News media bias and the Syrian refugee crisis

Since 2011, turmoil has erupted in Syria causing the displacement of many individuals now seeking refuge. It has impacted other areas of the world, filling the media with stories of daily events surrounding the initial attacks. The increase in media coverage of the Syrian refugee crisis led me to question whether the stories in the news were accurate representations of what was actually happening. I chose to compare two distinct sources of news in a content analysis, Fox News and CNN, to see whether there was a discrepancy in how they reported the same topics. After analyzing seven articles from each news source, it was clear neither source was motivated solely by reporting fact. Media frames in each source were present that highlighted both their interests in politicizing the events and appealing to their audiences. Conclusions were drawn suggesting the need to consult multiple sources of news to guarantee accurate information