Do blogs remove bias?

             When you’re in a course like Media and Politics, it seems like the goals of the class include coming to the conclusion that bias exists and learning how to be perceptive of its occurrence. In this way, we’ll be the active and responsible citizen we know we are. While time and time again, we note the existence of bias in mainstream media outlets, the agendas and leanings of the news we see, read, and hear, we persevere because of the hope that comes along with the new era of digital technology. WE learned that very few corporations own the major media outlets, and it’s really rather frightening to see how such a small amount of influence controls what comes our way. However, with the ever expanding internet, and specifically the rise of blogs, more and more people are granted the ability to give over the news they see important in the way they think is right.  And the millions upon millions of people search the web have the ability to be exposed to an array of news sources thanks to this new digital age.

                However, in class during the discussion about our blogging, we learned that most bloggers are well-educated, of high socio-economic status, male, and white, as are the readers of blogs. Blogs, despite what they are supposed to be in theory, are in reality an elite phenomenon. The average citizen is not necessarily involved in them. You have to actively seek information; you have the time to be interested, and the luxury to care. So even with the potential of the internet, we are still running into the same problems, though on a smaller scale. Nevertheless, it’s rather frustrating. That’s of course looking at it from the pessimist’s angle, and it’s important to be aware of this inherent bias in blogs as well.  But despite this statistic qualifying the blogging population, we still must note the strides we have taken, and realize that it can only go up from here. While most bloggers may be white males from the middle class, there are miles between them and the corporation owners who control mainstream media outlets.