Newsnax: Not Necessarily Independent

The media (digital or otherwise) has a tendency to portray itself as politically unbiased. Newsmax, a fairly prominent internet news outlet, has the slogan "Independent. American." Yet, on the front page of the website, there was an article titled, "12 Reasons Ben Carson Would Make A Good President."

The article itself has a BuzzFeed style design. Bold, highlighted numbers followed by a non-sequitor. Number 2, for example, on the list claims that Ben Carson would be a good President because "He's not politically correct." The author does not explain why Dr. Carson would be a better President than his competitors, nor does it describe why political incorrectness is a prerequisite to a successful Presidency. This claim is simply is a talking point, that is put in an article to make it seem like it is a relabel and accurate assertion. The author does not end the article with a conclusion, she ends after finishing reason Number 12. 

Anyone unfamiliar with Ben Carson will most likely not be swayed to support him based on this article. I am sure that this author is familiar with rhetorical devices, as she does use anaphora for almost every bullet point, and she probably is a good writer, but this article was written to rile up conservative voters and to make a quick buck. This has become a gigantic issue in the digital media. There is no editorial point of view, so Newsnax loses validity when they post an article like this.  If someone wants to write a political article supporting someone, that's fine, but don't post it on a website that claims to be independent. 

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/ben-carson-good-president-reasons/2015/05/04/id/642490/