Media coverage of Venezuela boat strikes paints incomplete picture
The U.S. military is conducting strikes off the coast of Venezuela, targeting what the Trump administration calls “narcoterrorists” and drug-carrying vessels. President Trump’s decision to authorize these actions has become a central story in the media, with news outlets framing it in very different ways depending on their partisan lean.
This week on Bias Breakdown, we explore the president’s use of Article II of the Constitution, the designation of drug cartels as terrorist organizations, and the classification of suspected traffickers as “unlawful combatants.” We also examine the legal and political debates surrounding congressional oversight of military action, as well as how these issues are being covered in the media.
Framing the issue
We examine how various news outlets have framed the issue, including the individuals they choose to interview and the perspectives they highlight or omit. The episode discusses forms of media bias, such as viewpoint omission, where opposing arguments are left out, and source attribution omission, where reporters fail to identify who is making specific claims.
The role of experts in media coverage is also examined, highlighting how their opinions can be presented selectively to reinforce a particular narrative. There are examples from both left- and right-leaning news outlets using this form of bias and partisan framing to influence public perception over the legality of Trump’s orders in the Caribbean.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
