This NBC news review looks at the ideological makeup of the network’s news division and its reliance on video and commercials to fill its programming. We also take a look at its coverage of the Amber Heard case and its commercials. We conclude that NBC has a strong left-wing bias and a heavy reliance on video.
NBC News’s ideological composition
A recent Pew Research Study measured the political lean of NBC News viewers. It found that 26% of NBC News consumers have liberal views, 36% have mixed views, and 5% consistently hold conservative views. While these results may seem extreme, they are based on a sample size of almost nine thousand people.
Although the ideological composition of news outlets may vary, one thing is certain: the most trusted news sources tend to be more liberal. The New York Times and CNN are favored by liberals, but NBC News is the least trusted news source overall. In addition, liberals tend to distrust Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck.
Although NBC uses neutral language in its reporting, many of its articles do not contain cited evidence to support their claims. The Factual also scores articles based on their tone of voice. It uses an algorithm to look for subjective commentary and the emotional nature of selected words. More neutral text gets a higher rating than more opinionated text.
The study uses an overlapping dataset to identify the sources that people trust most. The news sources are grouped on a line graph according to their average ideological composition. ABC News’s ideological composition is closer to that of the average survey respondent. On the other hand, the New Yorker’s audience tends to be more liberal than the average respondent.
The study also uses computerized coding to examine the choice of news stories on each network. It uses both objective and subjective criteria to determine which stories are more likely to reflect the views of viewers. The results support the pro-Democrat bias hypothesis. If the media is pro-Democrat, the bias will be evident in the way they cover the news.
MSNBC’s ideological composition is not much different than that of Fox News. Its viewers are more liberal than those of Fox. While Fox News’s viewers tend to support a border wall, MSNBC viewers oppose it. By contrast, Fox News viewers tend to favor candidates with a higher level of education.
NBC News’s coverage of Amber Heard
In the aftermath of Johnny Depp’s multi-million dollar defamation trial, actress Amber Heard sat down with NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie for a rare interview. The interview was taped two weeks ago and will air on Today this week and on a special Dateline NBC special on June 17.
It was shot under tight security and secrecy. Though it was filmed in New York City, the NBC executives decided to keep the location and the interview location secret.
The first twenty minutes of the interview were released on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. The interview has new evidence that Heard’s lawyers shared with NBC News.
However, ethics experts argue that the interview isn’t fair because Guthrie asked Heard questions that were similar to the ones asked during the trial. For example, the journalist asked Heard about the $7 million divorce settlement that she claimed she had given away.
NBC News’s coverage of Amber Heard’s defamation trial has drawn controversy. During the interview, Heard opened up about the defamation case she lost against Johnny Depp. Depp brought the case against Heard, and a jury ruled unanimously that she defamed him in the interview. As a result, he was awarded $10 million. She also criticized the role of social media in allowing people to criticize celebrities.
NBC News launched a documentary about the lawsuit, “A Marriage on Trial,” which aims to explain how the Depp-Heard trial dominated social media. It examines how social media influenced the public’s perception of the two actors, and how the case’s verdict will affect future cases of domestic abuse.
On June 17, NBC News will air a one-hour special featuring Heard and Savannah Guthrie. This special will be heavily hyped by NBC, and will air at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. However, NBC’s coverage is limited to this one-time event.
NBC News’s commercials
NBC is following most broadcast competitors into the streaming news space, with NBC News Now, formerly called NBC News Signal. Other streaming news networks include CBSN, ABC News Live, Fox Nation, and others.
The NBC News App has a live stream with commercial breaks, which will be similar to what viewers see on television. Each commercial break will contain a title, clip number, and content related to the ad.
During the Super Bowl, NBC will air dozens of commercials for its network and parent company. Viewers will learn about the upcoming seasons of “Law & Order,” new shows such as “Endgame,” and the American Song Contest. They’ll also hear about NBC comedies such as “Bel Air,” and Universal Orlando Resort.
