarding media bias, but they all describe this kind of partiality with more or less variation (Entman, 2007; Groeling, 2013; Stevenson et al., 1973). There can be several reasons for the favouritism of individual press products. Often, owners operate these businesses not just for profit but also because it allows them to influence the public discourse in the country (Gentzkow et al., 2015). In such cases, the purpose of operating the media itself is at least partly to favour and promote a particular viewpoint.

Apart from the preferences of individual owners, explanations for media bias can also be partially provided by the preferences of editors and the economic interests of the operating businesses of the respective media outlets. Another common reason for media bias is the pressure to meet the demands of consumers. The assumption that unbiased news is the most useful and therefore marketable often does not hold true. In practice, readers prefer to see their own opinions and biases reflected (Wagner, 2020). Previous research that examined bias along consumer preferences found that consumer preferences account for a significant portion of the differences present in newspaper bias (Gentzkow & Shapiro, 2010). Various categorizations of biased cases in the press are available to interested readers (Groeling, 2013; Shultziner & Stukalin, 2021). In this case, however, it is more practical to overview a few formats; these are naturally ideal types, so real cases may not necessarily perfectly correspond to them; they may resemble two or more, yet they help to make the previous points more tangible and facilitate the recognition of bias.

Bias by omission    

We talk about information omission when a news report handles a given topic unilaterally by not including the statements or viewpoints of one party. As a result, the reader/viewer of the news does not receive the complete information, and a distorted picture forms within them.

Source Selection    

Individual news reports often refer to experts and new research, sharing the results of professionals’ work with the public, which is naturally beneficial. However, in reality, it is generally true that there is usually no consensus among experts on important, current issues. Nevertheless, a biased media outlet can create the impression that such a consensus exists by selectively choosing sources, only including those that align with a particular viewpoint in the news. Thus, they can create the impression that one side is scientifically validated in contrast to the opposing position.

Selection of  Stories    

Story selection is perhaps the most important form of bias, as it is practically inevitable due to the nature of the media. Every media outlet has more potential news items than can be included in the final news report. Therefore, some form of selection is necessary, influenced by the editor’s bias, even if there is no intention to present a distorted picture to the readers. Of course, if someone’s explicit goal is to select stories based on certain criteria, then the impact on the final product is much more significant.

Bias by placement    

In newspapers, the news featured on the front page is much more memorable, and a larger percentage of people read it; similarly, at certain times, there is higher viewership of news, etc. So, it can generally be said that press products have the opportunity to highlight certain news and push others into the background. Based on this, it can be understood that a biased editor can use this to shade the news consumers receive according to their own preferences.

So far, we have outlined that various media outlets can be biased in many different ways and for various reasons. However, from all this, it certainly does not follow that it is not worth staying informed and following the news. It is important to bear in mind that the media is not a single unified actor but a category within which countless players are present. These players are pulled in different directions by different interests, not to mention those for whom journalistic ethics are important. Due to this diversity, the most reliable defence against biased reporting is to seek information from multiple sources. Additionally, it helps a lot if we are sceptical of news with strong emotional charges or representations of conflicts in black-and-white terms.