Political commentary contributes to confusion over what is factual journalism
A study by ISCTE’s MediaLab, to be released tomorrow, reveals that there has been a reduction in the amount of factual information on news channels, through the use of talking heads/ political commentators.
This trend for promoting political commentary (often using journalists for the purpose) has also contributed to confusion over what is factual journalism.
“Political Commentary in the Media 2023” traces the development of political commentary on television, explaining that it has increased by 47% in the last eight years – with the majority of commentators being right-wing, and an “abysmal gender imbalance” (most are men).
In 2016, there was a slight advantage in favour of fixed left-wing commentators (23 against 22), shows the study, but in 2023 the trend has changed and the predominance is on the right (37 against 25).
There were also eight commentators with an unidentifiable political orientation eight years ago and 16 last year.
The study also concludes that three-quarters of commentators are men, emphasising that “women commentators are much less politically connected than men”.
Only 24% of all television commentators are women, less than in 2022 (28%) but more than in 2016 (17%).
The study’s authors point to the negative trend of an increased association between journalists and commentators, which “contributes to confusion about what is factual journalism and what is audience commentary”.
“The exponential increase in the number of commentators and commentary slots on television in recent years” has resulted in “a reduction in the amount of factual information on the news channels”.
For the MediaLab researchers, analysing political commentary in the media is relevant because “political commentary, in all its forms, is a vital force in shaping public opinion“.
The “high average age of over 50” is also noted for promoting “political visions that are in fact far removed from the concerns and language of other age groups in the population and foster a generational gap”, leading to a “distancing of younger people from politics”.
MediaLab analysed RTP1, RTP2, SIC, TVI, RTP3, SIC Notícias, CNN Portugal and CMTV for its study, suggesting that in 2023 SIC Notícias was the most balanced in terms of the number of left-wing and right-wing commentators.
Source: Lusa
