Kerby Anderson

Everyone has a bias because everyone has a worldview. But it is worth evaluating bias in others and in ourselves. Rob Jenkins provides an overview of certain forms of bias and provides examples of left-wing bias. He acknowledges that conservatives have bias, but finds that most of the examples of bias today come from one political viewpoint.

Attention bias comes from choosing which information to prioritize. The example he uses focuses on the cries of “police brutality” that completely ignore “the constant murder and mayhem on our city streets”

In journalism, that is called the “man bites dog” syndrome. ‘A police officer killing an unarmed Black person is news precisely because it happens so rarely.’ On the other hand, ‘gang members killing each other in the streets often goes unreported because it happens all the time.’

Confirmation bias is a related concept. That occurs often when people merely select information that confirms their previous beliefs. People who believe that police are targeting Black men will select a story that confirms that belief.

But that selective bias “completely ignores the thousands of interactions between the police and Black men each year that do not result in fatal shootings, or any shootings.” All of those are ignored because they do not confirm the biased hypothesis.

There is also the fundamental attribution error. A person who cuts you off in traffic is a jerk, but if you change lanes, you are doing it responsibly. If a Democrat politician votes against a bill, it is due to principle. If a Republican does, he or she hates children or is irresponsible.

Don’t just look for bias in others. I encourage you to also evaluate bias in your life.