Addressing and Counteracting Confirmation Bias in Journalism
Confirmation bias is one of the more insidious obstacles we face as humans in the information age. Put plainly, people want to find answers to their questions. Moreover, they get excited and feel validated when the logic they’ve used to arrive at a singular conclusion is backed up by some kind of media that they come across during their research. They find that article and convince themselves they are correct – despite five other articles refuting that piece.
This person has fallen victim to the trap of confirmation bias. We are all predisposed to it – we like to interpret evidence in a way that confirms our beliefs, not works against them. Unfortunately, as journalists, this is pretty antithetical to what we are trying to accomplish with our work. The pursuit for truth means that even when our personal feelings get in the way, we must put them aside. But since this is an especially insidious piece of human nature, how do we deal with it?
HOW DOES CONFIRMATION BIAS SHOW UP IN JOURNALISM?
Confirmation bias can show up at any stage of the process, including choosing which pieces to report on. It can show up when you’re sourcing – are you only sourcing pieces or witnesses that will answer the question you’ve posited in the way you already believe it will be answered? Will you interpret data and talking points that may not otherwise support your question in a new light in order to make it support your point? What data will be gathered and featured? Confirmation bias actually enters the process at every single step, and being aware of its pull is the first line of defense in being able to work with and against it effectively.
IS CONFIRMATION BIAS EVER USEFUL?
To a degree, yes. For example, when reporting on COVID-19 vaccines, knowing which data is useful to foreground is essential because there is a dizzying amount of misinformation and fake news surrounding the vaccine and its effects. Understanding which sources to foreground and which sources to trust is a form of confirmation bias at work, but it is an educated process that the journalist is engaging in.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE LIKE REGARDING CONFIRMATION BIAS AND MOBILE NEWS CONSUMPTION?
Access to information has never been more abundant, and as such, readership has become very divided. Reports show that consumers actively seek out news that confirms their pre-existing attitudes and beliefs. Worse, those consumers, according to the same report, find that contradicting empirical data and supported arguments actually strengthens confirmation bias.
HOW DO WE COUNTERACT THIS WITHIN OURSELVES?
Our first step can be to broaden our focus when we are approaching new material. A narrow focus with a clear mind as to where you would like to end up is a certain way to blind yourself to important nuances or details within your work. A less narrow focus that allows room for other questions that might crop up will naturally allow for more complete data to come through in your research.
The next step is to become aware of the steps of reasoning and try to catch yourself if you execute those steps in reverse. Cognitively, confirmation bias seeks to circumvent the natural progression of critical thinking by filling in the answers first and then seeking the data to fill in the blanks. Instead, the data must dictate the answer – not the other way around.
The second and more difficult step involves becoming aware of our own implicit biases. A young cisgender white male from the northeastern United States raised in privilege is likely to carry a very different set of implicit biases than an older trans woman who emigrated to the United States. Breaking down your own biases requires a look at your own history from an objective point of view – and if you are incapable of that, finding another colleague or friend to hold you accountable can help. There are several resources available online as well to outline some more common biases and lead you on the cognitive pathway to undo some of those while you work.
Confirmation bias, like every other societal happenstance, has its place and time for being useful. But, it also can create an environment in which terrible mistakes and miscarriages of the truth can happen. Learning how to break down and spot confirmation bias at work both internally and from afar may help any journalist avoid some of these pitfalls.
