By Maki Flauta

The New York Times. BBC. The Guardian. These news outlets are some of the largest driving forces behind the headlines you read. From politics and education to sports and food, they define the world we hear about in our daily lives. 

A free press is regarded as a crucial feature of democracy, a beacon of authenticity in a world of fake news. In most cases, western media fits this description. But what if the so-called ‘free’ press turns out to be covering up the truth?

Take a look at the front page of any western media organization, even the international ones, and you’ll see endless headlines on Trump, the Tories or some other Western-centric issue. Meanwhile, foreign events get minimal coverage. 

Have you ever heard of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? It’s an ongoing territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh region that started at the end of September. Official numbers report that more than 1,100 Armenian soldiers and 130 civilians on both sides have been killed since the conflict started, with the numbers ever increasing. 

Yet coverage of this event by western media has remained abysmal. Some articles can be found floating around the internet but are quickly buried under a constant slew of articles on Western politics.

In a way, this is justified. After all, with a substantial western readership, it makes sense to focus on issues that would be more relevant to them, like Brexit or the US presidential elections. Sam Nicolson, an Individuals and Societies teacher at Renaissance College, believes that it is an “issue of perspective.” 

“Certain media outlets, despite their worldwide reach, are still designed primarily for their home audience - packaging things in ways that would be relevant or understood by their western audiences,” he said.

However, they don’t just fail to cover specific issues adequately; sometimes, they even manipulate the stories they tell to promote a narrative. 

Consider the way mainstream western news portrays China. The lockdown they implemented when the COVID-19 pandemic started was described as ‘authoritarian’ and ‘irresponsible’. During this time, places like the US and the UK saw a rise in anti-Asian sentiment that resulted in racist jokes and even attacks against East Asians. Irrespective of the Chinese government’s reputation, innocent people were affected as a result of the negative coverage a country got. 

Meanwhile, other countries like Italy and South Korea who took similar actions were lauded for their quick thinking to prevent the disease’s spread. 

Subtle differences in how the media presents foreign countries can perpetuate an ‘us vs them’ mentality, fostering division and sowing distrust. 

“Despite the increase in general knowledge, most people in countries like the UK or the USA only have a limited frame of reference with foreign countries, which means more subtle issues sometimes get missed,” Nicolson explained.

Ultimately, the problems with western media today boils down to their lack of diverse sources. Almost all western outlets get their coverage on international events from just three global news agencies: Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

When independent research group Swiss Policy Research investigated the Syrian war coverage of nine prominent European newspapers, they found that 78 per cent of all articles written were based on agency reports and none on investigative research. In other words, if the agencies don’t report it, then western outlets probably won’t cover it. 

Moreover, the three agencies are based in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Consequently, the content produced ends up having a slight western bias. The same study found that 82 per cent of the newspapers’ opinion pieces and interviews on the war supported US and NATO intervention.

Thus, to truly see the whole picture, you need to look beyond the newspapers you’d typically read.

“Newspapers are usually scattered with bits of opinion here and there, so it’s definitely important to expand your horizons and listen to multiple perspectives,” said Megan Chan, a Year 11 student at Renaissance College. 

She relies on several newspapers and social media for information, fact-checking along the way. 

“Looking through multiple sources is also really important for fact verification, especially for sources that may be less well known.” 

Regardless, I can’t deny that these news organizations keep us informed and connected. You could even argue that some truthful news is better than no news at all. Nevertheless, we need to stay vigilant.

‘Attitude inoculation’ is a psychological theory where you purposefully expose yourself to viewpoints that oppose your beliefs, so you are less likely to be persuaded when the same arguments are made more convincingly. 

We should practice attitude inoculation when browsing the news. Don’t just read the articles you agree with, seek the ones where you don’t. 

The truth isn’t actually hidden - you’re just not looking in the right place.