Entry #3 Slanted Reporting Quest

Slanted reporting often manipulates facts or selectively omits information, leading readers to form biased opinions without a full understanding of the issue. News outlets engaging in this practice may emphasize certain viewpoints while downplaying or ignoring counterarguments, skewing public perception. By subtly injecting bias into coverage, slanted reporting frames stories to align with specific political agendas rather than presenting a balanced perspective. This type of reporting can shape narratives that favor certain groups or ideologies, ultimately eroding the audience's trust in objective journalism. 

After reading the article The NY Times’ Shoddy, Slanted Reporting of NRG’s California Valley Solar Ranch, Clean Energy Stimulus & Subsidies I gained insight into how the NY Times employs slanted reporting in some of its articles. Using dramatic language to describe their claims made me reflect on how news outlets often rely on sensationalism to emphasize their points. There is a report by the NY Times saying "[Lawrence H. Summers warned of] “’ double dipping’ [of government incentives] that was starting to take place. They said investors had little ‘skin in the game.’ when the fact is "The Government protected itself against this concern by ensuring that most of the money from the treasury grant received by the project has to be used to pay down the DOE loan. On the CVSR project, almost 90% of the proceeds from the cash grant will go to pay down the DOE loan." When the NY Times uses slanted reporting like that it can mislead the audience into jumping to conclusions or being persuaded into feeling one way over another and losing credibility.  It is important to understand slanted reporting to be able to know if a source is credible and biased.