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I keep thinking about this piece from @TVNewsCheck's Harry Jessell. It talks about "expediency bias." While he calls out local TV news, I think it is an issue in many place 1/ https://tvnewscheck.com/article/251264/tv-news-real-bias-problem-expediency/
Jessell argues, smartly, that news has a tendency to go for the quick rather than the difficult. Over the last 20 years or so, journalism resources have been slashed. Here locally, while we have more news resources than most, it's still quite a bit less than the early 2000s 2/
That leads to mantras like "work smarter, not harder." Which is code for "do more with less." While technology has helped, it doesn't cover for the fact that there are just plain fewer people digging stories up. 3/
This is where 'expediency bias' comes in. Here's a way it manifests: You see the same so-called 'expert' on a topic over and over and over. Why? Because that expert is probably easy to get ahold of, available, and likes the limelight (or some combo of all three) 4/
That doesn't mean that Mr./Mrs. Always Answers Their Phone is the *best* on the subject - it just means they are the most likely to be available. It also helps that repetition for the person means they are more comfortable on camera or with reporters 5/
But by using the same person, a couple things happen. One, while they may be the best expert on one part of a topic, their commentary can expand to other areas where maybe they know a bit - but aren't *the* best on the topic. 6/
And it snuffs out the chance to have more diverse voices. I mean this both in the sense that just one voice isn't diverse from just a count standpoint - but it means you don't hear from folks with other points-of-view (i.e. POC, women, LGBTQ+ etc.) 7/
Jessell nails it with this: "Because of.. the insistence on profit margins that exceed many other businesses, news organizations tend to go for news that can be “obtained quickly, easily and inexpensively.” 8/
There are no quick solutions to this. Some outlets are making progress. But the only real true fix to this is improving the model journalism is built on. And, though I know I'm a broken record, a shift to locally-owned outlets that aren't owned by Wall St. or hedge funds. end/
