Since the 2016 Presidential Election, we have seen a rise in the term "media bias" and "fake news." I am not here to discuss so-called "fake news," but rather bias in the media. Whether we would like to believe it or not, it does exist. That being said, both left-wing and right-wing parties are to blame. This is not a one-sided issue.

It is common knowledge that Fox News, Breitbart, Wall Street Journal, and so on, tend to be more conservative, while CNN, NBC, Vox, and The Washington Post tend to be more liberal. While bias in general can be difficult to prevent, considering everyone has different views that are difficult to conceal, media outlets should try their best to be fair and balanced. This means that they should not 'pick and choose' what stories they want to publish based on which politicians they favor.

In recent years, there has been a growth of partyism, as discussed in an article by The Washington Post. In both Republicans and Democrats, there has become such a hatred for the opposing party that this hatred is being reflected in the media. If one takes a close look at the language that is utilized by several media outlets covering the same news story, there is usually a clear difference. For example, in another article by The Washington Post where a study analyzing the language by several media outlets was discussed, it was revealed that Fox News was the sole media outlet that was more positive towards Trump than Clinton. On the other hand, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, and Politico were all more favorable towards Clinton. These are both perfect examples of inherent media bias.

Particularly in the 2016 Presidential Election, America was faced with choosing between two extremely unpopular candidates. This dilemma caused many individuals to become more defensive with their original political parties, while viciously attacking the opposing side who disagrees with them. Partyism has become a growing phenomenon among both Republicans and Democrats.

According to a study conducted by Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; only 11 percent of media coverage in the 2016 Election focused on the policies of the candidates. 11 percent. At this point, it might not even be just the bias of the media, but also the fact that media outlets feed off of controversy and simply a good story. Major media outlets are not effectively conveying the 'news' if most American citizens are unaware of the actual policies of the candidates that are running for office. While they should be aware of surrounding issues as well, they are not learning all of the facts regarding the major candidates.

So, what is the solution to the rising bias of the media? The key is to not rely solely on one media outlet. One should not only read stories by Fox News, or only subscribe to CNN. It is important to examine the undertones and language that is portrayed by various media outlets in order to learn the full story.