Fairness triggers confirmation bias

The recent election has revealed a delightful irony that no one will believe. If you think that mainstream media is biased it's because you are biased.

Anyone who is guilty of that won't believe that. It's because they're biased.

Working in the media brings many benefits. Some comedians get free bread rolls sent in their direction.

You also get an array of tweets telling you that you have a bias. Half of the tweets tell you you're a mouth piece of the right and the other half tell you you're a bunch of lefties. It would make more sense if those two groups would argue with each other and leave us out of it.

The accusers have confirmation bias. When the media says something you agree with you hardly notice it. You presume they would be saying those things and don't give it much mind. When the media says something you disagree with it stands out like a sore thumb and you are outraged that they could broadcast something so abhorrent. Fairly representing both sides triggers this confirmation bias.

I'm not the only one to push back at the accusations. Huw Edwards, host of the BBC's election night coverage, reached the end of his tether and tweeted, "How does an organisation direct thousands of its staff to work in unison to back one political cause?"

He makes a good point. I have worked with the BBC and they can't even organise the parking. A Christmas rota for about six presenters taxes them to breaking point, so if they did have a way of making thousands work together they'd use it to make the place run more smoothly.

Just because the media says something that you don't agree with doesn't prove they are biased against you.